The election of father Fray Alonso Ximenez as provincial
On the ninth of April, 1592, the Sunday Deus qui errantibus--which is
the third after Easter, and the customary day for holding provincial
chapters--the electors assembled in the convent of Manila to elect a
provincial; and they unanimously elected as second provincial of this
province father Fray Alonso Ximenez, who was at that time prior. He was
a very devout friar, an aged man and venerable, whose fervor of spirit
caused him to work like a youth at a time when his great age and the
many hardships which he had endured justly required rest. There were
chosen as definitors fathers Fray Francisco de la Mina, Fray Juan de
Castro (nephew of him who had just filled the office of provincial),
Fray Thomas Castellar, and Fray Juan de San Pedro Martyr. The vicariate
of Binalatongan was entrusted to father Fray Luis Gandullo, that of
Calasiao to father Fray Pedro de Soto, and that of Bataan to father
Fray Juan de San Pedro Martyr. As prior of the convent of Manila was
elected father Fray Francisco de la Mina, being compelled to undertake
it by his obedience, after he had accommodated himself to the ministry
of Bataan, and had learned the language with great effort. He had
begun to learn it when he was almost seventy years of age, and had
been greatly pleased with these Indians because he had found in them
greater ability than in those of Nueva Espana, to whom he had been
a missionary for forty years. Although this long term of service
would have justified him in resting when he was relieved from labor,
he was so far from this that he spent nearly the whole day with his
Indians in Bataan, hearing them confess, teaching them, and showing
them the way to salvation, because of the great love which he felt
for them. So he much regretted leaving them, to take the position of
prior at Manila--although they needed in the convent a man of his
endowments, and the duties in the convent were less laborious than
those of the ministry that he then had. But this was the very thing
that grieved him, because he had not come to that province to rest
but to labor--insomuch that he feared those who were taking away his
labors were depriving him of his merit. But the order of his superior
made everything plain, and assured him that he would not lose but gain
merit in this way, since his good-will was worth as much with God as
many labors; and, besides this, he would gain in addition that merit
which the position of prior could give him, which, for those who are
such priors as this father was, is not a small but a great increase.
Excellent ordinances were enacted in this chapter. The first was, that
those confessors who had not been examined in the province should
be examined before they received confessions. For this examiners
were appointed--not because the few who were in the province were
not of known competency and had not been examined in other provinces
before, but to establish a matter of such importance firmly at the very
beginning; and to have the medicine anticipate and prevent the disease,
as the Holy Spirit counseled, and as was very wise. They established
in the convent lectures in theology, and appointed as lecturer father
Fray Juan Cobo. Anyone who will consider how few the religious were,
and how much they had to do, one performing the work of many, will
see the esteem which these fathers felt for the exercises of sacred
theology (which are so appropriate to our order), and will think
very highly of this care. It was ordained that the preachers to the
Indians should follow in their sermons the form of the Roman catechism,
teaching them the virtue and necessity of the holy sacraments, and
the reverence and devotion with which they must be treated. Since by
the mercy of God the Indians have given signs of approaching them in
the spirit necessary to receive them, and since they were every day
increasing in works of charity and mercy, and exhibiting their faith,
it was ordained that they should be instructed thoroughly in regard
to this matter; and that those sufficiently instructed should be
admitted to the most holy sacrament of the altar, and in time to
extreme unction. They repeatedly impressed upon their own memory
the ordinance passed in the first chapter, namely, that they should
treat the Indians with great love and charity, not only in words,
but in works--aiding them in their necessities with alms, as much
as might be possible for them, and in all things treating them with
the spirit of mildness. This ordinance further provided that if at
any time there should be necessity for punishment [of the Indians],
it should be performed by the hands of others, in order that from our
hands they might receive nothing but benefit and might thus become
devoted to the law which we preached. The chapter was held with
great solemnity and joy, as the church was then used for the first
time. It was now very beautiful, and was built wholly of stone. To
crown the feast they held some theological discussions, certain
moral difficulties being therein vindicated and explained. These
difficulties had to do with that which at that time was of the
greatest importance; in particular they discussed questions of great
weight with regard to the collection of the tributes, [49] and the
justice with which encomiendas and other places of profit ought to
be distributed; and with regard to slavery in this country, since,
because it does not follow the laws of Espana, but conforms to the
customs of the Indians, it presents peculiar difficulties. But the
point which they discussed most, and with the greatest profit, was the
obligation of the ministers to the Indians to remain among them and
preach the gospel to them, and to keep them in the law which those
who were already Christians had received. It was shown with great
clearness that, in the condition in which affairs were, the priests
who were in these islands could not leave them without being guilty
of mortal sin against the charity which we owe to these Indians our
neighbors--who are placed in the most extreme need of ministers to
teach them, and to administer the sacraments to them, without which
it is impossible for them to be saved. Since the Indians who were in
this state of necessity were so many, and the priests so few that,
even though their number were many times increased, there would not be
enough, it was inferred with clearness that those who went away were
guilty of most grievous sin. It was concluded that they were obliged
to give an account to the Lord of the souls which should be lost on
account of their absence, the number of whom must of necessity be very
great. This teaching was of great importance and usefulness in calming
some priests and religious whom the love of their own country was
drawing back to Espana; and thus there resulted much consolation and
improvement to the Indians. [At this time there occurred an incident
which very greatly impressed the Chinese Christians, and caused them
