well and faithfully to discharge the said Office and truly and exactly to relate all that should be said by his Lordship or any other Person in the Synod without any addition or diminution as also to read in the Congregations all the Decrees and Determinations of the Synod which were to be in the Malabar Tongue And whereas Truth it self has testified That in the mouth of two or three there is all Truth therefore for the greater security there were given to the said Interpreter by the most Reverend Metropolitan as Assistants the Reverend Fathers * He was afterwards made Bishop of the Christians of St. Thomas Francisco Roz and Antonio Toscano of the Society of Jesus in the College of Vaipicotta in this Diocess who being well skilled in the Malabar Tongue were to observe all that was related by the Interpreter and in case he was at any time faulty to correct him there were besides several others present Natives as well as Portuguezes that were well vers'd in both Languages Decree I. THe Congregation being met and all placed according to their Order the Metropolitan seated in his Chair said In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Three Persons and One only True God Amen My beloved Brethren you the Venerable Priests and my most dear Sons in Christ you the Representatives and Procurators of the People Does it please you that for the Praise and Glory of the Holy and undivided Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost and for the Increase and Exaltation of the Catholick Faith and the Christian Religion of the Inhabitants of this Bishoprick and for the destruction of the Heresies and Errors which have been sown therein by several Hereticks and Schismaticks and for the purging of Books from the false Doctrines contained in them and for the perfect Union of this Church with the whole Church Catholick and Universal and for the yielding of Obedience to the Supreme Bishop of Rome the Universal Pastor of the Church and Successor in the Chair of St. Peter and Vicar of Christ upon Earth from whom you have for some time departed and for the extirpation of Simony which has been much practised in this Bishoprick and for the regulating of the Administration of the Holy Sacraments of the Church and the necessary Use of them and for the Reformation of the Affairs of the Church and the Clergy and the Customs of all the Christian People of this Diocess We should begin a Diocesan Synod of this Bishoprick of the Serra They answered It pleaseth us Then the most Reverend Metropolitan asked them again Venerable Brethren and most beloved Sons in Christ since you are pleased to begin a Synod after having offered Prayers to God from whom all Good proceedeth it will be convenient that the Matters to be treated of appertaining to our Holy Faith the Church the Divine Offices the Administration of the Holy Sacraments and the Customs of the whole People be entertained by you with Benignity and Charity and afterwards by God's Assistance complied with with much Reverence and that every one of you should faithfully procure the Reformation of such things in this Synod as you know to be amiss and if any that are present shou'd happen to be dissatisfied with any thing that shall be said or done therein let them without any scruple declare their Opinion publickly that so by God's Grace it may be examined and all things may be truly stated as is desired but let not Strife or Contention find any room among you to the perverting of Justice and Reason neither be ye afraid of searching after and embracing the Truth Decree II. THe Synod by Virtue of Holy Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be incurred ipso facto does command all Persons whatsoever Ecclesiastical and Secular that have been called to and are present at this Synod not to depart the Town of Diamper where the said Synod is celebrated without express leave from the most Illustrious Metropolitan before the Synod is ended and they have signed the Decrees thereof with their own Hand or till all the rest are dismiss'd The Synod does likewise Request and Command all that have any Matter that is fitting to be offered to it for the Advancement of God's Honour and the Good of the Christians of this Bishoprick to acquaint the Metropolitan therewith either by Word or Writing or some Third Person that so what is convenient may be determined therein Decree III. BE it known and declared to all present and absent That no prejudice shall be done or follow to any Town Corporation or Village as to any Preeminence they may pretend to by the celebration of this Synod in the Town of Diamper as also that no Church or Person shall suffer by reason of the Places they sit in in this Synod but shall have their Rights and Privileges in the same state and vigour that they were in before and if any Doubts should happen to arise about this or any such Matter let them be brought before the Illustrious Metropolitan where both Parties being heard they shall have Justice done them Decree IV. THis Synod knowing that all that is Good is from God and that every perfect Gift cometh down from the Father of Light who giveth perfect Wisdom to those that with an humble Heart pray for it and being withal sensible that the beginning of true Wisdom is the fear of the Lord we do admonish and command all Christians as well Ecclesiasticks as Seculars gathered together in this Place to confess their Sins with a true contrition for them and all Priests to say Mass and others to receive the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar beseeching our Lord with humble and devout Prayers for good Success to all that shall be Treated of in this Synod to which intent there shall be two solemn Masses said in the Church every day during the Session of the Synod one of the Latins to the Holy Spirit and the other of the Syrians to our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Praise and Honour is to be particularly Treated of which Masses shall be said at such hours as to be no hindrance to the Congregations which henceforward shall meet every day in the Church at Seven in the Morning They shall likewise Latins as well as Syrians every day after Sun-set Sing the solemn Litanies of the Church with a Commemoration of our Lady for the good intention of the Synod Decree V. THE Synod for the preventing of some Inconveniences that may otherwise happen and to leave no room for unnecessary and hurtful Debates does command by virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred That while the Congregations last no Person whatsoever Ecclesiastick or Secular presume to meet together in any Junctoes with any Persons Ecclesiasticks or Seculars to Treat of any Matters appertaining to the Synod or this Church without express Licence from the most Illustrious Metropolitan that so all that is
