The Inhabitants of the PhilippinesSawyer, Frederic H.
History
The Inhabitants of the Philippines
Sawyer, Frederic H.
Ethnology -- Philippines; Philippines -- Social life and customs
The Order traces its inception to the town of Hippo, and fixes
the date at A.D. 395. Many, doubtless, were its vicissitudes, but
in the year 1061, and again in 1214, we find the Order remodelled
and extended. The Augustinians were very numerous in England and
Scotland. In 1105 they had settled at Colchester and at Nostell, near
Pontefract. Later they had abbeys at Bristol, Llantony, Christchurch,
Twynham, Bolton and London, where part of their church (Austin Friars)
is still standing. Altogether they had 170 houses in England. Their
first house in Scotland was at Scone in 1114, and they soon had 25
houses, including churches or abbeys at Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth,
St Andrew's, Holyrood, Cambuskenneth and Inchaffray.
The Austin Friars or Black Canons were then described as an order of
regular clergy holding a middle position between monks and secular
canons, almost resembling a community of parish priests living under
rule, and they have retained these characteristics to the present day.
They were numerous in Spain, and some of the other Orders, such as the
Dominicans or Preaching Friars, the Franciscans, and the Recollets,
may almost be looked upon as offshoots of this venerable order, for
they conformed to its general rule, with certain additions. Thus the
Dominicans, founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman, were incorporated in
1216 by a Bull of Pope Honorius III. and adopted a rule of absolute
poverty or mendicancy in addition to the usual vows of chastity
and obedience.
This Order held its first chapter in 1220 at Bologna, under the
presidency of its founder.
The vows of poverty of this powerful Order have not prevented it
from holding large estates in the Philippines, from owning blocks
of buildings in Manila and Hong Kong, and from having a huge sum
invested in British and American securities. These however belong to
the Corporation and not to the individual members.
From Spain the Augustinians spread to Mexico and assisted the
Franciscans, who were the pioneers there under Father Bartolomé
de Olmédo and Father Martin de Valencia, to gather in the abundant
harvest. Father Toribio de Benavénte was one of twelve Franciscans
sent out in 1523, and he has left records of the success of these
missionaries. They opened schools and founded colleges, and in
twenty years nine millions of converts had been admitted into the
Christian fold.
By this time Magellan had passed the narrow straits, and sailing
across the vast solitudes of the Pacific had reached the Visayas
Islands to meet his fate, and Sebastian de Elcano had completed the
circumnavigation of the globe and had arrived in Spain with accounts
of the new lands which the expedition had discovered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account