452 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
improvement. A declaration of faith, and articles of agree¬ 
ment, were then approved, as the basis of their own union, 
and to be submitted to all who should desire to unite with 
them. The articles of faith were such as are believed by 
all who hold the great doctrines of salvation by the cross of 
Christ; and the order of church government introduced, 
was not exactly according with that prevailing in any single 
denomination among us, devolving a larger amount of duty 
on the minister exclusively, than prevails among the Con¬ 
gregational order, but less than attaches to that office 
among the Presbyterians or Episcopalians. The plan of 
church government secured to the people the election of 
their own pastors, and the admission and rejection of mem¬ 
bers by the majority of the church alone. It was also 
recognized as the solemn duty of every member to endea¬ 
vour, by all suitable and scriptural means, to promote the 
edification of the church, and the diffusion of the gospel to 
the utmost possible extent. 
The growing attention to religious instruction, the in¬ 
creasing duties devolving upon the Missionaries, the cheer¬ 
ing prospects of still more extensive usefulness in Mada¬ 
gascar, induced the brethren, early in the year, to invite 
Mr. Freeman, who had proceeded from Mauritius to the 
Cape of Good Hope, to return to their assistance. The 
native Christians also wrote to him, urging him to resume 
his labours among them, and the queen encouraged him to 
proceed again to the capital. Under these favourable cir¬ 
cumstances, Mr. Freeman deemed it to be his duty to 
return again to the field, which, in 1829, he had felt himself 
compelled to leave. 
In order to increase the resources of the country, and 
facilitate commerce between the Cape and Madagascar, 
a vessel belonging to the former place was engaged to con- 
