it no longer. Persecuted until desperate, those who remained finally
arose in rebellion, seized and fortified the old castle of Shimabara,
and resolved to die rather than submit. The rebelling party probably
numbered about 30,000, and there was not one foreigner among them. A
veteran army, led by skilled commanders, was sent against the rebels,
{156} and after a stubborn resistance of four months the castle was
taken. Men, women, and children--all were slaughtered. There is an
old story to the effect that many of them were thrown from the rock of
Pappenburg into the sea; but it lacks confirmation and doubtless is
only a myth. It has also been charged against the Protestant
Hollanders then resident in Nagasaki that they assisted in the
overthrow of the Shimabara castle and the destruction of the Catholics
with their heavy guns, but this probably is untrue.
There was now left no power to resist, and the sword, fire, and
banishment swept away every trace of Christianity. The extermination
appeared so complete that non-Christian writers have pointed to Japan
as a land in which Christianity had been entirely conquered by the
sword, thus proving that it could be extirpated. But the extirpation
was not so thorough as at first appeared. Christian converts remained,
and assembled regularly for worship; but the utmost secrecy was
observed, for fear of the authorities. When the country was reopened
in 1859, the Catholic fathers found remaining in and around Nagasaki
whole villages of Christians, holding their faith in secret, it is
true, but still holding it. During the two hundred years in which they
had been left alone the faith had become corrupt, but there were still
thousands of people who, amid {157} much ignorance, worshiped the true
God and refused to bow at pagan shrines. Christianity was not entirely
crushed, neither can be, by the secular arm.
After the government had, as it fondly supposed, entirely suppressed
the hated foreign religion, in order to prevent its return it
determined upon the most rigid system of exclusiveness ever practised
by any nation. The means of communication with the outer world were
all cut off; all ships above a certain size were destroyed, and the
building of others large enough to visit foreign lands rigidly
prohibited; Japanese were forbidden to travel abroad on pain of death;
native shipwrecked sailors who had been driven to other lands were not
permitted to return to their own country, lest they should carry the
dreaded religion back with them; and all foreigners found on Japanese
territory were executed. Over all the empire the most rigid
prohibitions of Christianity were posted. The high-sounding text of
one of them was as follows: "So long as the sun shall continue to warm
the earth, let no Christian be so bold as to come to Japan; and let all
know that the King of Spain himself, or the Christians' god, or the
great God of all, if He dare violate this command, shall pay for it
with His head." These prohibitions could still be seen along the
highways as late as 1872.
{158}
During this period of exclusion the only means of communication with
the outside world was through the Dutch, a small colony of whom were
permitted to reside in Nagasaki as a sort of safety-valve and a means
of communication with the outside world when such communication became
absolutely necessary. They enjoyed the confidence of Japan more than
any other nation. These Hollanders were compelled to live on the
narrow little island of Desima, in Nagasaki harbor, always under strict
surveillance. Ships from Holland were permitted to visit them
occasionally, and they carried on a very lucrative trade between the
two countries.
The mistake of Catholic Christianity in Japan during the century the
history of which we have been reciting was its meddling in politics and
getting itself entangled in the internal affairs of the country. If it
had avoided politics and been at peace and harmony with itself, it
might have enjoyed continued prosperity, and Japan to-day might have
been one of the brightest stars in the pope's crown.
While this was, as we firmly believe, a very corrupt form of
Christianity, we must remember that it was immeasurably better than any
religion Japan had yet known. Although it taught Mariolatry, salvation
in part by works, penance, and many other errors, it also taught that
there {159} is but one God, and that His Son died for men. It very
much improved the morals of its adherents, and purified and exalted
their lives.
At the present day very little remains of this century of Christianity
besides the few scattered and corrupt congregations found by the
Jesuits on their return, the introduction of firearms and a few rude
tools, and the infusion of a handful of foreign words into the
language. The most important effect of this period is an inborn and
inveterate prejudice against and mistrust of Christianity on the part
of the people, which to-day hinders much our work of evangelization.
