The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 2]

1521-1569] WARRANT OF AUGUSTINIANS

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to comply with our mandates - yet now in virtue of
the Holy Ghost we command you, the above-named
brethren, to set out in this first voyage with the fleet
which the illustrious and well-born knight Miguel
L6pez de Legazpi, governor and commander of the
fleet, whom ours " style captain-general, is to conduct to the aforesaid lands. We exhort and pray you
earnestly, as far as we may in the Lord, to be in all
things as the good actor of God, as becometh the holy
ones and ministers of God, in all virtues - especially
humility, patience, and discipline.
Chiefly, however, we desire to have shine forth in
your deeds that singular and renowned token of
Christians which our Savior Christ, when on the
point of offering up his most innocent life and his
most holy blood - that thereby, in rescuing us from
the deadliest of fates, he might ensure the freedom
of mortals -commended repeatedly to his followers
as a countersign, in these words: "By this shall all
men know that you are my disciples, if you have love
one for another." This is that priceless boon of charity which Paul styles " the bond of perfection," which
we trust may not only shine forth from your midst -
whereby you should cling to Christ as a companion,
and seek the possession of his spirit -but that the
same affection of peace and love flow thence from you
to all other men as from a clear fountain, to the end
that those who have made profession of this soldiership in Christ may cling to one another in the mutual
bond of charity, to the maintenance amidst the clash
of arms of that " grace which," the Apostle affirms,
"is above all sense." For peace, be it known, dwells
T' Ours: a familiar term in use by members of a religious order,
referring to their fellows therein.