Opening the text

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

The devil grieved mightily because the fathers were taking away so many
souls from his captivity, and tried to drive them from that province
of Calamianes. He availed himself of a witch and her son, appearing
in person to them, and ordering them to use all the delusions and
witcheries that they knew, in order to frighten the Spanish soldiers
who were in a fortress near by, so that the gospel ministers should by
this means be induced to depart to Manila. The sorcerers began their
deceits, and one night they seized the soldier on guard and bore him
through the air to the top of a hill more than a legua away. When the
period of his watch was over, others went to relieve him; as they
could not find him, the captain thought that he had deserted, and
sent another soldier to look for him. He was found crying out like a
madman. He was taken manacled to the fortress, and, recognizing that
it was the devil who had maltreated him, they summoned father Fray
Benito de Santa Monica, a native of Sevilla, and a powerful minister,
who had grace to cast out devils. The father began the exorcisms
of the church; and the evil spirit talked--a thing that he had not
done before--and said many things in many languages. Consequently,
the father ordered him not to talk unless he were questioned; the
spirit obeyed, and, finally urged by the exorcisms, made known all
the said trick, and left the body of the soldier.

The next night the devils entered into eight soldiers, afflicting them
with the same accidental madness as the other. Thus did they continue
to multiply their cases of possession, to the great fear of all the
others. And although our religious did not cease in their exorcisms and
prayers, the infernal spirits were stubborn and pertinacious. Fears
grew greater when legions of devils were seen in the air at night
in most horrible guise. On that account the most holy sacrament was
exposed in the fort. Yielding to its sovereign presence, the demons
fled in confusion to their eternal dungeons, with the ruin of their
deceits; for the Catholics mended their lives, the faith was confirmed,
and the infidels were more inclined to receive it.


§ X

_Preaching of Ours in the river of Cagaìang_

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

The devil grieved mightily because the fathers were taking away so many
souls from his captivity, and tried to drive them from that province
of Calamianes. He availed himself of a witch and her son, appearing
in person to them, and ordering them to use all the delusions and
witcheries that they knew, in order to frighten the Spanish soldiers
who were in a fortress near by, so that the gospel ministers should by
this means be induced to depart to Manila. The sorcerers began their
deceits, and one night they seized the soldier on guard and bore him
through the air to the top of a hill more than a legua away. When the
period of his watch was over, others went to relieve him; as they
could not find him, the captain thought that he had deserted, and
sent another soldier to look for him. He was found crying out like a
madman. He was taken manacled to the fortress, and, recognizing that
it was the devil who had maltreated him, they summoned father Fray
Benito de Santa Monica, a native of Sevilla, and a powerful minister,
who had grace to cast out devils. The father began the exorcisms
of the church; and the evil spirit talked--a thing that he had not
done before--and said many things in many languages. Consequently,
the father ordered him not to talk unless he were questioned; the
spirit obeyed, and, finally urged by the exorcisms, made known all
the said trick, and left the body of the soldier.

The next night the devils entered into eight soldiers, afflicting them
with the same accidental madness as the other. Thus did they continue
to multiply their cases of possession, to the great fear of all the
others. And although our religious did not cease in their exorcisms and
prayers, the infernal spirits were stubborn and pertinacious. Fears
grew greater when legions of devils were seen in the air at night
in most horrible guise. On that account the most holy sacrament was
exposed in the fort. Yielding to its sovereign presence, the demons
fled in confusion to their eternal dungeons, with the ruin of their
deceits; for the Catholics mended their lives, the faith was confirmed,
and the infidels were more inclined to receive it.


§ X

_Preaching of Ours in the river of Cagaìang_

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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