Japan to be a Christian Nation

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3024, 9 October 1888, Page 2

Japan to be a Christian Nation

Dr Abel Stevens,; writing recently from Japan, says :-It is not doubted by one here,- native, or foreigner, that Japan will soon become a Christian State. Intelligent natives r have affirmed to me that in ton years it.' will be: suoh." I have found here sound-headed foreigners agreeing in ; .. . this opinion. Butsuoh a. '.' revolution; would: seem incredible. We need hardly doubt, however, that' - in My years she may be ranked . ■ among the Christian commonwealths. Sho has already accomplished " Disestablishments,'' praotioalty repudia-V ing her old religion,' by abolishing the Department of Beligion in the Government Cabinet. Buddhism is ' dying, and Sliintoism is,acknowiedged • ■ " to be, no religion, but only a poetic or mythic legend, without God and with-, out 'a moral code, Christianity ..is; rapidly advancing nearly everywhere. There has been an increase of missionaries here since 1885 of 82, and there are now 215 iu the Thereare nearly 100 native preachers, . a gain of 'B3 in one year. There ■-..., are eleven, Christian ' theological sohoolß with more, than 176 pupils Ja,. - . gain of 70 students a year.. Thore '"'■■ are some. 10,000 .Sunday School pupils j uioro than 200jhuroli8s, '. more than a fourth of them to be: those besides the' much more abundant statistics of the ' Roman arid 'the Greok' Churches. But this specially Christian indication may be said tobe comparatively '"■ small by the side of a more general' evidence of the great change going on hero. No one can appreciate that change by such specific sort of evidence alone. The policy of Government and the ambition of the people are to become Europeanised in their civilisation, and to tako rank among the great Christian powers. They know that this rank can never be '■':' attained under any actual system of Oriental thought. European soienco has so spread over tho country that . they smile at their old religions as. puerile and effete; On the last two Sundays I have myself preached in a Buddhist temple to congregations ' half native 'and half foreign, with Budda and his usual emblems before me, and his venerable priest at hand and silent, Our American"hymns rang through all its corridors.—N.Z. Methodist,