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THE REV. PREBENDARY H. E. FOX, M.A., ON 



Young Women's Buddhist Associations — and they build costly 

 new temples. The revolution in Japan during the last sixty years 

 had been extraordinary. Men who fought Eussia with magazine 

 rifles, had grandfathers who had fought in chain armour. The 

 Standard war correspondent could not discover an illiterate soldier 

 among the Japanese troops, and the standard of popular education 

 was now much higher than in Italy or Portugal. But the war with 

 Eussia had burdened Japan with debt, involving crushing taxation. 

 Factories were springing up, but the Japanese had, as yet, no factory 

 laws, and child labour was used ruthlessly. From her intercourse 

 with Europe, Japan had assimilated most things, except the Gospel. 

 Our hope for Japan lay in an indigenous Christian Church, which 

 would not be copied from any western model. 



Lt.-Col. M. A. Alves, E.E., said that he feared there was no 

 reason to expect that Japan would become a Christian nation. 

 There had recently been a great revival in downtrodden Korea, and 

 there was a strong and vigorous Church in China; but the Japanese 

 were too self-satisfied for the nation to accept Christianity. 



The Chairman moved a vote of thanks to the author of the 

 paper and to the speakers in the discussion, which was carried by 

 acclamation. He thought that they were all of opinion that it is 

 " the same message that once conquered pagan Britain that alone 

 will save Japan," In the religions of Japan there is no atonement 

 for sin, and therefore no salvation from ii. The forgiveness of sins, 

 and the peace of conscience flowing therefrom, are unknown to 

 them. Unknown to them also are the birth from above, and eternal 

 life, with its aim of holiness, sanctifying thought and desire in 

 harmony with the will of our Father, — God, We have been 

 reminded that though higher Buddhism has a doctrine of a 

 tritheism, it has none of a Trinity ; and, while inculcating excellent 

 moral precepts, it does not supply the motive power to carry them 

 out successfully. We, who are Christians, have a great responsibility 

 towards these, our allies, to convey to them the message of infinite 

 love, speaking in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ; and 

 this Gospel preaching should be especially the work of native 

 Christians, since these are in touch with the minds and hearts of 

 their countrymen. Thus Japan may become, in a sense that she is 

 not now, " the land of the Eising Sun." 



The Lecturer thanked the Meeting for the very kind reception 



