The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 37, 1669-1676 / 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

by Unknown

CHAPTER XXII

Events of those times; the election of provincial in this province, and the earthquakes at Manila.

[In 1644 Urban VIII died. He had been especially solicitous for the Chinese and Japanese missions. Santa Cruz continues:]

The following year, namely that of 645, the provincial chapter was held in the convent of Santo Domingo at Manila, in this province. In it was elected for the second time the reverend father commissary, Fray Domingo Gonzalez, a septuagenarian, whose resistance and the argument of his advanced age did not avail to let him escape the charge. Had he been content with acting moderately the first time, he would have avoided the agonies of the second term. But although he was a man so fearful of God and so prudent that he even fled from extremes and always aimed at the mean of virtue, yet in the part which subjects the government to the beginnings of charity, he was not contented, but must go to extremes and become too charitable. Consequently, since he was so charitable, that did not avail him to become exempt from the office of superior. He filled the office for nearly three years, until death had pity on him, since he did not resist it in the fulfilment of his obligations, nor could his brethren excuse him from the weight of it. In due time we shall relate the characteristics of that glorious column of this holy province, for there is much to tell. In that chapter were received the ordinances of our most reverend Rodulfo of happy memory, given in Roma in the former year of 640, in which the houses which were to have a vote in the intermediary congregation (whose first deputation was made in the provincial chapter of the year six hundred and thirty-three) were changed. [We also received] other ordinances. But another form was finally given to this in the conference of the year 650, where opposition arose[4] to the acts abrogating the said ordinances, made by the most reverend fathers Turco and Marinis[5] in regard to the vicariates lasting for four years, providing at the request of this province that their term be no more than two years. The authority of the acts of the general chapter of Roma was given afterward to that decision, in that same year of 650. That chapter also confirmed it in the title of the ordinances of this province. Doubtless that is a very important and useful arrangement, not so greatly for the spiritual case of the Indians, who rejoice to see themselves cared for by many different fathers, as for our own use; for the good pilot must not keep to one ship, but serves God better when free and less when bound down.

[This chapter gives also a relation of the disastrous earthquake of 1645, which has been described in full elsewhere. Santa Cruz takes occasion to give a short summary of the early history of the Philippines and Manila. Chapters xxiii-xxv deal with the troubles with the Dutch during these years, and recount various miracles wrought by our Lady of the Rosary. Chapters xxvi-xxx treat of Chinese affairs and the missions of the Dominicans in China. Chapter xxxi is an account of the life of father Fray Francisco Diaz, who died in the year 1646. He had arrived at the Philippine province in 1632, and went to China in 1635, where he passed the remainder of his life.]