desired may be handled publickly and in the Congregation those Meetings only excepted which are kept by the People in order to their proposing of Matters to be consulted about according to ancient Custom and the Order of the said Metropolitan ACTION II. ON the second Day after the singing of the Antiphony Psalm Prayers and Hymn as they are in the Roman Pontifical the most Reverend Metropolitan being seated in his Chair said Venerable and Beloved Brethren the Priests and you my dearest Sons in Christ the Procurators and Representatives of the People We having done little more Yesterday than celebrate the Divine Offices and Preach to the People it is fit we should begin to Day to Treat of Matters appertaining to the Synod In the first place of those that belong to the Integrity and Truth of our Holy Catholick Faith and the Profession of the same which before we go about I do again admonish you in our Lord Jesus Christ that all such things as you shall judge to stand in need of Reformation in this Bishoprick or any part thereof may be signified to us or to the Congregation that so with the Divine favour and assistance all things by your Diligence and Charity may be brought into so good Estate as is desired for the praise of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Decree II. THat this Synod may in all things Govern it self according to the Directions of the Holy Canons and tread in the Footsteps of the Holy General Councils and particularly of the Holy Council of Trent upon the knowledge it has of the Necessities of this Church and of the diversity of Opinions that have been hitherto therein concerning Matters of our Holy Catholick Faith and of the Errors contrary thereunto which have been sowed in this Diocess by Hereticks and Schismaticks it doth command all Persons Ecclesiasticks and Seculars called hither either in their own Name or in the Name of others Ecclesiasticks or Laicks of this Bishoprick to make Profession and Oath of the following Faith in the hands of the most Illustrious Metropolitan President of this Synod And for the more effectual execution of this Decree and to provoke others by his own Example the most Illustrious Metropolitan having robed himself in his Pontificals but without his Mitre kneeling down before the Altar and having laid his hands upon a Cross that was upon a Book of the Gospels did in his own Name as the present Prelate and Metropolitan of the Diocess and in the Name of all the Christians belonging to the same and every Person thereof Secular and Ecclesiastick make Profession and Oath of the Faith following which was immediately declared to all that were present The Profession and Oath of the Faith IN the Name of the most Holy and undivided Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost one only true God in the Year of our Lord 1599 in the Seventh Year of the Pontificate of our most Holy Lord Clement VIII Bishop of Rome in the Town of Diamper in the Kingdom of Malabar in the East-Indies in the Church of All Saints on the 21st of June in a Diocesan Synod of the Bishoprick of Serra Assembled by the most Illustrious and Reverend Lord Dom Frey Aleixo de Menezes Arch-Bishop Metropolitan of Goa and the Oriental Parts and the See being vacant of the said Bishoprick I N. do of my own free Will without any manner of force and constraint for the Salvation of my Soul believing it in my heart protest that with a firm Faith I do believe and confess all and every one of the Articles contained in the Symbol of Faith which is used in Holy Mother Roman Church I believe in one God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible And in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made Who for us Men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made Man and was Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come again with Glory to Judge both the Quick and the Dead whose Kingdom shall have no end And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of Life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of Sins and I look for the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the World to come I do firmly receive and embrace all Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions and all the Observances and Constitutions of the said Church I admit the Holy Scriptures in that sence wherein it has ever been and is still held by Mother Church to whom it belongeth to judge of the true Sence and Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures neither will I either receive or interpret it but according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers I do confess likewise that there are Seven true and proper Sacraments of the New Testament instituted by Christ our Lord which are all necessary to the health of Mankind tho' not to every particular Person they are Baptism Confirmation the Eucharist Order Penance Matrimony and Extream Unction which do all conferr Grace on those that receive them worthily and of these seven Sacraments that Baptism Confirmation and Orders are to be received but once neither can they be repeated without great Sacrilege I admit and receive all the Customs Rites and Ceremonies received and approved of in the Roman Church in the solemn Administration of the said seven Sacraments and do also receive and embrace all in general and every thing in particular that has been defined and declared concerning Original Sin and Justification in the Holy Council of Trent I do likewise confess that in the Mass there is offer'd to God a true and proper Sacrifice of Pardon both for the Quick and the Dead and that in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is the true real and substantial Body and Blood together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and that the whole substance of the Bread is by Consecration turned into the Body of Christ and the whole substance of the Wine into his Blood which Conversion the Catholick Church calls Transubstantiation Moreover I do confess that under each Species Christ is entire and the true Sacrament is received I do constantly hold and confess that there is a * Purgatory John Fisher Bishop of Rochester in his 18th Article against Luther does acknowledge the Doctrine
of Religion the Greek and Alexandrian Christians have them in such detestation as to reckon an Altar defiled by a Roman Priest's having celebrated thereon And for the Muscovites Possevinus tells us their greatest imprecation is I hope to live to see thee so far abandoned as to turn Papist The Abbyssin Christians as Godinus tells us do not only condemn the Romanists as Hereticks but do affirm that they are worse than Mahometans and in the 28th Chap. of the first Book of Archbishop Menezes's Visitation it is said that the Chaldaean and Malabar Christians did so abhorr the Pope that they could not endure so much as to hear him named and Head of all the Churches in the World and confess that all that were not obedient to her were out of a state of Salvation and if they did promise and swear true Obedience and subjection to the most Holy Father the Pope and Bishop of Rome as Universal Pastor of the Church and Successor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Christ upon Earth without any manner of dependance upon the Schismatical Patriarch of Babylon to whom tho' contrary to Justice they had hitherto been subject and if they did promise never to receive any other Bishop into this Diocess but what shall be sent by the Holy Roman Church by the appointment of our Lord the Pope and that whomsoever he shall ordain they will acknowledge and obey for their Prelate as becomes true Catholicks and Sons of the Church anathematizing the Patriarch of Babylon as a Nestorian Heretick out of the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church and promising and swearing never to obey him more in any matter nor to have any further Commerce or Communion with him in things appertaining to the Church To all which and every particular they did all and every one of them for themselves with their hands upon the Cross and the Gospel swear and protest to God by the Holy Gospel and the Cross of Christ After the Ecclesiasticks had made this Profession and Oath the Procurators and Representatives of the People by virtue of the Powers they had made the same in their own Name and in the Name of the People of the Bishroprick as did also all the other Christians that were present Decree III. THe Synod doth command all Priests Deacons and Sub-Deacons of this Bishoprick that were not present at this