The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55: 1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55: 1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
[Two sections follow, treating of the lives of Fathers Geronimo de
Christo and Diego de Jesus, the first of whom was a missionary in
the Philippines and the second in Mexico--who, being captured by the
English, passed through many stirring adventures.]
[Chapter x contains nothing touching the Philippines except a brief
survey of the life and death of the founder of the Philippine missions,
Father Joan de San Geronimo. He died near Ormuz, while returning to
Spain in order to secure more workers for his mission.]
Third Decade
[The first chapter recounts that papal permission was given to erect
four novitiates in the convents in the four Spanish cities of Madrid,
Valladolid, Zaragoza and Valencia.]
Chapter II
_Foundation of the convent of Cigayan_
_The year 1612_
The missionary fathers of the Philippinas Islands were free from
anxiety, and were far from suffering the strife and upheaval that the
Reform was enduring in España. However, in their great anxiety to guide
souls to heaven, they did not desist from their fruitful conversion
along the coasts of Zambàles. They needed associates to help them
carry so heavy a burden; but notwithstanding that, in their sorrow for
the lamentable loss of those who did not yet know God because of the
lack of missionaries, after they had converted many infidels in the
village of Cigayàn they set about founding a monastery there. They
carried it out that year, and lived therein with all security until
an Indian, instigated by the devil, laid violent hands on father Fray
Alonso de San Augustin, whom he wounded severely in the throat with
a very broad though short dagger, called _igua_ in that country,
which is made purposely for beheading a person at one blow--a vice
common to the Zambàles, before they knew the sweet charity of the law
which we profess. But as the stroke was first caught by the hood [of
the father's habit], the barbarian did not succeed in his purpose,
which had been to behead him in a moment. But the wound did not
heal readily, and consequently he lived but a little while. It is
said that there was no further cause for the atrocious and profane
act of the wicked parricide than the desire to free himself from
the censures that that same father had administered to him for his
crimes and wickedness. Thereupon, the Indians of the village rose
in revolt, and after burning the church and the convent, fled to the
mountains. However, some remained, who defended the other religious,
and carried the wounded man to Masinglo. Consequently, the village was
almost deserted. Afterward they tried, and successfully, to subdue
the insurgents again. They succeeded by their energy and toil, and
restored the settlement and church again to their former state for
the administration of seven hundred souls or so, who were the last
ones to comprehend the cry of the gospel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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