RELATION OF THE FILIPINAS ISLANDS

And of What Has There Been Accomplished by the Fathers of the Society

of Jesus

How Father Francisco de Vera returned to España for more

fathers. Chapter XXXVII.

The men of the Society remained in the rest of those Pintados Islands,

occupied as we have already seen. In various places, during those

two years, there had been newly erected to the glory of Jesus Christ

thirty churches; but in all this the least important thing was the

material gain, for the real success was in the continual increase of

the body of Christians in all those churches. In places where Ours

did not reside, each church had its own representative [_fiscal_],

who took care of it and assembled the people, at least on feast-days,

to recite the prayers and chant the Christian doctrine. They did this,

not only in the church, but in their houses; and even when journeying

by water, or cultivating the soil, their usual recreation is to sing

these exercises. In proportion at the fruit grew more abundantly, so

did the need of laborers increase--until Ours, exhausted by their lack

of strength to reap such copious harvests, unanimously called for the

succor of new companions. But as this aid must be sent from Europe,

which is so far away, and as they could not depend upon letters,

it was agreed to despatch Father Francisco de Vera, as a person

who had been most successful in conveying the last reënforcement,

so useful and so large--which, however, was now too small for so

greatly increased a harvest, and more reapers were needed. The

father set out from Manila on this journey, in the month of June

of the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, in the ship

"Santa Margarita," which, after a prosperous voyage of four months,

reached Nueva España. Soon afterward, orders arrived there from

our very reverend father-general, Claudio Aquaviva, that Father

Diego Garcia, who had completed his term as rector of the college of

Mexico, should repair at once to the Filipinas, to visit and console,

on behalf of his Paternity, Ours who were there; and should take with

him a reënforcement of earnest laborers in the vineyard of the Lord,

which was the same object for which Father Francisco de Vera had

gone. It seemed best to the superiors that the good father should

remain there and obtain his much needed rest, and not undergo at

once the fresh hardships of a second voyage to the Filipinas. Besides

this, they desired to retain him in Mexico, because his presence in

that province was important, as it had been in the Filipinas, and,

still earlier, in Madrid, and in Alcala de Henares where he had been

superior. So the father-visitor departed, as we shall later see,

with some companions for the Filipinas.

Further transactions in Manila up to the year one thousand five

hundred and ninety-eight. Chapter XXXVIII.

Although in Manila we had received novices from the very beginning,

and although a goodly number of acceptable men of various ranks had

entered our Society there, and had proved to be zealous servants of

God and very useful in our ministries, at the time of which we are

speaking their number was greater. For there were seven novices--all

very religious, humble, and devout--also three brethren of long

standing, and six priests; all were busy, each according to his degree

and vocation. The number of those who attended Lenten services and the

regular sermons continued to grow with the increase of the Spaniards

in Manila, and our Lord was pleased to give our fathers the immediate

reward for their labors, so that they might be thus encouraged to

toil with even greater ardor. Besides the large number of ordinary

confessions, many general confessions were made of great importance,

and by persons who for many years had not confessed--at least,

not as they should. In a single year one father heard forty general

confessions; another, fifty; and another, two hundred. There were also

many persons who desired, some to amend their lives, others to attain

a higher degree of virtue, and who made retreat at home, in order to

perform the exercises--especially persons serious and of high standing,

such as the schoolmaster of Manila, the commander of the fleet, and

other captains and men of reputation. During Lent and Advent sermons

were preached on Sunday afternoons to the soldiers in the guard-room;

and these were attended by many people of the city, as well as by

the governor and some of the auditors of the royal Audiencia. Before

commencing the sermon the children were, as usual, instructed in

the Christian doctrine, with questions and their answers. After

the sermon was concluded, the soldiers were invited to make their

confessions, which they did with alacrity. After that a kind of usury

was abolished, which the soldiers, without considering it as such, were

inadvertently practicing in their eagerness for gain. This was to sell

certain things for a higher price, on condition that the purchaser

should make his payments from what he might gain at play. This

they called "putting into one's hands" [_dar a las manos_]. During

Lent, the discipline was practiced three days in each week, with so

extraordinary a concourse of people that besides the Indians, who

came in large numbers, there were more than five hundred Spaniards

of all ranks and conditions--ecclesiastics and laymen, merchants,

captains, soldiers, and men of other callings. Various friendships

were made in this way, especially between ecclesiastics and laymen,

which were of great service to our Lord.

Many needs of poor people were remedied, especially of those in the

prison; and efforts were made to alleviate the hunger and thirst that

they were suffering, and compassionately to settle their difficulties,

so far as we had means and opportunity.

Efforts were also made to shelter in the seminary for girls some

women who, on account of the absence of their husbands, were in

danger. Arrangements were also made with the governor, Don Francisco

Tello, to secure the marriage of certain other women, in which

matter he lent assistance not only with his authority but with his

money. Upon one occasion he charitably bestowed a dowry of six hundred

pesos upon a woman of noble parentage who, for various reasons, had

gone from Madrid to sojourn in that country. The brethren of La Santa

Misericordia of Manila also lend assistance in these matters with

great solicitude and charity, conformably to their profession and the

aims of the Confraternity. The members are among the most noble and

distinguished people in that community, and are most useful therein,

to the great glory and service of God our Lord.

Our fathers devote themselves at all hours to consoling and confessing

the sick and afflicted, for these always have us summoned, even though

far away. In this connection I shall relate a special instance. A

sick man, having abandoned hope of life (for the physician had

declared him past recovery), seeing that human remedies were of

no avail, had recourse to the divine; and he sought aid from the

mother of God, to whom he made a vow to betake himself for nine

days to her chapel called Ermita de Guia, which, as I have said,

lies without the city walls. Having made the vow, he arose at once,

just as he was, to fulfil it. A marvel of God! as the days went by,

his health continually improved; and at the end of the nine days,

he was entirely well. This meant health of body, but the two days

following his recovery brought him life for both body and soul.

An honorable woman lived in great suffering through the cruel

treatment to which her husband subjected her; and she determined to

free herself from this pain and anguish by putting an end to her life,

which was passing in such bitterness. For this purpose, she placed a

noose around her neck, the demon aiding her, and hanged herself. The

noise which she made while in the pains of death was heard by one of

her neighbors, who hastened to her, and, encountering this horrible

sight, promptly cut the rope. The woman, when she came to herself,

repented of her wicked act, and had recourse to one of Ours for

counsel; and, through the mercy of the Lord, she now lives in peace

and contentment. Another married woman, likewise disheartened by the

abuse and bad temper of her husband, resolved to leap into the sea

and drown herself. Collecting some of her goods, with tears and great

sorrow she bade her daughter farewell, and set out to accomplish at

once her desperate purpose. When she was on the point of throwing

herself into the water, the Lord, having compassion on her wretched

lot, sent to her a voice which caused her to hesitate, and to realize

what she was doing. "What art thou doing, woman? Trust in God, for thy

husband shall treat thee well." With this she was affrighted; but,

as a proof that this deliverance had come from Heaven, her husband

came soon afterward, and began to caress her and to show her much

kindness. Then she grew calm, recognizing the great mercy which the

Lord had showed her.

In this same year our students gave evidence of their intelligence

and application, on the occasion of the safe arrival at Manila of

the most reverend archbishop and suffragans, whom they entertained

in their schools with two ingenious dialogues, and other proofs of

erudition. In that season arrived also some of the gentlemen of the

royal Audiencia who were visiting our schools for the purpose of

showing them favor and honor. They greatly enjoyed a third literary

exercise which had been prepared for them and were thus encouraged

to carry out their intention of placing their sons in these schools,

as they did. In time, these studies began to bear fruit, and some of

our students even entered the religious life.

The leading events at this time among the Indians in Manila. Chapter

XXXIX.

The ministries to the Indians are those which are exercised with the

greatest satisfaction in our college, for which occupation we had in

that year three fathers who had gained a mastery of their language. If

there had been many more, each one would have had something to occupy

him, on account of the great number of the Indians, not only within

the city, but beyond the walls, in many villages which are in the

vicinity of Manila, and whose inhabitants attend our church. In that

year our Lord was pleased to favor this ministry with new tokens of

His favor; for although in former years the conditions were such as

are described above, in this year [1598] the attendance in our church

for sermons and confessions was extraordinary--indeed, there was one

father who heard more than three hundred general confessions. This

was due partly to the increase in the number of fathers who knew

the language; and partly to the cessation of the sermons which were

formerly preached by other religious orders, through the press of

other labors with which they ever busy themselves most zealously in

the service of God. By these holy means we set aright many important

affairs which concerned enmities and sinful lives. As an instance of

this, certain legal proceedings were instituted for the separation

of a married pair; these had made considerable progress, but were

abandoned, and the husband and wife were reconciled, and again

lived together in peace. Efforts were also made to break up illicit

relations, and separate those who lived therein; and the result was

that, through the mercy of God, those persons have not relapsed into

evil ways. Although among these were some cases of special interest,

I will confine myself to other matters which occur to me, which are

cleaner and more agreeable. The first concerns an infidel Indian woman

whose conversion was a difficult matter, on account of her marriage

with a Chinese or Sangley who was also an infidel; for her husband

kept her, as is the custom among the Chinese, under close confinement

and guard. One of our fathers was desirous to gain this woman for

Christ; and, finding no other means, placed some Christian Indians

where she could hear them talk about the things of God and the life

eternal. The woman was so impressed by what she heard that, fleeing

from her husband and abandoning her home and child, she came to our

house and asked to be instructed for baptism; her request was granted,

and by this means the husband was also converted. His conversion is

a valuable one, since it is very difficult to incline the people of

his nation toward the truths of our holy faith.

Some Indian women, during a pest of locusts, erected in their sowed

field a cross containing some relics; and our Lord was pleased to

honor the emblem of His death, as well as the faith of these, His

new faithful ones, for the locusts passed on without causing them

any loss. The owner of the land gave, in gratitude, all its harvest

as alms--which he was able to do, as he possessed some wealth.

