was taken charge of
by the father definitor, Fray Eugenio de los Santos, the bachelor,
Don Martin Diaz, being removed. All that was concluded before the
end of the year 1679 without disturbance, lawsuits, or dissensions.

798. The above-mentioned religious were accompanied by three others
of whose names we are ignorant. Immediately did that holy squadron
commence to announce the testimony of Christ, with sermons founded on
the manifestation of virtue, spirit, and example, and not on illusory
persuasion which is built on naught but words, which are confirmatory
of human wisdom. They considered especially that they had to give
strict account of those souls whose direction had just been given
them. Consequently, they watched over their flock, hastening to their
sheep with the right food, without avoiding the greatest fatigue. Hence
could one recognize the great good fortune of the island of Mindoro,
for in the territory where three seculars at most, and generally only
two, lived formerly, six evangelical laborers had enough to do. They
were later increased to eight, and that number was never or but rarely
decreased. Each of them on his part produced most abundant fruits at
that time, and under all circumstances the same has been obtained. For
although the common enemy diffused much discord during the first tasks
of their apostolic labor in order thereby to choke the pure grain of
the divine word by making use therefor of a man, namely, Admiral Don
Joseph de Chaves, encomendero of almost the entire island, at last by
Ours exercising their innate prudence and their unalterable patience,
the grace of God was triumphant, while the attempts of Satan were
a mockery.

799. Father Fray Juan Francisco de San Antonio remarked very forcibly
of our discalced religious that, "although they were the last gospel
laborers in Philipinas, they have competed in their apostolic zeal
with the first laborers in the fruits that they gathered from their
labors in the reduction of the most barbarous islanders." [44] And
the father master, Fray Joseph Sicardo, adds very fittingly, that
"our discalced religious having received the great island of Mindoro,
increased the Christianity of its natives by means of so zealous
ministers." [45] Then, as appears from juridical instruments before me,
although the Christians throughout the island when our reformed order
assumed charge of it did not exceed four thousand, in the year 1692
they already exceeded