Footprints of the Martyrs of the Hosokawa Domain@No.14B
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Genya Ogasawara and Miya Kagayama 5
During the hellish persecution carried out in Western Japan, God gave a
special protection to this family. The feudal lords in the west,
in obedience to the decree banning Christianity, went after Christians
with venom. Buzen Ogura in the west, governed by Tadaoki Hosokawa,
was the only buffer zone.
In 1621, Tadaoki fell ill and retired from active life and his third son,
Tadatoshi, became the overlord. Though Tadatoshi was not a Christian, his
mother Gracia Hosokawa, who was a Christian had loved him and prayed for
him. He had heard about Jesus Christ through his mother and had the
opportunity to associate with people who believed in Jesus. He also
recognized a special inner strength in believers. Tadatoshi therefore
continued to adopt a friendly attitude towards Christians despite the trends
of the times, without subjecting them to persecution. In this way, the
faith of the families of Genya and Miya was protected even in the midst
of poverty.
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Hebrews 11:13
(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is responsible for the wording of this article.)