to respect the directions of their confessors. The incident might be
called a punishment, but it was the punishment of a kindly father, as
the punishments of the Lord often are; and it resulted in the entire
salvation of a soul. In 1590 a Chinese Christian bookseller called
Pablo Hechiu desired to return in the vessels which left Manila for
China. He did not dare tell any of the fathers, because he knew that
they would interfere with his departure; but he was unable to keep
the matter secret from father Fray Juan Cobo. The father did what he
could to keep him from going away, because of the danger which he ran
of relapsing into idolatry; but the Chinese succeeded in eluding him,
and departed for China. The vessel in which he took passage was cast
upon the mountainous coast of Bolinao. [50] Though the people on board
escaped to land, they lost their lives, because the Indians of this
country, the Zambales or mountaineers, are ferocious, and find their
greatest delight in slaying men and cutting off their heads, for no
other reason than their own wicked disposition. They are trained up in
this from childhood. When they saw the wretched Chinese cast on shore,
they fell upon them, robbed them of everything they had saved from the
wreck, and killed as many as they could; these were nearly all--some
few escaping, and hiding themselves in the most thickly overgrown parts
of the mountain. Among those who thus escaped was Pablo Hechiu. He
remained there hidden for a fortnight, without daring to come out
from the place where he had concealed himself; and, having no food,
he died, leaving on two crosses made of bamboo a written account of
what had happened to him. This came to light in the following way. The
governor of Manila sent a strong expedition against these Zambales,
which sought for them all through those mountains. Some of the scouts
came upon Pablo Hechiu, his body, entire and dried, leaning against
the foot of a tree. The preservation of the body was an extraordinary
thing; and still more extraordinary was it that Christians should go
through a region which had probably never been trodden by the feet
of Catholics since the world was created, because the country was
mountainous and visited by the Zambales alone, and the place was
hidden even from them by the thickness of the undergrowth.
At this time died the venerable father Fray Juan de Castro, first
vicar-general and provincial of this province. It was he who had
established and kept it in the happy state in which it was. He was
born in Burgos, of noble race; and his father, being left a widower,
had entered our convent of San Pablo at Burgos. He had left his
son in the world, but was followed by him into the religious life
when the son reached maturity. The son was scholarly and well read
in the saints. Against his father's wishes he went to the province
of Guatimala, where he became twice provincial. The prudent king
Felipe II appointed him to the bishopric of Vera Paz [sc., Cruz], and
sent him the royal letter of presentation to the said bishopric. The
father not only desired to be excused from accepting, but concealed the
matter until he desired to go to China. When the fathers endeavored to
obstruct his purpose he threatened, if they would not let him make this
journey, to make the other to his bishopric, which was further away and
from which he would never come back. This was only a threat, because he
had taken a vow not to accept the bishopric, and was resolved to keep
it. He was a kindly man, and very easy of access. He was given to the
use of old proverbs. He had great skill in extricating himself quickly
from useless business. He was much given to the reading of the [lives
of the] saints, which in dead letters contain living thoughts. When
he said mass he used to water the altar with his tears, though he
strove greatly to control himself. His addresses to the order had
such fervor, devotion, tenderness, and gentleness that those who
heard them regarded them as words from heaven, and went forth from
them with new spirit. This was especially true of his address at the
first chapter, when he assigned the fathers to their duties. It then
seemed as if it was not he that spoke, but the Holy Spirit. There
is much that goes to show that this is true. Father Juan himself was
accustomed to say that he was certain that he had made no mistake in
this assignment--something which those who know him and who know his
humility would attribute to nothing else than divine revelation. Those
who were in this chapter accepted, without a single word, the duties
assigned to each one, although these were such things as might cause
trembling in the souls of giants in virtue, being no less than driving
the devil out of his own house and his ancient abiding-place. At
times the father seems to have shown the spirit of prophecy. In one
case he declared that there were those before him who, as he knew,
had never lost their baptismal innocence. This is proof of itself
that he spoke not without some inspiration from without his own
mind. Second, he declared that all those who were before him should
go through life without falling into mortal sin. Those who listened to
him understood that he was speaking of the sin of the flesh, which is
that from which those are least safe who accept the ministry of souls,
[even] with humility and in the fear of God. This is especially true
before they learn by experience how much God helps those who fulfil
this office in loving obedience to Him. On several other occasions
father Fray Juan showed that he had the spirit of prophecy. He told
Fray Juan de Soria that he would leave the order, but not to his own
blame, rather to the glory of God and the happiness of the provincial,
as was fulfilled. By anointing a brother who suffered from scrofula,
he cured him; but when he was about to anoint Fray Domingo de Nieva,
who suffered from headache, he stopped and withdrew the holy oil,
saying that it was not God's will. Father Fray Juan had special
grace and power to arouse devotion in those with whom he talked, in
confession or in private conversation. The infirmities with which he
was afflicted as a result of the exposure and the hardships which he
suffered in China never entirely left him. He held the chapter which
elected as his successor father Fray Alonso Ximenez, and immediately
afterward went to the hospital of the Chinese, asking to be cared for
as a poor man--preferring to die there rather than in the convent,
not only because he might die there with greater humility and poverty,
but because he would be less disturbed by visits, and would have more
opportunity to be alone with God. In his last days he was afflicted
with fears of the judgment of God. To his last moment he observed
the rigorous rules of the order. When at last he died, he left the
religious edified and consoled by his example, but most sad to lose
him, for merely to see him had comforted them.]