Although these incidents, and many others which are not here related,

show that our Lord is desirous of drawing these peoples to Himself

by the bonds of Adam, namely, by love and mercy, He also chooses

to show them that He is a God of justice. This He made evident in

the dreadful fate of a man and wife who swore to be faithful to each

other during his absence, and, supplemented their oaths with terrible

curses which are in use among them. Yet the woman, overcome by the

devil, was false to her compact and promise of fidelity; and while

the unhappy adulterers were thus sinfully engaged, both were struck

dead, and were found thus by persons who told it to the father. By

his orders the matter was suppressed, as much as was possible in so

frightful an event.

Of the villages of Antipolo and San Juan del Monte. Chapter XXXX.

So great was the increase of that mission throughout those two years

[1597-98], by the continual arrival of people who came to us, as we

have already stated, from those mountains and deserts, that besides two

entire villages which were established near Antipolo, at a distance

convenient for the instruction of the people, more than a hundred

persons came down from the mountains with some children, who were

at once baptized. Among these were three ministers of their idols,

who, upon arriving at Antipolo, went to Father Almerique, and, making

avowal of the evil employment which they had up to that time practiced,

renounced it before him and many others who were then present. They

promised never again to resume it, and asked that this declaration

be given them in writing, as a proof of their conversion, and that

no one in times to come might attribute to them guilt for what they

had done in the mountains when they had no knowledge of the true God.

In each of these two villages there was formed a confraternity,

which, besides other works of piety and devotion, practices two

that act as a preservative against the two great evils of idolatry

and intoxication--which, as we have already stated, were customary

in cases of sickness or death--since in this confraternity are the

people who are most prominent, most Christian, and most trustworthy

in those villages. Moreover, they take the utmost care to ascertain

who in the village may be sick or dying; and they aid the families

of both the sick and the dead by frequent visits--in such cases

not only exercising perfect piety and charity, but preventing the

abuses, superstitions, idolatries, intoxications, dirges, music,

and wailing which had been their own custom when they were pagans,

as now among these others. These confraternities have rendered

Christianity in those regions most glorious, and for their good deeds

are so highly esteemed that he is not considered a person of worth

who is not received into one of them. On two special occasions they

made processions, in excellent order, and with great solemnity and

concourse of the people, and attended mass and preaching; and very

many frequented the communion. One of these was at the foundation

of a confraternity; the other was occasioned by a plague of locusts

which had been devastating all those islands for two years. In order

to obtain from God a remedy for this evil, they chose the most holy

Virgin Mary as their intercessor, and made a vow to celebrate the feast

of her most pure conception, and to give on that occasion liberal alms

as aid for the marriages of the poor and the orphans. They fulfilled

their promises, and our Lord received their humble tokens of service

and showed them that He was well pleased, by turning aside the locusts

from their crops, and giving them that year very abundant harvests. All

the people of the village have now directed to the church that recourse

and dependence which they formerly exercised toward the ministers of

the devil; and, consequently, when they experience any ill, however

trifling it maybe, they summon the father to hear their confessions,

or to have the gospel recited to them. Hardly a day passes, while their

sickness lasts, when they do not cause themselves to be conveyed to

the church, at the time of mass; and when that is ended they approach

the priest, to have him recite the gospel and sprinkle them with holy

water. Sometimes there are so many of them that, when the priest has

done this for them, he is compelled to wait until they go away before

he can leave the altar. They also carry first to the church whatever

grain or seeds they are about to sow, to have these blessed, in return

for which they offer the priest the first-fruits of their harvests.

The leading events in the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. Chapter

XXXXI.

As a result of the favors bestowed upon the six resident members of the

Society by the right reverend bishop of Sebu, Don Fray Pedro de Agurto,

a religious of the Order of St. Augustine (who entered this year

into his church and erected it into a cathedral), the fruits of our

ministries were at this time most abundant and prosperous. As I have

already stated, these were exercised among the various nationalities

who inhabit that city, or who resort thither from various regions for

their business and traffic. Likewise, at the instance of his lordship,

a school of Latin was opened in our college for his servants and

clergy, who were joined by the sons of some of the citizens. This

school was not only a common and general benefit, but also very useful

as a retreat and aid for those who in the school for children were

already advanced in reading, writing, and reckoning. Although many

of the boys remained in the lower school as pupils, a considerable

number of students began the study of grammar with the new master,

Father Francisco Vicente Puche, who as an initiation to the studies,

and as a welcome to the bishop, gave with his students a two-hours'

dramatic representation in the cathedral, in honor of his Lordship,

which proved most agreeable, learned, dignified, and devout, and gave

extraordinary pleasure to all the citizens, who had never before seen

such a thing in their city.

There were two Indian peoples among whom we were especially laboring

at that time: one the Bissayans, who are the natives of that country,

to whom we preached, on Sundays and feast-days, throughout the year,

in their own language; the other the Chinese--many of whom, coming from

their own land into this (and many do come in the merchant-vessels),

remain here. They have established in this city, near our house, a

quarter of their own, which at that time was in charge of the Society;

and our fathers administered the sacraments to them and their families,

including their women and servants--Chinese, Japanese, Malucos,

and Bissayans. They repaired with great frequency to confession

and communion, especially on days in jubilees and in Lent; and we

always had catechumens among the infidel Chinese, whom we baptized

only at the notable feasts, and with great solemnity--excepting on

occasions when that sacrament was bestowed on persons at the point

of death. The first confirmations which the lord bishop celebrated

outside of his cathedral were in our church, where he most devoutly

bestowed this holy sacrament upon our Chinese and their families. On

Easter of this last year, he celebrated in the same church, as an

encouragement and a favor, the solemn baptism of the catechumens,

of whom there were a large number; and he was greatly delighted and

edified to behold one of our fathers, his assistant on that occasion,

conversing in the Chinese language.

The fruitful results of these ministries were displayed in many

instances, more especially in regard to purity and constancy. I

shall mention one case only, wherein it seemed to us extraordinary

constancy which could inspire with courage for such resistance an

Indian woman whose former occupation, while she was a heathen, was

so contrary to such conduct, as we have related. It happened in this

way. One of those women was solicited by a wicked man whom she bravely

repulsed. But he finally began cautiously to offer her money, urging

her to receive it, and assuring her that he made no claim upon her

thus. Not less valorously than before did she reject his offering,

saying that she desired no money which, when she must appear before

God; would cry out against her, and be an accuser and witness against

her; and she reminded him that this money, with which he was striving

to wage such war against her, could serve only for her condemnation

and chastisement. In proportion to her resistance, so did the furious

passion of this wicked man increase, who gave himself no repose in

devising projects for her downfall. Attempting to accomplish this,

on a certain occasion when she was alone, she uttered loud cries, at

which someone came to her aid and delivered her from his violence. With

that his love turned to hatred, and his cajolery to threats, which he

carried out by accusing her to her masters, with false testimony. She

went from their house, in great affliction and distress, but ever

repeating, with much patience: "God sees it all." Still further to

exercise her virtue, God permitted that even her master, who was

a person of high rank, instigated by the devil, should solicit her

with great importunity. She answered him by saying that she would,

under no persuasion, commit such a sin, and that he should consider

that he would greatly disgrace himself, as a man of so high position,

by seeking relations with her, a woman of lowly state. She added

that, besides this, she kept before her the thought of God, in whose

presence she dared not commit any vile act, or consent to it in

her heart, knowing that God sees all things; and, moreover, she had

consideration for her mistress, who treated her as her own daughter,

and against whom she could in no wise commit such treachery. The man,

irritated by this resistance, threatened her with harsh treatment; but

she replied that even if he were to kill her, it was enough for her

that God saw all that she was suffering to avoid sin. The evil man,

notwithstanding, carried out his threat, annoying her and treating

her with great harshness; yet this only increased the strength and

virtue of this innocent and chaste woman. Another Indian woman, left

a widow, was so devoted to the preservation of her chastity that,

without the advice of anyone, she made to God a vow of chastity, and

most strictly kept it. There are many other women who, though they make

no vow, preserve intact their chastity and virginity. Nor are the men

behind the women in the fervor and contrition wherewith they make their

confessions, and the rigor with which they scourge themselves and do

penance. One of those Indian women made her confession with so abundant

tears and signs of true contrition, that the father who confessed her

was greatly aroused and moved thereat, and afterward related that

the feelings of devotion caused by those so fervent tears and true

contrition remained with him for many days; and that when he wished to

humiliate himself or enliven his piety he had only to remember what

he had beheld in that Indian woman. For it is vastly different to

but talk of contrition for sins, and to contemplate its vivid image

and reality in a soul. Another woman came to the confessional and,

without noticing the multitude of people in the church, began her

confession, and continued it with so many tears and such grief for her

sins that she could with difficulty speak. She was thereupon seized

with a great longing to do penance, and desired to go at once through

the streets of the city, publicly scourging herself, as many do here

[in Europe] throughout Lent, in the early part of the night. A young

man in the confessional experienced such horror at his sins that,

incensed against himself, and without informing the father, he scourged

himself through the streets with such severity that he fell down as

one dead, and was considered as such. He came later to our house to

confess his offenses, and was as disfigured as if he were recovering

from a severe illness; but, not content with the former scourging,

he desired to inflict on himself another--for, as he said, his heart

was transfixed, as by a nail, with grief for his sins. The father,

however, commanded him to cease for the present, and he obeyed. There

were many other special instances which, for the sake of brevity,

I here omit. Not the least affecting among them were those where

there was manifested the eternal predestination which has mercifully

provided for many at the hour of death the resource of baptism.

