The same year (1875) witnessed an event decisive for the progress of Christianity. This was the return of Neeshima from America and his founding the Doshisha Theological School. Prior to this, the prohibition of the Kirisitan Bateren had been withdrawn (in 1872). Young men converted to the Christian faith gathered themselves together in several towns, with a high aspiration — to enlighten themselves and their countrymen. Firm in their belief, they had withstood the effects of the suspicion and hatred of their neighbors and the threatening of their Samurai fathers. Now these enthu siasts found their leader in Neeshima. The opening of the campaign for the Gospel at the beginning of the new era was a bright one and its rapid progress up to the end of the eighties was astounding. The amount of the educa tional works produced by Christian mission schools during these years can never be over estimated. The moral ideas which Christianity. has sown are now bearing fruit, especially in the matrimonial relations. Side by side with the Protestants, the works of the Roman Catho lic and the Greek Orthodox missionaries pro gressed steadily among the lower classes. The Christianization of the whole nation had once seemed not to be a mere dream. But this was a surface current. A parallel current of agnosticism and a hidden one of reaction once more manifested themselves.
The Samurais, who had once been against the opening of the country to the "foreign barbarians,• ran to the other extremity after the Restoration. Everything European or American seemed to them to be the best. To gether with railroads and telegraphs, Rousseau, Mill and Bentham were welcomed indiscrim inately. The rapid progress of Christianity, especially Protestant, was partly assisted by the Europeanizing tendency of the time. But the nationalistic ideas never died out. When, to ward the end of the eighties, problems of the treaty revision with foreign powers gave rise to anti-foreign feelings, reaction made itself felt in the religions sphere. Buddhists were foremost in the anti-Christian movements. All conservatives, many of whom were Shintoists or Confucianists, gathered under the banner of a "Buddhistic Patriotic Union" or of an "Association for the Establishment of the Na tional Religion"— which they called "The Great Way uniting the Three Religions.' They for got their former antagonisms and joined hands, simply to oppose the foreign religion. They were also aided by young Buddhists who had studied Western philosophy and who fought Christianity with Draper, Renan, Spencer in their hands. Thus we see here a curious alli ance of conservative reaction with agnosticism, the sciences and Indian philosophy. Indeed the Christianity which prevailed at that time de served these attacks. By many of the converts it was accepted because it was the religion of the Westerners, who were inventors of the locomotive, or who spoke the "enlightened Eng lish language.* The combined reaction was followed by more clearly nationalistic ideas. In 1890 an imperial rescript on the national code of moral ity was issued. It was founded upon "the teach ing of the Imperial Forefathers' and aimed at the unification of national morality. These features of the made use of by some thinkers as the weapons to be used against Christianity and later against religious faith in general. The war with China in 1894-95
gave a momentous impulse to the rise of the national consciousness and to the reawakening of the Samurai spirit. The educational circle that never allowed religious influence to come into it, and which was composed mostly of Sa murai's sons, advanced from the attack on Chris tianity and Buddhism to the attempt to dictate to the nation's conscience an authoritative prin ciple. Shintoists now separated from Buddh ism. Though the attempt to organize a propa ganda of the nationalism failed, the ideas rep resented the creed of the majority of the edu cationists.
The religious problem of New Japan was now translated from the differences between the old and the new, or between Christ and Buddha, to the antithesis between religion and non religion. Whether there is to be a religious faith or a mere moral teaching; this has been the point of the dispute since that time. Soon after the outbreak of the dispute a meeting of leading Buddhists and Christians in friendly terms was held (in 1896). Some of the ad dresses given at the meeting nronounced the hope that the followers of Buddha and of Christ might join hands against their common foes, the advocates of irreligion, The meeting marked a turning point in the religious prob lems and became the predecessor of the present Religious Union of Japan.
While a group of educationists was trying to invent a substitute for religion and religious leaders were looking for a new opening, the people were left to themselves. Most of the Buddhists sects were engaged in internal strug gles. Buddhist teachers themselves were desti tute of faith; neither their old traditions nor the newly allied philosophy was able to give them vitality. Some Shinto sects were founded or revived. Most of them had little to do with the nationalistic Shinto, but they represented various shadings of popular theistic religion. The most influential of them, the Tenri, or the Heavenly Reason, teaches that there is a sole Supreme Divinity and preaches absolute faith in Him. But these beliefs are mingled with superstitious practices and obscure cults. These dark sides became manifest when economic panics after the war were manifested by a general emotional depressioin. At the same time religious needs among the younger generation began to expess themselves in the two extremes, scepticism and sentimental pietism. There arose many unions of young Buddhists with various affiliations ranging from rationalism to revival ism. Christian churches began anew to be thronged by young seekers after faith. The increased publication of religious essays and books of devotion, both Buddhist and Chris tian; new editions of the writings of ancient Buddhist teachers; the organization of religious and philosophical lectureships; these signs showed an urgent demand for faith and truth. The seeking was naturally accompanied by un easiness and disquietude of head and heart. The general dissatisfaction with the prevailing forms of religion and ethics gave opportunities for the rise of several extreme propositions and theories. Tolstoi, Nietzsche, Leopardi were often referred to. These disharmonies marked the turning of the century and in the midst of the struggles and conflicting influences the war with Russia (1904-05) broke out.