The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion, Part 3
[AT QUEBECK.]
After coming down to Quebeck, I was invited to dine with the Jeſuits, and to my face they were civil enough. But after a few days, a young gentleman came to my chamber, and told me, that one of the Jeſuits (after we had done dinner) made a few diſtricks of verſes, and gave them to his ſcholars to tranſlate into French: He ſhewed them to me. The import of them was, That the king of France's grandſon had ſent out his huntſmen, and that they had taken a wolf, who was ſhut up, and now he hopes the ſheep would be in ſafety. I knew at the reading of them what they aimed at, but held my peace, as though I had been ignorant of the Jeſuits' intention. Obſerving this reproaching ſpirit, I ſaid in my heart, If God will bleſs, let men curſe if they pleaſe: and I looked to God in Chriſt, the great Shepherd, to keep his ſcattered ſheep among ſo many Lamiſh ravenous wolves, and to remember the reproaches wherewith his holy name, ordinances and ſervants were daily reproached. And upon an obſervation of the time of theſe verſes being compoſed, I find that near the ſame time, the biſhop of Canada with twenty eccleſiaſticks, were taken by the Engliſh, as they were coming from France, and carried into England as priſoners of war.
One ſabbath day morning I obſerved many ſigns of approaching rain, a great moiſture on the ſtones of the hearth and chimney jams. I was that day invited to dine with the Jeſuits; and when I went up to dinner, it began to rain a ſmall driſling rain: The ſuperior told me, They had been praying for rain that morning, and lo, (ſays he) it begins to rain. I told him, I could tell him of many inſtances of God's hearing our prayers for rain. However in the afternoon there was a general proceſſion of all orders, Prieſts, Jeſuits, and Fryars, and the citizens in great pomp, carrying (as they ſaid) as an holy relic, one of the bones of St. Paul. The next day I was invited to the prieſts ſeminary to dinner; Oh, ſaid they, we went in proceſſion yeſterday for rain, and ſee what a plentiful rain followed. I anſwered, We had been anſwered when praying for rain, when no ſuch ſigns of rain, or the beginnings of rain had preceded, as now with them, before they appointed or began their proceſſion, &c. However they upbraided me, That God did not approve of our religion, in that he diſregarded our prayers, and accepted theirs. For, ſaid they, We heard you had days of faſting and prayer before the fleet came to Quebeck; God would not regard your prayers, but heard ours, and almoſt in a miraculous way preſerved us when aſſaulted, and refuſed to hear your faſt day prayers for your preſervation, but heard our's for your deſolation, and our ſucceſs. They boaſted alſo of their king, and his greatneſs, and ſpake of him as tho' there could be no ſettlement in the world, but as he pleaſed; reviling us as in a low and languiſhing caſe, having no king, but being under the government of a queen: And ſpake as tho' the duke of Bavaria would in a ſhort time be emperor. From this day forward God gave them to hear ſorrowful tidings from Europe: That a war had been commenced againſt the duke of Savoy, and ſo their enemies increaſed: That their biſhop was taken, and two millions of wealth with him. News every year more diſtreſſing and impoveriſhing to them; and the duke of Bavaria ſo far from being emperor, that he was diſpoſſeſſed of his dukedom; and France ſo far from being ſtrengthened by Spain, that the kingdom of Spain was like to be an occaſion of weakening and impoveriſhing their own kingdom … they themſelves ſo reporting. And their great army going againſt New-England, turned back aſhamed; and they diſcouraged and diſheartened, and every year very exerciſing fears and cares as to the ſavages who lived up the river. Before the return of that army, they told me, we were led up and down, and ſold by the heathens, as ſheep for the ſlaughter, and they could not deviſe what they ſhould do with us, we ſhould be ſo many priſoners, when the army returned. The Jeſuits told me, it was a great mercy that ſo many of our children were brought to them, and that now eſpecially ſince they were not like ſpeedily to be returned, there was hope of their being brought over to the Romiſh faith. They would take the Engliſh children born among them, and againſt the conſent of their parents, baptize them. One Jeſuit came to me and aſked, whether all the Engliſh at Loret (a place not far from Quebeck where the ſavages lived) were baptized? I told him, they were. He ſaid, If they be not, let me know of it, that I may baptize them, for fear they ſhould die, and be damned, if they die without baptiſm. Says he, When the ſavages went againſt you, I charged them to baptize all children before they killed them; ſuch was my deſire of your eternal ſalvation, tho' you were our enemies. There was a gentleman called Monſieur de Beauville, a captain, the brother of the Lord intendant, who was a good friend to me, and very courteous to all the captives; he lent me an Engliſh bible, and when he went to France gave it to me.
All means were uſed to ſeduce poor ſouls.
I was invited one day to dine with one of chief note; as I was going, I met with the ſuperior of the Jeſuits coming out of the houſe, and he came in after dinner; and preſently it was propounded to me, if I would ſtay among them, and be of their religion, I ſhould have a great and honorable penſion from the king every year. The ſuperior of the Jeſuits turned to me, and ſaid, Sir, you have manifeſted much grief and ſorrow for your ſeparation from ſo many of your neighbors and children; if you will now comply with this offer and propoſal, you may have all your children with you; and here will be enough for an honorable maintenance for you and them. I anſwered, Sir, if I thought your religion to be true, I would embrace it freely without any ſuch offer, but ſo long as I believe it to be what it is, the offer of the whole world is of no more value to me than a BLACKBERRY; and manifeſted ſuch an abhorrence of this propoſal, that I ſpeedily went to take my leave, and begone. Oh; Sir, (ſaid he) Sit down, why in ſuch a hurry? You are alone in your chamber, divert yourſelf a little longer; and fell to other diſcourſe: And within half an hour ſays again, "Sir, I have one thing earneſtly to requeſt of you, I pray you pleaſure me!" I ſaid, "Let your lordſhip ſpeak:" ſaid he I pray come to the palace tomorrow morning, and honor me with your company in my coach to the great church, it being then a Saint's day. I anſwered, Aſk me any thing wherein I can ſerve you with a good conſcience, and I am ready to gratify you, but I muſt aſk your excuſe here; and immediately went away from him. Returning to my chamber, I gave GOD thanks for his upholding me; And alſo made an enquiry with myſelf, whether I had by any action given encouragement for ſuch a temptation.