Abraham Musick, Jun., who had formed a friendly acquaintance with the lieut. governor, and, in their social interviews, had given him information of the distinctive principles of the Baptists, as contradistinguished from the Catholic and Protestant Pædo-Baptists, made application to M. Trudeau for liberty to hold meetings in his house. We give the colloquy in substance as we received it from the pious and intelligent widow of Mr. M----, twenty-five years after the interview.
_M._ “My friend, John Clark, is in the country, on a visit to his friends. He is a good man, peaceably disposed, and will behave as a good citizen should. The American people desire to hear him preach at my house occasionally. Will the commandant please give permission, that we may not be molested? We will hold our meetings quietly, make no disturbance, and say nothing against the king of Spain, nor the Catholic religion.”
The commandant was inclined to favor the American settlers, but he was obliged to reject all such petitions officially, and replied, with seeming determination:
_C._ “No, Monsieur Musick. I can not permit no such ting; ’tis against de law; you must all be _bon Catholique_ in dis contree. Very sorry, Mons. Musick, I cannot oblige you, but I must follow de ‘Regulacion.’”
Discouraged at this decision, in a tone so magisterial, Mr. M. regarded any farther effort hopeless, and arose to depart from the office, when, with a gracious countenance, the commandant said:
“Sit down, Mons. Musick; please sit down; I soon get dis paper fix for dese gentlehomme who wait; and den we talk. You must eat my dinner, and drink a glass of my _bon vin_. You and I are good friend, though I cannot let you make a church house.”
After dispatching the business on hand, M. Trudeau insisted on the company of Mr. Musick to dinner. While discoursing with volubility in his imperfect English, the wily commandant adverted to the petition, so unceremoniously rejected in the office.
_C._ “You understand me, Monsieur Musick, I presume. You must not put--what do you call him--_un colcher_,[48] on your house and call it a _church_;--dat is all wrong,--you must make no bell ring. And now hear me, Mons. Musick, you must let no man baptize your _enfant_ but de parish priest. But if your friend come to see you--your neighbor come there,--you _conversez_;--you say prayer;--you read Bible--you sing song--dat is all right--you all _bon Catholique_.”