The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XXIII, 1629-30 | Page 5

and the ecclesiastical authorities, in Bishop Salazar's time, regarding the religious jurisdiction of the former.
Further extension of missions is made during the provincialate of Fray Diego de Alvarez (elected in 1584). Each district in which a mission is introduced or enlarged is described by our writer, who adds many pertinent and interesting observations on the natives and their character, their relations with the Spaniards, the affairs of his order, the progress of the colony, the products of the country, etc.
The Editors December, 1904.

DOCUMENTS OF 1629-1630
Decree regarding mission appointments in the Indias. Felipe IV; April 6, 1629. Letter from Manila Dominicans to Felipe IV. Diego Duarte, and others; May 12, 1629. Letters to Felipe IV. Juan Ni?o de Tavora; August 1, 1629. Relation of 1629-30. [Unsigned; July, 1630.] Letters to Felipe IV. Juan Ni?o de Tavora; July 30 and August 4, 1630.
_Sources_: Of these documents, the first is obtained from Pastells's edition of Colin's _Labor evangélica_, iii, p. 686; the fourth, from the Ventura del Arco MSS. (Ayer library), i, pp. 617-625; and the remainder from MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.
_Translations_: All these documents are translated by James A. Robertson.

Decree Regarding Mission Appointments in the Indias
The King. Inasmuch as I have been informed that--notwithstanding that it has been ruled and decreed, in virtue of the prerogative of my royal patronage, that the provincials of the orders in my Western Indias, whenever they have to propose any religious for the instruction or for the administration of sacraments, or to remove him who should have been appointed, shall give notice thereof to my viceroy, president, Audiencia, or governor, who should have charge of the superior government of the province, and to the bishop; and that he who may have been already appointed be not removed until another has been appointed in his place--for some time past, the said provincials have been introducing the custom of dismissing and removing the religious teacher who is stationed at any mission, and appointing another in his place, solely on their own authority, without giving notice to the said viceroy, or the persons above mentioned, as they have done on various occasions. They also claim that if a religious is once approved by the bishop for a mission, he needs no further approbation for any other mission to which his provincial may transfer him. If the archbishops or bishops of the diocese where such a thing occurs try to hinder it, the provincials base various lawsuits upon that point, whence follow many injurious and troublesome results. In order to obviate these, the matter having been discussed and considered by the members of my Council of the Indias, with their assent and advice I have deemed it advisable to ordain and order--as by the present I do ordain and order--that now and henceforth, in regard to the said provincials removing and appointing the religious of the said missions, they shall observe and obey what is ordained on that head by the said my royal patronage, according to what is mentioned in this my decree. They shall not violate or disobey it in any way; and in addition to it, whenever they shall have to appoint any religious to the said missions in their charge--whether because of the promotion of him who serves it, or by his death, or for any other reason--they shall nominate from among their religious those who shall appear most suitable for such mission, upon which their consciences are charged. This nomination shall be presented before my viceroy, president, or governor (or to the person who shall exercise the superior government, in my name, of the province where such mission shall be located), so that from the three nominated he may select one. This choice shall be sent to the archbishop or bishop of that diocese, so that the said archbishop or bishop may make the provision, collation, and canonical institution of such mission, in accordance with the choice and by virtue of such presentation. In regard to the pretension made by the said provincials, namely, that if a religious be once approved for a mission, it must be understood that that approbation is to answer for all the other missions to which he may be appointed, I consider it advisable to declare--as I declare and order by the present--that the religious who shall have once been examined and approved by the bishop for a mission, remain examined and approved for all the other missions of the same language to which he shall be appointed afterward. But if the mission for which his provincial shall present him be of a different language, he must be examined and approved anew in it; and, until he shall be examined and approved, he cannot serve in the mission. I order my viceroys, presidents, and governors of