The manner in which the religious lived when they entered their
ministry to the Indians
Before the religious separated to go on the missions to the Indians to
which they were severally appointed, there were given to them those
general ordinances which had been so well established for this work,
with much thought, prayer, and consideration in Mexico, and which will
be found stated in chapter vii of this history. All are based upon
the instruction of the apostle to his disciple Timothy: Attende tibi,
et doctrinae, whence he directly infers, hoc faciens, et te ipsum
salvum facies, et eos qui te audiunt. [35] Thus the whole foundation
of the ministry rests upon every man's first taking heed to himself,
and doing what he ought to do; while he who has to do good to many,
drawing them forth from the condition of idolatrous heathen and great
enemies of God to making them His servants and the keepers of His law,
will never be able to do so unless he is himself very careful to keep
that law. Those religious can never do this who do not very carefully
observe their own laws; therefore, the first ordinance established in
the province was that our constitutions should be literally observed,
just as they were written, without perverse interpretations, usages
to the contrary, or irregular dispensations--a most holy ordinance,
and one which is sufficient to make men saints. Though in it all
the rest are, as it were, included, still, for greater clearness,
they made the statement that this included a prohibition to ride,
and directed that the fathers should go on foot. This appeared,
to some of little spirit, impossible in this country because of the
great heat. They declared that if our father [St. Dominic] had come
to these regions he would not have commanded his friars to do thus;
but they deceived themselves; for the founders of the province of
Mexico were much inferior to our father, but they kept this rule,
and found it possible and easy. It is also declared that we should not
accept money, or take any for our journeys--a stroke which cuts off at
the root a thousand cares that the contrary practice brings with it,
and which, when observed, brings the greatest freedom from care; for
thus it becomes possible for me to live without anxiety for anything,
being certain that the head of the convent is obliged to give me all
that I need in health, and more in sickness, as to one who has the
greater necessity. The rule was given that we should use no linen
in either health or sickness, even though the latter were to death,
as the constitution ordains and as appears from our histories; for
all who have investigated this point sincerely have followed this
rule, as did the holy Pius the Fifth, St. Luis Beltran, and many
more. Meat was not to be eaten without permission, and in that case
of necessity that is determined by the constitutions, which is a very
great one. The friars were always to meditate upon God, within and
without the convent; and to wear habits poor and mean, and of the form
provided by our constitutions. They were to follow the same opinions,
and the same custom of administering the sacraments, and the ceremonies
of the mass, and the same mode of intoning. They were all to go to
matins at midnight, as to the other hours, however few the religious
might be, even where was no more than one in the convent; since for
even this one it is no less necessary to glorify God, and the service
is no more laborious to Him. Thus St. Paul and his disciple Silas,
though in chains and in prison, at midnight extolled the Lord; and
the royal prophet did the same, though he was alone. Secular visits
were entirely forbidden, except such as were required by charity; and
these, it was ordained, should be made only as the superior directed,
and in no other case. As for poverty, it was ordered that no one should
have for any purpose any thing except his breviary and one other book
of devotion, and his memorandum-book; all were to be content with the
books which are possessed in common in all convents--of which they
might make use, with permission, and under the obligation to return
them. In cells only one image was permitted, and that a poor one,
without other instruments of devotion. The superiors were in this,
as in all other things, to be equal with those under them; there
was to be no more in the cell of the provincial than in that of any
brother. This equality, and the leading of the way by the superiors,
makes the road easy for the others. Such poverty as this was not
only to be established and maintained with regard to individuals,
but everything that the separate convents possessed was the common
property of the province; and the provincial might take it from one
convent which had little need of it, and give it to another that needed
it more--whether it were money, or books, or ornaments, or anything
else that the latter required. The license of the general of the order
was required for authority to receive anything that should not belong
to the whole province after the aforesaid manner; and the licenses
of subordinates and superiors for that purpose were forbidden. It was
necessary to follow this course, for every day new missions were to be
sent out, now to Japon, now to China, now to minister in the service
of the Indians; it would not be possible to undertake them without
taking from the convents what they had to give, so that the fathers
might not enter on a mission under the necessity of begging for their
sustenance from the heathen to whom they were just beginning to preach,
which would have been hard indeed for them. Above all this--even,
as it were the foundation of the whole--two hours were appointed for
daily mental prayer, one after matins and the other by day, ordinarily
between one and two, before vespers. This was a truly holy counsel; for
as a man of himself has but little strength, he could not accomplish
so much as has been recounted if he were not constantly asking for the
favor of the Lord, which is the office of prayer. For the food of the
soul, the castigation of the body serves well, of which, indeed, there
is more need than of food; therefore it was ordered that every day,
after the matin prayer, they should all together take a discipline,
lasting the time of a Miserere and other short prayers said after
it. This is to be done on all the days that are not double, [36]
excepting the solemn octaves. On those days on which there is no
lesser office of our Lady, they were to recite the devotion of her
holy name, offering this little service to her who constantly favors
us with special benefits. The mattresses on the beds, permitted by