{160}
IX
MODERN ROMAN AND GREEK MISSIONS
_Roman Church_
The Roman Church was not discouraged by the fierce persecutions she was
called upon to endure during the seventeenth century. Nothing daunted,
she continued to send missionaries at intervals during the eighteenth
century; but they were thrown into prison or executed as soon as they
landed. In order to be in readiness for the opening of the country,
which could not be much longer delayed, the pope, in 1846, nominated a
bishop and several missionaries to Japan. These men took up their
station in the neighboring Liukiu Islands and patiently awaited their
opportunity. As soon as the treaties with foreign nations were made,
and the country was opened, they at once entered Japan, and resumed the
work so rudely interrupted two hundred years before.
{161}
A few years later these priests had the joy of discovering in the
neighborhood of Nagasaki several Christian communities that had
survived the bloody persecutions and had perpetuated their faith for
more than two centuries, in spite of the vigilance of the authorities
and the rigid prohibitions of Christianity. Left for so long without
direction and guidance, bound for the sake of their lives to strictest
secrecy, and, above all, not having the Bible to enlighten them, the
faith of these communities had become very corrupt. But they still
retained a certain knowledge of God, of Jesus Christ, and of the Virgin
Mary. The rite of baptism and some prayers also survived.
Of the existence of these Christian communities, and the perpetuation
of their faith in secrecy for more than two hundred years, there is not
the slightest room for doubt. The persecuting spirit, which had also
survived, found large numbers of them in 1867, and more than 4000 who
refused to renounce their faith were banished. After six years of
exile they were permitted to return to their homes.
The mistake of the Romanists here, as elsewhere, was in not translating
the Bible into the vernacular. Xavier and his successors did not give
the Word of God to the churches, and hence when the priests all were
banished the people were left without any light to guide them. Had
{162} they possessed a Japanese Bible, the reopening of the country
would have shown us, instead of a few corrupt Christian communities, a
vigorous, aggressive native church, only made stronger by persecution.
Such was the case in Madagascar, and such probably it would have been
in Japan had the people been given the Word of God.
The relative importance of the Bible to the Romanist and the Protestant
is well shown in this matter of Bible translation. One of the first
efforts of the Protestant Churches in Japan was a translation of the
Bible, and an excellent version was prepared and published more than
ten years ago. The Roman Church, with more than a century of
unprecedented prosperity in former times, and with the same advantages
enjoyed by the Protestants in recent years, has not yet published its
Bible in Japanese. Some priests and native scholars are now engaged on
a translation of the Vulgate, which will doubtless be published soon.
Ever since the opening of the country the Church of Rome has been very
earnest and zealous in her efforts to evangelize this land. She has
used a great many men, who have labored hard and faithfully, and has
expended large sums of money. Her success has not been great, because
she has had to contend against fearful odds. The hindrances that have
made the progress of {163} Protestant missions in this land very slow
have had to be overcome also by Catholicism, besides some other strong
militating influences. I will mention two of the most important of
these hindrances peculiar to Catholicism.
1. The genius of the Catholic Church is not adapted to Japan. The
priority of the spiritual over the temporal ruler, the exaltation of
church over state, the allegiance required to a foreign pope, the
unqualified obedience to foreign ecclesiastical authority, and numerous
other things, come into conflict with the strong national feeling now
animating the Japanese, and seem to them to conflict with the great
duty of loyalty. The celibacy of the clergy and the rite of extreme
unction are also very unpopular. Both Catholicism and Protestantism
are regarded as evils, but the former is, on account of its nature and
organization, considered the greater.
2. The past history of Catholicism in Japan also militates very much
against its progress. The people recognize it as the specific form of
Christianity that the government, in former times, felt bound, for the
sake of its own safety, to persecute to the death. They cannot forget
that, although under great provocation, it dared bare its arm against
the imperial Japanese government and inaugurate a bitter rebellion. In
their work to-day the priests encounter all of these {164} objections,
and must satisfactorily explain them away--a difficult task.
