Not long after Rennyo's death, even if not before that event, the troubles of the times drove the Hongwanji priests from Kyoto, and the Headquarters of the Sect were for many years moving about from place to place in Central Japan. At last, in 1591, Kennyo Shonin, a notorious fighter, and a turbulent Churchman if ever there was one, returned to Kyoto, and rebuilt the Hongwanji at Horikawa in the city. The reigning Abbot for many years, Kosa, the eleventh of the line, died in 1592 and was succeeded in the Headship of the Hongwanji by his two sons Koju and Kosho. Ten years later, in 1602, Tokugawa Iyeyasu took Kosa's third son, also named Kosa, and appointed him to the headship of a new Hongwanji Temple, erected at Karasumaru in Kyoto. Thus Japan gained a new "hereditary Bishopric," but, as a result of its establishment, the mighty Hongwanji, the most powerful ecclesiastical institution Japan has ever seen, was divided into two rival, if not conflicting, sections. Iyeyasu understood quite well the principle of divide et impera.

VI. VII.--Neither the Koshoji-ha, nor the Izumoji-ha, call for any special notice.

VIII. IX.--The has its influence mainly in the province of Echizen. It originated during the period of Shinran's exile to Echigo. On his road to his place of exile, he stopped one evening at a small farm-house in the village of Uyeno. After supper he preached to the people, and out of that sermon grew a great religious movement which spread far and wide in that remote country. After Shinran's return from exile, his fifth son, Dosho,

took up his work, and the result is to be seen in the Seishoji sub-sect of the Shinshu.

Nearly the same account may be given of the Shoseiji-ha. It also originated in the province of Echizen during the period of Shinran's exile. Only, in this case, it was Shinran's eldest surviving son Zenran who took up the work, and the headquarters of the subsect were at a later period (1475) removed to Yamamoto in the same province.

X.--The Senshoji-ha, whose chief seat is at Fukui, in Echizen, seems to be the only one of the Shinshu sub-sects which cannot trace its origin absolutely to Shinran himself. The date given for its foundation is 1290.

These three last-mentioned bodies seem always to have worked amicably together in Echizen, without any overlapping of jurisdiction, or clashing of interests. They are known as the San-monto-ha "the three Monto or Shinshu sub-sects," the Senshoji at Fukui being considered the most important and central Temple for all three bodies.