The martyr church : a narrative of the introduction, progress, and triumph of Christianity in Madagascar, with notices of personal intercourse and travel in the island

Front matter

rPv .*

'^feX0* ^ *^feX /jfeX, c ^ i0v .

A NARRATIVE OF THE

Chapter I. Page

Brief notice of the country and people— Radama and his army at Tamatave — Abolition of the slave trade — Destructive character of Eadama's wars— Incipient civilization among the Hovas — Resources of the country — General condition of the people — Disastrous effects of slavery on bond and free — Sanguinary character of the Malagasy laws — Administration of justice — the tangena or poison ordeal — Mental faculties of the people — Defective morals of the community — Malagasy tombs — Robbery of the dead — Licentiousness of the people — Idolatries of Madagascar— Worship and sacrifices — The god of the tangena or poison — The sikidy or divination — Hardening influence of idolatry on the heart — Its mercenary character 1

Chapter II

Arrival of the first missionaries on the coast of Madagascar — Fearful ravages of illness and death — Renewal of the mission at the capital under the auspices of Radama — The English language taught in the first schools — Radama's letter to the Missionary Society — Alarm of parents respecting their children — The native language reduced to writing — Arrival of missionary artisans— The native language taught in the schools — Commencement of public Christian worship on the Lord's day — Wide extension of education — Increasing attendance at the Sunday services — Singing introduced into Christian worship — Arrival of the first printing press — Review of the first ten years of the mission — Death of Radama — Assassination of his successor and friends — Ranavalona placed on the throne — The character and reign of Radama 36

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE III.

PAGE

Destruction of Radama's family— Drafting of scholars into the army — Appeal of the queen to the idols at her coronation — The New Testament and other books printed— Attention of the people to religious teaching — Baptism and partaking of the Lord's Supper by the first converts— Disapproval of Christian fellowship by the government — Formation of the first churches of Madagascar — Officers, soldiers, and scholars in the government schools, forbidden to receive baptism or unite with the church — Christian officer accused of witchcraft, and subjected to drink the ordeal of poison — Masters forbidden to allow their slaves to read — Conversion and death of a young slave — Refusal of Christian soldiers to acknowledge the idols — 30,000 readers, the result of ten years' educational labour — Idols rejected — Description of a Malagasy idol — Evidences of the power of the gospel among the people — Efficiency of native agency — Disastrous end of a teacher of a new religion 59

Chapter IV

Christian refusal to offer heathen sacrifice — False accusation of preaching sedition — A national assembly summoned- — Christian worship declared unlawful— Missionaries forbidden to teach Christianity— Christians required to accuse themselves — Books to be given up — Stedfastness of the Christians — Their noble confession before the judges — Midnight meetings for prayer — Translation of the Scriptures — Compilation of dictionaries — Translation of " Pilgrim's Progress" — Last missionaries leave the country — Accusation against Rafaravavy and her companions 87

CHAPTER Y.

Arrest of Rafaravavy — Confession of Paul before the judges — A Christian's feelings on the way to execution — Fearful conflagration in the city — Postponement of Rafaravavy's execution — Arrest, examination, and execution of the second martyr — Torture of his wife — Flight of Rafaravavy and her companions — Perils and suffering — Honesty of Christian slaves — Flight of the Christians to Tamatavo— Safe embarkation— Their song of praise to God — Welcomes in London and among the churches in England— Their return to Mauritius — Capture, torture, and execution of the praying people in the capital— Friendship among the Christians— Condition of the fugitives in Madagascar 114

CONTEXTS.

CHAPTER YI.

PAGE

Attempt of the Christians to reach the coast — Their capture on the road — Eemarkahle escape of two prisoners — Execution of the rest — Influence of public executions on the people — Extreme affection of the Christian captives, and cheerful death of Christians at Vonizongo — Savage execution of Raharo and his friends — Death of Rev. David Johns — The Prince Royal's friendship to the Christians — His efforts in their favour — Kindness of Prince Kamonja — Severe persecution in 1849 — Noble confession of the Christians — The faithful Ranivo — The burning of the nobles- — The hurling over the precipice of the Christians — Vast number punished 143

CHAPTER YII.

Severity of Prince Ramonja's punishment — Convict labour of Christian officers — Kindness of the princes to the Christians — Numbers of the Christians — Voyage of Messrs. Cameron and Ellis to Madagascar— Opening the ports to foreign commerce — Second visit to Madagascar — Protracted intercourse with Christians from the capital — Visit to Mahavelona — Correspondence with Christians at the capital — Andriambelo — Midnight meetings with the Christians — "Want of the Scriptures — Third visit to Madagascar — Arrival at the capital — Reception by the government — Statement of the object of visit — Interviews with the prince and Hamonja 174

CHAPTER YIII.

Favourable effect of message of friendship from England — Visits to remarkable places — Interview with the commander-in-chief — The queen's hospitality — Deeply affecting recitals of sufferings of the Christians — Hopes inspired by the results of persecution in other countries — Conferences and prayer with the leaders of the Christians — Social life among the disciples — The prevalence of prayer — Times and places of united worship — Christians from Vonizongo — Conversation with the young — Visit of Mr. Lambert to the capital, and his statements to the Christians— Places viii CONTEXTS.

Chapter YIII. — (continued).

