elongs to the alcaldeship of Zibu; and on the coast of Zambales at
the boundaries of the village of Cabangan. The inference from the
above is that the missionary religious had to hide in the caverns
of the mountains in all districts; to look for their sheep in the
deserts; go without food, or live on herbs of the field; to suffer
the inclemencies of the weather, which is a martyrdom in Philipinas;
and always to flee from one part to another without other relief
by sea or land than fears and fatigues. What is lacking, then,
to those ministers of the evangelical doctrine to enable them to
say that they are toiling in apostolic missions? Now, did those who
began the conquest of America or those of Philipinas endure the more
grievous and continual persecutions? Therefore, if those were worthy
of receiving the exemption, because they were employed at the cost
of their lives in the promulgation of the faith, no change ought to
be introduced in these missions.

742. The procedure of our religious in resisting the subjection
of the ordinaries is justified even more by that which causes the
anxiety of the ministers, if one considers the fact (on which their
resistance is founded) that the proper administration of those souls
is morally impossible. For that we must assume that the king assigns
one missionary to each five hundred tributes or families. But our
districts, especially those of the islands of Luzon, Calamianes,
and Mindoro, although each does not exceed three hundred tributes;
need each one or two religious in order that they may be looked after
as is necessary for the preaching and for the [spiritual] food of
the holy sacraments. This arises from the fact that each mission
is extended over a distance of twenty or thirty leguas, without
its being possible to make any other arrangement. For although the
reduction into large settlements has been attempted, for the more
suitable spiritual administration it has been impossible to attain
that. On the contrary, whenever it has been attempted, Christianity
has decreased. In the islands of Mindanao, Romblon, and Masbate,
the missions have more people, for they contain from six to eight
hundred tributes. But, for the same reason, each one needs three or
four religious; and even that number must be on the road continually
in order to fulfil their obligations as parish priests. Hence it
results (the stipends not being received in proportion to the number
of the religious but in