Among the most revered images of those islands is reckoned that of the holy Christ, which is called “the Christ of humility and patience,” which was lately placed in the right side chapel. Licentiate Joan de Araùz, cura and beneficiary of the parish church in the city of Mexico, gave it, and with it a treasure of favors and concessions to Manila. That image is very natural, and of the best manufacture that has been known in those remote hemispheres. He manifests himself to the sight, seated on a rock, with his cheek resting on his hand; and the sight of him moves the hard heart of the most abandoned to trembling and devotion. The religious took it aboard at Acapulco in solemn procession, all of them hoping to arrive safe with so good company, as happened. Accordingly, as soon as they cast anchor, they carried that image to the college of San Joan Baptista, so that it might be lodged until the necessary arrangements were made for the festival of its entrance. The festival was at last effected after the lapse of many days, and it was one of the celebrated festivals that have been seen and admired, both in its pomp and in the concourse that collected from all parts because of the fame of the image. It was placed first in the cathedral church, and next day, a very momentous procession having been ordained, they carried it thence to the convent, where the beginning was made and the conclusion given to a magnificent novena. The divine mercy showed its favors very frequently to those who petitioned it for aid in their troubles with a true and living faith.
There is another image of our Lady, called “Consolation,” because of the great consolation that those who are afflicted find in it, when they are most exhausted. Her devotion commenced from the time of the entrance of our Reform into the islands; and it has been continued by means of the favors that she scatters in protection of those who commend themselves to her by invoking her aid. Our patrons had a most singular affection for her, and therefore they left a clause by which a mass was to be sung for their souls in all the festivities of the most blessed Mary. They offered her many gold jewels and articles of richest clothing, that testified the love with which they humbly surrendered to the vassalage due to her. Father Fray Antonio de San Augustin[15] encouraged greatly the worship and veneration of that sacred and miraculous image, and received instant pay and wages for his labor. For when he was about to die (the candle being already in his hand), without anyone perceiving it or having hope of it he recovered his senses, and talked to those present who were watching him and assisting him, to the astonishment of all the physicians, who regarded him as a dead man. He declared what had happened, and said that having offered in his heart his vows at the feet of the said Virgin, when he was almost dead, as was thought, he heard her near him talking to him, together with St. Nicolás de Tolentino; and she graciously revivified him, saying that he was not to die from that illness. That was a fact, for within a few days he arose, just as if he had not been at the gates of death.
The third image that illumines and ennobles that convent is that of the famous titular saint, Nicolàs de Tolentino. He has chosen to make himself known in those remote regions as much as in the other regions of Christendom, by means of the continual prodigies and marvels that he works there. A great volume might be written of those that have been seen in Manila alone, and a greater volume of those outside. Suffice it to say that, because of his having appeared to the sailors in their greatest straits and troubles, they have all unanimously taken him as their patron. The glorious saint rewards their pious devotion by lofty marvels, and does not discontinue for all that to work them very frequently on land—for which both the Spaniards and the Indians of the Philippinas Islands venerate him as a refuge, in whom they consider their relief very sure.
Strong religious have gone out from that very strict house to combat the power of the devil, in order to remove his yoke from many souls, as we shall see in the time of reporting their deeds of valor.
[The chapter concludes with the pious deaths of Fathers Andrès de San Joseph, Diego de Santa Ana, and Gaspar de la Madre de Dios, and of Brother Simon de San Augustin, all of whose bodies were buried in the Manila convent.[16]]
Chapter IX
Father Fray Gregorio de Santa Catalina goes to Roma, and presents his [claim for] justice in the tribunal of the supreme pontiff. The end of the chapter is concerned with a mission that Ours tried to make to the Philippinas Islands, the founding of two convents, and the deaths of two great religious.
[The provincial’s mission to Roma results disastrously at first, for he is doomed to many months of dreary waiting is denied audience with the pope, and even ordered to quit the city. But finally the tide turns; the pope, having learned of his mission, grants the long-desired audience, and after hearing the humble representations of the pleader, looks favorably upon the Reform branch. Although the Augustinians in Spain attempt to suppress entirely the Reform, public opinion is too powerful, and the Recollects have too many influential friends; and consequently, the general of all the Augustinian order, then Juan Baptista de Asti, orders opposition to cease. Meanwhile, Father Pedro de San Fulgencio comes as procurator from the Philippines to request more missionaries. He finds the Reform in almost its last throes, but, nothing daunted, departs for Rome to urge his mission before the pope. Being favorably received and his pretensions granted, after a considerable stay in the Roman court, where he also assists the provincial Gregorio de Santa Catalina, he sets out on his return to Spain, but dies at Milan; and, for lack of anyone to carry on his work everything is lost for the time being. Now Augustinian agents from Spain take the opportunity to arouse animus against the Reform and to thwart their designs by saying “that the discalced were unnecessary in the Philippinas Islands; and that those who had gone were few and hitherto of no use in the preaching, as they were persons who could in no way prove advantageous to the Indians. The contrary was seen then; and by the mercy of God, we have since seen it here, and shall see it, very clearly, in due course of time. We note here only, for the confusion of those who boldly devised such a proposition, the testimonies that have come on different occasions in regard to the credit and praise of Ours, who have shed luster amid those rude and very barbarous provinces, with so much glory to themselves, by illuminating them with the light of the gospel.” These testimonials, some of them later than the period which the present volume covers, follow:]
Let the first be that of an inquiry made in Manila, at the time that the above-mentioned calumny was learned, before Captain Martin de Herrera, alcalde-in-ordinary of the same city. The report of this was approved afterward by the city’s cabildo, its justices, and magistrates, the witnesses being fully qualified to act as such: namely, the master-of-camp, Don Bernardino del Castillo Maldonado, castellan of the fort; Master-of-camp Don Pedro de Chaves; General Don Joan Esquerra; Captain Christoval Guiràl; General Don Joan Manuel de la Vega; Don Joan Sarmiento, chancellor of the royal Audiencia; Don Francisco Gomez de Arellano, dean of the cathedral there, and commissary-general of the crusade; Don Joan de Aguilar, archdean of the same church; Captain Hernando de Avalos y Vargas; Licentiate Rodrigo Guiràl, secular priest; Admiral Don Joan de Valmaseda; Don Luis Enrriquez de Guzman; Don Diego de Leòn, school-master of the said church; Captain and sargento-mayor Don Francisco de Ayala; Don Luis de Herrera Sandoval, treasurer also of the same church; Luis de Barrasa, regidor of the city; Captain Melchor de Ayllòn; and Don Antonio de Arze, also regidor of Manila. All those so illustrious persons deposed that the discalced Augustinian religious who were living and who had lived there, were serious, learned, spiritual, beloved men, and that they were gladly seen and heard by those who lived and dwelt in the Philippinas Islands; and that, by their good life and example, they had gathered and were gathering much fruit in the community, and among the natives of the province of Zambàles. Those people had been most fierce enemies of the Spaniards and other nations before Ours had taken charge of their reduction. By the excellent instruction of our religious, they had become so tamed and gentle that now one could pass through their coast; while before one could not even approach them without evident risk of those people killing him, with great gusto, as they were so barbarous. Consequently, it would be well to keep and increase those religious in that archipelago, for the salvation and profit of souls.