Kyoto
October 5, 1889
Your favor written at West Gouldsborough was at hand yesterday. A precious memory is connected with the house where you wrote it, and whence you doubtless looked down from time to time on the calm expanse of that picturesque bay, spotted here and there by white sails. The memory of it is as fresh to me as if I saw it yesterday. It is so sad, and yet so sacred. It is quite warm to-day and the doors of my study are wide open. As the weather is calm I could not help being calm also. Here I am reflecting upon the past, the past connected with you. My thought is flying far off to a distant land, a celestial spot on earth. It is almost immaterial to me whether it be on the earth or in heaven. Where my thought goes there is something sweet and sacred.
Since I had my serious heart attack I cannot engage in any vigorous work. But my thought is busily engaged with the idea of our future university and of building up Japan. The Christian work is somewhat neutralized now on account of the union question. There is also great political excitement. The people are earnestly discussing the revision of the treaties, and political parties are using this question to gain ascendancy. The excitement will be greater next year when we come to elect representatives to the National Assembly. It will be a great epoch in our political history. The world is moving in Japan, so we are bound to push forward our educational work, and to get hold of the conscience of the people. Alas! why can we not make an utmost effort to take up Japan and humbly offer it to Christ?
Some scholars in Tokyo are endeavoring to check the progressive party and the Christian work. I suppose they will be a power for a while. They are positive, but narrow and exclusive. The movement is a semi-political one. The petty politicians wish the support of the Buddhist priests. The latter hope to maintain their position through the help of these narrow-minded and short-sighted politicians. Let us wait and see how long they will survive against the light of the world. At such a time we ought to make a union effort to keep our front strong. But the union attempted is the centralization of the power of our local churches. Our simple-minded people rather favor this union because it looks broad and is presented in a tangible form. The union I would favor is rather spiritual. I am a lover of democracy. It is not an easy task to occupy the position where I am. When anything happens I am apt to receive the hardest blow. But I don't mind it at all. I have chosen a policy in which church autonomy is recognized and every member can have his voice in the management and government. If the terms of the union are based on this condition I have no least objection to it; but I confess I am careful not to rush forward without any conditions. I beg your pardon for speaking of such unpleasant affairs. But have no least fear. We must go through some fire in this world, but time will heal all petty feelings and misunderstandings. Alas! I must go back to West Gouldsborough to calm down my feelings. Laying aside such thoughts for awhile to engage in meditation on the past seems to me a very part of heaven. What will be my thought when I step forward to the future immaterial heaven! Though I am often disgusted with this world's affairs, I am bound to live through and push through all I can for Christ.