Our ministries in behalf of the Spaniards were no less fervent at this

time. They repaired in great numbers to our fathers, especially during

Lent and on days of jubilee, when the results of their instruction

were most apparent. There were, very commonly, consultations in cases

of conscience, not only with laymen, but with ecclesiastics, and

religious, and even with the bishop--who hardly took any step without

the advice of our fathers, although he was a most learned and discreet

prelate. It must have been from seeing that persons of so high standing

held our Society in so great esteem that the people conceived the idea,

and made the resolve, of coming to our house for their confessions;

and for that very reason they felt under obligation to lead better

lives. With regard to this, one man said that during our absence he

had endured many inward struggles on account of not having made his

confession to Ours; but that, after he had done so, he had, through

the mercy of God, overcome them all. In short, no matter of weight or

importance arose where the advice of the Society was not sought with

confidence and truth, especially when it was seen that the bishop had

such confidence in us--which his Lordship manifested on many public

occasions and before many people, by words and deeds which could not

then be heard or now repeated, without confusion and embarrassment.

Our sermons in the cathedral and in our own church were regular

and frequent, and were all attended by the right reverend bishop,

who also honored our church with a pontifical mass for our feast

of New Year's day, which was celebrated with much solemnity, many

persons, from all classes of people, repairing to confession and

communion. His Lordship also preached at the titular feast of the same

church (that of the glorious St. Ildefonso), which was celebrated with

the like attendance and devotion, in the presence of a concourse of

people, and with many communions. His Lordship was also desirous of

introducing, in imitation of Manila, the practice of scourging in the

church during Lent; and he actually visited it, on the first Friday,

with a considerable following. He began by preaching a very devout

sermon, at the conclusion of which, seeing that, although night had

set in, the church was still light with the rays of a full moon, he

determined to leave it for the time, and accordingly returned after

his choir had sung the _Miserere_.

On account of the heat in this region, the churches are so constructed

as to be open and airy, and for this reason are poorly adapted

for taking the discipline. Accordingly he changed his plan and,

inviting the children of the school, and the students, with these and

many others of the town, he arranged for every Friday of that Lent a

procession of blood, in which the bishop himself marched barefoot. This

procession left the cathedral in the evening, and proceeded to

the other church (of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady), some

distance away. In the meantime the rest were flagellating themselves,

even to the extent of drawing blood; and while the choir was singing

the _Miserere_, the holy bishop scourged himself alone in the sacristy.

How the Christian religion extended in the island of Bohol. Chapter

XXXXII.

Through the solicitude and fervor of the two fathers who were in

Bohol, who soon received the help of a brother, that new Christian

church was notably increased, especially among the old people,

from sixty to eighty years of age. These--the world no longer for

them, or they for the world, but for Him who died for them--He did

not disdain to receive into His church when their sun was setting,

although they had not begun so early to follow and obey Him as He had

to seek and invite them; many of them died shortly after they were

baptized, having left many tokens and proofs of their salvation and

the sincerity of their faith. All of them--little children and grown

men, youths and aged people, the well and the sick--all convinced and

persuaded by the truths of Catholicism, are certain that no other road

leads to heaven; and so, without resistance or objection, they prepared

themselves for holy baptism--although the fathers with praiseworthy

prudence, restrained them by conferring the sacrament on those only

who were well prepared, or really in need of it. Many who received

the holy sacraments were cured of their maladies, and, consequently,

the earnestness and devotion with which they sought and received them

were intense. Even when they are in health, it is indeed marvelous to

see the satisfaction and willingness with which they repair to all

virtuous exercises, especially to confessions and masses. There was

no scent or trace of vice or idolatry, or witchcraft, or of other

evil customs practiced by them while they were pagans; and if, in

confession or elsewhere, mention were made to them of these things,

they became deeply offended, saying: "Since we are now Christians,

how could we do such things again?" Especially notable is the fidelity

maintained by married people, which they observe not only in outward

act, but in their hearts.

I cannot mention without sorrow the many souls, in this and neighboring

islands, who clamor for deliverance and have no one to give it to

them. During this same year some chiefs came from one of the adjacent

islands who asked, almost in tears, that one of the two fathers

who were there would, for the love of God visit them at least once

a week. In another island, called Siquihor, or the island of fire,

distant from Bohol some four leguas, there are many so well inclined

to the faith that, upon receiving the Christian doctrine of one who

went from that region to their island, they learned it very carefully,

and the chiefs even came with the others to ask for baptism. They were

all, however, appeased with the good prospects that were held out to

them, although these did not suffice to console them in their sorrow

at returning still hungry for the bread of heaven; or Ours at seeing

them with such righteous hunger for it, yet unable to procure it,

and with no one who might give them a share of it with the many who

in other regions have more than enough.

The increase of Christianity in Botuan. Chapter XXXXIII.

What the other two fathers accomplished in Botuan I shall relate in

their own words; for, if I am not mistaken, he who has the task in

his own hands can well declare it. Father Valerio de Ledesma in one

of his letters writes thus: "Christianity here is in a flourishing

condition, as is seen in the large attendance at divine services and

in the silence and reverence displayed in the church (for even when

it is crowded with many people it seems as if not one were there),

and in the affection of the people for the sacrament of confession. In

even their petty troubles, many repair to the confessional; and some

have already begun to receive communion, concerning which sermons

have been repeatedly preached. I trust in our Lord that many will

be ready by Corpus Christi; although in the beginning it is best to

proceed very gradually that they may reverence the sacrament and know

how to distinguish this divine food. The people attend the services

more than ever, and on Sundays a very large audience listens to the

word of God. The doctrine is sung at night, and the heavens themselves

seem to rejoice at music so sweet. In all the families there are many

persons well-disposed to the Christian faith; and soon a large number

of adults will be baptized; among them some chiefs of high standing,

although the largest fish of all is not yet caught. If it were not for

the difficulty of learning the doctrine, it seems to me now that almost

the whole village would come to us." Thus writes the father. This

"largest fish" whom he mentions is that great Silongan of whom we

spoke. Although he divorced five of his wives, one of them holds him

so in captivity that finally he is keeping both of them [_i.e._,

this one and his lawful wife]. Although every possible means of a

gentle sort has been used to free him from this impediment, nothing

could be done; and yet he showed a great desire to become a Christian,

and the utmost esteem for the things of God, as well as extraordinary

affection toward our fathers--which he manifested by giving his

son to their care, and on two occasions of special importance. One

of these was when the inhabitants, in fear of their enemies, the

Ternatans, who were scouring their coasts, received the news that

there were some ships at the mouth of the river, which, although they

belonged to friends, were not recognized as such; the inhabitants,

fearing that these might be enemies, accordingly armed themselves at

once. It was then that this chief, with all the men of his district,

all armed with lances and shields, crossed to the other side of the

river, where our house stood; and there, upon learning the deception

and recognizing the friends, Silongan in front of our house performed

some feats of activity to show his valor and strength, and said that it

was he, Silongan, who protected and defended the fathers and who, in

trying circumstances, showed what should be done in their behalf. The

other occasion was when one of our fathers, while going up the river,

happened to encounter another chief who, on account of a murder, was

plundering that district with many others who defended and guarded

him. The father, dreading this man, sought the protection of Silongan,

who happened to be in the same locality. The latter, with his numerous

slaves, surrounded the church where the father was, guarding it with

great vigilance; and, when he returned, took, in his own boat the

box of church ornaments and brought them all back in safety.

The departure of Father Tomas de Montoya for the doctrina of

Alangalang. Chapter XXXXIV.

To take charge of this Christian community (which, as we have said,

was bereft by the death of Father Cosme de Flores), Father Tomas de

Montoya left Manila, abandoning the instruction which, to their great

profit, he was imparting to the students. He himself tells what he

accomplished there, and I shall state it in his own words: "As a result

of the good music that we have in the church, the divine services are

celebrated with much solemnity, and to the great satisfaction of the

natives. Many solemn baptisms and marriages have been celebrated which

were attended with great fervor, especially by the inhabitants of one

village, who in this respect have had the advantage of the others. One

of the women of this village received the sacrament with such devotion

and joy that a few days after her baptism she made her confession, and

persuaded her husband to become a Christian; and she was one of those

who practiced the exercises of the Christians with most pleasure. An

old man, already so exhausted by age that he could hardly stand upon

his feet, came one day with the others to the church, and upon being

enjoined to become a Christian, that he might give to God the little

of life that remained to him, told them to leave him in peace, for he

was no longer fit for anything except death. Seeing that for the time

being nothing impressed him, I left him; and afterward caused him to

come to my house, where I represented to him the benefits which he

would gain in heaven by becoming a Christian. This had such an effect

that our Lord moved his heart; and, unable to repress his satisfaction,

with much gladness he urgently sought immediate baptism. I told him

to go away and to reflect upon the matter for a time, for an affair

of such moment could not be hastily settled. He again answered that

it should not be delayed, as he desired baptism immediately; but,

at last, the ceremony was deferred. While being instructed he made

the most joyful answers, and afterwards received holy baptism with

the same tokens of pleasure. During the remaining short period of

his life his happiness was such that he imparted it to everyone

who spoke to him. The great goodness and mercy of God were seen in

the case of a new born babe whose pagan mother--an inhabitant of

another village, far distant--gave birth to it in a village of this

mission. To escape the burden and labor which she must sustain in

rearing it, she took it in her arms and, descending to the bank of

a river, was about to bury it alive. A Christian chanced to see her

and hastened to inform us. Upon reaching the spot I found the child,

so small that it was a cause for astonishment. I baptized it, and it

soon passed away to the eternal rest of which the imprudent mother

(worse than a step-mother) had recklessly tried to deprive it. But

as God our Lord showed to these the gentleness of His great mercy,

so on others did He execute the rigor of His justice, chastising

them for their obstinacy and hardness; and others He terrified, so

that some day they might enjoy His mercy. One of Ours had asked a

certain man to receive baptism, following the advice of his father,

who was an Indian of high standing and governor of the village. He

made excuses, saying that he did not wish to receive the sacrament

until he had been married. But God our Lord did not allow him to

fulfil this desire, on account of which he deferred holy baptism

until he paid for the delay by an untimely death. Besides dying as

he did, in his heathenism, and very hastily, the character of his

death was violent and horrible; for he was carried away by a poison

which caused the flesh to fall from his body in pieces. Another

man was continually ill, and, fearing that any day he might die, he

asked me to baptize him. Upon summoning him one day for instruction,

he failed to appear, having abandoned his purpose. Soon afterward he

embarked for a neighboring island, where he died in his paganism. One

day, the children of a village came together to be baptized, but one

of the pagans refused to allow her child to receive the sacrament;

neither entreaties nor arguments availing to soften her. Accordingly,

we had to give her up--our Lord taking charge of this obdurate one,

as He did, suddenly deprived her one night of life."

