Of the great advantage derived by this province from the observance
of the aforesaid rules
[These holy ordinances have without doubt been inspired by God; and
the religious followed them with such exactitude that it was impossible
for them not to obtain marvelous results and extraordinary successes,
as in the work of God unimpeded by the imperfect obedience of His
servants. The one great advantage was the profit of their own souls;
the other was the salvation of an innumerable multitude of heathen,
brought into the church by those who observed these ordinances. As for
the first point, the sanctity of these great servants of the Lord has
spread its fragrance throughout all the world. In proof hereof, many
letters have been collected, written by the religious of this province
to that of Espana, in which they recount with high praise what they
have seen in it. It should be noticed that, as these countries are
very far from Espana, the narratives received differ widely; for here
more than elsewhere is verified the Castilian proverb, that every man
gives his account of the day as he has acted in it. Those who have
been aided by the Lord, and who have embraced the ministry among the
Indians, and the holy ordinances of this province, out of the desire
to serve Him, praise it highly, being compelled to do so by the truth,
and by the finger of God which they have seen in it. Those who from
sloth or from self-love have not been able or have not been willing
to persevere in this mission, and have returned to Espana, wish to
gild over this return, and tell everything about the province that
their little affection for it suggests to their minds. As the latter
are present and the former are not, the words of the latter have the
greater force. It is a great proof of the virtue of the province that
its good name is not blackened. Frequently when good religious set out
hither, they are asked to send back a plain statement of the truth
of affairs in the province. From these letters, religious of great
ability have collected a number of extracts containing statements
sent back to Espana with regard to the virtue and religion here to be
found. The testimony of these letters from many thoroughly qualified
witnesses, who write at the desire of their friends in Espana, and who
have come purposely to investigate the condition of this province,
is certainly sufficient evidence without calling in any other. They
all testify, without having known the one what the other had written,
to the high state of virtue in this province. Upon this testimony
we might rely with much security; but since we have evidence from
others of greater rank and of higher standing, and who are not members
of the province, we may take it, not as more true, but as meriting
greater credit. The testimony of the bishop of China, Don Fray Juan
Pinto, or de la Piedad, who came to this city of Manila on his way
to Espana and who spent many months here, is to the following effect:
"Words cannot exaggerate the devotion, the noble poverty, and profound
humility of these grave and holy fathers, who live together in the
greatest harmony and brotherly affection. Their life is not merely
a miracle, but many miracles. Having no income, they receive more
than enough; for all of them in common, and each one in particular,
need nothing. The older and graver they are, the more humble; and
the weakest in corporal powers zealously follows the rigor of his
religious order. They always eat fish, without any sort of dainties;
their chanting and their prayers are continual; their charity toward
the poor, the roughness of their habit, and their humility are like
those of the most perfect in the primitive days of religion. They are
zealous for the salvation of souls, and spend their time in learning
not only the many languages of the Philippinas, but likewise those
of the Chinese. They win more souls to God than any of the other
orders. I die with sorrow when I think I must go on to Macan. There
is only one way in which I can be comforted, and for that I rely
upon your Reverence"--he is writing to the general of the order--"I
trust that your Reverence will restore to these Spanish fathers the
convent established in Macan by their predecessors, and that it will
be subject to this province of Manila, in order that it may share
in its reformed constitution and may reach its perfection. There are
fathers here who understand the Chinese language thoroughly, and who
have made many converts among the Chinese in that province." Later
in the letter he says: "I beg of your Reverence that you will hear
the prayer of this your poor son. Let a new convent be established
for these holy religious, if the country will support them; and no
scandal will follow from having two convents of one order in the
province." This letter is dated at Manila, June 25, 1610.
This great prelate went to Espana, reaching the court in the year
1617. The report that he gave was such that in virtue thereof,
and because of other reasons stated in the general chapter held by
our order at Paris, 1611 [sic] the following ordinance was passed,
among those which pertained to this province: "It is with great joy
that we learn, by certain report, that the Philippine province of the
Holy Rosary has been most successful in the conversion of the tribes
of that region. It goes on daily advancing; in it the observance of
the rule flourishes in the highest degree. Though the number of the
brethren is small, and they are widely scattered among those tribes,
yet they have recently stretched out their branches to the kingdom of
Japon. The harvest reaped there can be learned from the fact that some
of the Japanese who were taught by them, though but recently converted
to the holy faith, have advanced to such a pitch of devotion that they
gave up their lives for their belief, as we learn from a trustworthy
printed report. Not contented even yet, they gird up their loins to
send on some of their number to the very populous kingdom of China,
whither they are called by the most illustrious Don Fray Juan de
Piedad, bishop of Macan a Portuguese member of our order." Immediately
afterward follows the case of our convent in Macan, and the direction
to restore it to this province--although, on account of the opposition
of the Portuguese, the order has not been carried into execution.
A third piece of testimony is a letter written to the king our
sovereign by the cabildo of the city of Manila. This letter thanks the
king for sending so many religious of all orders to the Philippinas,
but in particular for those in the Dominican order, as being men
already formed by their studies, and therefore prepared to be of
immediate use as soon as they have learned the language. The letter
represents that, as they live without income and entirely upon alms,
whatever his Majesty should see fit to give them would be very
acceptable to the Lord. This letter bears date July 7, 1607.
A report from Manila to the royal Council of the Indias is also
cited. In it the testimony of the most distinguished ecclesiastics
of the cabildo is given, of their head the archbishop, at that time
Vazquez de Marcado, and of the majority of the secular clergy, and
they all bear witness to the virtue and devotion of the members of
the province. In 1636 the accusation was brought that all the orders
carried on trade with Japan; but this province brought evidence
to the contrary, so far as it was concerned. The testimony of one
witness may be cited here, the chief captain, who had in that year
come from Macan. This was Captain Francisco de Abreo, of the Order
of Santiago. He testified on oath that he had known the religious of
the province of the Rosary for sixteen years; and that he had been
acquainted with them in the realm of Japon, in Camboxa, and in other
places where these holy religious had settled with no other object
or purpose than the service of God and of his Majesty our lord the
king. He went on to declare that they were occupied with nothing
else than the conversion of souls--as is evident of itself, from the
fact that the religious of these provinces have kept and still keep,
with the greatest devotion, their vow of poverty and the other vows
which they have professed. It is evident to all that they depend for
their living upon the alms given by his Majesty, and by other faithful
in this city. Another evidence of this fact is that they share with
those who are settled in the kingdom of Japon, whither they have gone
to suffer martyrdom and convert souls to God. The religious of the
Philippinas send to them what they can, that in the midst of all the
suffering which those fathers endure in the said kingdoms they may
not lack sustenance, small though it be--as indeed it must be small,
considering the amount which is sent them. It never surpasses four
hundred or five hundred pesos; and the manner of sending it is well
known to this witness. It was to ask the captains, or some other
persons who went in the ships belonging to the city of Macan, to
carry to the fathers in Japan their support every year, since many
of these persons, as soon as they went from here, made the voyage
to the kingdom of Iapon. The testimony ends with the most emphatic
affirmation of the exemplary life of the members of the order, and
of their high reputation.]