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

also desire to break up the native habits
of sloth and vagabondage, by compelling the Indians to live in villages;
but many Spaniards oppose this policy. Medina recounts the difficulties
between the friars 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 Niño de Tavora;
August 1, 1629. Relation of 1629-30. [Unsigned; July, 1630.] Letters to
Felipe IV. Juan Niño 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