he latter leave Manila, under pretext of going to pacify an
encomienda that he had given him. Finally, things became so linked
together, that the above-mentioned man took refuge in our convent, for
he had not found a kindly reception in any other. There dispossessed
of his encomienda, which had been taken from him, he suffered for one
year, what that same gentleman knows; until that, with the arrival
at these islands of the inspector Don Francisco de Rojas, he left
the cloister--saying that he had not sinned against king, governor,
or state; but that, if he suffered, it was for his misconduct toward
our order in Sugbu. I might write thousands of things concerning
these events, where, as in the above, one might see the gain made
by the religious, and at what cost to them, as said Christ: _Eritis
odio omnibus propter nomen meum_. [118] Consequently, I cannot quite
understand how the Spaniards should desire us in these ministries,
so that, by our attending to our obligations, they could take pleasure
therein. This people whom we have in charge are rustic, uncivilized,
lawless, and have no more system of action than the will of their
chiefs. Now, then, how can these people become Christians, unless
they are gathered together, and restrained; and if the religious,
as fathers and masters, do not punish them? And if a father has the
well-known jurisdiction over his son--and this jurisdiction is extended
much more in the case of a master--why do we not have something for
these two titles? For if the Indians have no fear or respect for the
religious, of what advantage is our stay here? And how can we compel
those already christianized to fulfil their duties, if the Indian feels
that the father can not punish him? For they detest, as a rule, church
matters--to such an extent, that they would even pay two tributes to
be free from the church. They love their old beliefs and revelries so
strongly that they would lose their souls for them. Without any fear,
how would they attend to their duties? The extensive kingdom of China
is more densely populated than any other that is known, and there is
the greatest poverty among the common people, who are given to theft,
murder, and innumerable other sins. Yet it is the most peaceful kingdom
known and has no gallows or execution, but [they are restrained] by
means only of their fear of the bamboo with which they are beaten. Now
if the Indian lack this fear, who can bring him to reason? The Indi