Japan -- History; Japan -- Politics and government
A persecuting spirit showed itself among the Jesuits very soon after
the departure of Francis Xavier. “Sumitanda,” they write, “King of
Omura, who had become a Christian in accordance with a promise to
that purpose in case his wife should have a child, about the year
1562, or only thirteen years after the first arrival of a missionary
in the country, declared open war against the devils. He dispatched
some squadrons through his kingdom to ruin all the idols and temples,
without any regard to the bonzes’ rage.” All this, doubtless, was done
by the advice and at the instigation of his instructors; and “in 1577
the lord of the island of Amacusa issued his proclamation, by which all
his subjects--whether bonzes, gentlemen, merchants or tradesmen--were
required either to turn Christians or to leave the country the very
next day. They almost all submitted, and received baptism, so that in
a short time there were more than twenty churches in the kingdom. God
wrought miracles to confirm the faithful in their belief.”
All this time one of the most zealous as well as influential among
the Christian converts was he who was known as Justo Ucondono, or
Takayama oo konyay no kami. His seat was Takaski, in the province of
Setsu, where “he labored with a zeal truly apostolical to extirpate
the idolaters out of his states, where the number was now fallen to
30,000. He sent word that they should either receive the faith or be
gone immediately out of his country, for he would acknowledge none for
his subjects but such as adored the true God. This declaration obliged
them all to accept of instruction, which cut out work enough for all
the fathers and missionaries at Meaco.” Taikosama still continued
his wonted favors to the Christians, “saying one day, in a familiar
way, that he would willingly become a Christian himself if they could
dispense with him in polygamy.” In this way the Roman Catholics set
the example of intolerance, driving those opposed to them in religious
belief out of the country. True disciples, and breathing the spirit of
the Inquisition, then in full blow in Spain and Portugal, they would
not allow within their own states that freedom under which the tree
planted by them had taken root and was flourishing.
Takayama brought over as a convert, among others, the young admiral of
Taikosama’s fleet--Don Austin, as he is known to the Jesuits; Konishi,
Setsu no kami, Yuki Naga, as his title is in native history. He and his
father and mother were baptized in 1584.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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