ominicans in Satsuma, the Franciscans in Yedo
(Tokio), and the Jesuits in the capital and southern provinces, seem to
have been vying with each other which should gain most converts; and the
circuit made by Cerqueyra, in which he visited all the Jesuit
establishments throughout the country, was probably not without effect
in exciting fresh enthusiasm among the converts everywhere, which,
again, would naturally draw attention to the progress of Christianity.
But, strong as the position of the Christians was numerically, we must
not judge of the strength of their cause merely by the number of
converts, or by the number of missionaries resident in Japan. If we
consider the facts before us, we find that Christianity lacked the best
of all strength--influence in the state. All its principal supporters
among the aristocracy were either dead, had renounced their new faith,
or were in exile; and here we have the real weakness of the Christian
cause. While, therefore, circumstances combined to draw attention to its
progress, it was in a state which could ill resist any renewed activity
of persecution which might be the result of the increased interest which
it excited. Without influence at the court and without influence in the
country, beyond what slight influence the mass of common people
scattered through various provinces, who were Christians, might be said
to possess, Christianity presented itself assailable with impunity.

The last cause we have mentioned, as being probably connected with the
decisive measures adopted by Iyeyasu, is the influence of the Buddhist
priesthood. Japanese history mentions the great power attained by the
priesthood prior to Nobunaga's administration. Although that power was
broken by Nobunaga, Hideyoshi did not inherit the former's animosity
toward the priests, and Iyeyasu from the first came forward as their
patron. And, again, we must not lose sight of the fact that a
deep-rooted suspicion of foreigners was ever present in the minds of the
Japanese Government; a suspicion which the course of events in China, of
which we may presume the Japanese were not altogether ignorant--the
jealousy of the native priests; the control of their converts exercised
by the missionaries, which doubtless extended to secular matters; the
connection of Christianity with trade; and the astounding progress made
by it in the space of half a century--all tended to confirm. Enough has
been said to show that we need not go