Solemnity to make the foresaid Oath and profession of Faith in the hands of the most Illustrious Metropolitan at the Visitation of their Churches which he intends to make speedily or in the hands of such as he shall depute for those that shall be absent at the time of the Visitation that so there may be none in Holy Orders in this Bishoprick but what has made this Profession in the manner aforesaid The Synod doth likewise declare That hereafter none shall be capable of undertaking any Vicaridge or Cure of a Church until they have made the said Profession in the hands of their Prelate or of some Commissionated by him for that purpose as also that all that take Holy Orders do first make the said Profession in the same manner and if any of the forementioned which God forbid shall refuse to do it that they shall thereupon be declared Excommunicate until they comply and withal be vehemently suspected of Heresy and be punished according to the Sacred Canons ACTION III. BEcause without Faith it is impossible to please God and the Holy Catholick Faith without which none can be saved is the beginning of true Life and the foundation of all our Good the Purity thereof being that that distinguishes Christians and Catholicks from all other People wherefore the Synod being sensible that by means of some Heretical Persons and Books scattered all over this Bishoprick many Errors and Falsities have been sown therein with which many are poisoned and more may be doth judge it necessary besides the profession of Faith that has been made further to declare to the People in some Chapters the chief Articles of our Holy Catholick Faith and to point at and observe the Errors contained in their Books and to have them Preached against in this Bishoprick that so knowing the mischief and falsehood of them they may avoid them CHAP. I. The Doctrine of Faith OUr Holy Faith that is believed with one unanimous consent by the Catholick Church spread all over the World is That we believe in One only True Almighty Immutable Incomprehensible and Ineffable God the Eternal Father Son and Holy Ghost One in Essence and Three in Persons the Father not begotten the Son begotten of the Father and of the same substance with him and equal to him and the Holy Ghost proceeding eternally from the Father and the Son not as from two Principals or two Inspirations but from both as from one only Principal and one only Inspiration the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son but the Father is only the Father the Son is only the Son and the Holy Spirit is only the Holy Spirit none of them being before another in Eternity nor superiour to another in Majesty nor inferiour to another in Power but were all without beginning or end the Father is he who begot the Son is he who was born and the Holy Ghost he who proceedeth Consubstantial Equal alike Almighty and alike Eternal These three Persons are one only God and not three Gods one only Essence and Substance one Nature one Immensity one Principal one Creator of all things Visible and Invisible Corporal and Spiritual who when he pleased created all things with his goodness and would that they should be all very good CHAP. II. FUrthermore That the only begotten Son of God who is always with the Father and the Holy Spirit Consubstantial to the Father at the time appointed by the profound Wisdom of the Divine Mercy for the redeeming of Men from the sin of Adam and from all other sins was truly Incarnate by the operation of the Holy Spirit in the pure Womb of our Lady the most Blessed Virgin Mary and in her took our true and intire Nature of Man that is a Body and rational Soul into the Unity of the Divine Person which Unity was such that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and Man and the Son of God and the Son of Man in as much as he was the Son of the Blessed Virgin so that the one Nature is not confounded with the other neither did the one pass into nor mix it self with the other neither did either of them vanish or cease to be but in one only Person or in one Divine Suppositum there are two perfect Natures a Divine and Humane but so that the properties of both Natures are still preserved there being two Wills the Divine and Humane and two Operations Christ still continuing one for as the Form of God does not destroy the Form of a Servant so the
better observed by all We do therefore under the same Precept and Censure command all Christians in all Towns and Villages of this Bishoprick and where there are no Villages all that use to assemble together at any Church as belonging to it immediately upon this our Pleasure being intimated to them to chuse Four of the most Honourable Conscientious and Experienced Persons among them to come in their Name at the said time to the said Synod with sufficient Powers to Approve Sign Confirm and Consult in their Name so as to oblige themselves thereby to comply with whatsoever shall be determined in the Synod And that these Commissioners may demand or propose whatsoever they shall judge to be of Importance to the Synod and for the Spiritual or Temporal Good of their People We do grant free Liberty to all in this Diocess as well Ecclesiasticks as Laicks that have any Complaints Grievances or Controversies about any such Matters as are decidable by the Prelate or other Christians to represent the same to the Synod where they shall be heard with Patience and have Justice done them according to the Sacred Canons Customs and lawful Vsages of the Country And whereas we are informed that there are several things in this Bishoprick which are the Causes of great Contentions we do therefore not only give leave but do also admonish and command all that are concerned in any such Matters that forbearing all other ways that are prejudicial to Christianity they do now make use of this just and holy way of putting an end to all their Debates And since to bring all these things to a good issue the favour and assistance of God is necessary from whom all good things do proceed and without whom we can do nothing wherefore to engage the Divine Clemency by Prayer to be favourable to us following the laudable Custom of the Holy Fathers and Ancient Councils we do Admonish and in the Name of God earnestly request all the faithful Christians of this Bishoprick from this time forward until the end of the Synod to exercise themselves with a pure and clean heart in Fasting Alms Prayer and other works of Piety instantly beseeching God to enlighten the Vnderstandings of all that shall meet together and so to enflame our Wills with Divine Love that we may determine nothing but what is right and may observe and comply with whatsoever shall be Decreed taking for our Intercessor our Lady the most Holy Virgin Mary of whose Praise and Honour we are to Treat particularly as also the Glorious Apostle St. Thomas the Master Patron and Protector of this Church and all the other Saints in Heaven that so this Synod may begin and proceed in Peace and universal Concord and may end to the Praise Honour and Glory of God our Lord for ever And that this our Publication of a Diocesan Synod may come to the knowledge of all that are concerned we Will and Command it to be Read in all the Churches of this Bishoprick to the People on the Sunday next after the intimation thereof to the Curates and after that to be fixed to the Gates of the Church Dated from Chanotta the 14th of May under our Seal and the Great Seal of our Chancery and Written by Andre Cerqueira Secretary to the most Illustrious Archbishop and Primate in the Year 1599. Frey Aleixo Arcebispo Primas THE ACTS and DECREES OF THE SYNOD of Diamper ACTION I. IN the Name of the most Holy and