They had headquarters at Quebec or Montreal, but their true field of action was the wilderness.  Having the red man rather than the settler as their charge, they became immersed, and perhaps preoccupied, in their heroic work.  Thus the erection of parishes was delayed.  More than one historian has upbraided Laval for thinking so much of the mission that he neglected the spiritual needs of the colonists.  However this may be, the colony owed much to the missionaries—­particularly to the Jesuits.  It is no exaggeration to say that the Society of Jesus had been among the strongest forces which stood between New France and destruction.  Other supports failed.  The fur trade had been the corner-stone upon which Champlain built up Quebec, but the profits proved disappointing.  At the best it was a very uncertain business.  Sometimes the prices in Paris dwindled to nothing because the market was glutted.  At other times the Indians brought no furs at all to the trading-posts.  With its export trade dependent upon the caprice of the savages, the colony often seemed not worth the keeping.  In these years of worst discouragement the existence of the mission was a great prop.

On his arrival in 1672 Frontenac found the Jesuits, the Sulpicians, and the Recollets all actively engaged in converting the heathen.  He desired that more attention should be paid to the creation of parishes for the benefit of the colonists.  Over this issue there arose, as we shall see by and by, acute differences between the bishop and the governor.

Owing to the large part which religion had in the life of New France the bishop took his place beside the governor and the intendant.  This was the triumvirate of dignitaries.  Primarily each represented a different interest—­war, business, religion.  But they were brought into official contact through membership in the Conseil Souverain, which controlled all details of governmental action.

The Sovereign Council underwent changes of name and composition, but its functions were at all times plainly defined.  In 1672 the members numbered seven.  Of these the governor, the bishop, and the intendant formed the nucleus, the other four being appointed by them.  In 1675 the king raised the number of councillors to ten, thus diluting the authority which each possessed, and thenceforth made the appointments himself.  Thus during the greater part of Frontenac’s regime the governor, the bishop, and the intendant had seven associates at the council-board.  Still, as time went on, the king felt that his control over this body was not quite perfect.  So in 1703 he changed the name from Sovereign Council to Superior Council, and increased its members to a total of fifteen.