Its followers acknowledge a Supreme Being, who inhabits the highest heavens, and who is far too great to require their worship ; but they admit a multitude of inferior di vinities, who exercise dominion over the earth, water, air, &c. and have great power in promoting the happiness or misery_of the human race. They have some conception of the soul's immortality, and believe that a happy abode im niediatf7ly under heaven is assigned to the spirits of the virtuous, while those of the wicked shall be doomed to wander to and fro under the firmament. Their practical precepts are directed to inculcate a virtuous life, and obe dience to the laws of the sovereign. They abstain from animal food, and are reluctant to shed blood, or even to touch a dead body. Their churches contain no visible idols, nor any representation of the Supreme Being, but some times a small image is kept in a box, to represent some in ferior divinity, to whom the temple is consecrated. In the centre of the temple is frequently placed a large mirror, made of well polished cast metal, which is designed to re mind the worshippers, that in like manner as their person al blemishes are therein displayed, so are their secret evil thoughts exposed to the all-searching eyes of the immortal gods. The worshippers approach these temples with great devotion of manner, and with the most scrupulous atten tion to cleanliness of person and apparel. Advancing re verently to the mirror, they bow themselves to the ground, prefer their prayers, present their offerings, and then re pair to their amusements. The Kubo professes himself to belong to this sect, and is bound to make a visit annual ly in person, or by an ambassador, to one of their temples, to perform his devotion, and present gifts.
Budsdo's doctrine was brought originally from the coast of Malabar, and is considered the same with that of Budha in Hindostan. Passing from China into Japan, it became blended with that of Sinto, and gave birth to a monstrous mixture of superstitions. Its peculiar tenets are, that the souls of men and of beasts are equally immortal, and that the souls of the wicked are condemned to undergo punish ment and purification, by passing after death into the bodies of the lower animals. There are many other sects, very opposite in their tenets and observances ; but they are said to live together in great harmony, or rather to share in all their mutual superstitions. The Dairi, or ecclesiastical sovereign, seems to be the general head of all those dif ferent sects, and appoints the principal priests through out the country. Every sect has its respective church and peculiar idols, which are commonly remarkable for their uncouth and hideous form. Thunberg mentions one colossal wooden image, which measures ten yards across the shoulders, and affords room for six men to sit upon its wrist. The inferior divinities are innumerable, as al most every trade has its tutelar god ; and in one temple not less than 33,333 are said to be ranged around the su preme deity. The temples are commonly built in the suburbs of the town, on the most elevated and suitable spots, to which are frequently attached beautiful avenue of cypress trees, with handsome gates. The idols arc usually exhibited upon an altar surrounded with flowers, incense, and other decorations. They are filled with the lower or secular priests, who attend to keep them clean, to light the lamps and fires, to present the flowers and in cense, and to admit worshippers at all times of the day. Even strangers are allowed to enter, and sometimes to lodge in the temples. To some of the more noted churches it is common to perform pilgrimages, especially to the temple of Tsie, the most ancient in the empire, and al most completely decayed with age, notwithstanding the utmost care to preserve its ruins. Its sole ornaments are
a mirror, denoting that nothing can be hid from the su.
prone being, and slips of white paper hung walls, to signify that nothing but what is pure should ap proach his presence. To this place the emperor must send an ambassador on the first day of every month, and every individual must make a visit, at least once in the course of his life. Such a pilgrimage, besides its general merit, is rewarded with an indulgence, or remission of sins for a whole year. There are also in Japan orders of monks or nuns ; one of Which consists of blind persons, a kind of beggars dispersed over the empire, and another, called monks of the mountain, are a species of fortune tellers and quack-doctors, who are bound to live on roots and herbs, to practise constant ablutions, and to traverse deserts and mountains once in the year. There are like wise several philosophical sects in the country, who dis claim all external worship ; one of the most celebrated of which adopts the tenets of the Chinese Confucius, and resembles in its general principles the ancient school of Epicurus. Its followers acknowledge a kind of anima mundi, but limit the existence of man to the present life ; and inculcate the general practice of virtue, but allow and even applaud the commission of suicide. Almost im mediately after the discovery of Japan by the Portuguese, the Christian religion was introduced into the country by the Jesuit missionaries in the year 1549 ; and made such rapid progress, that several princes of the empire were soon ranked among its converts, and about the year 1582, a public embassy was sent from the Japanese court with letters and valuable presents to the Roman pontiff. But the Portuguese who had settled in great numbers in Japan, intoxicated by the extent of their commerce, and the suc cess of their religion, became so obnoxious to the natives by their avaricious and domineering conduct, that the re presentations of the heathen priests became at length suf ficiently powerful to procure a prohibition from the em peror against the new religion, which threatened to over turn all the ancient institutions of the country. A violent persecution was commenced against the Christians, of whom 20,000 are said to have been put to death in the year 1590. Still did the number of proselytes continue to increase, and in 1591 and 1592, twelve thousand were con verted and baptized. One of the emperors, named Kuho Fide Jori, with his whole court and army, embraced the Christian name ; and had the Portuguese settlers in the country acted with ordinary prudence and gentleness, their cause must have triumphed ; but the insolence of some of their prelates to some prince of the blood became so in supportable, that a new persecution arose in the year 1596, which was carried on without intermission for the space of 40 years, and ended in the year 1638 with the total ex termination of the Christians, and the banishment of the Portuguese from the country. The Japanese government, considering the unwarrantable conduct of these settlers to be inseparable from their principles as Christians, have persevered in the enforcement of the most efficacious measures to prevent their re-introduction into the country ; and in order to detect any concealed adherent of these pro scribed sentiments, all persons are required to prove their freedom from such heresy, by publicly trampling, at the festival of the new year, upon the images of the Catholic saints.