nothing of thirty thousand
of income which he would lose; for all the encomiendas are his. These
islands would be left without one soldier, and your Lordship and the
religious would alone remain; but within eight days there would be
none of you left. Your Lordship may be sure of one thing: until I
receive express orders from my king to do so, I can make no change
whatever in regard to the encomiendas, by reducing or cutting off
their income. It is twenty-six years since they were first instituted,
and during twelve years your Lordship has known that they were in
this condition; and yet you have until now maintained silence. [The
governor again declares that he will not change his attitude; and that
he has no right to interfere between the king and the encomenderos. It
is his business to establish justice, and the encomenderos are bound
to provide instruction; but they must have the means to do so.] Your
Lordship does not provide religious to minister to the Indians,
because you have none; but you have never been willing to give these
good Christian laymen whom I have mentioned permission to go among
them meanwhile to do this good work, although the encomenderos have
many times asked for them, both since and before I came here. But your
Lordship replies that you are not willing that any layman should teach
them to make the sign of the cross; accordingly nothing is done for
them. [The governor justifies some minor provisions of his decree,
on a basis practically the same as has already been set forth; and,
in his turn, cites various learned theologians. He requests the bishop
to prevent the clergy from discussing this subject in their pulpits,
as they have often done, which is not fitting to the uses of a house
dedicated to God.]

Letter from Salazar to Dasmarinas

[The bishop replies (March 8) to the foregoing letter, which he
accuses of being inspired by others than the governor--presumably
by the Jesuits, since the name of Joseph de Acosta rouses Salazar
to anger; he declares that "the doctrine contained in that book [1]
is exceedingly pernicious, and erroneous in regard to the Indias,"
and warns the governor that under their guidance he will infallibly
plunge into many errors. The land will go to ruin, and the governor and
his advisers will be responsible therefor. He defends himself against
what he considers unjust aspersions on his character, and remonstrates
against the governor's neglect of his counsels.