TO VISCOUNT OKABE.
Allow me to write you a few lines to inform you of my experience in your old castle town. On receiving your letter I tried hard to send one of our best students to that place. Unfortunately they were all assigned to other places before the receipt of your letter, and I was obliged to leave the matter untouched for some time. Although much occupied with many things, I started from here on the 19th ult. and reached Kishinowada on the 20th. On arrival I sent for Mr. J., who promptly called upon me with Mr. M. I told him your special request and translated to them your letter. They were much pleased to see me, and through their prompt action I had the pleasure of delivering my first discourse to your people at Showshia on the 21st. There were twenty hearers. I preached on seven consecutive days, the audience increasing to one hundred, all men and mostly of the samurai class. There were many schoolmasters and advanced pupils, most of whom were young and quite sharp. They raised up all sorts of questions, for the new doctrine I preached seemed to them very strange and doubtful. They had never heard of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. They kept me pretty busy while I was there. They were ready to hear and ready to discuss; I was ready to tell. I forgot my strength as well as the time. Although I tried to get hold of these intelligent hearers, I did not neglect the uneducated. In my discourse I spent one hour for the former and another hour for the latter. Thus my discourse lasted two hours every day. To my great satisfaction the former began to read the gospel and "Evidences of Christianity," and found out their Creator and also immaterial soul existing in themselves, and the latter listened very attentively and some of them already began to reform. You may anxiously ask me whether one has begun to believe in the crucified Saviour. I cannot give you an affirmative reply yet, but I can simply tell you that through God's grace his humble servant has opened before them a new way to enter, and if I mistake not, some of them have already directed their faces towards it.
On the 25th I explained to them my desire to preach to women as well as to men. I told them men are not the only creatures to learn the way of salvation, but women also. While women are kept down like slaves, as in our country, the state of society will never be improved. On the contrary, if women are
Christianized, educated, and elevated, they will do more than men for the purification of society. Special meetings for women were therefore arranged for the evenings of the 26th and 27th. The audience was larger, over one hundred each time.
When I returned I found one of our students had just got back from Fukichigama, where he had gone to preach; having been obliged to leave on account of the strictness of the local authorities. So I sent him to Kishinowada to take up the work I left unfinished. Besides him, about twenty-six of our school have gone there to take sea-baths. They are mostly young fellows, and yet believers. I wish I could inform you more about our work, but I find my work almost beyond my strength, and am therefore obliged to write you hastily and briefly.
"When I returned from my missionary tour to Kyushu I was mostly used up by exposure to intense heat there. When I fairly commenced my labor there numbers of telegrams came informing me that I must return home as soon as possible to attend to grave matters. To my great regret I was obliged to give up my work and return homeward. Now I must inform you of the difficulty just hanging upon my shoulders, but I trust you will never be discouraged. I am fully convinced the Lord has designed me to bear all sorts of trials for extending his kingdom in my beloved country. No matter how heavy the cross may be, I am ready to bear, but what I fear is that I cannot picture out to you our present critical condition so that you could fully understand the impending difficulty and our pressing want.
