It is an abuse that amid the many and heavy fees which the regulars
charge the Indians they exact fees for confession, and, in the [very]
act of making the confession, one and one-half reals in order to
comply with the precept, under the pretext of the three feasts,
namely, Corpus Christi, the titular saint, and Holy Thursday; for
even if that is not simony, at least est res pesimi exempli. [79]
It is certain that the Indian believes that he pays for confession,
and it is also a fact that if he does not pay he is not confessed.
As soon as the English took possession of Manila, they learned of
such a custom, and thereupon cast great contempt on our religion,
and persuaded the Indians to follow them, for among them there was no
such practice, nor could there be--which was an error and a manifest
deceit. [80]
From this custom, abuse, or offering, two hundred pesos are obtained
in some villages, and in others three hundred, four hundred, and even
more, according to the population.
The abovesaid feasts result so cheaply to the father that with twenty
pesos he pays the expenses of all three of them; for the adornment of
the church and of the line of march is made by the Indians; wax is no
expense to the father, or very cheap; he or his associate preaches
the sermon; and, let him preach what he will, he never gets beyond
a discourse spoken in a language which either the preacher does not
understand, or, if he does understand it, he does so very poorly and
with great errors. [81]