aso 



J A P A N'. 



excellency of our doarine, gave fuccefs to rheir laboiirs ; for near 

 a century the true religion tlouriflied, and Ipread more and 

 more over the empire. Other circumftances concurred to fa- 

 cilitate the reception of the gofpel in Japan. The Bonzecs 

 preached the neceffity of mediators in their Xaca and other 

 gods ; they underwent long and fevere fafts and mortifications,, 

 and both Chriftians and Japaneje agreed in the worfliipping of 

 imao-es, in the monaltic life, in beads, proceffions, praying for 

 the dead, and even auricular confeffion. 

 Jesuits, &c; The Jefuits were followed, as occurred in China, by crowds of 



Dominicans^ Francifcans, and Augujlines to aflift 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 of this volume, and 

 he will learn the imprudency of all thefe religious adventurers. 



The vaft profits refulting from the commercial and worldly 

 fpirit of the Jefuits, were one caufe of the toleration which the 

 Chrifiian religion experienced for fo great a length of time. 

 The emperors faw the wealth the Europeans brought into their 

 country ; and as long as the Chriftians did not difturb the peace 

 of the government, they permitted the converiion of their fub- 

 je6ts, and the exercife of our religion. The Fortuguefe fettled at 

 firft at the harbors of Biingo and Virando, and afterwards at 

 Nagajaki only. They carried on immenfe trade ; and in one 

 year exported not lefs than three hundred tons of gold from 

 Miaco, the emporium, at that time, of all their commerce in this 

 part of the world. In the year 1636, when their trade was on 



the 