But, notwithstanding, the Roman Church has enjoyed an equal degree of
prosperity with the Protestant Churches since the opening of Japan in
1858. The statistics for the year 1895 show 50,302 adherents--about
10,000 more than the Protestants. But the manner of compiling
statistics differs so much that these figures do not fairly represent
the numerical strength of the two bodies. The Catholics not only count
all baptized children, but all nominal adherents; while Protestants
count no nominal adherents, and many of the denominations do not even
count baptized children. If the same method of compiling statistics
were used by both bodies, their numerical strength would probably
appear to be about equal.
These 50,302 adherents are comprised in two hundred and fifty
congregations. There are one hundred and sixty-nine churches and
chapels; one theological seminary, with 46 pupils; two colleges, with
181 pupils; three boarding-schools for girls, with 171 pupils;
twenty-six industrial schools, with 764 pupils; and forty-one primary
schools, with 2924 pupils.
The Catholic Church throughout the East is noted for its splendid
charities. It is doing more to care for the helpless, aged, and infirm
than all the Protestant bodies combined. It supports in {165} Japan
one hospital for lepers that is exceedingly popular with that
unfortunate class. The government has one good leper hospital, but it
is said that the lepers much prefer going to the Catholic hospital,
because there they are treated so much more kindly and considerately.
There are 70 lepers in this Catholic hospital. The Catholic Church has
also one hospital for the aged, with 31 inmates; and nineteen
orphanages, with 2080 children in them. This large number of
charitable institutions supported by the Roman Church makes a strong
appeal to the Japanese public and does much toward overcoming the
prejudice against her.
The active working force of the Catholic mission, besides the lay
members of the native church, consists of 1 archbishop, 3 bishops, 88
European missionaries, 20 native priests, 304 native catechists, 25
European friars, 85 European sisters, and 42 novices. The archbishop
and bishops reside respectively in Nagasaki, Osaka, Tokyo, and Hakodate.
_Greek Church_
The Greek Church has had a flourishing mission in Japan ever since
1871. It is always spoken of here as the "Greek Church" or the "Greek
Catholic Church," although it would more properly be called the
"Russian Church," {166} as it was founded and is supported by the
national church of Russia.
This mission is largely the result of the prodigious labors of one
man--Bishop Nicolai Kasatkin. He first came to Japan in 1861 as
chaplain to the Russian consulate at Hakodate, but it was his desire
and intention from the beginning to do mission work. For some years he
was so absorbed in the study of the language that he made no attempt
whatever to preach or teach. After he had been in Hakodate several
years a Buddhist priest who came to revile him was converted through
his influence. This man was the first convert to the Greek Church in
Japan, and was baptized in 1866. Three years afterward the second
convert, a physician, was baptized.
The zeal of these converts, and Nicolai's own conscience, now incited
him to throw his whole life and influence into the cause of a mission
in Japan. He was led deeply to regret that he had not done more to
make Christ known to the Japanese, instead of giving all his time and
attention to scholarship and letters. In 1869 he returned to Russia
and began to agitate the founding of a mission in Japan. The Holy
Synod gave the desired permission the next year, and appointed Nicolai
its first missionary. In 1871 Nicolai returned to Japan and made his
headquarters in the capital city, Tokyo. From this {167} time his
active missionary work began, and in it he has shown himself a master.
Whether in the work of preaching, translating, financiering, building,
or what not, he has been director and chief laborer. In 1872 a new
priest, Anatoli by name, came out from Russia and ably assisted Nicolai
for eighteen years, at the end of which time declining health forced
him to return.
Nicolai again returned to Russia in 1879, and was consecrated bishop of
the Greek Church in Japan. At this time he began a work which had long
been on his heart, viz., the collection of funds for the erection of a
fine cathedral in Tokyo. This cathedral was begun in 1884 and
completed in 1891. It is a magnificent building, by far the finest
ecclesiastical structure in Japan. It stands on an eminence from which
it seems to dominate the whole city. The cost of this cathedral was
$177,575, silver.
