The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion, Part 4 – Part 7
[AT CHATEAUVICHE, fifteen miles below Quebeck.]
Not many days after, and a few days before governor de'Voudrel's coming down, I was ſent away fifteen miles down the river, that I might not have an opportunity of converſation with the Engliſh. I was courteouſly treated by the French, and the Prieſt of that pariſh; they told me, he was one of the moſt learned men in the country; he was a very ingenious man, zealous in their way, but yet very familiar. I had many diſputes with the Prieſts who came thither: And when I uſed their own authors to confute ſome of their poſitions; my books borrowed of them were taken away from me; for they ſaid, I made an ill uſe of them. They having many of them, boaſted of their unity in doctrine and profeſſion, and were loth I ſhould ſhow them from then own beſt approved authors, as many different opinions as they could charge againſt us. Here again, a gentleman in the preſence of the old Biſhop and a Prieſt, offered me his houſe, and whole living, with aſſurance of honor, wealth and employment, if I would embrace their ways. I told them, I had an indignation of ſoul againſt ſuch offers, on ſuch terms as parting with what was more valuable than all the world; …, "What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and looſe his own ſoul? or, What ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul?" I was ſometimes told, I might have all my children, if I would comply, and muſt never expect to have them on any other terms; I told them my children were dearer to me than all the world, but I would not deny CHRIST and his TRUTHS for the having of them with me; I would ſtill put my truſt in GOD, who could perform all things for me.
I am perſuaded that the Prieſt of that pariſh where I kept, abhorred their ſending down the heathen to commit outrages againſt the Engliſh; ſaying, It was more like committing murders, than managing a war. In my confinement in this pariſh, I had my undiſturbed opportunities to be humbly imploring grace for ourſelves, for ſoul and body; for his protecting preſence with New-England, and his diſappointing the bloody deſigns of his enemies; that GOD would be a little ſanctuary to us in a land of captivity; and that our friends in New-England, might have grace to make a more thankful and faithful improvement of the means of grace, than we had done; who by our neglects, find ourſelves out of GOD'S ſanctuary.
On the twenty firſt of October, 1704, I received ſome letters from New-England, with an account that many of our neighbors eſcaped out of the deſolations in the fort; and that my dear wife was decently buried; And that my eldeſt ſon who was abſent in our deſolation, was ſent to college, and provided for; which occaſioned thankſgiving to GOD in the midſt of afflictions, and cauſed prayers even in Canada, to be going daily up to heaven for a bleſſing on benefactors, ſhowing ſuch kindneſs to the deſolate and afflicted.
The conſideration of ſuch crafty deſigns to enſnare young ones, and to turn them from the ſimplicity of the goſpel, to Romiſh ſuperſtition, was very exerciſing. Sometimes they would tell me my children, ſometimes my neighbors, were turned to be of their religion. Some made it their work to allure poor ſouls by flatteries and great promiſes, ſome threatened, ſome offered abuſive carriage to ſuch as refuſed to go to church, and be preſent at maſs. Some they induſtriouſly contrived to get married among them. A Prieſt drew up a Compendium of the Romiſh Catholic Faith, and pretended to prove it by the ſcriptures, telling the Engliſh, "that all they required was contained in the ſcriptures which they acknowledged to be the rule of faith and manners▪" but it was by ſcriptures horribly perverted and abuſed. I could never come to the ſight of it, (tho' I often earneſtly entreated a copy of it) until I was on ſhip board for our voyage to New-England; but hearing of it, I endeavored to poſſeſs the Engliſh with their danger of being cheated with ſuch a pretence. I underſtood they would tell the Engliſh that I was turned, that they might gain them to change their religion. Theſe their endeavors to ſeduce to Popery, were very exerciſing to me. And in my ſolitaryneſs, I drew up ſome ſorrowful, mournful conſiderations, though unuſed to, and unſkillful in poetry, yet in a plain ſtyle for the uſe of ſome of the captives, who would ſometimes make their ſecret viſits to me, which, at the deſire of ſome of them are here made public.
Some Contemplations of the poor and deſolate ſtate of the Chuch at Deerfield.
THE ſorrows of my heart enlarged are,
Whilſt I my preſent ſtate with paſt compare.
I frequently unto GOD'S houſe did go,
With chriſtian friends his praiſes for to ſhow.
