The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 4: Acadia and Quebec, 1616-1629
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 4: Acadia and Quebec, 1616-1629
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Mais soit assez d'auoir au deuant de nos yeux que ces pauures peuples,
ces images de nostre Dieu comme nous, & capables de sa iouyssance,
ces consorts de nostre espece, & presque de mesme qualité auec nous,
sont sur le bord de l'horrible gouffre des feux infernaux, voire
plusieurs centaines d'iceux precipitez chaque iour dans les peines
eternelles, & abysmes de damnation, sans espoir de deliurance. O
Dieu! nous nous estonnons de ces iugements espouuentables; comme
il y a bien dequoy s'estonner; mais nous n'auons pas le sens pour
apperceuoir, ny l'entendem[~e]t pour recognoistre, que le sang de ceste
si cruelle exequution est dessus nos mains, qui ne nous euertuons pas
de l'empescher: dessus nos [338 i.e., 340] pieds, qui ne nous remuons
point pour y remedier; dessus nos maisons, qui les bastissons tant
superbement, sans nous soucier de l'eternelle demeure de nos freres;
dessus nos bourses, nos possessiõs, nos moyens, & nostre coeur qui
sommes si peu esmeus de tels spectacles & contribuons si peu, là où
le Fils de Dieu, nostre Sauueur, n'a point espargné sa vie. Plaise
luy nous faire misericorde, & receuoir de nous, & de toute creature
loüange, & benediction, à tous les siecles des siecles. Ainsi soit-il.
FIN.
But let it be enough to keep before our eyes the vision of these
poor natives, these images of our God as we are, and as capable
of enjoying him, these companions of our own species, and almost
of the same quality as we, who are upon the edge of the horrible
gulf of the fires of hell, many of them even precipitated every
day into eternal torments, and profound depths of everlasting
punishment, without hope of deliverance. O God! we are amazed
at these frightful judgments, as there is much in them to cause
our amazement; but we have not the sense to perceive, nor the
understanding to appreciate, that the blood of this so cruel
execution is upon our hands, who do not exert ourselves to prevent
it; upon our [338 i.e., 340] feet, which do not move to remedy it;
upon our houses, which we build so magnificently without caring
for the eternal dwellings of our brothers; upon our purses, our
possessions, our wealth, and our hearts, which are so little moved
by such spectacles and contribute so little to that for which the
Son of God, our Savior, did not spare even his life. May it please
him to grant us mercy, and to receive from us and from all his
creatures, praises and blessings forever and ever. Amen.
END.
Table des Choses Plvs Remarqvables.
ABSENCE _du P. Biard occasiõne les François de ne s'exposer au danger
de se perdre._ _p._ 178.
_Acadie, pays des Souriquois, proche de Canada._ _p._ 4.
_Açores, Isles de la couronne d'Espaigne._ _p._ 281.
_Aguigueou, Asticou, Betsabes Capitaines Canadois offrent aux François
prins par l'Anglois, de les retirer & entretenir._ _p._ 35.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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