"When I undertook to start our school in the city of Kyoto, I was rather compelled by law to ask permission from the central government both for establishing it and for employing foreign teachers. For foreigners are not allowed to remain in an interior city like Kyoto unless they are employed by natives. As my American friends gave me funds to start a school and the American Board agreed to furnish me teachers, I was naturally obliged to assume a position of proprietorship. My written application for a school was first presented to the educational department, with the approval of the Kyoto governor. But it was contrary to the regulation of said department to employ regular missionaries as teachers either in the public or private schools. It was my first obstacle. But through Mr. Tanaka's special favor I secured permission for Dr. Davis to enter the sacred and ancient capital of Japan. When it was done I rejoicingly said, 'Miraculous!' When we had fairly started our school we began to preach the gospel in a most quiet possible way. But the truth spoken in a private room became known throughout the city, and caused a great alarm among the priests in the region. They got up a great meeting and presented their united application to the governor to stop our preaching altogether. Then the governor summoned me to his office and requested me not to preach any more in my house. But I asked him, if a friend of mine comes to my house and inquires after a truth, would his Excellency intend to compel me not to give any reply? He answered in the negative. Then I asked him if two, three, or even one hundred friends come and ask me something of the Christian truth, has his Excellency any power to stop me telling them of it? He said no. Then, said I, if he has no such power I can keep on preaching in my house. Finding I was such a stiffnecked fellow he simply charged me not to teach the Bible in our school. It has been taught ever since without ceasing, even through many darkest periods. When one battle was over another battle followed. Then another, still another. It was rumored that our governor reported to the central government that I have started my school with the pretense of education, but my real design was to promote Christianity throughout the empire. Just about that time I pre-sented applications for the entrance of Miss W. and Miss P. into Kyoto. It was refused without any reason being given. The next complaint of our governor was that although I am a nominal employer of foreign teachers, the school is really not a native institution but a foreign one, since it is sustained by the annual grant of the American Board. Our situation became much endangered. The minister at Tokyo was ever trying to stop the entry of missionaries into Kyoto. When Mr. Learned's first passport was nearly out I applied for a second. Everything seemed dark and hopeless. I knew surely that a permission could not be had if I took an ordinary course. To make a bold strike was my inspiration. I called on our governor at his office and requested him to approve my application and to speak favorably of us to the Foreign Department. He promised to do what he could, but said everything depended on the Foreign Office. By this way I prevented his doing any mischief, and then started for Tokyo to see Mr. Mori, and explained to him all about our school, — how it started and how it is sustained. His reply was, 'You have a right to exist and also to employ foreign teachers if you use your own fund instead of that of the Board. The Foreign Office objects to your depending upon the American Board altogether.' I told him this annual aid was a free gift, and that we made a good Use of it. Is it forbidden us to receive any aid from a foreign nation? If so, the law ought also to prohibit us from aiding other nations. Did not our people send an immense quantity of rice last year to a famishing district in China, and can we not also re-ceive some aid for our moral and intellectual famine? This argument was just enough to bring him around to our side, and through his kindness I obtained the extension of Mr. Learned's passport for five years.
"When I applied this summer for Dr. Gordon's passport there was a sharp discussion between Mr. Mori and the minister. I must inform you why the latter is so bitter against us. He is a hater of Christianity. He does not clearly discriminate between us and some native merchants who keep shops open for foreigners outside the concessions in Tokyo, by using their own names although they are hired and paid by the foreigners. Such is strictly forbidden by the law of the empire, yet is done by shrewd natives. The minister ranks us with these merchants, and is ready at any time to drive us out from Kyoto. But Mr. Mori stood up for us nobly, and persuaded him to grant our application. At the same time he sent me word by a friend to be cautious, and advised me to raise a permanent fund at once. For if it be proved that our school is sustained by the Board, I shall be heavily punished, our work will be suspended, we shall be driven out of the city, yea, — all our effort thus far put forth will disappear like morning dew before the sun. Seeing such a dark prospect before me shall I lament like the old prophet Jeremiah? No, I am determined not to lament, but to fight through till we conquer. May God help us, untiring soldiers. Since I heard from Mr. Mori I have been seriously thinking how to escape the governor's iron hand. We are badly spoken of throughout the country and ridiculed as the cradle of Christian priests. If we lose our hold here how can we start in the interior again? Our missionaries do not fully apprehend our critical condition. Doubtless some of them have written to the Board about it. Will the gentlemen of the Board stand and see us perish without any fellow-sympathy? Is the policy of the Board so conservative that it cannot give us a permanent fund from the large legacy they have recently re-ceived? In time of need it is often desirable to create a new policy in order to boldly carry out God's work. It is time for them to consider whether they will attack or retreat. If they do not understand my aim, if they be still incredulous, I will come to Boston to explain. If they do not grant me the fund I will pre-sent my cause to wealthy individuals in the States. I will become a public beggar from city to city. In my situation I would not cease begging as long as I can use my tongue or my pen. For Christ's sake and my country's sake I will become a loudly crying beggar.