But now, I ſolitary ſit, both ſigh and cry,
Whilſt my flock's miſery think on do I.
Many, both old and young, were ſlain out right;
Some in a bitter … their flight;
Some burnt to death, and others ſtifled were:
The enemy no age or ſex would ſpare.
The tender children, with their parents ſad,
Are carried forth as captives. Some unclad,
Some murdered in the way, unburied left;
And ſome through famine, were of life bereft.
After a tedious journey ſome are ſold,
Some left in HEATHEN hands, all from CHRIST'S fold:
By Popiſh rage, and heath'niſh cruelty,
Are baniſhed. Yea ſome compell'… …
Preſent at maſs. Young children parted are
From parents, and ſuch as once inſtructors were.
Crafty deſigns are us'd by Papiſts all,
In ignorance of truth them to enthrall:
Some threatened are unleſs they will comply;
In Heathens hands again be made to lie.
To ſome, large promiſes are made, if they
Will truths renounce, and chooſe their Popiſh way,
Oh LORD! mine eyes on thee ſhall waiting be,
Till thou again turn our captivity.
Their Romiſh plots, thou canſt confound, and ſave
This little flock, this mercy I do crave.
Save us from all our ſins, and yet again,
Deliver us from them who truth diſdain.
LORD! for thy mercy ſake, thy cov'nant mind;
And in thy houſe again, reſt let us find.
So we thy praiſes forth will ſhew, and ſpeak
Of all thy wonderous works; yea we will ſeek
Th' advancement of thy great and glorious name,
Thy rich and ſovereign grace we will proclaim.
THE hearts of ſome were ready to be diſcouraged, and ſink, ſaying, They were out of ſight, and ſo out of mind. I endeavored to perſuade them we were not forgotten; that undoubtedly many prayers were going up to heaven for us. Not long after came captain Livingſton and Mr. Shelden, with letters from his excellency our governor, to the governor of Canada about the exchange of priſoners; which gave a revival to many, and raiſed expectation of a return. Theſe viſits from New-England to Canada ſo often, greatly ſtrengthened many who were ready to ſaint; and gave ſome check to the deſigns of the Papiſts to gain proſelytes. But God's time of deliverance was not yet come: As to ſome particular perſons, their temptations and trials were increaſed; and ſome abuſed becauſe they refuſed compliance with their ſuperſtitions. A young woman of our town met with a new trial: For one day a Frenchman came into the room where ſhe was, and ſhewed her his beads, and boaſted of them, putting them near to her; ſhe knocked them out of his hands on the floor; for which ſhe was beaten and threatened with death, and for ſome days impriſoned. I pleaded with God his overruling this firſt eſſay for the deliverance of ſome, as a pledge of the reſt being delivered in due time. I implored Capt. de Beauville who had always been very friendly, to intercede with the governor for the return of my eldeſt daughter; and for his purchaſing my ſon Stephen, from the Indians at St. Francois fort; and for liberty to go up and ſee my children and neighbors at Montreal. Divine providence appeared to the moderating my afflictions, in that five Engliſh perſons of our town were permitted to return with Capt. Livingſton, among whom went my eldeſt daughter. And my ſon Stephen was redeemed and ſent to live with me: He was almoſt quite naked, and very poor; he had ſuffered much among the Indians. One of the Jeſuits took upon him, to come to the wigwam, and whip him, on ſome complaints that the Squaws had made, that he did not work enough for them. As to my petition for going up to Montreal, to ſee my children and neighbors, it was denied; as my former deſire of coming up to the city before Capt. Livingſton's coming, was. GOD granted me favor as to two of my petitions; but yet brought me by his grace to be willing, that he ſhould glorify himſelf in diſpoſing of me and mine as he pleaſed, and knew to be moſt for his glory. And almoſt always before any remarkable favor, I was brought to lie down at the foot of GOD, and made to be willing that GOD ſhould govern the world, ſo as might be moſt for his own honor, and brought to reſign all to his holy ſovereignty. A frame of ſpirit when wrought in me by the Grace of GOD, giving the greateſt content and ſatisfaction; and very often a forerunner of the mercy aſked of GOD, or a plain demonſtration, that the not obtaining my requeſt was beſt for me. I had no ſmall refreſhing, in having one of my children with me for four months. And the Engliſh were many of them ſtrengthened with hopes, that the treaties betwixt the governments would iſſue in opening a door of eſcape for all.