undivided Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the Year of our Lord 1599 on the 20th of June being the third Sunday after Whitsuntide in the seventh Year of the Pontificate of our most holy Lord Clement VIII the Supreme Roman Bishop and in the first Year of the Reign of the Catholick King Philip the Second King of Portugal and Algarves and of Malucco the Illustrious Lord Dom Francisco da Gama Conde de Vidigeyra Admiral of the Indies being Vice-roy in the Town of Diamper subject to the King of Cochim an Infidel and Heathen in the Church of All-Saints in the Bishoprick of Angamale of the Christians of St. Thomas in the Serra of Malabar the See being vacant by the death of the Arch-Bishop Mar-Abraham there assembled in a Diocesan Synod according to the Holy Canons the most Illustrious and most Reverend Lord Dom Frey Aleixo de Menezes Arch-Bishop Metropolitan of Goa Primate of the Indies and the Oriental Parts together with all the Priests and Curates of the said Bishoprick and the Procurators of all the Towns and Corporations in the same with great Numbers of other Persons belonging to the said Church and called to the said Synod by the most Reverend Metropolitan Where after having given Thanks to God for his having extinguished and composed all the Alterations and Commotions by which Satan the Enemy to all that is Good had endeavoured to hinder the assembling of this Synod and being all filled with Joy to see themselves met together to Treat of things pertaining to the Service of God the Purity of the Faith and the Good of Christianity and their own Souls the most Illustrious Metropolitan did celebrate the Solemn Mass for the removing of Schism as it is in the Roman Missal and having preached to the People to the same purpose the Mass being ended he re-invested himself in his Pontifical Robes and read the Office for the beginning of a Synod as it is in the Roman Pontifical which being over and the Metropolitan seated in his Chair with all the Ecclesiasticks and Secular Procurators about him in their order he told them That he celebrated this Holy Synod by Virtue of two Briefs of the Holy Father our Lord Pope Clement VIII in which his Holiness had recommended to him the Government of that Church after the death of the Arch-Bishop Marabran until such time as it should be provided of a Pastor and Prelate besides that the same belonged to him as the Metropolitan thereof and Primate of the Indies and all the Oriental Parts by the Canons the See thereof being vacant and it having no Chapter to take care of it during the vacancy which Briefs being faithfully translated into the Malabar Tongue were immediately read and received with that Reverence and Obedience that was due to them After which the Lord Metropolitan told them That seeing he had but little knowledge of the Malabar Tongue it was necessary for him to have some faithful Person and that was well versed in Ecclesiastical Affairs to relate truly in the Congregations what he should say or what should be spoke to him Whereupon upon Jacob a Priest and Curate of the Church of Pallurte in the said Bishoprick a Person well skilled both in the Portugueze and Malabar Languages was presently pitched upon by common Consent who being called by the Lord Metropolitan was charged by him with the Office of Interpreter to himself and the Holy Synod giving him an Oath at the same time upon the Holy Gospels
Form of a Servant does not diminish the Form of God because he who is true God is also true Man God because in the beginning he was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word Man because the Word was made Flesh and died among us God because by his own Power he satisfied five Thousand Men with five Loaves and promised the Water of Eternal Life to the Samaritan Woman and raised Lazarus from the Grave when he had been dead four days and gave sight to the Blind cured the Sick and commanded the Winds and the Seas Man because he suffered Hunger and Thirst was weary in the Way was fastned with Nails to the Cross and died thereon Equal to the Eternal Father as to the Divinity and Inferior to the Father as to the Humanity and Mortal and Passible CHAP. III. FUrthermore That the same Son of God that was Incarnate was truly born of the Virgin Mary and had his Sacred Body formed of the pure Blood of the same most Blessed Virgin and is truly her Son for which reason we confess her to be truly the Mother of God and that she ought to be so called and invocated by the whole Catholick Church for that she really and truly brought forth according to the Flesh tho' without any Pain or Passion the true Son of God made Man and that the said Son of God Incarnate truly suffered for us and was truly dead and buried and in his Soul truly descended into Hell or Limbo to redeem the Souls of the Holy Fathers which were therein and did truly rise again from the dead the third day and afterwards for forty days taught his Disciples speaking with them of the Kingdom of Heaven and immediately by his own Power ascended into the Heavens where he sits at the right hand of the Majesty Glory and Power of the Father from whence he shall come to Judge the quick and the dead and to give to every one according to their Works CHAP. IV. FUrthermore That none that are descended from Adam ever were or can be saved by any other means than by Faith in the Mediator betwixt God and Man our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God who by his Blood and Death reconciled us to the Eternal Father by having satisfied him for our Debts the Faith before our Saviour appeared in the World being to believe in him who was to come as after his appearance to believe in him who is come and by his Blood and Death has saved us CHAP. V. FUrthermore That all we who are born of Adam by the way of Natural Generation are born Children of Wrath with the guilt of Original Sin incurred by the disobedience of Adam in whom we all sinned and which we all committed in him for which sin Adam lost for himself and us Holiness and Righteousness and so that guilt of sin is derived to all of us by Generation we having all sinned in him as the Apostle St. Paul tells us that by one Man Sin entred into the World and by Sin Death and so Death passed upon all Men all having sinned in him but notwithstanding this guilt is derived to us by Generation nevertheless our Souls are not derived by Generation as our Bodies are but are created by God of nothing and by the Divine Ordination infused into our Bodies at the time when they are perfectly formed and organized and in the instant in which they are infused into our Bodies they contract the guilt of Original Sin which we committed in Adam and for which we were all expelled the Kingdom of Heaven and deprived of God for ever but which is now pardoned by Holy Baptism by which our Souls are cleansed from the guilt of that sin and of Children of Wrath and Aliens from Glory we are made the blessed Sons of God and Heirs of Heaven wherein likewise all our other sins and actual transgressions where there are any together with all the punishments due to the same are forgiven CHAP. VI. FUrthermore That the Souls of all those that have committed no sin after Baptism and of those who having committed sins have done condign Penance and have made an entire and equal satisfaction for them are carried immediately into Heaven where they behold God Three and One as he is and do partake of the Divine Vision in proportion to the diversity of their Merits some more perfectly than others and in the same manner they who die in any Actual Mortal sin without having done condign punishment for it or only in Original sin do go straightway down into