Untitled

BUDDHISM AND CHRISTIANITY. 417
Xavier, in 1549, the worship of Yaso (Jesus), at first regarded as a Buddhist sect,
made rapid progress.
The Jesuits founded a seminary at Funai, and within thirty
years of the first conversions, the Christian communities, grouped round two
hundred churches, numbered over 150,000 members. A native prince, zealous for
the new faith, boasted of having burnt on his lands 3,000 monasteries, and
dispatched an envoy to convey his homages to the " Great, Universal, and Most
Holy Father of the whole World, the Lord Pope." But an unguarded reply of a
Spanish pilot wrecked on the coast of Nip-pon caused the dictator, Taiko-sama, to
reflect. To the "
question, How has your sovereign been able to acquire so many
lands ? " the Spaniard had "
answered, By arms and religion. Our priests prepare
the way by converting the people to Christianity ; then the task of subjecting
Fig.
193. NAGASAKI AND UNZEN-SAJJ.
Scale 1 : 800,000.
to 32 Feat. 32 to 160 Feet. ICO to 320 Feet.
12 Mik-.
320 Feet and upwards.
them.to our authority is a trifling matter." Thereupon Taiko-sama issued a decree,
in 1587, banishing the Jesuits, and although his threats were not carried out at the
time, ten years afterwards some Franciscan friars, who had given themselves out as
ambassadors, and who had been denounced by their rivals, were condemned to be
crucified. Nevertheless, the new religion continued to be tolerated till the year
1614, when some repressive measures were taken, and its practice finally interdicted
:il'icr the return of an envoy sent to Europe to collect information on the religions
of the West. Condemned to renounce their faith, the Catholics of Kiu-siu revolted,
in 16'JH, but they were defeated and mercilessly put to the sword. Thousands
were on this occasion thrown into the sea and down the crater of TJnzen near
Nagasaki. In KJ40 four Portuguese ambassadors from Macao were put to death
with most of their suite, and thirteen sailors sent back with the warning, " While