" In this connection I must mention the standard of our school. Our people are making a bold strike in educational affairs. The government institution of learning as well as some private schools are advancing above us. If we do not strive to improve we shall be left in lower strata of educational system, and fail to lay hold of the best class of students. Our good missionary friends have thus far tried to teach the Bible too much and neglected scientific teaching. Numbers of promising boys were much disappointed and have left us to go to the schools in Tokyo, where they will have no Christian influence. We can't afford to lose these promising ones. We must tie them to our school by giving them a thorough, higher, and professional as well as Christian education. This, if I mistake not, is the keynote of success for Christian effort in Japan. Unless the missionaries find this keynote their work will be largely wasted and fruitless. To my great disappointment some missionaries do not take pains enough to adapt themselves to our way in this important respect. Hence they are getting quite unpopular and cannot get along with the natives quite smoothly. A chief reason is that they are still Americans. Their habits, ideas, and imagination are all American. What Americans regard as good the natives may despise. Something honorable in America is regarded dishonorable here. Petty troubles arise now and then between them and our Christians. They want to get too many foreign reinforcements instead of raising up native workers by their own hand. They cannot talk as the natives can. They cannot go about from home to home as well as the natives can. They cannot bear heat of the day as well as the natives can. They cannot live in a cheap rented house so patiently as the natives can. Their work should be a high spiritual brain -work. They should raise up the spokesmen instead of speaking themselves. If I were in the place of Dr. Clark I should put all my effort in founding a strong Christian university in Japan, in order to raise up Christian ministers, Christian physicians, Christian statesmen, and even Christian merchants. Christians must not be charged with being ignoramuses, or we shall not get the respect of the people. We shall be ridiculed for our ignorance as well as for our faith. It is well for us to remember and practice our Saviour's words, 'be wise as serpents.' Try to send out choice men, men of the New Testament spirit, of broad education and strong character, possessing the power of adaptability. And I earnestly beg of you to give us a fund to save the life of the Kyoto Mission and to raise our educational standard so as to make our school the centre of Christian power and influence. I have freely expressed my humble opinion. May God give you and the gentlemen of the Board help to see our present critical position, is the prayer of your unworthy child."
"I am staying in an old Buddhist temple in a suburb of the city. While I am at home I receive constantly visitors who take up my time. As a large portion of them come on business, I cannot avoid them conveniently. There is no vacation in this hottest part of the summer. My correspondence and these callers still keep me busy. I will try to get off from home as soon as possible, else it will kill me. With regard to my opinion on mission work, I think the plan of Mr. will cut it short. The native churches ought to be independent. Most of them are striving to be so quite hard. Here is no lack of independent spirit. But some churches are like babes.
Mr. 's plan is to make men out of babes at once.
He says the native churches ought not to receive any foreign money; that the native missionary society ought not to receive any aid from the Mission; that the Doshisha ought to be supported by the native churches; that the girls' school should be in their hands; that the theological school and newspapers ought to be sustained by them. It is hard work for most of these churches to support their pastors and defray all other necessary expenses, and too much for sixteen or seventeen poor churches to take so much into their hands independently of the Mission. None of us have any beggarly spirit, yet there are some things which we cannot efficiently do. If this plan be carried out our school will be weakened and the number of theological students diminished. I would call this a poor and short-sighted policy. To save money is to lose our best workers. We are hoping to start a vernacular theological course to educate some in Chinese and Japanese without English. Those who have a thorough English education ought to occupy central places, and those who are taught in Chinese and Japanese can be assistant workers. Since last May our Buddhist priests are wide awake. They have plenty of money to hire scholars to attack
Christianity. We must have men well furnished with scientific and Biblical knowledge for advancing Japan. We are now on a battlefield. Soldiers ought to be strong. Hereafter uneducated pastors will be thrown out of the market. Such will everywhere be disliked. The better preachers we send, the more money will the people raise.
"This is only leisure hour I have found since last April. I can only say to you that my life is like a race runner's. I find leisure hours only in summer. I devote these chiefly to my own study. I must keep pace with the advancing world. On the 17th and 18th I made a short visit to Kishinowada. My time was so fully occupied there that I could scarcely eat. While I was eating people were waiting in the room.
"I must be thankful for the wise management of the American Board in sustaining our Kyoto institutions. Let the present arrangement continue as long as it may be needful. According to your kind fatherly advice I will be careful and try to do all things in a perfect harmony with our missionaries. I shall be careful not to find fault in others. We were terribly attacked by some brethren in other stations. I attempted to defend our position. It is all over now. I shall say nothing about them, of them, or against them. There is now perfect harmony between the different stations of our Mission. The last two months were the hardest ones I have ever experienced since my return to Japan. I found myself in the lowest stratum, and received the whole pressure upon myself. A heavy trial with respect to the government, and grave troubles among our native brethren and also in our school. O, heavy burdens! I bore them chiefly on myself by His help, but I think I came pretty near to burst up my brains."
