statement was presented in the royal Council by twenty-three
graduates of the famous University of Salamanca (confirmed by eight
who are not regulars) in which their testimonies agree in affirming
that the religious act according to the dictates of conscience in
administering the curacies without subjecting themselves to the
bishops. Some add that they are bound in conscience to resist this
subjection, as it is an imposition on the regular religious. Therefore,
I shall treat that matter simply as an historian, taking for granted
the right which, according to various apostolic privileges, supports
them in not subjecting themselves to the bishops; and, in case the
latter attempt this, in abandoning the ministries.

Sec. II

Some of the arguments that support the orders in Philipinas in not
submitting to the visitation of the ordinaries in regard to the
ministries.

725. That various supreme pontiffs, especially St. Pius V, conceded to
the regulars of the Indias the privilege of obtaining their ministries
with complete independence from the bishops, no one is so bold as to
deny. The motive for that concession was the lack of secular priests
in those countries. Consequently, the question (or doubt) as to
whether that indult is or is not to be observed is not one of law,
but one of pure fact. Its solution depends on ascertaining whether
there are in those regions a sufficient number of clergy suitable
to serve their parishes and exercise the care of souls. For, in case
there are, it is not denied that that duty belongs to the seculars;
for it is the peculiar duty of the religious to devote themselves to
God in the retirement of their cloisters. If, on this hypothesis,
the regulars should desire or be permitted to take charge of the
said spiritual administration, they ought to submit to the bishops
in officio officiando for then the cause of that indult would not
exist. The fact of the exemption having ceased for the great part in
the kingdoms of Nueva Espana and Peru, did not arise from the said
privileges having been revoked (for they are not, especially that
of St. Pius V) but only and necessarily because the impelling cause
for conceding such exemption did not actually exist. For, in those
kingdoms, the number of secular ecclesiastics increased so greatly
that enough of them were found to administer the holy sacraments to
their inhabitants. Since the motive has ceased, the privilege cannot
endure. Now then, I s