ful conflicts with
neighbouring fiefs brought him an access of territory, he declared
that he owed these victories to the influence of the Christian God,
and shortly afterwards he proclaimed banishment for all who would not
accept the foreign faith. There were then no Jesuits by his side, but
immediately two hastened to join him, and 'these accompanied by a
strong guard, but yet not without danger of their lives, went round
causing the churches of the Gentiles, with their idols, to be thrown
down to the ground, while three Japanese Christians went preaching
the law of God everywhere.'" They further record that three fathers
who were in the neighbouring fief "all withdrew therefrom to work in
this abundant harvest, and in the space of seven months twenty
thousand persons were baptized, including the bonzes of about sixty
monasteries."* The Jesuit vice-provincial (Francis Cabral), relating
these events, speaks with marked satisfaction of the abasement of the
Buddhist priests, and adds, "That these should now come to such a
humility that they throw themselves on the ground before two ragged
members of the Company is one of the miracles worked by the Divine
Majesty."

*Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition; article "Japan," by
Brinkley.

In Funai things were by no means so satisfactory. The Jesuits, as
stated above, had a hospital there, which had been built at the
charges of a devout Portuguese. But Francis Cabral, writing from
Bungo, in 1576, said: "Down to this hour the Christians have been so
abject and vile that they have shown no desire to acknowledge
themselves, partly from being few in the midst of so many Gentiles,
partly because the said Christianity began in the hospital where we
cure the people of low condition and those suffering from contagious
diseases, like the French evil and such others. Whence the Gospel
came to be of such little reputation that no man of position would
dare to accept it (although it seemed good and true to him) merely
lest he should be confounded with this rabble (con quella plebe). And
although we gave much edification with such works, the thing
nevertheless was a great obstacle to the spread of the holy faith.
And thus, during the twenty years we have had a residence in Funai,
one gentleman became a Christian, and this after having been cured of
the said evil in his house; but as soon as he was cured he afterwards
thought it shame to acknowledge his Christianity in the presence of