Untitled - Libr@rsi

1651-52] RELATION OF 1651-52 165
The Father told them that offenses were personal,
and that these two Frenchmen must be punished, if
they were guilty; if not, they must be set at liberty,
and everything possible done to discover the thief.
Now although these good people saw clearly that
this mode of procedure was not in their favor, because
thieves are not easily discovered, yet they acquiesced
in it ; and, after finding out that the two Frenchmen
whom they held were innocent, released them with
much humanity. Now as this theft was recent, and
as the Frenchman who had committed it saw himself
in great danger of being discovered,— touched,
besides, with remorse at having offended God,— he
carried that robe to his Confessor and begged him to
give it back in such a way that he should not be
known. The robe was restored to the ; Savages and,
because [24] they know that Monsieur the Governor
of the country causes crimes to be publicly punished,
they were told that he who had fallen into this error
had come and confessed it, and that he had asked
God's forgiveness, had restored the robe, and had
been given a good penance. It was said to them,
also, that they were well aware that what took place
in the Sacrament of Penance was a secret of God,
to whom one declared his sins that one never ;
spoke
thereof to men, and that no one knew the criminal.
Those good people were charmed at seeing put into
practice what had been preached to them about the
secrecy of Confession, admiring that tribunal and that
Justice which are so favorable to those who acknowledge
and detest their sins. They never asked and
never seemed to conjecture who the guilty one could
be, in order to be on their guard against him ; for
they thought that a man who confesses his sin is