Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/732

71 of the church was fully recognized by the crown, and in 1709 a royal cédula was issued enjoining viceroys, governors, bishops, and prelates of the regular orders zealously to aid in increasing the number of missions. The impulse thus given was not without effect, many missions being established from the Atlantic to the Pacific by different orders.

Though few in number in proportion to their zeal, the Jesuits had previously to their expulsion already penetrated into Sonora and California, and during the two decades from 1723 to 1742 they established no less than eight missions in the wild district of Nayarit. The Franciscans, however, may lay claim to having founded more institutions of this kind than any other order. In 1789 they occupied no less than one hundred and fifty-eight missions scattered over the territory lying to the north of Mexico, while others in great number had been secularized by the church.

The system of church secularization of missions, however successful and profitable when applied to the more civilized pueblos of New Spain, was attended with failure when extended to the remoter regions. But the Catholic hierarchy was blinded by the desire