over, a Jew called Rebbe Liebman bore
witness, that the boy sometimes passed whole nights among Christians,
and did not appear at his father's house.

"Now many maintained that this leaning to Christianity arose from a
supernatural source, and was produced by the baptismal sign, which had
been impressed upon him by a Christian, whilst he was in the cradle.
When later this report had been carefully investigated, it was
certified that a preceptor, Stephen Hiller, was once sent to Lazarus
Abeles to obtain payment of a debt, that he there found a child lying
alone in the cradle, and had, from deep impulse of heart, baptized him
with the elemental water which was at hand. On being examined by the
consistory of the Right Reverend the Archbishop, this preceptor, who is
now invested with a chaplaincy, said that he did not know whether the
child was the little son of Lazarus; nay, his supposition had been far
stronger, that it was the son of a Jewish tailor. From such evidence
this weighty point remained doubtful.

"After some years, the steadfast leaning of Simon's spirit to
Christianity, having so much increased that it began to be clearly
perceived at home, the astute boy, foreseeing well that his parents and
relations would spare no pains to put impediments in his way, was
minded to prevent this, by flying from his father's house and Jewish
friends, before the path was closed against him. Now while, on the 25th
of July, 1693, Lazarus the father, kept the solemn day of rest in the
Jewish school, his son betook himself to a Christian house near the
Jewish town, which was inhabited by the newly baptized Jew, Kawka, and
that same evening summoned to him Johannes Santa, a Jew who many years
before had been converted with his whole family, of whom he had already
heard a good repute, as a zealous man and assiduous guide. For this man
had, at the risk of his life, brought away Jews who had a desire for
the Christian faith, and their newly baptized children from the Jewish
town, had placed them under instruction in our college of St. Clement,
had provided them with food, clothes, and lodging, and had for hours
together read spiritual books, especially the Life of Christ, with deep
devotion to such as could not read, and whose greatest pleasure it was
to see them cleansed in holy baptism. To him Simon honestly opened his
heart, and entreated that Johannes would take him to the college of the
Society of Jesus.

"There was no necessi