Don Phelipe, by the grace of God, king of Castilla, Leon, Aragón, Jerusalem, Portugal, Navarra, and the Indias. To the reverend and devout father-general of the Order of St. Dominic: It has been learned from letters received and examined in my royal Council of the Indias from Don Alonso Faxardo de Tenza, my governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, and president of my royal Audiencia resident therein, that, although the religious of the Order of St. Dominic who reside there are most exemplary and protect their parishioners so well, it generally results that there is anger at their encomenderos, and they do not attend to the affairs of my service as is advisable. On the other hand, the Indians consider the treatment received from the religious as severe, for they do not allow even the women to wear shoes, while they force the men of the province of Nueva Segovia to guard the church in rotation and turn. For whatever annoyance the Indians cause them, they question them with regard to the Christian doctrine, and their questions exceed those that persons with more reason and education can answer. And thereupon, if they fail in the least to meet these requirements, the religious have the chiefs and their wives whipped, and cut off their hair. That has resulted in causing among the Indians so great resentment that the insurrection of the Indians that occurred may be attributed to that. Inasmuch as that is a matter in which it is advisable to apply a remedy; and inasmuch as the harsh treatment practiced by the said religious toward their parishioners has appeared excessive, and not in harmony with what they should do, since their purpose in going to the said islands is to instruct and teach the natives in the articles of our holy faith, and with all love and mildness, because they are, as is a fact, people without reason and so newly converted (for which reason it is so expensive to my royal revenues, from which everything necessary is given): I request and charge you to give what order is advisable so that the aforesaid evils be remedied, as may be most necessary to the religion that they profess. What remedy you shall furnish, you shall send to the said my Council, with all haste, so that it may be remitted to the said islands; for if that be not done with the promptness required by the case, the relief that seems most effective will [not] be applied. Madrid, November twenty-seven, one thousand six hundred and twenty-four. _I The King_ Countersigned by Joan Ruiz de Contreras, and signed by the Council. [_Endorsed:_ "To the father-general of the Order of St. Dominic, directing him to remedy the excesses, committed on the Indians by punishing them, by the religious of that order, who have missions in Philipinas."] EARLY RECOLLECT MISSIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES _Extracts from the Following Works, Covering the History of the Missions to 1624:_