Hell there to be tormented with Eternal punishments though unequal according to the measure of their guilt CHAP. VII FUrthermore That all Christians departing this life in Charity and having truly repented of the sins they have committed before they have made full satisfaction to the Divine Justice for the same are at their death carried into Purgatory where their guilt is purged away by Fire and other punishments in such a space of time as by the Divine Ordination is suitable to their Quality or until they have entirely satisfied for them after which they are carried up into Glory there to enjoy God and that in Purgatory the Prayers Alms and other Works of Piety that are performed by the Faithful that are alive for the Faithful that are dead are profitable to them but above all the holy Sacrifice of the Mass for their being relaxed from the punishments that they suffer and for the shortning of their banishment from Heaven CHAP. VIII FUrthermore That at the day of Judgment our Bodies tho' crumbled into dust and ashes shall be raised up the same that they were in this Life and be reunited to their Souls those of the Righteous to be cloathed with Glory and to reign with Christ for ever in the Heavens and those of the Wicked to be together with their souls tormented for ever in the Company of Devils in the Eternal and real Fire of Hell CHAP. IX FUrthermore That in the beginning and in Time God created all things Visible and Invisible Corporeal and Spiritual and the Empyrean Heavens full of Angels of whom those that continued subject to God were confirmed in Grace enjoying God with all the perfections and Gifts wherewith they were created as those who disobeyed him fell into Hell which God so soon as they sinned made for them where they are tormented for ever with the rigour of Justice not only with punishments of loss in being Eternally deprived of the Divine Vision which they were created to have enjoyed but with real Fire and other Eternal Torments also and do tempt men endeavouring to do them all the mischief they are able out of envy for the Blessings that are reserved for the Just and which they have forfeited by their sins and out of hatred they have for God and his Works and that intrinsical Malice they are hardned in CHAP. X. FUrthermore That the Blessed Angels and Saints that
nor no need of any created assistance to help her to bring forth or afterwards there being nothing in her but what was pure the Eternal Word made Flesh springing out of her Womb the Claustrum of her pure Virginity being shut when the time determined in the Consistory of the Holy Trinity was come to the great Spiritual Joy and satisfaction of the said Blessed Virgin for which reason she ought truly to be stiled the Mother of God and not only the Mother of Christ and that when she departed this Life she was immediately carried up into Heaven where by a particular privilege due to her Merits she enjoys God both in Body and Soul without waiting for the general Resurrection there being no reason why that Body out of which there was most Holy Flesh formed for the Son of God made Man should as other Bodies be dissolved into Dust and Ashes but that it should be immediately exalted and glorified and placed high above all the Quires of Angels as Holy Mother Church sings and confesseth concerning the whole of which matter the Impious Nestorian Hereticks have spoke and writ even in the Breviaries used in this Bishoprick a great many Blasphemies and Heresies Decree VII THe Synod is with great sorrow sensible of that Heresy and perverse Error sown by the Schismaticks in this Diocess to the great prejudice of Souls which is That there was one Law of St. Thomas and another of St. Peter which made * Two different By all this which the Synod calls Two Laws the Christians of St. Thomas meant only That the Churches planted by the Apostles in divers Regions had nothing of Superiority or Jurisdiction over one another which is a most certain and ancient truth two different and distinct Churches and both immediately from Christ and that the one had nothing to do with the other neither did the Prelate of the one owe any obedience to the Prelate of the other and that they who had followed the Law of St. Peter had endeavoured to destroy the Law of St. Thomas for which they had been punished by him all which is a manifest Error Schism and Heresy there being but one Law to all Christians which is that which was given and declared by Jesus Christ the Son of God and preached by the Holy Apostles all over the World as one Faith one Baptism there being but one Lord of all and one Catholick and Apostolick Church of which our Lord Christ God and Man who Founded it is the only Spouse and one only Universal Pastor to whom all other Prelates owe obedience the Pope and Bishop of Rome Successor in the Chair of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles to whom our Lord Jesus Christ bequeathed that Supream Authority and by him to his Successors which Catholick Doctrine is necessary to Eternal Life Wherefore the Synod doth command all Parish Priests and Preachers to Treat often of this matter by reason of the great need there is of having this Bishoprick well instructed therein Decree VIII FOr that till the very time of the most Illustrious Metropolitan entring into this Diocess there was a certain Heresy twice repeated in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and twice more in the Divine Office in calling the Patriarch of Babylon the Universal Pastor and Head of the Catholick Church in all places and as often as they happen to name him a Title that is due only to the most Holy Father the Bishop of Rome Successor of the Prince of the Apostles St. Peter and Vicar of Christ on Earth the Synod doth therefore command in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred that no Person of this Bishoprick Secular or Ecclesiastical shall from henceforward presume by Word or Writing either in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in the Divine Office or in any other occasion to bestow that Title on the said Patriarch of Babylon or on any other Prelate besides our Lord the Bishop of Rome and whosoever shall dare to contravene this Order shall be declared Excommunicate and held for a Schismatick and Heretick and shall be punished as such according to the Holy Canons And whereas the Patriarchs of Babylon to whom this Church was subject are Nestorians the Heads of that cursed Sect and Schismaticks out of the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church and Aliens from our Holy Catholick Faith and are for that reason Excommunicate and accursed and it not being lawful to joyn with such in the Church in publick as stand Excommunicate Wherefore this Bishoprick upon its having now yielded a perfect Obedience to the most Holy Father the Pope Christ's Vicar upon Earth to which it was obliged by Divine Authority and upon pain of Damnation shall not from henceforward have any manner of dependance upon the said Patriarch of Babylon and the present Synod does under the said precept of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred prohibit all Priests and Curates from henceforward to name the said Patriarch of Babylon in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in any other Divine Office in the Prayers of the Church even without the false Title of Universal Pastor but instead thereof shall name our Lord the Pope who is our true Pastor as also of the whole Church and after him the Lord Bishop of the Diocess for the time being and whosoever shall maliciously and knowingly act the contrary shall be declared Excommunicate and otherwise punish'd at the pleasure