spirit be manifested by Japanese Christians. But its possession
or its lack is due not to the inherent character of the people, but
rather to the character of the ideas which possess them. In taking now
a brief glance at the nature and history of the three religions of
Japan it seems desirable to quote freely from the writings of
recognized authorities on the subject.

"_Shinto_, which means literally 'the way of the Gods,' is the name
given to the mythology and vague ancestor-and nature-worship which
preceded the introduction of Buddhism into Japan--Shinto, so often
spoken of as a religion, is hardly entitled to that name. It has no
set of dogmas, no sacred book, no moral code. The absence of a
moral code is accounted for in the writings of modern native
commentators by the innate perfection of Japanese humanity, which
obviates the necessity for such outward props.... It is necessary,
however, to distinguish three periods in the existence of Shinto.
During the first of these--roughly speaking, down to A.D. 550--the
Japanese had no notion of religion as a separate institution. To
pay homage to the gods, that is, to the departed ancestors of the
Imperial family, and to the names of other great men, was a usage
springing from the same soil as that which produced passive
obedience to, and worship of, the living Mikado. Besides this,
there were prayers to the wind-gods, to the god of fire, to the god
of pestilence, to the goddess of food, and to deities presiding
over the sauce-pan, the caldron, the gate, and the kitchen. There
were also purifications for wrongdoing.... But there was not even a
shadowy idea of any code of morals, or any systematization of the
simple notions of the people concerning things unseen. There was
neither heaven nor hell--only a kind of neutral-tinted Hades. Some
of the gods were good and some were bad; nor was the line between
men and gods at all clearly drawn."

The second period of Shinto began with the introduction of Buddhism
into Japan, in which period Shinto became absorbed into Buddhism
through the doctrine that the Shinto deities were ancient incarnations
of Buddhas. In this period Shinto retained no distinctive feature.
"Only at court and at a few great shrines, such as those of Ise and
Idzumo, was a knowledge of Shinto in its native simplicity kept up;
and it is doubtf