The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-27
JAPANESE PROGRESS
,oy, Mr., Pedley Speaks on
Christian Development
on Island.
AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH
Christianity Making Rapid Strides
Throughout the En-
pire.

The Rev Hilton PeIley, preacher
from Japan, occupied the pulpit at
yesterday mornings service at Ply
mouth church Rev Mr., Pedley was
connected with Plymouth church sew
aral years ago and Is well known here.
dis subject was The Mustard Seed
and the Loayen IN Japan" and his text
vas taken from Matthew, the 18th
thapter, 81 to 80 verses.
Rev, Mr. Pedley gave an interesting
account Of the growth Of Christianity
on the island speaking in part as fol-
lows:
Japan is stIll young among the ma.
tons, having been discovered" in 1858.
only the other day | shook hands with
Al American gentleman who was cap
tain's clerk on the Saratoga" when
she dropped anchor near Yokohama as
one of Commodore Perry's fleet, and
'ess than year and a half ago / talk
ed with Japanese gentleman who. as
q youth Of nineteen shouldered his
nlntlock and marched to Yokohama to
drive the audacious commodore from
the sacred shore.
For fifteen years after Perrys fam
Gus treaty the island empire was in an
uproar Two parties struggled for the
mastery One-the imperial--f fought for
The restoration Of the secluded emperor
TO his normal right Of direct contact
With his people the other-thc feudal-
insisted upon the continuance of the
system In vogue, In but one thing
were the parties united hatred Of the
foreigner-and so deeds of violence
and bloodshed were common Not till
1865 aid the land have rest and the ma
tIon become one under the headship Of
the present emperor then lad of six
teen
During those fifteen years OF tumult
four missionaries entered the land and
quietly began their work One OF them.
Bishop Williams OF the American Epis-
copa church still resides in the capt
tai, Toxic, and continues to preach.
In 1864 two brothers received baptism
at the hands Of good old pr verbeek
who, before he performed the rite,
carefully closed the blinds and drew
down the shades to keep out pryins
eyes In 1872 the first Protestant church
vas organized with eleven members,
and FIVE years later twelve persons or
sanized A church which from the first
was to be self-supporiing in every re-
spect. Since this latter organization
was founded, thirty-onc years have
elapsed Years in which Japan has
been literally transformed We look at
her today with her feet OF two nun
bred fighting ships, her army of two
hundred and fifty thousand men, her
central and local parliaments, her
courts Of Justice her system OF educa-
ton which permits her sons to begin
a the kindergarten and, passing along
through all the grades to emerge from
the Imperial university thoroughly ed
ucatcd men; her railway system ex
tending over thousands Of miles. her
telegraphs and telephones, her postal
system which enables every man In the
empire to receive his mail at his own
door; her police system which makes
the country the safest in the world for
travel, and as we look we rub our eyes
as one who fears to find II all a dream,
But the whole story is not yet told
Side by side with all this material adj
vance, the church has marched along.
The mustard seed of twelve Christians
In 1872 has become a tree under whose
grateful shade 10000 church members
find comfort and rest. The one small
hand devoted 10 the cause of self-sup-
port in 1871 has grown until now the
number is we'll past the hundred mark
Taking the Congregational church as
an Illustration of a general forward
movement, we find today that 1t can
boast of over fifty self supporting or
CARNATIONS which pay all church eX-
pcnses, maintain a church paper, and
carry on lourshing Home Mission
airy society, In this Congregational
church the leadership has passed from
the missionary into the hands of the
native pastor, and thus the church is
safe. Good as the missionary has been
his natural proyncialism, his whole
theological and philosophical outfit, his
ignorance Of native customs and native
speech have made his leadership at
best a mere makeshft. Now the native
has come to his own, the missionary
has dropped into his natural place as
a helper. and henceforth we may look
for the writing Of the brightest page in
missionary history
But Christianity has been a eaven
as wei as a growing seed. 1t has come
into the nations life as a vital force.
1t has made men over in their ideals.
their ideas and their everyday life
While the forms Of family and social
life are widely different from our own,
even in the ease of Christian commun-
ties, the underlying spirit Is the same
If we apply to Japanese Christianity
the tests which we demand for our
own-Eepentance from sin, good works.
a higher spiritual life-we shall find
that the Masters followers there will
stand the test.
| Nave seen a Judge Of high standing
give up drinking, withdraw his opposi-
ton to Christianity, begin to read his
Bible, unite with the church, and after
the manner of a little child, come to
his pastor and declare himself willing
to do any work that might be in his
power to perform.
| have lived in a province that for
twenty years and more has forbidden
the licensing of the social evil and
this through the persistent effort of a
few God-fearing men and women.
J have stood side by side, on the pub
Ii3 platform, with the late president of
the Lower House--Mr Kataoka--and
can testify to the tremendous spiritual
influence eXerted by him both In his
public service and private life.
An American gentleman Just return
ed from trip around the world told
me the other day that the strongest