Statement of Captain Sebastián Rodríguez de Salazar to the Inquisition, 1626

Summoned before the Inquisition, Sebastián Rodríguez de Salazar testified that he was 44 years old and had arrived in New Mexico as an alférez in the retinue of Governor Don Juan de Eulate from New Spain, accompanied by his wife (who was Luisa Díaz). During the journey, he had overheard the argument between the governor and friar Pedro de Ortega about married people being better than priests. He also recounted a similar episode that had taken place in front of the church, in which he had shown the temerity to correct the governor on the fallacy of his statement—but had not pursued the argument further because of the governor's rank.

A paleographic transcription of Rodríguez de Salazar's testimony in Spanish is available in the Cibola Project’s “Cross vs. Crown in New Mexico, 1626.”

---

Statement of Captain Sebastián Rodríguez de Salazar to Friar Alonso de Benavides

22 May 1626

Santa Fe

In the town of Santa Fe, on the 22nd day of the month of May in the year 1626, before Father Friar Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of the Holy Office of these provinces, there appeared, having been summoned, and swore under oath to tell the truth, a man who said his name was Captain Sebastián Rodríguez de Salazar, a married resident of this town, aged, as he said, forty-four years.

Being asked if he knew the reason for which he had been summoned, he said that he presumed it was for what he would declare — namely, that about seven years ago, more or less, when this declarant was coming from New Spain to New Mexico with the title of alférez and accompanied by his wife, in the same company there was coming, as governor of these provinces, Don Juan de Eulate, who has just completed his term.

He said that at a certain place along the road, which he does not remember, he heard that I, the present notary, Friar Pedro de Ortega, had some disputes with Don Juan de Eulate, though he did not understand about what, only that he heard the raised voices. Asking me what it had been about, I replied: “Is it possible that you have not heard what the governor says — that the state of the married is better than that of the religious? Well, you heard it. Keep it in your memory for when it may be needed.”

However, this declarant, although he heard me, the notary, and Don Juan de Eulate discuss this same matter, does not assert that he heard the proposition directly from the governor’s own mouth, and he does not recall who else was present.

He further declares that, on another occasion after their arrival in this town, while the governor was standing at the door of the church, before ascending the steps, in the presence of several persons whose names he does not recall, nor on what occasion, Don Juan de Eulate said with his own lips (and this declarant heard it himself) that the state of the married was more perfect or better than that of the religious. He does not remember which of the two words he used, “better” or “more perfect,” but without doubt it was one of them.

This declarant, being scandalized, replied that it was not so, for those who are meritorious reach the religious state. To this, Don Juan de Eulate offered several arguments in defense of the false proposition he had uttered, and this declarant did not dare to reply further, considering the governor’s rank.

And this is the truth, according to the oath he has taken. His statement having been read to him, he said it was well written, and that he did not say it out of hatred. He was charged with secrecy, promised to keep it, and signed his name.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}    Sebastián                         Witnessed by

Commissary                                       de Salazar {rubric}         Friar Pedro de Ortega {rubric}

                                                                                                        Notary

---

Sources:

Viridiana Rivera Álvarez and Jerry R. Craddock, “Cross vs. Crown in New Mexico, 1626” UC Berkeley Research Center for Romance Studies, Cibola Project, 2019. Available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0xq1g5b3 

Archivo General de la Nación 

Inquisición, Volumen 356, Expediente 107, fol. 270v-271r, (Images 83400-01)

Available at: https://repositorio.agn.gob.mx/