THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
in 1874 in connection with the mission of the American Board, were of a similar nature, and it was the hope of most of the missionaries then in Japan that this policy could be continued; but that same year new churches in Yokohama and Tokyo were put " on a strictly Presbyterian basis."
The year 1S73 marked the beginning of a period of rapid advance. Among progressive Japanese there sprang up a great desire to adopt 3. The Ad- Western customs and ideas. Protesvance, tant Christianity, as the religion of 1873-88. England and America, was thought to be at least worthy of investigation, and large audiences listened to its proclamation. Some, like the popular leader Fukuzawa, argued that as a matter of policy it would be well for the country nominally to adopt Christianity. The Christian schools became crowded with earnest young men and women, many of whom became Christians and showed much zeal for carrying the Gospel to others. Bibles and other religious books had an increasing sale. The churches received large accessions to their membership, and several became self-supporting. In 1883 a general convention of the missionaries and a union meeting of the Japanese Christians were followed by marked religious awakenings. So rapid did the growth of the churches become that extravagant expectations were aroused, and even some enemies of Christianity said that ere the century closed it would be the most prominent religion of the land. The statistics of Protestant missions for 1888 showed 249 churches with a membership of 25,514, the number of adults baptized in the year being 6,959. Outside of the professedly missionary ranks there were those from foreign lands who did much to help on the movement. Among them may be mentioned President Clark of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, who, in 1876, went to Japan to assist in establishing a similar institution in Sapporo. Capt. Janes, U. S. A., who was employed as a teacher in the city of Kumamoto, invited his pupils to come to his house for the study of the Bible. Some of them became Christians, whereupon a severe persecution broke out. A number of these went, in 1876, to the Doshisha School which Joseph Xeesima and missionaries of the American Board had opened the preceding year in Kyoto. Mr. Neesima was a young man who, at a time when an attempt to leave the country was a capital crime, had been led by his desire to learn about God and Western civilization to go to America (1864). He was there befriended by Alpheus Hardy, a Boston merchant, and given opportunities for study such as fitted him to do a noteworthy religious and educational work for his own people.
The period of rapid growth was not without its difficulties. The movements of missionaries were hampered by regulations that limited 4. The Ob- freedom of travel in the interior. While stacles En- the imperial government as a whole countered, pursued a liberal policy, the educational department was much of the time in control of those who exerted a strong influence against Christianity. Local officials sometimes put hindrances in the way of evangelization, and there was much petty persecution by the rela-
tives and neighbors of believers. Fear of losing office, trade, or popularity deterred many from following what they believed to be the truth. Buddhism awoke from its slumber to oppose the rival religion by means of lectures, tracts, schools, and societies. When elections were to be held in 1890 for the first national diet, the Buddhists entered the political arena and urged that the people should not choose any Christians to represent them. It was a bitter disappointment when returns showed that out of the 300 members of the House of Commons, thirteen were Christians, one of whom was made president, while another became chairman of the committee of the whole. Incidentally it may be mentioned that in subsequent diets Christians have several times held the same offices or that of vice-president, which is one of many facts that disprove the assertion that the influential classes in Japan are not reached by the Gospel.
The movement in favor of Christianity was checked by a reaction that began to be apparent about 1889. Failure to secure desired 5. The Re- revision of treaties, with other unaction of toward events, caused the Japanese to 1889. feel much irritation against foreign nations. Conservatives seized the opportunity to foster a nationalistic spirit; while the relations of Christianity with western lands had once been helpful, now they proved a hindrance. Preaching-places were no longer crowded; pupils left the Christian schools, there were few additions to the churches, and many defections. Hitherto there had been but little doctrinal discussion; this was now aroused by the coming of Unitarian and other liberal missions, as well as by the increased reading of books written in other lands. The fondness of the Japanese for novelty and the desire of many to show their independence of the missionaries who had been their teachers increased the tendency to advocate all sorts of views, while theological unrest led to spiritual decline and a relaxation of evangelistic efforts, and the growth of trade and manufactures fostered a commercial spirit that made it more difficult to interest men in religious themes. Nevertheless, some advance was made in this period, so that in 1900 there were 538 churches with 42,451 members.
This reaction gradually spent its force. Revised treaties, becoming effective in 1899, lessened the feeling against foreigners and made it 6. The New possible for missionaries to travel or Advance reside in any part of the land, while Since 1899. the treaty of alliance with Great Britain (1902) increased the favor with which Christian lands, and consequently their religion, were regarded. Regulations issued by the government regarding buildings used by religious bodies were a practical recognition of Christianity and put it on the same standing as Buddhism. Moreover, the twentieth century opened with the manifestation of renewed earnestness and evangelistic zeal on the part of the Christians. The war with Russia did much to sober the thoughts of the people and incline them to consider other than material interests, and also opened up many opportunities for work in behalf of the soldiers, the