the dictates of his conscience, he made the latter
leave Manila, under pretext of going to pacify an
encomienda that he had given him. Finally, things
became so linked together, that the above-mentioned
man took refuge in our convent, for he had not found
a kindly reception in any other. There dispossessed
of his encomienda, which had been taken from him, he
suffered for one year, what that same gentleman knows;
until that, with the arrival at these islands of the
inspector Don Francisco de Rojas, he left the cloister—saying
that he had not sinned against king, governor, or
state; but that, if he suffered, it was for his misconduct
toward our order in Sugbu. I might write thousands
of things concerning these events, where, as in the
above, one might see the gain made by the religious,
and at what cost to them, as said Christ: Eritis
odio omnibus propter nomen meum. [118] Consequently,
I cannot quite understand how the Spaniards should
desire us in these ministries, so that, by our attending
to our obligations, they could take pleasure therein.
This people whom we have in charge are rustic, uncivilized,
lawless, and have no more system of action than the
will of their chiefs. Now, then, how can these
people become Christians, unless they are gathered
together, and restrained; and if the religious, as
fathers and masters, do not punish them? And if
a father has the well-known jurisdiction over his
son—and this jurisdiction is extended much
more in the case of a master—why do we not
have something for these two titles? For if the
Indians have no fear or respect for the religious,
of what advantage is our stay here? And how can
we compel those already christianized to fulfil their
duties, if the Indian feels that the father can not
punish him? For they detest, as a rule, church
matters—to such an extent, that they would
even pay two tributes to be free from the church.
They love their old beliefs and revelries so strongly
that they would lose their souls for them. Without
any fear, how would they attend to their duties?
The extensive kingdom of China is more densely populated
than any other that is known, and there is the greatest
poverty among the common people, who are given to theft,
murder, and innumerable other sins. Yet it is
the most peaceful kingdom known and has no gallows
or execution, but [they are restrained] by means only
of their fear of the bamboo with which they are beaten.
Now if the Indian lack this fear, who can bring him
to reason? The Indians are daily growing worse,
for they are losing fear. Daily utterances are
made against the religious that they cannot punish
them, and should not do it. This reacts against
the Spaniards themselves, for, once aroused, the Indians
will rebel when least expected; and they know already
how to wield a sword and use an arquebus.