Here one may hear the finest choral music in the empire. Those who
believe it to be impossible to train well Japanese voices have but to
attend a service at this cathedral to have their ideas changed. A
choir of several hundred voices has been trained to sing in perfect
harmony, and the music is inspiring. Travelers who have heard the
music of the most famous cathedrals and churches of Europe and America
say that this will compare favorably with the best. The {168}
development of music in the Greek Church of Japan has been marvelous.
The work of this church, while scattered over the whole empire, is
chiefly carried on in the cities and larger towns. Like the Roman
Church, it refuses fellowship with the various Protestant bodies. Some
men of note belong to it, and it is to-day recognized as one of the
influential religious bodies.
A notable feature of its work is that it has employed comparatively few
foreign missionaries. The burden of the work has been done by Bishop
Nicolai and an able body of trained native assistants. At present
there are only two foreigners in connection with it, and there have
never been at any time more than three or four. While foreign priests
have been little used, several of its native priests have been educated
abroad.
This church has 21 native priests and 158 unordained catechists. It is
now conducting work in two hundred and nineteen stations and
outstations. It has one boarding-school for boys, with 47 pupils; one
for girls, with 76 pupils; and one theological school, with 18 pupils.
The membership at the close of the year 1895 was 22,576, and the amount
contributed for all purposes during that year was $4754.95.
{169}
X
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PROTESTANT MISSIONS IN JAPAN
During Japan's period of seclusion, when no foreigner dared enter the
country upon pain of death, many godly people were praying that God
would open the doors, and some mission boards were watching and waiting
for an opportunity to send the gospel to the Japanese. When, in the
year 1854, treaties were made with Western powers, and it became known
that Japan was to be reopened to foreign intercourse, great interest
was at once manifested by the friends of missions in the evangelization
of this land.
This same year the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church
in the United States of America requested one of its missionaries in
China to visit Japan and examine into the condition of affairs there,
with the purpose of establishing a mission. At this time permanent
{170} residence of foreigners was not secured, and it was doubtless for
this reason that no progress was made toward the establishment of a
mission.
The country was not actually opened to foreign residence until the year
1859, and by the close of that year three Protestant missionary
societies, quick to take advantage of the opportunity offered, had
their representatives in the field. The Protestant Episcopal Church of
the United States has the honor of sending the first Protestant
missionaries to Japan. It transferred two of its missionaries from
China, the Rev. C. M. Williams and the Rev. J. Liggins. Previous to
this time a few missionaries had made transient visits from China to
Kanagawa and Nagasaki, and found opportunity to teach elementary
English; but this work accomplished little.
According to the treaty with England, the four treaty ports of Japan
were opened July 1, 1859; according to that with America, July 4th.
Mr. Liggins arrived in Nagasaki May 2d, two months before the actual
opening of the port; he was joined by Mr. Williams one month later.
On, October 18th of the same year the first missionaries of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Dr. and Mrs. J. C.
Hepburn, arrived at Kanagawa. A fortnight later the Rev. S. R. Brown
and D. B. Simmons, M.D., of the Reformed Church in America, reached
Nagasaki. {171} The Rev. Dr. G. F. Verbeck, also of the Reformed
Church, reached Nagasaki one month later. Thus it will be seen that
missionaries were sent here as soon as the country was opened to
foreign residence, the Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Reformed
churches of America beginning the work almost simultaneously.
The example set by these boards was soon followed by others. The
American Baptists began the work in 1860, the American Board
(Congregationalist) in 1869, and the American Methodists in 1873. From
time to time other boards also sent representatives.
Although the country was now open to foreign residence, it was by no
means open to the propagation of the foreign religion. All that the
missionaries could do was to study the language and teach English. In
this early period many of them found employment in the schools of the
various daimios and in those of the national government.