PAGE

where the martyrs suffered — Farewell visit from the prince and princess — Last night with the Christians — Departure from Madagascar and return to England — Eeview of the progress and state of Christianity in the country — Eeturn of Mr. Lambert to the capital— The last persecution — Numbers implicated — Barbarity of the executions — Illness and death of the queen — Notice of her character and reign 198

CHAPTER IX.

The end of the persecutions — Eadama II. proclaimed king — Proclamation of religious liberty — The exiles and Christians in fetters recalled— The claims of the idols disregarded — The use of the tangena and sorcery abolished — The king's orders for the administration of justice — His treatment of the conquered races— His want of better counsellors — Increase of intemperance in the country — Eeturn of French traders and priests — Voyage to Mauritius—First movement towards the erection of memorial churches — Letter to the king on the subject — Arrival in Madagascar- Journey to the capital — Interview with the king and queen- Visits from the widows and children of the martyrs — Prince Bamonja and the Prime Minister — Visit to Ambohipotsy and Ampamarinana — First Sunday in the capital — Deliverance from dread of slavery 223

CHAPTER X.

Teaching English — The king not a Christian— Early commencement of Sabbath services — Conversations with the Christians- Influences favouring the reception of the gospel — Family religion— Parental attention to the young — The mother's good influence—Statistics of the progressive increase of the Christians during the successive persecutions — Astonishing results — Influence of character — Arrival of foreign embassies — Visits to the places where the martyrs suffered — Present to the English embassy— Notice of a converted warrior priest — Introduction of the gospel to Betsileo— Description of the idols — Satisfactory conversation with the Bishop of Mauritius respecting Church of England missionaries — Views of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel respecting Madagascar — Principles on which Scriptures were distributed among the people 256

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER XL

PAGE

Welcome of the missionaries from England— United communion — Liberality of the English embassy — The sacred city of Ambohimanga — Sabbath services in the city — Death of Malagasy chieftains— Organization of native churches — Titles given for sites of memorial churches — First church at Ankadibevava — Uneasiness in the capital — Pretended supernatural messages to the king — The dancing sickness —Warnings of danger — Remonstrance of the nobles — Revolution — Death of the king — Reflections on his character — Accession of Rasoherina— Germs of constitutional government — Religious liberty continued— The first missionary prayer meeting— Visits of Christians from the north — Extensive and beneficial influence of the medical department of the mission 286

CHAPTER XII.

Coronation of Rasoherina — Rumours respecting Radama— First public recognition of the Christians— Religious services at Ambohimanga during the queen's visit — Christian procession to the palace on Christmas day— Review of the events of the year — Opening of the central school — Yisit to Vonizongo — Employment of native preachers — The Ciiristians at Betsileo — Instance of the power of the gospel— Chapel at A mbohitantely— Historical statistics of Ilafy — Visit to the Martyrs' Home — Chapels opened in the capital — Return of a captured slave to her homa — Christians at Imerinamandrosa— Scene of the martyrs' suffering 315

CHAPTER XIII.

Bereavements of the Mission — New churches and increased attendance— Introduction of public Christian marriage— Yisit to Lazaina — Notice of Ranivo's family— Treaty with England — Queen Victoria's message and Queen Rasoherina's reply — Journey to the west — Reinforcement of the mission — Departure of Mr. Ellis — Prosperous close of the year — Opening of the first memorial church — Its influence on the people — Welcome arrival of missionaries from the Friends — The queen's visit to the coast— Zealous efforts of the Christians among the heathen — Return of the queen to the capital — Results of the preaching of the gospel — Remarkable increase of the Christians at the close of the year 343

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIY.

p.

Illness of the queen — Failure of the conspiracy to change the dynasty— Death of the queen — Proclamation of her successor — Trial and punishment of the conspirators — Ranavalona's refusal to acknowledge the priests, idols, and diviners — Edicts respecting the Sabbath — Christian worship within the precincts of the palace — General religious awakening among the people — Missionary visit to Fianarantsoa — Buildings of stone and bricks authorized in the capital — Multitudes assembled at the coronation — The crown and the Bible — Speech of the queen — Declaration of religious liberty — Influence of the coronation — Opening of the second memorial church — Presence of the queen and court — Review of the year — Baptism of the queen and prime minister — Religious services within the palace — The queen and prime minister partake of the Lord's Supper — Training of a native ministry — Mr. Sewell's testimony — Spread of the gospel in Betsileo — Foundation-stone of the Chapel Eoyal — Fifty years of missionary labour in Madagascar — Their glorious results — Inadequacy of present missionary agencies — Appeal for help c

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Native Pastor and Deacons at Ambatonakanga Frontispiece

PAGE

PAGE

Punishment of Slaves

Consolation to a Christian in

Malagasy Tombs

Fetters

Tomb of a Noble

Interior of Malagasy Kitchen

Ambodinandohalo

Ambohimanga, from the

Malagasy Idol

North-west

Native Smiths and Iron

Eev. R. Toy, and Class of

Smelting

Native Preachers

The Tsitialaingia and other

Isarotrafohy, the Martyrs'

Spears

Home

Place of the First Martyr-

View in Antananarivo dom

Village of Lazaina

The Traveller's Tree

Bridge over the Andromba...

Hova Officers, &c

Martyr Memorial Church at

The Lace-leaf Plant

Ambohipotsy

Pi

M To Ai

Mi Ni

TL

Th H( Th iHP'rwj/wnibev

pLMadicuv*.

Yatorruuidryll

'(Hahtla. ftaxyavnJ.y

THE

MARTYR CHURCH OF MADAGASCAR.