ressed
or their tacit approval, took possession of the government of the
archbishopric. They declared that the banishment of the archbishop must
be construed as the vacation of his see, although their action might
better be called a spiritual adultery--for, while the spouse of this
church was still living, the cabildo intruded their presence in order
to abuse her; and, although in reality they were but sons and subjects,
they had the audacity to occupy their father's marriage-bed. At the
head of this action was the dean, who with dexterity and artifice
lured on the rest to consent to this monstrous deed; and because
one, a racionero, would not consent, they thrust him out of the
chapter-room. Government by the cabildo having been declared, it
was an easy thing for this same dean to cause them to appoint him
as provisor; and in virtue of this fantastical jurisdiction he went
on undoing what had been done, and making blunders--liberating all
those who had been imprisoned by the [ecclesiastical] tribunal,
[153] giving permission to all the clerics to hear confessions,
absolving ad cautelam the excommunicated (especially the executor
[i.e., Ortega] who had been publicly posted), and promulgating an
Octavian peace, like that of which the prophet says, Dicunt, "pax,
pax," et non erat pax. [154]

Among this confusion of affairs, the perplexity that existed in the
consciences of men was very noticeable: for some, endeavoring to
flatter those who were in power, gave their approval to all that
these had done, saying that they had not incurred any censure,
and that the jurisdiction of the cabildo was valid; but others,
with more pious judgment, regarded the said jurisdiction as either
fanciful or monstrous, and therefore felt scruples regarding all
their transactions--and not least in regard to intercourse with
those persons who had taken part in the arrest of the archbishop
and other ecclesiastics. This was the feeling of our religious, and
therefore they endeavored to refrain from intercourse with [those]
secular persons, that they might not incur danger from having
communication with excommunicated persons. [155] This withdrawal
being resented by the parties concerned, they began to calumniate us
as inciters of sedition, saying that with our scruples we disturbed
the peace which the cabildo and their dean had striven to introduce
in this community. In consequence of this, the father provincial was
notified, in the following y