being visited, they say that, inasmuch as the obstacles of their
disturbance and relaxation of discipline were always to be found,
which induced the apostolic see to exempt them from the visits of
the ordinaries--which obstacles would be more and greater in the
Yndias, if authority were given for it--they would not refuse the
reverence, respect, and submission due to the bishops, as prelates
and shepherds of the Church of God. They said that they were under
greater obligations to them than to any one else, and would respect
them and receive them into their convents with proper reverence,
as they had always done; and that, obeying what his Majesty ordered,
they would be very glad to have them visit in their churches the most
holy sacrament, the baptismal font, and what concerns it; but in all
matters outside the above-mentioned, they petitioned his Majesty not
to give the bishops authority or entrance, for that would mean the
perpetual disquiet and ruin of their order.

But as for that which the said orders of Nueva Espana declared in that
reply, namely, that the obstacles of disturbance and relaxed discipline
were bound to follow the visits of the bishops, for which the apostolic
see was induced to exempt them from their jurisdiction; nevertheless,
it will be considered that a very different reason will be found
to prevail in this case in respect to which, as regards religious
from whom visits are exempted, they have their special rules and
regulations, which are peculiar to each order. Both for that reason,
and because their institute, life, and government is of the cloister,
and they have no administration, dominion, and jurisdiction over
persons of the world, it was most advisable to give them superiors
who had been reared in the same life, customs, and rules of religion,
since, moreover, their profession was simply that of religious.

But the ministry of the care of souls that the religious exercise
is not of the cloister, nor does it depend on their special rule or
institute; nor in regard to such are they at all different from the
secular curas, both touching the religious ministers themselves,
and touching the persons who are ministered to, whose spiritual
government is in charge of the bishops.

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 t