igious of the Order of
St. Augustine of a certain chapel of Nuestra Senora de Guia, which
had been erected into a parish; and how the friars of the Order of
St. Francis, on their own authority, and without any permission,
had established another church in the village of Dilao; and the
freedom with which the said fathers of St. Augustine acted, and
the arrogance shown by them in not receiving a visitor of their
order. As these are matters that should be carefully looked after,
I charge and command you neither to allow nor give opportunity for
such irregularities, and to take measures to check and correct them,
with the utmost discretion, and by the most expedient means possible,
advising me of all that may occur. Valladolid, on the third of June
of the year one thousand six hundred and four.

_I The King_

Countersigned by Joan de Ybarra; signed by the members of the Council.

[_Note at beginning of MS._: "To the governor of the Philipinas,
directing him to take effective measures to check and correct in future
the high-handed proceedings of the Augustinian religious. Corrected."]

The King: Most reverend father in Christ, the archbishop of Manila,
and member of my Council: A letter from you has been received and
examined in my Council of the Yndias, from which has been learned your
advice to the effect that when it is necessary to summon councils
to discuss reforms in certain matters, the religious of the orders
do not attend them as they should, availing themselves as they do
of the privileges which they hold; and that some of them abandon the
missions of Indians which they have already instructed and baptized,
and dispose of and exchange the appurtenances and furniture of the
churches where they administer the sacraments. I thank you for the care
and zeal for the service of our Lord with which you ascertained this,
and have given me an account of it. However, in so far as concerns the
councils, measures will be taken to have his Holiness order a brief
to be issued directing the said religious to attend the said councils
when the prelates summon them. As for the exchanges and sales of the
properties of the churches which you say the teaching religious make,
you will check these by the remedies of the law, excommunicating and
punishing those who oppose you. Accordingly I charge you to do this;
and to be watchful for the preservation and instruction of the natives,
so that what they need may be furnished to t