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
On the twenty-second of the same month, the same Fathers
experienced the effects of the goodness of the holy Virgin, in the
baptism of a young boy about ten years of age. This child did not
wish to hear us speak of our belief at all, imagining that to be
baptized and to die immediately after was the same thing. And, in
fact, [29] as we do not readily bestow these sacred waters except
upon those who we see are not going to abuse them, on account of
their proximity to death, these Barbarians for a while had this
idea that Baptism was fatal to them. We explained clearly to them
that we were all baptized, and that we lived longer than they did.
"These waters," they said, "are good for you, but not for us."
Our Fathers, seeing this resistance, addressed themselves to our
common Mother, and asked from her this soul for her Son. Wonderful
thing! the child not only no longer avoids them, but he asks to be
brought to their house. At these words, Father Quentin takes him in
his arms, and carries him, weak and languid, into his own room,
where he is baptized and named André, by Monsieur de Malapart,[65]
his godfather. This poor child was of a disposition so sweet and
gentle, that he made himself loved by every one; hence when Father
Buteux once asked his mother for him, "I have no intention," said
she, "of giving him to thee, I love him as my own heart." It is a
very special providence of the good God that this mother was absent
during [30] his instruction and baptism. For it is probable that
she would have thrown some impediments in the way, in accordance
with the error so long prevalent among them, that what gives life
to us gives death to them. There was considerable trouble in
getting the body of this little innocent after his death, as I am
now going to relate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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