But the event which caused among these Indians the greatest surprise

and terror, was the death of two of their most esteemed and respected

chiefs. The first was an Indian who in former days had married six

wives. He was so arrogant and cruel that whenever he made a journey

he sent Indians ahead of him to cut the branches of the trees, in

order that he might pass without bending his body; and if any of his

followers neglected to clear away a branch he paid for his carelessness

with his life. This chief became sick, and a father entreated him

with much earnestness to receive baptism. This he refused, and,

having no fear of death, said: "Father, as yet I have sufficient

strength in my eyes to see, in my hands to work, and in my feet to

walk. Leave me for the present, for, since thou art near by, I will

send one of my slaves for thee if I find that I am in distress." The

father left him, seeing that he would do nothing for us; and within

two days was told that this man was dead, having gone where he must

expiate his obstinacy as well as his pride and cruelty.

For the better understanding of the second case, we must assume that

one of the ways in which God has been best served in that mission

is in persuading the Indians who have two or three wives to abandon

them and to content themselves with one. The means used to accomplish

this end was to condemn polygamy, to the assembled natives, as a

state unworthy of the nobility of man, saying that they ought not to

make themselves beasts and brutes by having so many wives. Our Lord

granted a fortunate outcome to this effort, for the men were thus

persuaded to give up their wives. The Indians were so impressed by this

teaching that once when a swarm of locusts lit in the grain-fields

of a certain village, they accounted for it by saying that God had

sent this pest on the people of that village, because the men were

wont to keep two wives. There was an Indian chief of high rank in the

island of Leite, by the name of Umbas, one of the most prominent among

the chiefs on account of his riches and the good government which he

maintained in the villages under his rule, and the thoroughness with

which he fulfilled all his responsibilities; he was esteemed by not

only the Indians but the Spaniards. All eyes were turned to him, and

consequently, had he but become a Christian, large numbers of people

would have followed his example, for he was regarded by the rest,

even in distant parts, as a pattern to follow. This Indian had two

wives, and being frequently urged, with many entreaties and arguments,

to abandon one of them, so great was his love for his sons that he

could not make up his mind to divorce one of the women, preferring

not to be separated from their children. He was urged in the church,

before all the people of the village, to divorce one of his wives;

but he only answered that he had already been told this. Many of

our fathers, as well as his encomendero, therefore besought him

with great earnestness to be baptized, but all in vain. But finally,

seeing that all the rest (and especially one of his sons, also much

esteemed and beloved) were abandoning their wives, he said that

he would do the same after he had harvested his rice, for which

the time had arrived--alleging as a reason that since he and they

had toiled together in the sowing, they should together enjoy the

harvest; and when that had been done, he would remain with but one

wife. But the Lord, who already had just cause against him, by His

lofty judgments prevented him from carrying out this intention; for,

very soon afterward, when he suspected no misfortune, he was stabbed

by an Indian whom he tried to seize. No second blow was needed, for

he fell to the ground dead, thus ending his disobedience and obduracy.

Of the fervor of the Christians of Ogmuc. Chapter XXXXV.

Our fathers in the residence at Ogmuc, having proceeded with due

prudence and caution, had up to this time baptized only eighty-eight

adults. There was, however, a goodly number of catechumens, who were

very earnest in seeking baptism. Those who are baptized seem to have

known for many years the things of our holy faith, to judge by their

knowledge of its mysteries, especially those concerning Christ our Lord

and His most holy mother. They highly esteem the confessional, and when

they become sick they clamor at once for the father, and find relief

in making their confession. A sick man said that day and night he

thought of the father, who was absent, and desired him for confession,

adding that what most aggravated his sickness was to know that he

did not have the father at hand for that purpose. His relatives,

desirous of taking him to another place, had no success, nor could

they persuade him to go; for he maintained that they were about to

take him where he must die without confession, and where there was no

church in which he could be buried after death. As soon as he learned

that the father had arrived, he went, although very ill, to make his

confession, weeping for gladness, and never ceasing to render thanks

to the Lord that he had permitted the father to arrive at such a time;

and he declared that he could die consoled, now that he had made his

confession. During Holy Week there was a great concourse of people

who devoutly attended the divine services, keeping the receptacle

of the most holy sacrament handsomely adorned. On Holy Thursday, in

the afternoon, after the sermon a very devout procession was formed,

by which the people were more thoroughly instructed in the faith,

and taught what Christ our Lord had done for our salvation. The most

pleasing and touching sight was to see all the children disciplining

themselves with scourges which they themselves had made for that

day. At Easter some Spaniards chanced to be here, who augmented the

solemnity of the occasion with salvos from their arquebuses. Peace was

restored between many married people who had been living in discord;

and some abuses were corrected, especially two very baneful practices

anciently common among them, namely, usury in loans, and enslavement

through tyranny. In order that my readers may better understand and

recognize the power of God, who has unrooted these evils, it has

seemed to me best to describe them in greater detail.

Of usury and slavery among the Filipinos. Chapter XXXXVI.

Among other vicious practices common to these nations and proceeding

from that fountain and abyss of evil, idolatry, one was that insatiable

cupidity mentioned by the evangelist St. John as one of the three

which tyrannize over the world. [1] This caused them, forgetful of that

natural compassion which we owe to one another, never to lend succor

in cases of need without assurance of profit. Consequently, whenever

they made loans (not of money, which they did not use or possess,

but of other things, most commonly rice, bells, and gold--this last

more than all else, for when weighed it took the place of money, for

which purpose every one carried in his pouch a balance), they must

always agree upon the profit which should be paid them in addition

to the sum that they were to lend. But the evil did not stop here,

for the profit or gain itself went on increasing with the delay in

making payment--until finally, in the course of time, it exceeded all

the possessions of the debtor. The debt was then charged to his person,

which the poor wretch gave, thus becoming a slave; and from that time

forth all his descendants were also slaves. There was another form

of this usury and slavery, by which the debtor or his son must remain

from that time a slave, until the debt, with all the usury and interest

which were customary among them, was repaid. As a result of this, all

the descendants of him who was ether a debtor or security for the debt,

remained slaves. Slaves were also made through tyranny and cruelty,

by way of revenge and punishment for offenses of small account, which

were made to appear matters of injury. Examples of these are: failure

to preserve silence for the dead (which we have already mentioned),

or happening to pass in front of a chief who was bathing (alluded

to in the fable of Actæon), and other similar oppressions. They

also captured slaves in war by means of ambuscades and attacks,

keeping as such all those whom they did not wish to kill. Since these

cruelties were so usual among them, and, on the other hand, the poor

are commonly oppressed by the powerful, it was easy to increase the

number of slaves. Consequently they used to have, and still do have,

a very large number of slaves, which among them is the greatest of

riches. This has been no small hindrance to their conversion, and has

fettered the hands of many ministers of the gospel, and subjected

them to great doubts and perplexities. But since, on the one hand,

pious individuals have, although with difficulty, paid ransoms;

and, on the other, the royal magistrates have ascertained the facts

and provided redress for those thus tyrannically treated who seek

their liberty; and, moreover, since God our Lord has influenced many

in their baptisms and confessions, an enormous number of ransoms

have been given. Usury also quickly diminished, the creditors being

satisfied with the original interest, without expecting a continual

increase. But now, through the grace of our Lord, all that custom has

been abolished, and the natives now proceed with mercy and Christian

charity, not only in Ogmuc and throughout the island of Leite, but

in all the other islands where there is knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What the Christians accomplished in Carigara. Chapter XXXXVII.

From the very beginning, the people of this mission showed their

fervor; consequently, the Christians continued to increase in numbers,

although, as I have said, our fathers were very cautious in granting

holy baptism. All those Christians have frequent recourse to the

confessional, prizing it highly and greatly benefiting their own

souls. Those who are not Christians are all catechumens; and there is

not one of them who does not desire holy baptism. There was formed in

this church, and completed this year, a very delightful musical choir,

composed of the children themselves, who are very clever in this

exercise; and thus the divine services are celebrated with solemnity.

Of the remarkable increase in the mission of Paloc. Chapter XXXXVIII.

This village is one of the finest and best regulated in all the

island, thanks to the labors of one of our fathers, who helped the

natives to construct good houses. The Christian doctrine is taught

every day to the children in all the villages; and so many of them

attend this exercise that it is necessary to appoint four chanters

in order that they may be heard. Every day the people attend mass,

after they have had their lessons in the doctrine. One day of the

week is set apart when all the Christians come together to learn the

doctrine and catechism; and, even without the presence of the father,

they all assemble in every village. Great benefit has been derived

from this practice, for thus those who know the doctrine do not forget

it, and those who do not know it may learn it. Every night an Indian

goes forth with a little bell, warning all to prepare for death and

to repent for their sins, and enjoining the Christians to pray to

God in behalf of those who are not, that they may know God. While

he is uttering this message, perfect silence reigns, for they call

this "the warning of God;" and, in truth, it has been so effective

that there is not an Indian who does not reflect on death and desire

baptism. Before Lent some sermons were preached to them on confession,

and they were taught that they must not conceal their sins; to enforce

this, a very appropriate instance was cited, which had such an effect

upon them that many persons, though they had left the church very

late that night, returned the next morning to make another confession.

