I
Jesuits and Church of
England Men
1650–1746
AFTER the first explorers, seeking to extend the fur trade, came the Jesuits, interested in promoting the spiritual welfare of the savages. The traders came from Fort Orange and New Amsterdam, the missionaries from the ancient St. Lawrence settlements of New France. Before 1650 these devoted men from the great northern valley had arrived on territory now a part of New York State, bringing with them stout and enterprising souls. Morgan declares that the zeal and devotion which they displayed are " unsurpassed in the history of Christianity." They " traversed the forests of America alone and unprotected; they dwelt in the depths of the wilderness without shelter and almost without raiment; they passed the ordeal of Indian captivity and the fire of the torture; they suffered from hunger and violence, but in the midst of all they never forgot the mission with which they were intrusted."
Several of these men acquired distinction that has made their labors a part of American history. Among them were Isaac Jogues, Bruyar, Le Jeune, Brebeuf and Gamier. Later came Peter Milet, who had marked success with the Oneidas, among whom he passed many years, securing a firm hold on their devotion. While it is not unlikely that Jogues saw
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