rom whom I have experienced it,
I shall receive all kindness. May our Lord preserve your Lordship,
as I desire. From San Diego. Your Lordship's chaplain,

_Fray Martin Ynacio de Loyola_

[_Endorsed_: "No date."]

Opinion of Fray Martin Ignacio de Loyola

In order that the Yndias may not be ruined, they should be dependent
upon and subordinate to Espana, and there should be close relationship
between the different parts.

This subordination and relationship consists in two things: first,
in what concerns the government--political, spiritual, and temporal,
and therefore it is advisable that the viceroys, governors, bishops,
vicars, and commissaries-general should be sent from Espana. True,
those who have gone from these parts and fulfil their duties properly
there, should be rewarded since they have worked, and merit this
favor more than those going from Espana.

By reason of the lack of this subordination and relationship, we
know that many kingdoms which were converted to the faith returned to
paganism. A good example of this is furnished in Eastern Yndia, where
the apostle St. Thomas converted innumerable souls in the kingdom
of Bisnaga, Cuylan, Cochin, and Caratuete. But after the death of
St. Thomas, as there was no communication either with Palestina or
Roma, in three or four generations there was not one Christian. Until
now, for two hundred years Babylonian bishops have gone there; and
now there are many Portuguese.

The second thing essential to the relationship between the Yndias
and Espana is that there should be commerce and trade between those
kingdoms. This is extremely needful, for, if commerce should cease,
then communication would cease; and, should the latter cease, within a
few generations there would be no Christians there. That which causes
most inquiry to this commerce and communication, is the diversion
of the commerce between the Yndias and Espana to other kingdoms,
not belonging to his Majesty, but heathen and pagan; such is now the
case between Nueva Espana, Peru, and the Filipinas, which receive
annually two million pesos of silver; all of this wealth passes into
the possession of the Chinese, and is not brought to Espana, to the
consequent loss of the royal duties, and injury to the inhabitants of
the Filipinas; and the greatest loss, with the lapse of time, will
be that rebounding upon the Yndias themselves. All the projects and
prohibitions that have been devised to remedy this los