of his Prelate according to his contumacy Decree IX WHereas all the Breviaries used in this Church are Nestorian and by the commands of Prelates of the same Sect on a certain day the impious and false Heretick Nestorius is Commemorated in this Bishoprick and a Day is kept to his Honour and at other times Theodorus Diodorus Abbaratho Abraham Narsai Barchauma Johanan Hormisda and Michael who are also Nestorian Hereticks were likewise Commemorated Nestorius Theodorus and Diodorus being commemorated on the Friday after the Nativity and on the seventh Friday after that Abraham and Narsai and all the above-named and all of them on every Thursday in the Year in the said Nestorian Office and every day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Divine Office and notwithstanding in some places they have not of late named Nestorius Theodorus and Diodorus but do still continue to name Abraham Narsai Abba Barchauma Johanan Hormisda and Michael in the Blessing that the Priest gives to the People at the end of the Mass wherein they desire Hormisda to deliver them from evil being his Disciples as also on all Fridays in the Year they commemorate as Saints the said Hormisda Joseph Michael Johanan Barchauma Barianda Rabba Hedsa Machai Hixoiau Caurixo Avahixo Lixo Xaulixo Barmun Lixo Metidor Cohada Israel Ezekiah Lixo David Lixo Barai Israel Julianus Haudixo c. who were all Nestorian Hereticks and as is evident from the said Masses and from their Lives Commemorations
Metropolitan upon the account of the manifold Heresies and Blasphemies contained therein and the many false Miracles said to be wrought by him in confirmation of the Nestorian Sect Therefore the Synod does in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred prohibit the Observation of the two Festivities that have been dedicated to his Memory the one upon the first of September the other sixteen days after Easter and the dedicating of any Church to him commanding the abovenamed Church to be dedicated to St. Hormisda the Martyr who was also a Persian and whose Festivity is celebrated upon the 8th of August upon which day the Feast of the said Church shall be observed and on the Retablo they are to make the Picture wherein the Martyrdom of the said Saint shall be drawn to the best advantage that so the People may learn to what Saint the said Church is dedicated and all the Prayers and Devotion that used to be performed upon the Festivities of the Heretick Hormisda may be directed to this Glorious Saint Decree XI SEeing in the Creed or Holy Symbol of Faith ordained by the Sacred Apostles and declared by the Holy Councils which is sung in the Mass all the principal Mysteries and Articles of our Faith are contained it is not fit that any thing should be added to it or taken from it but that it should be sung in this Bishoprick as it is all over the Universal Church wherefore the Synod doth Order that the words which are wanting in the Creed that is said in the Mass be added to it where speaking of Christ it it said that he was born of the Father before all Times there is wanting God of God Light of Light very God of very God that so it may in all things be conformable to what is sung in the Universal Church using also the word Consubstantial to the Father and not what is said instead thereof in the Surian Son of the Essence of the Father Decree XII NOtwithstanding it is contrary to the Sacred Canons That the Children of Christians should go to School to Heathen Masters Nevertheless seeing this Church is under so many Heathen Kings who many times will not suffer any but Infidels to be Schoolmasters wherefore the Synod doth command and declare That in all Schools whether for Reading or Writing wherein the Masters have Pagods to which they oblige their Children at their coming into the School to pay their Reverence as the Custom is that it shall not be lawful for Christian Parents or Guardians to send Christian Children to such Schools upon pain of being proceeded against as Idolaters but if there should be any such Schools wherein the Heathen Masters will consent that Christian Children shall pay no Reverence nor be obliged to any Heathen Ceremony in case there is no Christian Master near they may be sent to such Schools their Parents instructing them that they must pay no reverence but only to the Master and that they must use none of the Ceremonies of the Heathen Children that so they may not * Suck in Idolatry They would have done well to have considered whether the introducing of the Adoration of Images into a Christianity that was planted amidst Heathens and under Idolatrous Princes how Innocent soever it may be in other places was safe or not in Malabar before they did it and whether the reconciling them to Images might not dispose them to Heathenism such in Idolatry as Mothers Milk Furthermore the Synod doth earnestly recommend it to all Towns and Villages to do all that is in their Power to have their Children Educated by Christian Masters and as for Reading and Writing to have the Parish-Priests to teach them to do that in their Houses But as to those masters who do oblige Christian Children to do reverence to their Pagods the Synod in virtue of Holy Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be Ipso facto incurred doth command all Fathers of Families and others that have charge of Children not to consent to their going to such Schools and doing the contrary let them be declared Excommunicate and be rigorously punished by the Prelate neither shall such Children be suffered to enter the Church as to which matter the Vicars and Priests ought to be extreamly vigilant to prevent Childrens being Educated in Idolatry and where-e'er there is a Christian School-master in any Town or near it the Children of Christians are not to go to School to Infidels Decree XIII THe Synod being certainly informed that there are some Christian Schoolmasters who to conform themselves to others and to have the more Scholars do set up Pagods and Idols in their Schools to which the Heathen Children pay reverence doth command all the said School-masters so soon as it shall be intimated to them upon pain of Excommunication to remove the said Pagods Idols and Reverence out of their Schools and not to give way to Heathen Children paying any such adoration and whosoever shall be found guilty thereof shall be declared Excommunicate and denyed the Communion of the Church and of all Christians and dying shall not be buried in holy Ground nor have Christian Burial nor have any Prayers said for them and let this Decree be published by the Vicars of the Churches to which such do belong Decree XIV THe Purity of the Faith being preserved by nothing more than by Books of sound and holy Doctrine and on the contrary there being nothing whereby the Minds of People are more corrupted than by Books of suspicious and Heretical Doctrines Errors being by their means easily insinuated into the Hearts of the Ignorant that read or hear them Wherefore the Synod knowing that this Bishoprick is full of Books writ in the Surian Tongue by Nestorian Hereticks and Persons of other Devilish Sects which abound with Heresies Blasphemies and false Doctrines doth command in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred that no Person of what quality and condition soever shall from henceforward presume to keep translate read or hear read to others any of the following Books The Book intituled The Infancy of our Saviour Or The History of our Lady condemned formerly by the ancient Saints for being full of Blasphemies Heresies and fabulous Stories where among others it is said that the Annunciation of the Angel was made in the Temple of Jerusalem where our Lady was which contradicts the Gospel of St. Luke which saith it was made in Nazareth as also that Joseph had actually another Wife and Children when he was betrothed to the Holy Virgin and that he often reproved the Child Jesus for his naughty Tricks that the Child Jesus went to School to the Rabbins and learnt of them with a thousand other Fables and Blasphemies of the same Nature and things unworthy of our Lord Christ whereas the Gospel saith that the Jews were astonished at his Wisdom asking how he came by so much