Although idolatry was formerly very common among these pagans, who

practiced it on every trivial occasion, our Lord has been pleased so

to diminish it that hardly anything is now known of it. Two children,

whose mother was sick, took three fowls for the purpose of making a

sacrifice to the demon. While on the way to the house of the priestess

(who in that country is usually old, and belongs to a mean class), one

of the children said to the other: "Whither are we going, and what are

we doing--we who are Christians and know that God sees us? Let us give

up this purpose." With this they abandoned their projected sacrifice,

and returning to their home, set the fowls at liberty. The practice

of disciplining on Fridays was begun, and was taken up by all the

children and the adults of the village. On the first night when they

assembled for this purpose, the father made known to them the spirit

in which it should be done, and so profoundly impressed them that

they soon named Friday (which is the usual day for the discipline)

"the day of atonement for sins."

Some notable incidents in Dulac. Chapter XXXXIX.

In this residence, from the month of June in the year ninety-eight to

January in the year ninety-nine, there were solemnly baptized more

than one hundred catechumens who greatly desired the sacrament and

prepared themselves very carefully for holy baptism. This did not

include the sick, who through the mercy of God had been but few that

year; but among these sick persons, both children and adults, was

experienced the virtue of this holy sacrament for bodily health. Some

persons who were covered with leprosy and their recovery despaired of,

were restored by baptism to so good health that, although borne down

by years, they were able to till the soil and sow their fields. I wish

to relate the faith of a pagan woman whose husband, also a pagan, lay

sick. Believing his condition to be dangerous, she persuaded him to

accept baptism. For this purpose she sent for the father, and, when

the latter asked the sick man if he desired baptism or instruction,

she helped him to make his answers. The father, observing her to be

so capable and so desirous of the welfare of her husband, inquired

if she also wished to become a Christian. She answered affirmatively,

saying that she had heard in the church that only the good Christians

went to heaven, and that those who were not Christians must burn in

hell; and that for the sake of retaining her husband's affection she

was not willing to die an infidel, and come to so bad an end. Finally,

when it seemed that the sick man was well prepared, and his sickness

was becoming dangerous, he was baptized, and then our Lord was

pleased to give him health--whereat the good woman was more than

ever anxious to receive baptism for herself. After they were both

baptized, they received the nuptial benediction, as do all the other

married people who are baptized, renewing their marriage according

to Christian usage. I will also mention the death of a child, which

was no less remarkable than the recovery of the other. The father

was passing through a village late in the day, on his way to another

settlement. He was hastening his steps, for the sun was setting and

there still remained a considerable strip of road before he could reach

his destination. But at the very entrance of the village a Christian

came out and called to him, entreating him to go and baptize a child,

the son of infidel parents, who was very sick. The father went to the

house and baptized the child; and, having offered a prayer for it,

went away. No sooner had he gone, than our Lord called the child to

Himself; and it seemed as if the little one was only waiting baptism

in order to enter heaven immediately.

The method of preaching which our Fathers employed in Tinagon, and

the results thereby obtained. Chapter L.

What was accomplished at that time in Tinagon is well related by

Father Francisco de Otaço in the following special account which he

gave of his labors there: "It is wonderful to see how these people

have all at once and generally abandoned their sins. For the greater

glory of the Lord, there has not been known, nor have I heard of,

throughout this year, a single act of idolatry, and these formerly

were so common. Concubinage has been rare, and their drinking feasts

so moderate that they do not deserve such a name. The knowledge of

the things of our Lord is ever increasing, as well as the pleasure of

the people in them; and our fathers are steadily gaining their love

and gratitude. A father once told them that for a certain feast it

was their share to adorn the church; immediately they set themselves

to the task, and the one who began it was a pagan, who did his share

of the work. Our method of preaching to these people is not so much

by means of arguments and consecutive discourses, which make but

little impression on them, as by a sort of spiritual conference,

in which the father briefly presents to them one or two points,

repeating these and asking questions concerning them. Thus his hearers

become proficient, and the result is plainly seen; more than seven

hundred have been baptized this year--most of them in two villages,

where the faith has penetrated with notable results, the people being

well inclined to if. This has been especially evident in one village,

where the fiscal is a chief acknowledged by all its people, whom our

Lord has been pleased to use as the instrument for much good to those

souls. What he has accomplished and is still accomplishing in that

doctrina causes me unusual edification and consolation; for in truth,

if I may judge by what I myself see when I go there, and by the common

account of all, both Spaniards and Indians, even one of our fathers

who might have been stationed in that village could not have wrought

such results as he has done. And this I say without exaggeration;

God provides it all, and blessed be He! This village of Paranas [2]

is on the coast, and contains a few Indian fishermen, but there are

many Indians in the mountains, divided, scattered, and far away;

some of these have established their abodes on the coast, but they

frequent it but rarely, and are (or rather were) a very churlish and

fugitive people. Yet Don Gonçalo (that is the name of the fiscal) has

taken hold of them in such a way that he does what he will with them,

and that, too, by so quiet, gentle, and efficacious means as to cause

one to wonder. Although it is exceedingly difficult to attract their

young children from home (especially among those who dwell in the

mountains) Don Gonçalo draws them to himself by the same means that

I have already mentioned, and to such an extent that he usually has

in his house nearly a hundred young boys; such was their number the

other day, when I was there, and now he tells me that some twenty

or thirty more have just come. He now has them so tamed, gentle,

intelligent, and contented that, considering their former savage

and terrible character, I know not how I can certify it. Those who

formerly knew little or nothing of the doctrine, at present are, by

common consent, those who in this mission are most proficient. The

fiscal maintains with them a regular plan and order: morning and

evening, their prayers and procession; and at night before retiring,

and in the morning before dawn, they also offer their prayers--so

that the Spaniards, their encomendero said, and the collectors are

notably edified thereby. Nor does this occupation depend upon the

presence there of the father or of the Spaniards, for it is always

maintained. The older boys he sends to their villages for food and

shell-fish, and the little ones remain to learn, as if they were in a

school. What I especially value is, that it is all done through love;

for both the children and their parents have so much affection for

this man that, as I noticed the other day, the boys hardly give heed

to the father, but are captivated by their Don Gonçalo, and it is he

whose permission they seek. This man has received a special blessing

from the Lord, and what he does comes entirely from his heart. He

not only looks after the knowledge and recitation of the doctrine,

but even trains them in good habits, and punishes them gently when

they are at fault. He brings together the adult Indians in the church

to pray on feast-days, and if it becomes necessary to do or undo

anything in the mission, it is always entrusted to him. Without doubt,

if there were many men of this sort the lack of ministers here would

be well supplied in many respects."

The arrival in the Philippines of the father-visitor, Diego Garcia,

and how he began his visitation. Chapter LI.

When affairs were in the condition which we have described, the

father-visitor, Diego Garcia, very opportunely arrived in the islands,

with some companions, [3] on the seventeenth of June in the year one

thousand five hundred and ninety-nine. His arrival was a source of much

consolation and joy, on account of the reënforcement which he brought

us, and was of much importance and advantage to the internal government

of the Society in those parts, on account of the good order to which

he reduced all our affairs, particularly in our ministries and in the

methods of aiding those souls. Upon careful investigation he learned

that, during those four years while our fathers had given instruction

in the islands of Pintados, twelve thousand persons had been baptized,

and that there were about forty thousand catechumens--not to mention

many others who, although they were not on the list of catechumens,

had also an inclination (or at least no repugnance) to receive

the faith and the gospel. In accordance with this information, the

father-visitor set about organizing the affairs [of the missions],

and providing needed assistance, as we shall later see. Before entering

upon this, however, I will relate, in order to show the mercies of God

toward our fathers, a special instance of this which His Divine Majesty

displayed toward them and the vessel which brought them from the port

of Acapulco to the Filipinas. The pilots were confidently sailing over

their accustomed course, heedless that in it there were shoals. One

evening at the hour when the _Salve_ is wont to be repeated, and while

all were devoutly reciting it, a young man fortunately (or rather

through the singular providence and mercy of God) descried shoals

from the maintop and immediately began to shout a warning. With that

the crew--although everyone was agitated and fearful lest, with the

freshening of the wind, they would be driven upon the shoals--hastened,

some to the sails, ropes, and rigging, others to the helm, and the

pilot to direct the ship's course. Our fathers, meanwhile, repaired

to their quarters and berths to invoke the most blessed Virgin, to

call upon God, and to pray for the intercession of the saints--all

of them especially invoking that of blessed Father Ignacio, [4] a

relic of whom the father-visitor carried with him. Showing this to

his companions while the rest were busied in the other occupations,

he augmented the fervor with which they cried to heaven, and at

the same time their confidence that by means of that holy relic our

Lord would deliver them from their danger. And so He did; for, upon

steering so as to direct the vessel to one side, to avoid the shoals,

the vessel, in spite of their efforts, would not obey, but, turning

in the other direction, doubled the shoals. If their attempt to steer

had been successful, not only could they not have passed the shoals,

but they would have drifted hopelessly upon them; but, as it was, the

flagship was saved. Moreover, her lighted lantern (for evening had

already arrived) guided the other ships, which followed behind her,

through the channel, and in this manner all of them were saved.

Occurrences in Manila at this time. Chapter LII.