The first years were very trying ones. The missionaries were in
imminent danger of their lives; attacks without either provocation or
warning were very common. Foreigners, and especially those who wanted
to teach the foreign religion, were everywhere bitterly hated. The
lordly samurai walked about with two sharp swords stuck into his belt,
and his very look was {172} threatening. At their houses and when they
walked abroad foreigners had special guards provided them by the
government.
Great difficulty was at first experienced by the missionaries in
employing teachers, because of the suspicion in which foreigners were
held. Those who finally agreed to teach were afterward found to be
government spies.
The government was still confessedly hostile to Christianity as late as
1869. Shortly before this time some Roman Catholic Christians who had
been found around Nagasaki were torn from their homes and sent away
into exile. The sale of Christian books was rigidly prohibited. The
prohibitions against Christianity were still posted over all the
empire, and were rigidly enforced. If a conversation on religious
subjects was begun with a Japanese his hand would involuntarily grasp
his throat, indicating the extreme perilousness of such a topic.
The following story shows what native Christians had to endure in some
parts of Japan as late as 1871. "Mr. O. H. Gulick, while at Kobé, had
a teacher, formerly Dr. Greene's teacher, called Ichikawa Yeinosuke.
In the spring of the year named this man and his wife were arrested at
dead of night and thrown into prison. He had for some time been an
earnest student of the Bible, and had expressed the desire to receive
{173} baptism, but had not been baptized. His wife was not then
regarded as a Christian. Every effort was made to secure his release;
but neither the private requests of the missionaries, nor the kindly
offices of the American consul, nor even those of the American
minister, availed anything. Even his place of confinement was not
known at the time. It was at length learned that he had been confined
in Kyoto, and had died there November 25, 1872. His wife was shortly
afterward released. She is now a member of the Shinsakurada church in
Tokyo."
At this early period no distinction was made between Catholic and
Protestant Christianity, and both were alike hated. There was no
opportunity to do direct Christian work, and many of the supporters of
missions at home were beginning to doubt the expediency of keeping
missionaries where they were not permitted to work. Some boards even
contemplated recalling their men. But the missionaries were permitted
to remain and await their opportunity, which soon came. With the
gradual opening of the country, and especially with the dissemination
of a knowledge of foreign nations and their faith, the opportunities
for work more and more increased and the old prohibitions were less and
less enforced.
During the period of forced inactivity the missionaries were busily
engaged in a study of the {174} language and in the writing of various
useful books and tracts. At first Chinese Bibles and other Christian
books were extensively used, the educated classes reading Chinese with
facility. The first religious tract published in Japanese appeared in
1867. One of the most important of the literary productions of the
missionary body, Dr. J. C. Hepburn's Japanese-English and
English-Japanese Dictionary, appeared in this same year. It was a
scholarly work, the result of many years of hard, persevering labor.
The first edition was speedily exhausted, and a second was issued in
1872. The translation of the Holy Scriptures was also begun and gotten
well under way in this period. Several separate portions of the
Scriptures from time to time appeared. The first was the Gospel of
Matthew, translated by the Rev. J. Goble, of the Baptist mission, and
published in 1871. Dr. S. R. Brown had previously prepared first
drafts of some portions of the New Testament, but unfortunately they
were destroyed by fire. Translations of Mark and John, by Drs. Brown
and Hepburn, were published in 1872.
This irregular, piecemeal method of translation was not satisfactory;
so in order to expedite the work, and to elicit an active interest in
it on the part of all the missionaries in the country, a convention on
Bible translation was called to meet {175} in Yokohama on September 20,
1872. As a result of this convention the Translation Committee was
organized. At first it consisted of Drs. Brown, Hepburn, and Greene.
Other names were afterward added. This committee was ably assisted in
its work by prominent Japanese Christian scholars. The great
undertaking was brought to a successful conclusion in 1880, when an
edition of the whole Bible was published in excellent Japanese.