Learning having never been taught that the Devil tempted Christ before his Fast of forty days which is contrary to the Gospel that St. Joseph to be satisfied whether the Virgin had committed Adultery carried her before the Priests who according to the Law gave her the Water of Jealousie to drink that our Lady brought forth with pain and parting from her Company not being able to go farther she retired to a Stable at Bethlehem that neither our Lady nor any other Saint is in Heaven enjoying God but are all in a Terrestrial Paradise where they are to remain till the day of Judgment with other Errors too many to be related But it is the Synod's pleasure to instance in some of the chief Errors contained in the Books that it condemns that so all may be satisfied of the reason why they are prohibited to be read or kept upon pain of Excommunication and that all may avoid and burn them with the greater Horror and for other just and necessary respects Also the Book of John Barialdan wherein it is said in divers places That there were two Persons a Divine and Humane in Christ which is contrary to the Catholick Faith which confesses one only Divine Person It is also said That the Names of Christ and Emanuel are the Names of the Humane Person only and for that reason that the most sweet Name Jesus is not to be adored that the Union of the Incarnation is common to all the Three Divine Persons who were all Incarnated that our Lord Christ is the adopted and not the Natural Son of God that the Union of the Incarnation is accidental and is only that of Love betwixt the Divine and Humane Persons Also the Book intituled The Procession of the Holy Spirit wherein it is endeavoured to be proved at large that the Holy Spirit proceedeth only from the Father and not from the Son which is contrary to the Catholick Truth which teaches that he proceeds from the Father and the Son Also the Book entituled Margarita Fidei or The Jewel of Faith wherein it is pretended to be proved at large That our Lady the most Holy Virgin neither is nor ought to be stiled the Mother of God but the Mother of Christ that in Christ there are two Persons the one of the Word and the other of Jesus that the Union of the Incarnation is only an accidental Union of Love and Power and not a substantial Union that there are three distinct Faiths which is divided into three Professions the Nestorian Jacobite and Roman that the Nestorian is the true Faith that was taught by the Apostle and that the Roman is false and Heretical and was introduced by force of Arms and the Authority of Heretical Emperors into the greatest part of the World that to Excommunicate Nestorius is to Excommunicate the Apostles and Prophets and the whole Scripture that they that do not believe his Doctrine shall not inherit Eternal Life that they that follow Nestorius received their Faith from the Apostles which has been preserved to this day in the Church of Babylon of the Syrians That Matrimony neither is nor can be a Sacrament that the sign of the Cross is one of the Sacraments of the Church instituted by Christ that the Fire of Hell is Metaphorical not real that the Roman Church is fallen from the Faith condemning it likewise for not celebrating in leavened Bread according to what the Church has received from the Apostles for which it is said the Romans are Hereticks Also the Book of the Fathers wherein it is said That our Lady neither is nor ought to be called the Mother of God that the Patriarch of Babylon of the Nestorians is the Universal Head of the Church immediately under Christ that the Fire of Hell is not real but spiritual that it is Heresie to say that God was born or dyed that there are two Persons in Christ Also a Book of the Life of Abbot Isaias commented by a Nestorian wherein it is said That the Union is common to all the Three Persons that St. Cyril of Alexandria who condemned Nestorius was an impious Heretick and is now in Hell for having taught that there is but One Person in Christ whereas as often as Nestorius Theodorus and Diodorus are named they are stiled Saints and blessed by whose Authority it is there proved that the Saints shall not enjoy God before the day of Judgment and that till then they shall be in an obscure place which they call Eden near to the Terrestrial Paradise and that by so much the worse as any one has been he is tormented * The less for it in Hell This of fixing something that is justly abominable to all Mankind upon her Adversaries has been the constant practice of the Church of Rome So the Emperor Michael Balbus because he was an Enemy to Image-worship is said to have laughed at the Prophets not to have believed there were any Devils and to have placed Judas among the Saints the Templars upon the Pope and the French Kings conspiring together to destroy their Order are said to have obliged all their Novices to blaspheme God to renounce Christ the Virgin Mary and all the Saints in Heaven to spit and trample upon the Crucifix and to declare that Christ was a false Prophet the Albigenses are said to have held it lawful to deny their Faith when interrogated upon it by a Magistrate to have held that promiscuous Venery was lawful but that Matrimony was Hell and Damnation that the Souls of Men were as Mortal as their Bodies that the way of choosing their chief Priests was by tossing an Infant from one to another and that he in whose hands the Infant expired had that Office and that the Devil was unjustly thrown out of Heaven the less for it in Hell by reason of his greater conformity and friendship with the Devils that the Word was not made Man and that it is Blasphemy to affirm it that Christ conquer'd all the Passions of Sin by a Power derived from God and not by his own strength that St. Cyril was a Heretick in teaching that there was but One Person in Christ that the Divine and Humane Nature were united in Christ accidentally by Love that the whole Trinity was incarnated that God dwelt in Christ as in a Rational Temple giving him power to do all the good things he did that the Souls of the Just will be in a Terrestrial Paradise till the day of Judgment that the Wicked when they dye in Mortal Sin are carried to a place called Eden where they suffer only by the sense of the punishments they know they are to undergo after the day of Judgment Also the Book of Synods wherein there is a forged Letter of Pope Caius with false Subscriptions of a great many other Western Bishops directed to those of Babylon wherein it is acknowledged that the Church of Rome ought to be subject to that of Babylon which with
