And since it is a fact that the religious who accepts an executorship is obliged to give a strict account of it to the bishop—­nor does he fulfil his duty by giving it to his superior, if it is a matter with which the deceased entrusted him, who made election and a confidant of him—­with very much greater reason ought an account of the administration of the souls that are immediately in charge of the same bishop be given to him; and although in proof of that many other arguments might be adduced, none will be so effective and so conclusive as to consider that while there were, as is true, so many so aged, learned, grave, and holy religious of all the orders present in the holy council of Trent, who propounded as many difficulties and obstacles as they could offer, yet the holy council decreed and ordered as we have seen.

In conformity with that, notwithstanding the said reply which the orders of Nueva Espana gave to the decree of his Majesty, the orders of his Majesty in regard to the said visits seem to have been obeyed, for ten years after another royal decree was despatched, which the said father, Fray Juan Baptista, mentions on folio 396 of the said book, as follows: 

“The King.  Reverend father in Christ, bishop of the city of Antequera, of the valley of Huajaca, of Nueva Espana, and member of my council:  Inasmuch as I have heard that the religious who reside in those regions, busied in the instruction and conversion of the Indians, give out that it is a cause of great disquiet and uneasiness to them for you to send to visit them, in regard to curacies, by clerics or religious of other orders; and as it is advisable to avoid all occasions that may divert them from their chief end, especially since (as they say) it is contrary to their institutes, and is the occasion of their living disconsolate, and that they are molested:  I request and charge you that when you are unable to visit in person the missions of that bishopric—­in accordance with the order in my decree of June first, one thousand five hundred and eighty-five, [13] where this matter is discussed at greater length—­for the said visits of religious who shall be in those missions, in regard to matters of curacies, of the most holy sacrament, of the baptismal font, of the building of churches, and all else concerning them, and the divine worship, you send religious of the same orders.  Consequently, where there are Dominican friars, a friar of the same order shall be sent as visitor; and the same shall be observed with Augustinians, Franciscans, and those of the Order of Mercy, and of the Society.  That shall be observed for the cases and in the manner contained in the above-mentioned decree.  Given in Madrid, December twenty-one, one thousand five hundred and ninety-five. [14]

[I The King]

By order of the king our sovereign: 

Juan de Ybarra”