the faith or belief (often intending Christianity) (see Molina, Lockhart, and Karttunen)
This is a reference to the Christian faith. In some annals of Puebla we see a reference to a frightening time of war in the late seventeenth century, and how nothing that frightening had been seen since the arrival of the new faith. It seems to be equated with the Spanish invasion or conquest. (Puebla; referring to 1682; published in the eighteenth century)
yquac ayemo huitz tlaneltoquilistli = cuando aún no venía la creencia católica (San Marcos Tlayacac, Morelos, "1546"; no earlier than 1666)
zamahuiztli omania, huel temàmauhti omochiuh, in aic omottac in ixquich cahuitl ye ohualla in tlaneltoquiliztli = todo era un puro temor, un espantoso acaecimiento, no visto en todo el tiempo medio desde que vino la Santa Fe (Puebla, 1797)