NOMINAL CHRISTIANS. 359 



spiritual influence which Christianity is now exerting upon 

 the mass of the professedly religious people of Madagascar ? 



Upon this point it is much more difficult to speak with 

 certainty and confidence than on the matters already referred to. 

 From what has been said as to the great advance in public 

 morality it will be evident that the indirect results of the 

 preaching of the gospel have been very real and unmistakable. 

 But it is a more delicate task to gauge its influence upon the 

 hearts of those who have professed to embrace it. And this, 

 difficult everywhere and in any state of society, is specially 

 so from the peculiar circumstances of Malagasy society dur- 

 ing the last eight or nine years. It has, during all that time, 

 involved no social discredit to make a profession of religion, 

 it has rather been a disadvantage not to be a member of 

 some church. To become baptized, and then, after a few 

 months of probation, to join one of the churches, is looked 

 upon as only a proper and becoming course of conduct, by 

 which a man takes a creditable position in society. So that, 

 in the language of the Bedford dreamer, " religion walks in 

 his silver slippers, the sun shines, and the people applaud 

 him." All this, it it evident, is unfavourable for the develop- 

 ment of the more solid and enduring qualities of Christian 

 character, and inevitably leads to a great deal that is only 

 superficial. A very large proportion of the present adhe- 

 rents, especially in the more ignorant country districts, can 

 only be regarded as Christians in name; and were there to 

 be a change in the attitude of the authorities towards the 

 form of religion now favoured by them, probably only a 

 small remnant of these " pagani " would be found steadfast 

 to their present profession. We could not expect it to be 

 otherwise ; nine or ten years' time, with most meagre instruc- 

 tion in many districts, is an utterly inadequate period in 

 which to Christianise a nation. On more than one occasion, 

 when unfounded reports had been circulated in the villages 

 that the sovereign no longer favoured Christianity, a mere 

 handful of people only have come together for several weeks 

 afterwards, to represent a congregation of three or four 

 hundred worshippers. In the capital city, and in many of 

 the larger villages, where the congregations have had con- 