the constitution as a matter of grace, they renounced--contenting
themselves with sleeping on a board, with a mat, large or small,
and two blankets. Everything which had been ordained in Mexico was
accepted and confirmed by all; and they repeated it now, as they
were about to separate, that they might have it as a general rule to
which they were obliged to conform, and by which they were to regulate
their lives. If they accepted the rules in Mexico with a good will,
they now ratified them in the islands with a better; and every day it
was more and more plain to see of how great importance they were for
our advantage, and for the advantage of those who heard the gospel
from our mouths. This, then (which was their last arrangement before
departing), and the promptitude with which they offered to obey all
that has been here mentioned, was as much as if the Lord had poured
out upon them His benediction; and therewith had given them the light
of knowledge, and fervor, and strength of will, for the ministry upon
which they were to enter. In it they acted not like new ministers,
but as if they had had many years of experience, that being verified
in them which the wise man has said: "Easy is it in the sight of
the Lord"--that is to say, with a single glance--"suddenly to make
honorable and to enrich the poor"--that is to say, the humble. And
this is especially true when his humility is accompanied by obedience,
detestation of himself, and love of God, zeal for His honor, and desire
to save souls for Him. All this shines forth in those who with so
great zeal accepted such ordinances, and proposed to live according to
them; and it is continued in those who have followed them. Therefore,
in all provincial chapters they have always been confirmed and laid
down with much rigor; and they have been confirmed by many generals
of the order, and the original confirmations remain in the archives
of the convent of Manila. The principal care of the provincials in
their journeys of inspection--which they make every year, personally,
going to each and every one of the convents of this province--is to
assure themselves how these general ordinances are obeyed; for if they
are obeyed there is nothing more to ask, and where they are not obeyed
no confidence can be placed. They are, as it were, a wall around the
garden of our soul; so long as they are unbroken, though our adversary
is always going about, as says St. Peter, moving around us again and
again, and seeking to do us evil, he cannot succeed; but if we make a
breach in the wall it is easy for him to enter and destroy us. It is
certainly true that this has often been verified with regard to our
constitutions, taken by themselves, without additions; for without
doubt they are a marvelous wall for the virtue of the soul, and when
they are observed the soul is safe. Yet there can be no doubt that the
observance of the constitutions is much assisted and fortified by the
two hours of prayer added in these ordinances. The daily discipline
contributes to the same effect, as does also the restriction to a
greater poverty, and the rule requiring corporal mortification and a
more strictly retired life. All these things are added, over and above
the ordinary rules of the Society and its regular constitutions. In
the Indias--which, as experience shows, are in all states of life
most exposed to laxity of morals and to luxury--such rules are not
only desirable, but necessary. In this country it is necessary to
give greater care to strengthening the wall of the soul, since perhaps
that which in Europe would be sufficient to maintain the religious in
the perfect observance of their constitutions is insufficient in the
Indias, where causes and occasions for the decay of this wall are
well known to be greater. Hence it was a safe and holy counsel to
add in these regions to the wall of our constitutions the aforesaid
buttresses of prayer and mortification; for if in all countries that
is true which the wise man said--"He who observes the law multiplies
prayer"--much more necessary will that be where the observance of
the law meets with greater difficulties and more obstacles.
These added observances had also another very important effect: being,
as they are, easy and very light for devout religious, and for those
who are careful to fulfil their obligations, they are intolerable and
annoying for those who are not very devout and who have little care for
the business that is of so much importance. Hence the obstacle which
they feel first, and that which gives them the greatest annoyance,
is the obligation to spend two hours in prayer daily. This is, as it
were, the touchstone by which are discriminated those religious whose
metal is sufficiently pure for them to live in a reformed province
with benefit to themselves and to the Indians. In the case of those
who alone are suited to this province, it fastens and keeps them in
it; the others it shuts out, and makes them strive with all their
hearts--sometimes unlawfully--to return to Espana, where they may
live in the convents with greater security and pleasure. If there
is need of any test for a religious to determine whether or not he
is suited to the province, it is best for it to be in a matter of
supererogation, as are these added rules; and before one tries himself
in matters of obligation he would better give himself this safeguard,
and, without failing in that which is obligatory, test himself by his
own comfort and necessity. The reason is that it is impossible to keep
up a province, or even a convent, in a state of strict observance with
discontented religious. Hence in our order, as in others, in convents
of especial severity much attention is paid to having all the members
volunteer; and if one grows weary and asks some reasonable license,
let it be given; for a single discontented religious does more
harm than good. When all are volunteers, all serve the Lord as He
desires, with delight and joy; one stimulates another, and urges him
on to surpass him in virtue and in profitable exercises. Under these
circumstances, all are kept firmly attached to the convent; while a
single discontented member is sufficient to cause the discontent of
many; for this is a very contagious sickness, as this province has
proved by a large experience. Yet it is true that there are some good
and devout religious who, as men, grow restless on some occasions;
and to these should not be granted immediately the license for which
they ask, until an effort has been made to quiet and console them,
and to take from them so far as possible the cause of their discomfort,
so that they may carry forward that which they have laudably begun.