r and foreign visitors to Japan in general.
He stood between the Jesuits and the Throne when, in reply to an
appeal from Buddhist priests, the Emperor Okimachi, for the second
time, issued an anti-Christian decree (1568); he granted a site for a
church and a residence at Azuchi on Lake Biwa, where his new castle
stood; he addressed to various powerful feudatories letters
signifying a desire for the spread of Christianity; he frequently
made handsome presents to the fathers, and whenever they visited him
he showed himself accessible and gracious. The Jesuits said of him:
"This man seems to have been chosen by God to open and prepare the
way for our faith. In proportion to the intensity of his enmity to
the bonzes and their sects is his good-will towards our fathers who
preach the law of God, whence he has shown them so many favours that
his subjects are amazed and unable to divine what he is aiming at in
this. I will only say that, humanly speaking, what has above all
given great credit and reputation to the fathers is the great favour
Nobunaga has shown for the Company." It is not to be supposed,
however, that Nobunaga's attitude towards the Jesuits signified any
belief in their doctrines. In 1579, he took a step which showed
plainly that policy as a statesman ranked much higher in his
estimation than duty towards religion. For, in order to ensure the
armed assistance of a certain feudatory, a professing Christian,
Nobunaga seized the Jesuits in Kyoto, and threatened to ban their
religion altogether unless they persuaded the feudatory to adopt
Nobunaga's side. Nevertheless, that Christianity benefited much by
his patronage there can be no dissentient opinion.

HIDEYOSHI AND CHRISTIANITY

After Nobunaga's death, in 1582, the supreme power fell into the
hands of Hideyoshi, and had he chosen to exercise it, he could have
easily undone the whole work hitherto achieved by the Jesuits at the
cost of much effort and devotion. But, at first, Hideyoshi followed
Nobunaga's example. He not only accorded a friendly audience to
Father Organtino, as representative of the fathers, but also he went
in person to assign to the Company a site for a church and a
residence in Osaka. At this time, "many Christian converts were
serving in high positions, and in 1584, the Jesuits placed it on
record that 'Hideyoshi was not only not opposed to the things of God,
but he even showed that he made much account of them (the fathers)
and preferred