ublic disputation with him. The conference Avas made in a
principal place of the town, in presence of a great multitude. Scarcely
had Xavier made an end of explaining the Christian doctrine, when the
Bonza grew sensible of his errors. The infidel, notwithstanding, went on
to oppose those truths, of which he had already some imperfect glimpse;
but being at length convinced, by the powerful reasons of his adversary,
and inwardly moved by God's good spirit, he fell on his knees, and
lifting up his hands towards heaven, he pronounced aloud these words,
Math tears trickling from his eyes; "O Jesus Christ, thou true and only
son of God, I submit to thee. I confess from my heart, and with my mouth,
that thou art God eternal and omnipotent; and I earnestly desire the
pardon of all my auditors, that I have so often taught them things for
truth, which I acknowledge, and at this present declare before them, were
only forgeries and fables."

An action which was so surprising, moved the minds of all the assistants;
and it was in the power of Father Xavier to have baptized that very day
five hundred persons, who, being led by the example of the Bonza of
Canafama, all of them earnestly desired baptism. He might perhaps have
done this in the Indies, where there were no learned men to oppose the
mysteries of our faith, and to tempt the fidelity of the new converts by
captious queries. But he judged this not to be practicable in Japan,
where the Bonzas, not being able to hinder the conversion of idolaters,
endeavoured afterwards to regain them by a thousand lying artifices and
sophistications; and it appeared necessary to him, before he baptized
those who were grown up to manhood, to fortify them well against the
tricks of those seducers.

Accordingly, the saint disposed the souls of those Gentiles by degrees to
this first sacrament, and began with the reformation of their manners,
chusing rather not to baptize the king of Bungo, than to precipitate his
baptism; or rather he thought, that his conversion would be always speedy
enough, provided it were sincere and constant. Thus, the great care of
Father Xavier, in relation to the prince, was to give him an aversion to
those infamous vices which had been taught him by the Bonzas, and in
which he lived without scruple, upon the faith of those his masters. Now
the king, attending with great application to the man of God, and having
long conversations with him, began immediately to change his