344 RE VERENT DEMEA NO UR. 



Christianity among churches where even such scenes as these 

 had occurred. Did we know all the circumstances, and the 

 enlightenment of both, there was probably as much, if not 

 more, blame in some of the churches founded by the apostles 

 and instructed by men who had the miraculous gifts of the 

 Holy Ghost. Such passages as I Cor. i. 10-13 ; iii. 3: v.; 

 xi. 17-34, point to abuses in the Corinthian Church quite as 

 scandalous as any of those which occasionally perplex us in the 

 Malagasy churches. For while in matters calling for cen- 

 sure, the assemblies of Malagasy Christians sometimes furnish 

 parallels to the apostolic churches, I have again and again 

 thought how the order and quiet reverence seen in scores of 

 our churches at the communion service recalled the descrip- 

 tion given by Justin Martyr of the celebration of the eucha- 

 ristic feast by the churches of his age. The same simple forms 

 and ceremonies are common to both : the thanksgiving prayer 

 by the " president " (not the priest) ; the sitting at the recep- 

 tion of the elements by the communicants, the bread and wine 

 being carried to them by the deacons (showing that the kneel- 

 ing at the holy table is a later practice) ; the reading of the 

 Scriptures and the singing of a hymn — all these are repro- 

 duced in our modern mission churches ; and, as already 

 mentioned, the taking of some of the bread and wine by the 

 deacons to absent members would also be easily introduced 

 were there not some one to caution the people against the 

 use of superstitious practices. 



In still another direction does missionary experience in 

 Madagascar present some interesting analogies to the history 

 of the early Churches, viz., in the Customs connected with 

 Worship. 



In our less intelligent country congregations, where many 

 of the people still seem to need schooling like children in 

 proper behaviour in public worship, the native deacons usually 

 constitute themselves directors of the congregation. They 

 stand up in various parts of the building during the prayers, 

 keeping a vigilant eye on the people, lest any should look 

 about or otherwise misbehave themselves. No sooner does 

 the pastor or missionary say, " Let us pray," than the deacons 

 shout out, Miv&vaka! ("Pray!") in stentorian tones, until 