"Five weeks ago I went to Imabari, Shikoku, to organize a church and install a pastor. I was preaching to a large audience in the evening when I received a telegram from home. I hurried back to find my sister dying. We tried our best to save her. She gathered all her relatives about her and told them she might doubtless depart very soon from this world, and her best wish to them all was that they should walk with God and live on Christ daily as we live on food. When I was obliged to attend _the annual meeting of our Home Mission Board at Osaka she knew I was hesitating to go there, and told me not to stay away from that important meeting on account of her illness, but to do the Lord's business first. By these brave words I felt much encouraged to go. During the past two weeks she talked and dreamed much of heaven. Her mind was full of it. One day she said to me: 'What free grace it is that I, a poor sinner, could find a hope in the eternal heaven. I am desirous to go there even now.' She dreamed much of persons in white singing beautifully, and since then has become very fond of singing, asking every Christian visitor to sing for her. Then she shook their hands and bade them farewell till they meet her in heaven. Two minutes before her death she asked my wife to sing one or two hymns, then passed away as if she were going to sleep. It happened I was away that morning. When I came home I found her countenance already changed, but she replied to me once when I called her name. I was unwilling to go to our school that morning, because there was such change in her face, but she said 'No, go, do your duty.' We miss her very much, but the very thought of her makes us feel that heaven is very near."
" I found your last letter on my arrival home. When I read it I exclaimed, 'The good Lord has done it! ' My rejoicing was mingled with running tears. I knelt down before the Lord with my wife and gave Him our heartfelt thanks. Next to the Lord, I must express my gratitude to you for your deep interest in us. I must also thank the gentlemen of the Board. Through this action I shall be relieved from grave difficulty. Step by step the plots of our enemies are defeated. 'Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart.' 'Commit thy ways unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.' O, what precious promises they are unto us. I am wondering why God has chosen a weak instrumentality such as I am, weak both in body and mind, for promoting his kingdom in this empire. I could simply say to Him: 'Here I am; employ me in thy vineyard if thou findest a pleasure in thy humble servant. ' In my later experience I find more than ever nothingness in me."
"I find it very hard to reach prominent men in our society, because many of them are too proud to be taught. They are self -conceited and seek for no further improvement in their moral condition. They have also a strong anti -religious spirit. I find in them the strange notion that any religion, even Christianity, hinders the progress of nations and has nothing to do with modern civilization. On the other hand, I always find some brilliant man who comes forth boldly and manfully. There are doubtless some thoughtless boys with us, but none who speak against Christianity. I have to be pretty careful. They do not like oldest kind of theology. They cannot bear any stiffness. In the Government University of Tokyo, where are about seven hundred students, is an infidel atmosphere. Some native and some foreign teachers exert bad influence. There are also anti-
Christian schools in Tokyo. We shall get learned persons enough within a few years, but mere worldly wisdom will not help our perishing people. We need the broadest culture and strongest Christian faith to counteract the downward tendency of our educated youth. The works of Spencer, Mill, and Draper are their favorites. They look down upon us as bigots. We must raise our standard of education until they can no longer assail us. If we limit it simply to theology, the best self-sustaining students will not come to us. Only by making our school attractive by giving a good and broad education can we widen our Christian influence. Some of our dear brethren have got very strange notions, and think altogether too little of education."
"I must assure you we cannot get along without you. Doubtless the many troubles you have encountered these past years broke you down completely. I hope you will take the matter slightly easier and try to rest as much as you can. The mission work in Japan is not like child's play. You have many troublesome boys under your care. I fear I am one of them. What I feel keenly in myself is my imprudence in many things. Certainly it must have been a great trial to you. But I trust an imprudent child such as I am may grow wiser as he grows older. At any rate it is well for us to remember that the world cannot be converted in a day."
"I hope Mr. Hardy will pardon me for not doing it sooner. I am afraid he will call me a disobedient boy. Since I began my work here I found out more and more my unworthiness, and have trembled to write this sketch. I wish I could break down my too great sensitiveness on this point. Some time ago I thought I was something, but now I feel I am nothing."