302 INTERCOLONIAL COMMERCE. merce. * That commerce was reduced, from one step to another, until it became what it now is, a mere pittance, unworthy of any consideration, ex- cept as it affords a mortifyin<r lesson of the inevita- ble consequences of what the unjust and illiberal character of our commercial policy with the Eastern nations is capable of bringing about. The active persecution against the Christians, it
- Kerapfer, with honest indignation, observes, " By this
submissive readiness to assist the emperor in the execution of his designs, with regard to the final destruction of Chris- tianity in his dominions, 'tis true, indeed, that we stood our ground so far as to maintain ourselves in the country, and to be permitted to carry on our trade, although the court had then some thoughts of a total exclusion of all foreigners whatever. But many generous and noble persons, at court and in the empire, judged quite otherwise of our conduct, and not too favourably for the credit we had thereby endea- voured to gain. It seemed to them inconsistent with reason, that the Dutch should ever be expected to be sincerely faith- ful to a foreign monarch, and one, too, whom they looked upon as a heathen prince, whilst they observed so much for- wardness to assist him in the destruction of a people with whom they otherwise agreed in the most essential parts of their faith, as the Japanese had been informed by the Por- tuguese and Manilhese fathers, and to sacrifice to their own worldly interests those who follow Christ the very same way, and enter the kingdom of heaven through the same gate, ex- pressions which I have often heard the natives make use of, when the conversation happened to turn on this subject." — Vol. I. p. 324
