Footprints of the Martyrs of the Hosokawa Domain@No.9A 
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Hanzaemon Kagayama 2
Balthazar Kagayama Hanzaemon at once knelt down before the icon, picked
up his prayer book, and prayed to God. His wife and daughter then washed
his feet in celebratory atmosphere. After that, Balthazar changed
a kimono and walked up to the guard with the icon in one hand and a lighted
candle in the other. His 4-year-old son Diego clung to his father
weeping and begging, gLet me go with you!h Hearing from the guard
that Diego had also been sentenced to death, Balthazar smiled to him and
told his son to change into the best clothes.
When Balthazar arrived at the place of execution, he seized the opportunity
for the last time to spread the Gospel to the officials.
"You may think that I am mad because I choose to die rather than to
follow the orders of my master (Tadaoki Hosokawa) and abandon Christianity.
However, I do so because I know that only through the Christian faith
can we receive true salvation for our souls. Through the Christian
faith I know that God, who created the world, is the one and only God and
that all of us, every one, must stand before the judgment of Jesus Christ
one day.
"All of you revere Shakyamuni and Amida, forgetting that Amida is
complete make-believe and Shakyamuni simply a human being who cannot protect
or prolong anyonefs life. The kings of old and all other believers
in Buddhism died in their turn. It is pitiful that despite all their
ceremonies, despite all their offerings, they could not save their lives.
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(The Kyoto Glory Church Translation Committee is responsible for the wording
of this article.)
References
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