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. 36]

1649-i666] RECOLLECT MISSIONS, I646-60

I83

suffice to administer two hundred families well in
our villages, how could a single one look after five
hundred families? Then, if (and this could be
proved with exactness) the children or neophytes
begged the bread of the teaching of the faith, there
would be no one to attend to that need. Therefore,
our holy reformed branch foreseeing so formidable
and unavoidable consequences do very well in abandoning the missions. For there is no reason why they
should load injuries upon themselves which cannot
be corrected afterward, and of which their prelates
must render account to God.
744. Let us conclude this matter by stating one
other motive for the justification of our religious in
resisting exercise as parish priests, when one tries to
subject them to the visitation and correction of the
bishops. It is a constant fact that the Christianity of
the Philipinas Islands cannot maintain itself unless
numerous missions be continually taken thither from
Europa. For there are few sons of Spaniards there
(to whom only the habit can be given), and of those
few the smallest number are inclined to the religious
estate. I state then, that in case of the said subjection
it would be impracticable to take missionaries there,
especially those of our holy discalced branch. Consequently, the administration of the missions could
not be cared for, as is already seen, when affairs are
going to the prejudice of the Catholic faith. In order
to prove the aforesaid, we must take it for granted
that each religious causes an expense of practically
one thousand pesos from the time he leaves his convent in Espafia until he sets foot in Manila- about
one-half of which is paid from the royal treasury,
while the remainder is supplied by the order. To