not altogether heathenish. We all know how it crops up here and there, as Michelet tells us, amongst the mysteries of Rome, and even sober Protestantism cannot deny that the abodes of love, the Agapemones, are not confined to the neigbourhood of Taunton.
Fling not stones, therefore, most righteous ones, at the poor priestesses of Japan. We, at any rate, shall not, and insist upon the fair Bikuni being allowed to pass in peace until it shall please God to call them to a better form of faith. For, after all, is it worse to touch your heart and sympathies by a pretty face, and a wild mountain chaunt, than to do so by exposing the sores of a Lazarus or the social horrors of a Magdalen? Bikuni, thou art as welcome to our mite as any beggar that ever idled upon the steps of St. Peter’s, or cowered under the shade of Westminster.
The religious element enters so largely into the social condition of the Japanese people that we must allude to some of the different forms of faith and superstition, the distinction being but small. Recent visitors to Yedo, as well as those of olden time, have been struck with the superior condition of the priesthood there as compared with those of China. The attendance in the temples, the orderly and reverent performance of the religious services all attest the fact that, in Japan, there is none of that sad stoical indifference to any faith, to over-ruling Providence, or a future state, which renders the Chinaman such a hopeless object of conversion to Christianity. The old Jesuits who did not love the Japanese priesthood, acknowledged nevertheless that, amongst the higher orders, there were men eloquently impressive in their preachings, and that their rhetoric, logic, as well as good manners and elegance of style—whether in conversation or their writings—was not a little to be admired; in short, that the church of the devil—as they charitably styled the Japanese religion—was quite as well adapted to enlist the feelings and touch the senses of the lower orders as that of Rome.
There is much confusion as to the particular form of faith which might be considered the state religion of Japan; but, so far as we can glean, it appears to be a form of Budhism modified by the Spiritualism of the ancient Sintoo faith. We hear of many orders of priesthood, but those of the highest class are indubitably better educated, more intelligent, and far more respected than in China. They are spoken of as the encouragers of intellectual progress and education, and the natives give them credit as the introducers and inventors of many of their arts and sciences. Next to these stood formerly, and in all probability do still, three or more orders of military clergy, somewhat resembling in character the knightly priesthood of ancient Europe. They are, however, said to be unpopular on account of their turbulence, and of the bad odour they fell into in the sixteenth century, when, by way of checking the progress of Christianity and other innovations, they, to the number of thirty thousand, took up arms against their sovereign, and actually captured the spiritual capital. The Emperor Nebonanga punished them with great severity; but it seems likely that his assassination was brought about by this reactionary party, and that the severities of Taiko-sama and his hostility to Christians arose from a fear of this powerful confederacy of warlike priests. There are other sects of the priesthood, who rigidly abstain from all animal food, and spend a life of penance and mortification. Celibacy, though not general amongst the Japanese priests, is enforced amongst particular sects with severe penalties, incontinence being punished with death. The Ikkois take charge of certain temples, in which hospitality and kindness are carried out to a very profane extent; they never, says a scandalised father, trouble each other or dispute with the citizens upon questions of faith; their temples are the houses of good-fellowship, built in pleasant places; in short, these are the Friars Tuck of Japan. And lastly, we have the mountain priesthood, the Yamanboos before mentioned. All these sects are more or less mendicants; and amongst these thrifty people a system of loans, not gifts to the ministers of their Gods, has been introduced, which is as perfectly unique as the conclusion they arrived at, to prevent a dispute about the colour of the “Evil One” bringing about a schism in the church. Each sect declared the said personage to be of a particular hue; all the churches were by the ears upon the subject, all the authorities at variance; the dispute became serious, and was referred to the emperor; he solved the question with a wisdom worthy of Solomon. The devil, he declared to be of all colours! and we suppose the harlequin attire of the Japanese policeman, as seen to-day, is to remind those who stray from the paths of virtue and the law, that the representative of the many-coloured one will have them unless they mend their ways. But to return to the loans to the Church; it is a standing law amongst the Japanese bonzes that he who lends them cash in this world will receive in the next world the capital and ten per cent. at simple interest. Bills of exchange payable hereafter are duly given to the lender, who carefully preserves them; and it is not unusual for dying persons to leave especial directions as to these bills. They are generally buried with the corpse, in order that principal and interest may be claimed in the other world, as well as to frighten off the Evil One, who is reputed to have a very natural horror of such I.O.U.’s.
Another religious custom of a truly painful nature is often spoken of by all old writers upon Japan, and that is the self-sacrifice of the more enthusiastic priests in their desire to inherit more quickly the blessings of the future state. The neighbourhood of the great religious college of Conay[1] is especially mentioned as the scene of these suicides. The enthusiasts usually announced their intention of proceeding to the other world on a given day, and expressed a willingness to undertake any commissions for{{smallrefs
- ↑ This college of Conay appears to be close to the ancient city of Serungo, about half way between Yedo and Osaca. It was visited in 1649 by a Dutch Embassy, who say hither repair all the learned of Japan to dispute in theology and philosophy, and they appear to have witnessed some of these suicidal attempts to reach Paradise.
