J e s u i t s , & c;
excellency o f ourdoctrine, gave fuccefs to their labours ; for near
a century the true religion flouriihed, and fpread more and
more over the empire. Other circumftances concurred to facilitate
the reception of the gofpel in Japan. The Bonzees
preached the neceflity o f mediators in their Xaca and other
gods; they underwent long and fevere fails and mortifications*
and both Chriitians and Japanefe agreed in the worihipping of
images, in the monaftic life, in beads, proceflions, praying for
the dead, and even auricular confeflion.
The Jefuits were fallowed, as occurred in China, by crowds o f
Dominicans, Francifcans, and AuguJline'S to affi.it in the harveft.
The holy men foon fell into the fame error as in that empire;-
they quickly began to quarrel with the Jefuits, accufed them of
avarice, and of temporizing with the vices and fuperftitions of
the Japanefe. Let the reader perufe p. 98 o f this volume, and
he will learn the imprudency of all thefe religious adventurers.
T he vail profits refulting from the commercial and worldly
fpirit of the Jefuits, were one caufe o f the toleration which the
Chriffian religion experienced for fo great a length o f time.
The emperors faw the wealth the Europeans brought into their
country; and as long as the Chriitians did not diiturb the peace
o f the government, they permitted the converfion of their fub-
jeits, and the exercife of our religion. The Portuguefe fettled at
firit at the harbors o f Bungo and Firando, and afterwards at
Nagafaki only. They carried on immenfe trade ; and in one
year exported not lefs than three hundred tons o f gold from
Miaco, the emporium, at that time, o f all their commerce in this
part o f the world. In the year 1636, when their trade was on.
the
the decline, they even fent from that town 2350 cheits o f
filver.
The Dutch introduced themfelves into Japan about the year
1600, eftabliihed their firit faaory at Firando, and obtained from
the emperor a patent for a free commerce. The deep enmity
between them and the Portuguefe foon began to ihew itfelf, and
each nation took every poffible means to fupplant its rival. In,
the year 1636 an opportunity oifered. The Dutch happened to
take a Portuguefe ffiip, in which were found certain letters from
a captain Moro to the Portuguefe miniftry at Lifbon, wherein he
had laid a plan for murdering the emperor, and reducing the
empire to the- power of his countrymen., Moro was a Japanefe
by birth, chief of the Portuguefe in Japan, and very zealous for
the Chriitian religion. - The letters were carefully ,tranfmitted to
the emperor. Moro was empaled, and burnt alive. After a little
time an ediift followed, which entirely banilhed every foreigner
from the empire, with the moft rigid prohibition o f their ever
entering it again. A perfecution was raifed againft the Chriitians,
perhaps the moft horrid that ever was known; it lafted-forty
years, and thoufands periihed by the moft dreadful torments; it
was computed that above a third of the people o f the empire
were profeffors of Chriftianity. The puniihments thofe mi-
ferable creatures underwent are not to be related, the inventions
o f Hell itfelf mult have been put to the ltretch. If any one has
the ftrange curiofity of being acquainted with them, he need
only turn to Ogiivy's Hiftory of Japan*, which he will-probably
Ihut with the fame horror as I did. Let me only add, that the
* P- '253.
K k ! boiling
C o n s p i r a c y .
P e r s e c u t io n