the district of Alangalang, was to gather all
these settlements into one village, which he did; and this policy
has been followed by those who have succeeded him in the charge of
that mission field. This measure has been of no small advantage to
those people; for in the year one thousand six hundred alone, two
villages were established, containing each three hundred houses, and
a third one with five hundred--all amounting to about four thousand
five hundred souls, of whom more than a hundred were baptized in
that year. During Lent all the Christians attended the services with
eagerness, especially in Holy Week, when the people of the other
villages joined them. They attended the divine services which were
celebrated in as fitting a manner as possible. On the morning of Holy
Thursday a sermon was preached to them concerning the holy sacrament;
and in the afternoon the superior of that house washed the feet of a
dozen poor persons (explaining in a brief sermon the signification of
that holy ceremony), by which they were all greatly edified. Toward
evening a well-ordered procession was formed containing a large number
of flagellants, with other persons who carried some large crosses. This
procession was repeated the next day, after the sermon on the passion.
On Easter the people from other villages assembled, and, after the mass
and sermon, celebrated the occasion with all the tokens of rejoicing
that they could display. A very graceful dance was performed, and
all the people made merry in the court of the church with dancing
according to their custom. What especially pleased us was, that in
so great a concourse of people, who amused themselves and feasted
after their own fashion, there was not one person who was known to
have taken wine, although formerly this was a very ordinary vice
among those people in their feasts and merry-making.
The condition of Christianity in Carigara. Chapter LVIII.
Our church here, although no older than five years, was both served and
attended as if it were a church in Europe. Its services were rendered
more magnificent by the choir of music, especially on feast-days;
the musicians not only celebrated divine worship in consonance with
the organ, but accompanied it with motets and other compositions
in their own Bissayan language. These latter were sung, some to the
leading of the organ, others in the musical mode and the manner of
the country. Both methods greatly attracted the pe
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