In the latter part of June in the year one thousand five hundred

and ninety-nine, the father-visitor and his companions were resting

from the hardships of their voyage, and preparing to begin anew their

labors--the father on his tour of inspection, and the others in the

fishery for souls--for which purpose they had gone into retreat to

perform the exercises, [5] and to allow themselves more leisure for

solitary prayer. At this time there occurred in Manila, as a result

of the unusually dry season, a very violent earthquake, which injured

many buildings. Among these it rent and laid open the vault of our

church; and in the church of Santo Domingo it loosened and tore apart

the woodwork (which was very beautiful, and handsomely wrought), and

crushed in all the walls in such a manner that it was necessary to tear

down the building. We also were obliged to demolish the vault of our

church; for whereas that of Santo Domingo could be left standing for

a few days, we were compelled to begin at once to tear down the vault

of our church, which was the part most injured. The Spaniards came to

our aid, with contributions amounting to more than a thousand pesos,

to pay the workmen who were tearing down the church, and to aid in the

expense of repairing it. The Indians assisted us with their labor,

helping us to remove the obstructions, and to clear the building

from the ruins and from the earth and stones which remained from

them. More than a thousand Indians, without exaggeration, came to

offer their services; men, women, and children; young men and girls,

and old men; chiefs and common people--all busied themselves to such

an extent that the place appeared like an anthill or a beehive. These

were assisted by the inhabitants of all the neighboring villages, who,

animated and encouraged by the religious of St. Dominic, St. Francis,

and St. Augustine, and by the clergy who had them in their charge,

aided us to roof the church temporarily with canes and palm-leaves

(which is the usage there). Thus in four days was accomplished the work

of twenty or thirty days; thus the church was made fit for service,

and is being used thus until it can be properly roofed. The industry

and good-will with which the Indians assisted us on our church were

soon repaid to them by our fathers, when a general malady prevailed

among them, causing the death of many persons. Then our fathers aided

them, especially by hearing their confessions, and administering to

them the communion and extreme unction, in the church itself; hardly

ever during the day was it free from sick persons who had been carried

thither on the shoulders of men that they might receive those holy

sacraments. The devil, who slumbers not, seized the opportunity of

this malady to sow the seeds of error among some wretched old women,

his ministers--saying that at first the God of Castile had vanquished

their anitos, but that the latter were now the conquerors, and were

chastising the people for having abandoned them. To counteract this

evil, among others, a solemn procession and mass were ordered, wherein

our Lord was supplicated for the health of the people. Inasmuch

as a sermon was necessary, its preparation was assigned to Father

Diego Sanchez, at the instance of the canon, Pablo Ruiz de Talavera,

who is the priest of the Indians in Manila; he chose this father on

account of his devotion to the Society, and of the great affection of

the Indians for him, caused by his eloquence and the many and signal

services that he has rendered them. The father, discussing in his

sermon the above-mentioned error, refuted it, and expelled it from

their minds and hearts with that admirable force of expression and

persuasion with which our Lord had equipped him; while He gave to the

hearers grace and sensibility to perceive and be influenced by the

truth, as since then has been evident on many, and notable occasions.

In that very time of the malady, admirable evidence appeared of the

importance of the confraternity which, as we said above, that people

had instituted for the purpose of exercising themselves in similar

pious acts. Its members aided the sick with the utmost solicitude,

striving to provide them with comforts and medicines; and when deaths

occurred they kept watch over the corpses, and accompanied them to

burial, to the great edification of all who saw them. As a natural

result, the confraternity came to be much esteemed and valued, and

many sought the intercession of influential persons in order to be

admitted to its membership. It is proverbial among the Spaniards that

its members can be recognized by their quiet and modest address,

for which they are much respected. Not to mention other details,

the devotion which they showed that year in the harvesting of their

rice was certainly a source of great consolation; for they would not

taste it until, after they had brought part of it as an offering to

our Lord in His temple, that part had been blessed which they must

immediately use. Their offering was a sort of grateful acknowledgment

that God had delivered their grain-fields from the plague of locusts,

and themselves from the sickness.

Care was taken to check offenses against our Lord, and to break up

vile illicit relations--some secretly, and others by other gentle

means--by which many Indian women were kept in bondage. These women,

in their eagerness for worldly gain and kind treatment, were gratified

by certain men, who maintained them in that mode of life without fear

of God. Indeed, there were two women who had killed their husbands

that they might gain greater freedom in this respect. Some, too,

had lived during many years in this wretched state--one ten years,

another twelve, another thirteen; and still another, twenty long

years. Yet God, in His infinite patience, had been waiting for them

all this time, and at the end received them into His most gentle mercy.

As in past years, our ordinary ministries were also exercised among

the Spaniards; in particular, many general confessions were made,

and friendly relations were established between certain prominent

persons. Among these latter was one notable case concerning

a prebendary of the cathedral of Manila--whom, for certain good

reasons, I do not name; but his noble conduct on this occasion gives

him sufficient fame. Knowing that another prebendary of the same

church, an aged and venerable man, was offended at him, he secured

an opportunity to meet him in the house of an auditor of Manila,

and in the presence of several dignified persons; there, after having

expressed himself in such gentle and conciliatory terms as to appease

all angry feelings, he knelt at the feet of his elder, and, taking

his hand, kissed it. Then they embraced each other; and thus began

a very stable friendship between them, which I saw with my own eyes

for many days--confirmed, months later, by their very intimate and

fraternal intercourse.

The progress in eradicating idolatry from Taitai, and the piety and

constancy of its Christians. Chapter LIII.

The pest, with its mortality, spread among all the Indians of that

region, even to the villages of San Juan del Monte, Antipolo, and

others. This kept our fathers busy night and day, caring not only for

the welfare of souls, administering to them the holy sacraments with

much fervor and concern, but for that of their bodies, aiding them with

medicines and the necessary comforts--an important consideration with

those people, in view of the value that they attach to kind treatment

during illness and the pleasure that it gives them; indeed they often

recover their health from very contentment at seeing that they are

cherished and cared for. The confraternities of that village and of

Manila gave no less useful aid, on this occasion, to the sick and the

dead, their members taking turns in caring for the sick and attending

funerals, which were usually accompanied by more than two hundred

persons bearing lighted candles; these attentions were especially

bestowed on the dead who had belonged to the confraternity, who were

also honored by special funeral rites.

Superstition and idolatry have been so thoroughly uprooted that there

is hardly a trace or evidence of them left; if any had remained

from former years, it was due to carelessness rather than to evil

intent, and an end was put to them this year, through the favor of

our Lord. Even the little plates and other insignificant articles

which they were wont to use in making sacrifices they brought to the

fathers, to be broken and burned. An Indian owned, growing on his land,

a very luxuriant clump of the great reeds which they call _cauayan_

[_i.e._, bamboo], which we have already described. This man came to

notify us that this clump had formerly been offered to an idol, for

whose service its canes had been cut; and he himself condemned it to

be burned to the very roots, in order that it might not sprout again,

and himself be thus reminded of an object which had been used for

so evil purposes; accordingly, yielding to his feeling of devotion,

orders were given that it be burned. Others showed a little house that

was dedicated to another idol, and requested that it should be burned

to the ground, which was done. The first to show their abhorrence

of idolatry (in Which they surpassed the others) were the people of

San Juan del Monte, where formerly this practice had reigned, and

where there were so many priestesses of the idols, that there was

hardly a street which did not contain three, four, or even more. But

they have now turned their false superstitions into true religion and

Christian piety, repairing to the church so regularly that on certain

week-days, while the bell is rung for mass, the church is entirely

filled with those who come to hear. They are wont to complain that,

as there are so few fathers, they are unable to attend, as often and

as regularly as they desire, confession and communion--which they seek

with loving eagerness, not once, but many times during the year, to

their own edification and profit. As a result, the sweet odor of this

Christianity and esteem for the labors of Ours, have, to the glory

of our Lord, reached other villages, so affecting and edifying them

that the vicar-general of the archbishop, as well as other priests and

religious, and even secular magistrates, have sent to that village for

a few months, to be restrained, reformed, and kept in safety, certain

persons who were sorely tempted. It has pleased our Lord that by good

example and suitable instruction these persons should be delivered from

danger and their lives reformed; they have made general confessions,

and given other satisfactory proofs of the change in their lives.

Among the mountains of this mission district, where the people are less

experienced in the faith, there had remained a notorious catalonan,

or priest, of a celebrated idol which had been hidden away, no one of

those who knew about it daring to disclose the idol. This root was

capable of producing many cursed shoots. But our Lord was pleased

that it should be discovered through the praiseworthy diligence of

Father Francisco Almerique, who obtained possession of the things

pertaining to the adoration of the idol, and had them all burned. He

was successful in converting the priest, and for greater security, made

him live in a village where Ours usually reside. The devil, the father

of lies, now that credence is no longer placed in him or importance

attached to his superstitions and follies, transforms himself into an

angel of light, striving to deceive the simple-minded. In this way he

deluded a woman of rank with many visions and revelations which seemed

to her real and true, and in which, according to her statement, he

appeared in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ, taught her many things,

and bade her instruct the people therein. The same father, as soon

as he became aware of this, sought to undeceive her, enjoining her

not to repeat those things to any one. But she paid no heed to this,

and assembled secretly, at night, a number of persons; and, in order

that they might go more willingly, she said that the father had told

her to proceed. In this way she persevered in making known her fancies

and illusions. Those who were present, noticing that her method of

instruction and speech was similar to that employed by the priestesses

of the idols when they are possessed by the demon--making a thousand

gestures and movements like those of a madman or deranged person

(which was the method formerly employed by the devil in making answers

through the mouths of the catalonans)--hastened to give information

of this proceeding. The father, learning for the second time of this,

which was again taking place, assembled in the church the people who

had heard this woman speak; and, showing them what it really was,

undeceived them, pointing out the falsity of all those things, and

the wiles of the devil. By these means an evil was corrected which

doubtless would have been very great if so timely and appropriate a

remedy had not been applied. In another instance a poor fellow was

relieved by an Agnus Dei [6] which one of our brethren gave him. The

latter had sent some Indians to cut grass, and one of them fled inland,

among the mountains, as if terrified and beside himself; and wandered

from hill to hill during an entire day, until he was found in that

condition by some other Indians, who conveyed him to his house. When

the brother visited him, the Indian said that he wished to confess,

for the demons were harassing him in such a manner that he could not

rest; and that, without any intention, and unable to control himself,

he had wandered alone and in terror through the wilderness. The brother

brought him to a father, who heard his confession; but afterward he

again suffered in the same way. Again he repaired to the brother, and

told him of his trouble; and the latter advised him to have faith in

our Lord and confidence in the virtue of the holy Agnus Dei--making

known to him the favors which our Lord has granted to men, and the

miracles which He has wrought through the efficacy of this holy relic;

he then placed an Agnus Dei on the Indian's neck. From that very moment

the latter felt relieved, and our Lord, in order to show that He had

granted that favor by means of the holy relic, caused him, whenever

the emblem was removed from his neck, even for a short time, to lose

at once his reason, and go astray. The Indian himself stated that, as

soon as it was removed, he lost his wits and had no control of himself,

but that when wearing it his mind was quite calm; so he gave many

thanks to our Lord, and related the efficacy of the holy Agnus Dei.

