CHRISTIANITY IN MADAGASCAR.
By Watchman
THE story of Christianity in Madagascar is one of magnificent heroism and of triumphant devotion, and is an inspiration to all who are interested in the progress of the kingdom of Christ throughout the world. The island of Madagascar properly belongs to Africa, but the Malagassy have only a slight mixture of African blood. In language, in appearance, in social customs, and in personal characteristics, they are more allied to the Malay tribes. The climate of the island is healthy in the interior highlands, but along the coast is malarial and not adapted to the residence of foreigners. One language is spoken throughout the island, although the various tribes have dialectic variations; but at the present time the Hova tribe, which inhabits the province of Imerina, has become the dominant power of the island. The Hovas are the latest immigrants to the island, and are the lightest in color and most intelligent and most civilized of the people. The Malagassy have many admirable traits. They were never cannibals and never utterly savage. They have always lived in settled communities, and were loyal and law-abiding people. Agriculture was their chief occupation, and their chief fault has been that same lack of pure moral standards which is found in all the people of the Malay race. The position of woman in Madagascar has always been higher than in most heathen lands. For more than sixty years the island has been ruled nearly all the time by queens. The people are affectionate, kind to children, respectful to the aged, and polite and hospitable to strangers. Family slavery exists, and formerly slaves were imported from Africa; but in 1877 all foreign slaves were freed, and the domestic slavery which now exists is extremely mild in its character. The Malagassy have never had an organized form of religion, but, as in Africa, were greatly under the power of fetishism and witchcraft. Anything in which they might think for a time that the spirit of a Deity resided, became to them an object of worship. Stones, trees, animals, and objects of a peculiar and odd character, became to them sacred for the time being; but when convinced that the spirit which they worshiped had left the object, it was no longer sacred in their eyes. The Malagassy, in fact, belong to that great class of people who never could be properly classed as idolaters, but were included in the great class of animists, or spirit worshipers, of which other prominent representatives are found in the Karens of Burma and the people of the Pacific islands, as well as the inhabitants of a large portion of the continent of Africa. In 1820 Christian missions were begun in Madagascar by the London Missionary Society, and from this time dates the modern development and progress of the island. Before that there was no written language, and not much method of communication between the different tribes of the island. The missionaries reduced the language to writing, and prepared books, published translations of the Scriptures, established schools, and introduced many useful forms of industry. For a few years Christianity made great progress, and enjoyed tolerance under the government, and a large number of converts were gathered into the churches. But in 1835 began that season of terrible persecution, borne with heroic courage and devotion, which has made the history of the Madagascan church illustrious in the annals of Christianity. On her accession to the throne Queen Ranavalona I, determined to exterminate Christianity from among her people. The mild measures which were at first adopted not proving successful, the utmost severity and cruelty followed. Christians were put to death in every conceivable form of cruelty. The striking picture of Christianity in Madagascar is that where multitudes of the Christians were led to the brow of a precipice and ordered to give up their Christian faith. Upon their refusal, one after another, they were flung over the precipice, to perish upon the rocks far below. This persecution continued without interruption for a period of twenty-five years, but such was the fortitude and devotion of the Christians that even this cruel and long continued persecution failed to eradicate Christianity from the island. On the death of the cruel queen and the resumption of missionary work, multitudes were found waiting to welcome back their Christian teachers, and to rejoice in the freedom which had come to them. Christianity, however, was not officially acknowledged in Madagascar until 1882, when Queen Ranavalona II. came to the throne. One of her first acts was to establish Christianity as the religion of the kingdom—the worst thing which could have been done. She herself is a Christian, and, with the aid of her prime minister, who is also her husband, did much to strengthen the position of Christianity on the island. The progress of Christianity on the island has been rapid and substantial, and every way encouraging, chiefly among the Hovas and the more nearly related tribes occupying the highlands of the interior of the island. The number of Christians in the island is now 56,539. Very recently the prospects of Protestant missionary work in the island have become clouded by the aggressions of the French. Everywhere French authority goes, Protestant missions are carried on with great difficulty. The Malagassy are resisting with the utmost courage and with admirable patience the encroachments of the French, and every true lover of freedom and of true Christian enlightenment must sympathize with those noble, heroic, and admirable people in their steady struggle against the unwarranted assumptions of the French nation.—Watchman.