“And inasmuch as some of the inhabitants of those islands, and members of the above-mentioned orders, eager to see new things, and wandering or passing from one district to another, abandon those newly converted and baptized; and inasmuch as such persons cause the latter at times to revert to idolatry, which is greatly to be deplored; and inasmuch as many others who otherwise would acknowledge the faith and accede to baptism neglect it on account of the lack of ministers, or remain in infidelity; and inasmuch as the religious themselves, ignorant even of the languages of those districts, are despised, to the shame of their orders, and render more difficult the conversion of the Indians:  We, desirous of checking this evil by an opportune remedy, strictly forbid and prohibit all and singular, of whatever religious order, and all others whomsoever who are engaged in the conversion of the infidels and the teaching of Christian doctrine, under penalty of excommunication, not to dare or presume to go from a pacified to an unpacified land, except by the express license and command of their bishop and of the religious superiors, given in writing.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, under the seal of the fisherman, April xviii, MDXCI, in the first year of our pontificate.”

See Pastells’s Colin, ut supra, iii, p. 679.

[9] Tomo i of his Questiones regulares et canonicae was published at Salamanca in 1598; another edition, in four volumes, was issued some years later.

[10] Probably contained in his Epitome, o compendio de la Suma (Madrid, 1610).

[11] See the bulls concerning the Indias granted by Alexander VI, in Vol.  I of this series, pp. 97-114.  The bull here referred to is the Inter caetera of May 4, 1493.

[12] This bull was dated May 9, 1522, and begins Omnimodo exponi nobis; it grants authority to the friars of the mendicant orders to go to the Indias, after securing permission from their king or from his royal council.  See Pastells’s Colin, ut supra, iii, p. 677.

[13] See this decree ante, note 6.

[14] The original of this decree is in the Archivo general of Sevilla, “Cartas y expedientes del gobernador de Filipinas vistos en el Consejo; anos 1567-99; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 10.”

[15] The two decrees here mentioned (see Pastells’s Colin, ut supra, iii, pp. 684, 685)—­the originals of which are conserved in Archivo general de Indias, having the same pressmark as that in the preceding note—­are respectively as follows: 

“The King:  To the president and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the city of Manila, of the Philipinas Islands.  Certain prelates of those regions have written to me that many religious who are appointed to the missions of Indians which are in charge of the orders do not have the competency and qualities that are required for the office of cura, which they fill; that they do not know the language