Some notable incidents that happened in the city of Santissimo Nombre

de Jesus. Chapter LIV.

The fortunate arrival at this city of the father-visitor occurred in

Lent of the year one thousand six hundred. Although he increased the

number of our fathers in that city, he realized that their labors

among the Chinese were a hindrance to their work among the Indians;

he therefore entreated the right reverend bishop of that city to

place the Chinese in the care of some other order, which his Lordship

did. By this measure our fathers had less responsibility, but were

not less occupied; for, not to mention the other peoples who, as I

have said, resort to this port, the Bissayans alone kept six fathers

so busy during Lent that the people hardly left them alone by day

or by night. Nevertheless, so great is the need, and at the same

time the scarcity, of the bread of divine truth, for lack of those

who may distribute it, that many people dwelling very near the city

die in this hunger and cannot be assisted; for although the right

reverend bishop of Sebu and the few priests who are under him do much,

and the fathers of St. Augustine much more, neither the former nor

the latter suffice for the care of so many children. After Lent and

Easter, one of the fathers visited, by way of recreation (for such

are the vacations which they enjoy there), some pagan villages which

are about six leguas from the city. He remained there eight days,

which gave him opportunity for the usual occupations. Although the

time was very short, our Lord was served by some good results; for

the father found many Christians who, through lack of teaching and

their constant association with infidels, had returned with these to

their former idolatrous practices. By means of sermons and discourses

he touched the consciences of these people, and, recognizing their

wretched condition, they made a general confession; they received

his instructions for their future conduct, and were very grateful for

the good that had been done them. The infidels were so attracted and

inclined to the things of our holy faith that they urgently besought

the father to remain with them a few days more; but, as this was not

possible, they contented themselves with the hope that he might soon

be able to revisit them. After four months had elapsed, seeing that

he did not return, they sent their messengers earnestly to entreat

him to return for a short time to teach them the things of our holy

faith, which they all desired to accept; but this could not be done,

and so they were left in their hunger.

In the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus there was a Malucan Indian,

the slave of a Spaniard, who, although he had been a Christian for many

years, lived negligent of his salvation, and his masters had never been

able to induce him to make confession and fulfil the obligations of a

Christian; he always displayed much unwillingness and obstinacy. This

man became ill with a malady, apparently not very serious, accompanied

by a slow fever; but within three or four days he suddenly lost the

power of speech and seemed to be surely dying. A little food and some

drink were offered to him but he could not be induced to take any;

and finally became so low, that he lost all consciousness. Some holy

water was brought him from our house and a few drops were sprinkled

over his face; some of these ran down into his mouth, and he began to

lick them, so that he tasted the water. One of those present placed

some of it near his mouth, and, opening his lips, he received the

water. At once regaining consciousness, he said that it seemed as if

someone had seized him and clutched his throat, and for that reason

he was unable to speak; but drinking the holy water had, as it were,

released him, and set him at liberty, and he gladly listened to what

they said to him concerning his salvation. After he had received

instruction, he made a general confession of his entire life; and

our Lord was pleased to restore him to complete health of body,

as He had already deigned to give him health of soul.

Another Indian, while very ill, was afflicted with horrible

apparitions; when he was left alone, hideous and fierce black men

appeared to him, threatening him with death. He asked his friends to

summon our fathers; finally, after he had endured many sufferings,

either he or the people of his house sent for a priest to hear his

confession. The priest repaired at once to the sick man, and found

him in great suffering. He gave him consolation, and after thorough

instruction, the Indian made a general confession, to his own great

relief--from that time experiencing entire rest, and seeing no more

of the visions that had tormented him.

There was an infidel Indian woman who lived near this city among

Christians. A serious illness attacked her, and she was carried to the

house of another Indian woman, who attended our church and led a most

pure and edifying life, who persuaded her to become a Christian. She

sent for a priest of our order, who catechized her and so prepared

her that she soon received holy baptism. During the remaining days

of her life she gave tokens of the grace that she had received; for,

although she suffered the utmost pain, hardly a word was heard from

her lips, save "Jesus, Mary," or, "My God, have mercy on me."

One day two of Ours, chancing to pass through the Chinese quarter, were

informed that in one of the houses an infidel woman lay dying. They

at once ascended into the house, and found her very near death, but

very far from knowing the truth of our holy faith. But our Lord,

who had provided teachers, aided her in His great mercy, and with

sovereign help; accordingly, she listened very willingly to what they

said to her, and prepared herself in so short a time that they gave

her baptism that very night, fearing her critical condition. She was

greatly consoled by the sacrament, and grateful to our Lord for the

mercy that she had received, edifying those who were present by her

words, which were all invocations for help to Jesus and Mary. With

such good proofs of her salvation, she passed away on the following

day. Among the persons who, to the edification of the people and the

service of our Lord, have profited by the teaching of our fathers, was

a woman advanced in years, and a native of China; her case is one of

great importance, as her nation are so hard to reach, and so unwilling

to receive the gospel; and so it does not seem beyond the scope of my

plan to give some account of her conversion. This woman had married an

honorable Portuguese, who left her a widow some six years ago. Most

of her support is what she gains by the labor of her own hands, with

the help of three slaves, in whose company she lives in a wretched

house, apart from the crowd of the Chinese, dwelling therein in great

seclusion. Her confessions and communions are frequent, with excellent

results. She practices penance so severely that it has been necessary

to moderate the rigors she inflicts upon herself, in long scourgings

every night, and in fasts throughout the year, four days in every

week; and even on the other two days she seldom eats meat. Prayer is

her one consolation, for which she has much natural aptitude in her

excellent judgment, and supernatural aid in the gifts which the Lord

communicates to her. She is present every day in the church during

the masses, hearing them always upon her knees. Nothing so afflicts

her as to know that God has been offended, especially if by those of

her nation. In short, she has offered herself entirely to our Lord,

and He has plucked her with His own hand as a rose from among so many

thistles and thorns.

Other interesting events, which occurred in Bohol. Chapter LV.

In order to give a more detailed account of what took place at that

time in the island of Bohol, I shall avail myself of two letters from

Fathers Alonso de Umanes and Gabriel Sanchez, who were in that region;

for in my opinion their account is given minutely and with pleasing

and enjoyable simplicity. Both of them, writing to the father-visitor,

give him a detailed account of their labors, as is the custom in our

Society. The superior, Father Alonso de Umanes, writes as follows:

"As soon as we had returned from Sebu in last year, ninety-nine, as

it was the season of Lent we busied ourselves in hearing confessions;

and with remarkable devotion and promptness all this new band of

Christians, without any reward, repaired to the sacraments--even

those coming to us who lived very distant from the village where

we ordinarily reside. The Christians throughout the island came

together for the exercises of Holy Week, and many of those who were

not yet baptized attended the divine services during all that week,

with great devotion, also the feast of Easter, when a goodly number

of them received communion. Having fulfilled our obligations as to

confession, we set out to visit some of the pagan villages, in all

of which we found the people well disposed. Those who most attended

our preaching were the inhabitants of Panglao, a small island almost

adjoining this; all the people came very willingly to hear about

the things of our holy faith, and soon began of their own accord to

build a church. As the first-fruits of Christianity there, we first

baptized the sons of the chiefs, in order that they might open the

door for the others. Their parents were greatly pleased at this,

in token of which they held a feast that same day, with dancing and

other festivities. This little island we visited again, at which

time a considerable number of adults as well as a hundred children

received baptism. The chiefs besought us to leave there someone who

might instruct them, that they might thus learn more speedily all

that was necessary. For this purpose we took from the island their

brightest boys, so that they, after receiving instruction, might

teach their people. Thus we shall be able to supply, to some extent,

the great need of men from our Society, until our Lord shall multiply

our number. During a visit that was made to the village of Lobo, an

important event occurred which served to overthrow their errors and

remove some great fears with which the devil had inspired them. An

alguazil learned that in a little village near by there was a chief

who kept in his house many small horns and little jars full of charms,

and other instruments, which served for casting lots, for determining

if in sickness sacrifice should be made to the devil, and for deciding

other matters. Father Gabriel Sanchez resolved to go in person to

take away those cursed instruments. In fact, no other means would

have been successful, because, upon arriving at the house, he was

obliged with his own hands to unhang and heap together the bottles

and horns; for the Indians who had accompanied him did not dare even

to touch them--fearing that, if they did, they would die; and that,

if they threw them into the river, the caimans would be enraged against

them--such was their belief in these delusions. But the father, having

quieted their fear and removed their mistaken apprehension by himself

touching those objects and yet remaining alive, induced them to seize

the horns and bottles and expose them publicly. Then he summoned the

young boys who spat and trod upon them--actions which among those

people, as among other nations, are a token of contempt, detestation,

and infamy. He finally caused the charms to be burned, and thrown into

the river. By these means they were all freed from error, and became

more devoted than ever to our true and well-grounded Catholic religion.

