Efforts were also made to shelter in the seminary for girls some women who, on account of the absence of their husbands, were in danger. Arrangements were also made with the governor, Don Francisco Tello, to secure the marriage of certain other women, in which matter he lent assistance not only with his authority but with his money. Upon one occasion he charitably bestowed a dowry of six hundred pesos upon a woman of noble parentage who, for various reasons, had gone from Madrid to sojourn in that country. The brethren of La Santa Misericordia of Manila also lend assistance in these matters with great solicitude and charity, conformably to their profession and the aims of the Confraternity. The members are among the most noble and distinguished people in that community, and are most useful therein, to the great glory and service of God our Lord.
Our fathers devote themselves at all hours to consoling and confessing the sick and afflicted, for these always have us summoned, even though far away. In this connection I shall relate a special instance. A sick man, having abandoned hope of life (for the physician had declared him past recovery), seeing that human remedies were of no avail, had recourse to the divine; and he sought aid from the mother of God, to whom he made a vow to betake himself for nine days to her chapel called Ermita de Guia, which, as I have said, lies without the city walls. Having made the vow, he arose at once, just as he was, to fulfil it. A marvel of God! as the days went by, his health continually improved; and at the end of the nine days, he was entirely well. This meant health of body, but the two days following his recovery brought him life for both body and soul.
An honorable woman lived in great suffering through the cruel treatment to which her husband subjected her; and she determined to free herself from this pain and anguish by putting an end to her life, which was passing in such bitterness. For this purpose, she placed a noose around her neck, the demon aiding her, and hanged herself. The noise which she made while in the pains of death was heard by one of her neighbors, who hastened to her, and, encountering this horrible sight, promptly cut the rope. The woman, when she came to herself, repented of her wicked act, and had recourse to one of Ours for counsel; and, through the mercy of the Lord, she now lives in peace and contentment. Another married woman, likewise disheartened by the abuse and bad temper of her husband, resolved to leap into the sea and drown herself. Collecting some of her goods, with tears and great sorrow she bade her daughter farewell, and set out to accomplish at once her desperate purpose. When she was on the point of throwing herself into the water, the Lord, having compassion on her wretched lot, sent to her a voice which caused her to hesitate, and to realize what she was doing. "What art thou doing, woman? Trust in God, for thy husband shall treat thee well." With this she was affrighted; but, as a proof that this deliverance had come from Heaven, her husband came soon afterward, and began to caress her and to show her much kindness. Then she grew calm, recognizing the great mercy which the Lord had showed her.
In this same year our students gave evidence of their intelligence and application, on the occasion of the safe arrival at Manila of the most reverend archbishop and suffragans, whom they entertained in their schools with two ingenious dialogues, and other proofs of erudition. In that season arrived also some of the gentlemen of the royal Audiencia who were visiting our schools for the purpose of showing them favor and honor. They greatly enjoyed a third literary exercise which had been prepared for them and were thus encouraged to carry out their intention of placing their sons in these schools, as they did. In time, these studies began to bear fruit, and some of our students even entered the religious life.
The leading events at this time among the Indians in Manila. Chapter
XXXIX.
The ministries to the Indians are those which are exercised with the greatest satisfaction in our college, for which occupation we had in that year three fathers who had gained a mastery of their language. If there had been many more, each one would have had something to occupy him, on account of the great number of the Indians, not only within the city, but beyond the walls, in many villages which are in the vicinity of Manila, and whose inhabitants attend our church. In that year our Lord was pleased to favor this ministry with new tokens of His favor; for although in former years the conditions were such as are described above, in this year [1598] the attendance in our church for sermons and confessions was extraordinary—indeed, there was one father who heard more than three hundred general confessions. This was due partly to the increase in the number of fathers who knew the language; and partly to the cessation of the sermons which were formerly preached by other religious orders, through the press of other labors with which they ever busy themselves most zealously in the service of God. By these holy means we set aright many important affairs which concerned enmities and sinful lives. As an instance of this, certain legal proceedings were instituted for the separation of a married pair; these had made considerable progress, but were abandoned, and the husband and wife were reconciled, and again lived together in peace. Efforts were also made to break up illicit relations, and separate those who lived therein; and the result was that, through the mercy of God, those persons have not relapsed into evil ways. Although among these were some cases of special interest, I will confine myself to other matters which occur to me, which are cleaner and more agreeable. The first concerns an infidel Indian woman whose conversion was a difficult matter, on account of her marriage with a Chinese or Sangley who was also an infidel; for her husband kept her, as is the custom among the Chinese, under close confinement and guard. One of our fathers was desirous to gain this woman for Christ; and, finding no other means, placed some Christian Indians where she could hear them talk about the things of God and the life eternal. The woman was so impressed by what she heard that, fleeing from her husband and abandoning her home and child, she came to our house and asked to be instructed for baptism; her request was granted, and by this means the husband was also converted. His conversion is a valuable one, since it is very difficult to incline the people of his nation toward the truths of our holy faith.
Some Indian women, during a pest of locusts, erected in their sowed field a cross containing some relics; and our Lord was pleased to honor the emblem of His death, as well as the faith of these, His new faithful ones, for the locusts passed on without causing them any loss. The owner of the land gave, in gratitude, all its harvest as alms—which he was able to do, as he possessed some wealth.
Although these incidents, and many others which are not here related, show that our Lord is desirous of drawing these peoples to Himself by the bonds of Adam, namely, by love and mercy, He also chooses to show them that He is a God of justice. This He made evident in the dreadful fate of a man and wife who swore to be faithful to each other during his absence, and, supplemented their oaths with terrible curses which are in use among them. Yet the woman, overcome by the devil, was false to her compact and promise of fidelity; and while the unhappy adulterers were thus sinfully engaged, both were struck dead, and were found thus by persons who told it to the father. By his orders the matter was suppressed, as much as was possible in so frightful an event.
Of the villages of Antipolo and San Juan del Monte. Chapter XXXX.
So great was the increase of that mission throughout those two years [1597-98], by the continual arrival of people who came to us, as we have already stated, from those mountains and deserts, that besides two entire villages which were established near Antipolo, at a distance convenient for the instruction of the people, more than a hundred persons came down from the mountains with some children, who were at once baptized. Among these were three ministers of their idols, who, upon arriving at Antipolo, went to Father Almerique, and, making avowal of the evil employment which they had up to that time practiced, renounced it before him and many others who were then present. They promised never again to resume it, and asked that this declaration be given them in writing, as a proof of their conversion, and that no one in times to come might attribute to them guilt for what they had done in the mountains when they had no knowledge of the true God.