In Auguſt, Mr. Dudley and Capt. Vetch, arrived, and great encouragements were given as to an exchange of all, in the ſpring of the year: and ſome few again were ſent home; amongſt whom I obtained leave to ſend my ſon Stephen.
[AT QUEBECK.]
Upon Mr. Dudley's and Capt. Vetch's petitioning, I was again permitted to go up to Quebeck; but diſputing with a mendicant Friar, who ſaid, "He was an Engliſhman ſent from France, to endeavor the converſion of the Engliſh at Quebeck;" who arrived at Canada whilſt our gentlemen were there: I was by the Prieſts means ordered again to return to Chateauviche; and no other reaſon given, but becauſe I diſcourſed with that Prieſt, and their fear I ſhould prevent his ſucceſs among the captives. But GOD ſhewed his diſlike of ſuch a perſecuting ſpirit; for the very next day, which was September 20. O. S. October 1ſt, N, S. the ſeminary, a very famous building, was moſt of it burnt down; occaſioned by a joiner's letting a coal of fire drop down among the ſhavings. The chappel in the Prieſts garden, and the great croſs were burnt down; the library of the Prieſts burnt up: This ſeminary and another library had been burnt but about three years before. The day after my being ſent away by the Prieſts means from Quebeck at firſt, there was a thunder ſtorm, and the lightning ſtruck the ſeminary in the very place where the fire now began.
[AT GHATEAUVICHE.]
A little before Mr. Dudley's arrival, came a ſoldier into my landlord's houſe, barefoot and bareleg'd, going on a pilgrimage to Saint Anne. For, ſaid he, my captain, who died ſome years ago, appeared to me, and told me he was in purgatory; and ſaid I muſt go a pilgrimage to Saint Anne, doing penance, and get a maſs ſaid for him, and then he ſhould be delivered. And many believed it, and were much affected with it; and came and told me of it, to gain my credit of their deviſed purgatory: The ſoldier told me the Prieſts had counſelled him to undertake this pilgrimage, and I am apt to think, ordered his calling in at my landlord's, that I might ſee and ſpeak with him. I laughed at the conceit, that a ſoldier muſt be pitched upon to be ſent on this errand; but they were much diſpleaſed, and lamented my obſtinacy, in that I would not be reclaimed from a denial of purgatory, by ſuch a miraculous providence.
As I was able, I ſpread the cauſe before GOD, beſeeching him to diſappoint them in their expectations to proſelyte any of the captives by this ſtratagem; and by the goodneſs of GOD, it was not very ſerviceable: For the ſoldier's converſation was ſuch, that ſeveral among the French themſelves, judged it to be a forgery. And though the captain ſpoken of, was the governor's lady's brother, I never more heard any concernment or care to get him out of purgatory.
One of the pariſh where I lived, told me, That on the twenty ſecond of July, 1705, he was at Quebeck, at the mendicant Friars church, on one of their feaſt days, in honor of a great ſaint of their order, and that at five o'clock maſs in the morning, near two hundred perſons being preſent, a great grey cat broke or puſhed aſide ſome glaſs, entered into the church, and paſſed along near the altar, and put out five or ſix candles that were burning; and that no one could tell which way the cat went out: And he thought it was the devil.
[AT QUEBECK.]
When I was in the city in September, I ſaw two Engliſh maids who had lived with the Indians a long time. They told me that an Indian had died at the place where they were, and that when ſundry of his relations were together, in order to attend his funeral, the dead aroſe and informed them, "That at his death he went to hell, and there he ſaw all the Indians that had been dead ſince their embracing the Popiſh religion; and warned them to leave it off, or they would be damned too;" and laid down dead again. They ſaid the Indians were frightened, and very melancholy: but the Jeſuits to whom they told this, told them it was only a deluſion of the devil, to draw them away from the true religion; adding, That he knew for certain, that all thoſe Indians who had been dead, ſpoken of by that Indian, were in heaven, only one ſquaw was gone to hell, who died without baptiſm. Theſe maids ſaid alſo, that many of the Indians much lamented their making a war againſt the Engliſh, at the inſtigation of the French.