"I cannot refrain from relating an incident that has just befallen us,

as it was a source of great consolation to me. As soon as our people

learned that your Reverence had ordered us to go to Sebu, fearful

lest we might not speedily return, they all repaired to us to make

their confessions, with such fervor that it seemed like the season

of Lent. Those who had not received baptism came also, with like

earnestness seeking that holy sacrament. Thus, by way of farewell,

we made a goodly number of Christians." The account of Father Alonso

de Umanes ends here.

Father Gabriel Sanchez, in another letter to the father-visitor, writes

thus: "Glory be to our Lord, Christianity in this island is receiving

much increase. They all frequent the most holy sacraments with great

fervor at Christmas, Epiphany, and other leading feasts. So many were

the confessions and the communions that it seemed to me like Holy

Week. They possess great confidence and faith, and through the most

holy sacraments and the sacramental offices they are sure to receive

(and his Majesty does bestow upon them even in temporal affairs)

most signal favors. An old woman, a good Christian, was so reduced by

sickness, and brought so near to death, that she no longer possessed

her senses, or power of speech; in short, there was no hope that she

would live. The sacrament of extreme unction was administered to her,

and at once she began to improve, and at last regained entire health. A

few days ago they brought to us a sick man, so tormented and harassed

by a severe malady that he could not even raise his head; he therefore

made his confession while reclining, and with great difficulty. But,

as soon as he had ended it, he began to feel better, with the result

that in two days he came to the church to render thanks to our Lord

for the mercy that he had received, which he attributed to the holy

sacrament of penance. A few days ago a child of four years--not

realizing, as he was so little, what he was doing--waded into the

sea, and, despite the haste with which he was taken from the water,

was almost drowned. They brought him in haste to our house, that we

might repeat the gospel over him, for they had no hope of preserving

his life by natural means. When they brought him to us he showed

almost no sign of respiration, his face was black, and his stomach

much swollen with the water which he had swallowed. The gospel was

read for him, and he was sprinkled with holy water; and then, in

the presence of the many people who had assembled, he straightway

recovered consciousness and became entirely well, in return for

which they all gave many thanks to our Lord. Another incident, which

occurred quite recently, I cannot refrain from relating. Our Lord has

this day exercised His accustomed mercy in the case of two old men,

very venerable and more than a hundred years old. The greater part

of their long lives they had spent in diabolical acts of outrage,

murder, cruelty, and lawlessness; and yet our Lord had waited for

them until now--when, illumining them with His divine light, they

were marvelously converted. I was astonished at beholding the fervor,

sincerity and grief with which they expressed abhorrence for their

past life and sought baptism, which they received today after careful

instruction. To see the perseverance and constancy of this people

has given great consolation to me. I shall relate in brief a few

things which certainly give strong evidence of that constancy. An

unmarried Indian woman was persecuted by a soldier with innumerable

plots, yet she always resisted him valiantly. Once in particular, he

sent her by a servant some twenty escudos; but she drove the servant

away, and threatened that if he should come again she would fling

him and his money through her window. The soldier, rendered bold

by the fury of his passion, as he had a headstrong disposition, and

realizing that he could not gain his damnable purpose by bribes, had

recourse to threats. As these did not suffice, he laid violent hands

on her, seriously hurting her; but our Lord came to her assistance,

and she emerged victorious from the struggle, leaving the wretch in

confusion and shame. Another woman was no less persecuted, a man

offering her, among other gifts, a gold chain that was worth more

than thirty escudos; but she rejected all his gifts with Christian

courage. Then, fearing the fury of her persecutor and her own great

danger, she persuaded her mother to accompany her, and they fled to

some grain-fields, where she remained in hiding until he who was

molesting her had left the village. Another, a young girl hardly

eighteen years of age, and so poor that she could procure only a

little rice for her support, was persecuted by many men, who offered

her large sums of money to relieve her poverty; one of them offered

her more than forty eight-real pieces. But she made answer that our

Lord, in whom she trusted, would relieve her need; that she did not

care to live by any means that would offend Him, but in serving Him

was well content in her poverty; and that she was confident that

our Lord would not abandon her. Another poor woman resisted with

equal courage no less vexatious importunities, refusing a quantity

of gold worth more than eighty escudos, thus leaving her persecutor

in amazement. Another woman, fearing that she would have to defend

her body by force from so many and violent importunities, removed

it from danger, and herself from any occasion of offending God, by

fleeing to the mountains, where she wandered about for almost four

months, suffering, although with much satisfaction, many hardships

and privations; nor did she return to the village until she learned

that he who had brought her to such a plight had departed thence."

The good conduct of the Christians of Botuan. Chapter LVI.

I shall, continuing as I began, relate the prosperous condition

of Christianity in Botuan in the same words which Father Valerio de

Ledesma and his companion, Father Manuel Martinez, used in writing this

year to the father-visitor. The letter of Father Valerio gives the

following account: "Glory to our Lord, the inhabitants of this town

are well instructed. There are nearly eight hundred Christians, and

nearly all the rest of the people are catechumens, engaged in learning

the necessary truths. We hold back these persons that they may prize

more highly the mercy which God is showing them, and understand more

thoroughly the Christian doctrine and acquire good habits. All the

rest of the people have the best possible inclination to receive our

holy faith and come on every Sunday and feast-day to hear the sermons

and discourses; a large audience always assembles, and all of them,

even the infidels, entertain a great affection for holy things. Of

their own accord they bring their children to be baptized, and their

sick people, to hear the gospel read. They erect crosses in their

grain-fields, and sing the Christian doctrine with the Christians,

of whom there are usually some in every house. In times of sickness

they come at once to be baptized; and as they are universally well

instructed, and have sufficient knowledge of the things of our faith,

it is easy to succor them upon such occasions, so that hardly any one

dies without having first received holy baptism. An Indian, seeing

himself afflicted by a violent disease, asked to be baptized. They went

to call the father for that purpose, but in the meantime the malady

had gained such headway, that when he arrived he found the house

in confusion and everyone bewailing the sick man as one dead. The

father, seeing that he could not speak and seemed unable to hear,

assured himself that he had asked for baptism; and, knowing that he

was one of those who frequented the church, he asked for water to

baptize him. Then, speaking in a loud voice, he persuaded him to

try to say 'Jesus.' It seems that at the sound of that most sweet

name the sick man recovered somewhat, and, making a great effort,

pronounced the word. He soon regained breath, and made answer to

the questions of the catechism, to the great wonder of all who were

present. He received holy baptism, and soon afterward our Lord granted

him complete health. His parents, who were pagans, astonished at his

recovery, attributed it to the virtue of the holy name of Jesus, and

to holy baptism. Through the mercy of God, there is constancy among

the faithful. In all the time I have resided here I do not know of

any Christian who has been present at a pagan sacrifice, although

living among so many of them. The corregidor of this town related

to me, with surprise, that although he had investigated many cases

pertaining to this matter, he had never found any Christian guilty

therein. This same man related that he had [on official journeys]

taken in his company, among other Indians, some Christians of this

town; that in some places which were unsafe, on account of enemies,

he placed sentinels; and, when it was the turn of the Christians to

go on guard, they were found praying, and singing the doctrine. He

noticed, besides this, that they never let a day pass without reciting

the rosary; and he greatly valued and praised such solicitude among

persons so new in the faith."

To this account Father Manuel Martinez adds the following: "The

esteem in which they hold holy baptism is universal. Consequently,

those who have not received it, and some who in health refused it,

when they become sick ask at once for the sacrament, confident that

by this means they will acquire health, not only for their souls but

for their bodies, inasmuch as our Lord has many times granted this

to them. A little boy, the son of a chief of this town, was brought

so low by sickness that he was thought to be dead; and as such they

were weeping for him when an Agnus Dei and some holy water were

sent to him from our house. Our Lord was pleased to restore him very

soon to health, and his parents related it to every one, ascribing

this result to the efficacy of the Agnus Dei and the holy water. A

Spaniard was exhausted by a violent pain that had been afflicting him

for some time. Seeing himself in such distress, he sent for one of our

fathers, who read the gospel to him. Immediately he began to improve,

and in less than a quarter of an hour felt entirely well. He then gave

thanks to God, and made it publicly known that he had recovered his

health by means of the holy gospel. In Advent and Lent the practice

of discipline has been maintained in the church, in which participate

the Spaniards who are wont to come to this town. Sometimes public

and bloody flagellations took place; and on Holy Thursday and Friday

there were two admirably arranged processions, in which many people

accompanied the flagellants with torches. I will conclude this letter

with two incidents, omitting many others, to avoid prolixity. The

first concerns a pagan, who was grievously wounded by a wild boar while

hunting. Thinking that the hour of death was at hand, and remembering

to have heard in the church that in our necessities we should invoke

the most holy name of Jesus, he fell upon his knees, and, folding his

hands, repeated, 'Jesus, have mercy on me.' Our Lord heard his prayer;

and, soon healed of his wounds, he came to recount this experience,

and asked to be at once baptized. With great devotion he relates to

others this act of God's mercy, and says that he received it through

having heartily invoked the most holy name of Jesus. Another pagan,

affrighted by some terrible thunder, and fearful that some flash of

lightning might strike him, invoked many times with confidence the

sweet name of Jesus, accompanied by all the people of his household;

and all were protected and encompassed by one cross. A brilliant

flash of lightning burst forth, accompanied by a frightful peal

of thunder. The pagan, in his fright, fell to the ground, and all

believed that their hour had come, and that they would be consumed

by fire on the spot. But they noticed only a bad odor of something

burning, and in the morning found that a palm-tree which grew close

to the house was completely burned by the lightning. This incident

filled them all with wonder, and they rendered thanks to our Lord,

who by means of His own sweet name and holy cross had delivered them."

The number of people who were gathered into villages in the district

of Alangalang, and the result of our labors therein. Chapter LVII.