The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
28 La pensée de sainct Francois Xauier nous passe mille fois par
l'esprit, & a vn grand pouuoir. Si les hommes du siecle pour auoir
des peaux de Castor, de la moulue, & ie ne sçay quelles denrées,
n'apprehendent ny les orages de la mer, ny les Sauuages de la terre,
ny la mer, ny la mort; quelle horrible confusion seroit-ce à des
seruiteurs de Dieu, d'apprehender cela, ou quelques petits trauaux,
pour tascher de gaigner des ames rachetées auec le sang pretieux de
Iesus-Christ, & empourprées de son sang de valeur inestimable? Se
leueront-ils point au iour du iugement cõtre nous ces petits facteurs,
& pescheurs de mouluë pour nous condamner, s'ils prennent plus de peine
pour gaigner vne piece d'argent, que nous pour aider à sauuer les
Sauuages. Ceste pensée pique si fort nos [241] cœurs, qu'on ne sent
point son mal, ou si on le sent on ne s'en oseroit plaindre.
28 A thousand times the thought of saint François Xavier passes
through our minds, and has great power over us. If the men of the
world, in order to have Beaver skins, and codfish, and I know not
what commodities, do not fear either the storms on the sea, or
the Savages on land, or the sea, or death; how dreadful will be
the confusion of God's servants for being afraid of these things,
or of a few little hardships, in trying to win souls ransomed by
the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and empurpled by his blood of
inestimable value? On the day of judgment will not these petty
traders and fishers of cod rise up to condemn us, if they take more
pains to gain a piece of money than we do to help save the Savages?
This thought stings our hearts so [241] deeply that we do not feel
our sufferings, or if we feel them we do not dare to complain of
them.
29 Il y a mille personnes en France qui sont fort inutiles, & qui
n'ont nul employ; ils sont sçauans, & puis c'est tout, & cela ne sert
de rien du tout à l'Eglise de Dieu; helas! en la Nouuelle France ce
seroient des Apostres s'ils vouloient y venir employer leur talent;
moins de sçauoir & plus d'humilité & de zele, feroit miracle icy, & ils
gagneroient possible plus en vn an, qu'ils ne feront toute leur vie en
France.
29 There are many persons in France who are of no use, and have
nothing to do there; they are scholars and that is all, and that is
of no use in the Church of God; alas! in New France these men would
be Apostles, if they would come here to use their talents; less
wisdom, and more humility and zeal, would perform miracles here,
and it is possible they would gain more in one year than they will
do in a lifetime in France.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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