In a word any Person that can Baptize using the Form of the Church and intending to do what she does may administer this Sacrament For seeing none can be saved without being Baptized therefore as our Lord ordained Water than which nothing is more ready at hand to be the matter of this Sacrament so he would exclude no Man from being the Minister thereof the effects and virtue of this Sacrament is the pardon and remission of all sins Original and Actual and of all punishments due to them for which reason there is no Penance to be enjoyned those that are Baptized for any sin they committed before Baptism all that die after Baptism before they have committed any sin going directly to Heaven where they enjoy the Divine Vision for ever Decree I. WHereas in the Examination of the Forms of the administration of the Sacraments of the Church in this Diocess made by the most Reverend Metropolitan in his last Visitation he found that in divers Churches there were different Forms used and written in the Baptisteries some Curates using the Form following * The Ancient Form of Baptizing was by Prayer N. is Baptized and perfected in the name of the Father Amen in the name of the Son Amen in the name of the Holy Ghost Amen Others using the Greek Form saying Baptizetur servus Christi in nomine Patris Amen in nomine Filii Amen in nomine Spiritûs Sancti Amen The Synod in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred doth command that no Person shall presume hereafter to use either these or any other Forms but that which is used in the Holy Roman Church I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that all other Forms be blotted out of their Baptisteries and Books and this be put in their place Decree II. THis Synod being informed That at divers times they have used different Forms of Baptism in this Diocess which were introduced by Schismatical and Ignorant Prelates some of which were not Legitimate neither was the Sacrament administred by them as was declared by the most Illustrious Metropolitan and others after a strict Examination and others were very doubtful doth therefore in the name of the Holy Ghost desire and command all the faithful Christians of this Diocess to declare to the said Metropolitan at the Visitation he intends to make of the Churches of this Diocess or to Persons deputed by him the time when they were Baptized that so according to the Form that was then used a saving remedy may be provided in conformity to what shall be ordained therein and that all submit themselves to whatsoever he shall be pleased to order Decree III. FOrasmuch as the Synod is informed that there are many Persons in this Diocess and especially among those that live in the Heaths and are far from any Church who tho' they are not Baptized yet being of a Christian race do profess themselves Christians and when they come where there is a Church do go to it and receive the Holy Sacraments with others and out of meer shame of letting it be known that they are not Christened do die without Baptism and others because they will not pay the Fees which are Simoniacally demanded of them It doth therefore command all Vicars of Churches to make diligent inquiry through their whole Parishes and the Heaths to see if there are any that are not Christened besides the search that the most Illustrious Metropolitan does intend at his next Visitation as he did at his former and that the said Vicars on the high Festivals upon which those that live in the Heaths do usually come to Church shall admonish them all in general that in case there are any among them that have never been baptized or that have some reason to doubt whether they have or not that they go to them and acquaint them therewith in private that so they may be secretly Christened and without paying any Fee letting them know that they are not Christians nor capable of inheriting Eternal Life nor of receiving the Holy Sacraments without being baptized and all Preachers shall frequently give the same admonition and all Confessors must be careful to ask all rude Christians that live in the Heaths whether they have been baptized and in case it appear doubtful they shall then baptize them privately The Synod grants the same License to all Priests within or without this Diocess to baptize all such secretly in what place soever they shall think fit Decree IV. THE Synod being informed that there are some small Villages in this Diocess which by reason of the great distance they are at from any Church and through the negligence of their Prelates and Priests tho' they call themselves Christians of St. Thomas because descended of such yet are not Baptized having nothing of Christians but the bare name doth command a diligent enquiry to be made into this matter recommending the same to the most Reverend Metropolitan and commanding all Vicars of Churches to search all places bordering upon their Parishes and to oblige all such to be Baptized The Synod doth likewise command Chappels to be built in or near to all such Villages and to be provided with such Curates as may instruct them in all matters of Faith that so there may be none in all these parts that call themselves Christians of St. Thomas but what are Baptized and of some Parish where they may receive the Sacraments Decree V. BY reason of the great negligence that is so visible in the Christians of this Bishoprick in bringing their Children to be baptized within eight days after they are born according to the Custom of the Church but chiefly among those that live at a considerable distance from any Church whose Children are many times some Months or Years old before they are Christen'd the Synod doth strictly command That all Children be baptized on the 8th day after they are born according to the custom of the Universal Church without there should be some danger of their dying before in which case they ought to be Christened immediately or that it should so happen that if they are not baptized sooner they cannot be in a long time in which case also they ought to be presently Christened and for those that live in Heaths and far from any Church if they should not be able to bring their Children to be baptized on the eighth day they must not fail to bring them betwixt the fifteenth and the twentieth and all that are found to be negligent herein let them be punish'd severely and whosoever shall neglect to bring their own Children or others that they have the charge of tho' their Slaves to Baptism for above a Month let them be thrown out of the Church neither shall it be lawful for any Priest to go to their Houses or to give them the Casturi or a Visit no not in order to
perswade them to bring their Children to Baptism But if it should be probable that the length of the Way might endanger the Child's Life then let the Father or Guardian signifie so much to the Vicar of the Church to which they belong that a fit remedy may be taken therein that the Baptism of the Infant be no longer deferred and in such Cases the Synod doth command all Vicars either in Person or by some other Priest to hasten to go the doing thereof with diligence being one of the highest Duties of their Function Decree VI. THe present Synod doth condemn the Custom or Abuse which has hitherto obtained in this Diocess of not Baptizing the Infants of Parents that are Excommunicated for fear of having some Communion with them by which means it often happens that Children continue unbaptized for many Years thereby running a great hazard of dying without Baptism and ordaining the contrary commands the Children of Excommunicated Parents to be Christen'd as well as others and to that intent declares That they that go into such Families to fetch such Children or shall carry or accompany them to Church shall incurr no censure or punishment whatsoever for so doing nevertheless the Persons that are Excommunicated shall not be suffer'd to go along with them nor shall others go to any Feast or Banquet at their Houses which they may have made on that occasion Decree VII THe Synod doth exhort and admonish all Fathers and Mothers and all other Persons that are present at Womens Labour to be careful not to suffer any Infant to die without Baptism Wherefore if they shall perceive the Child when it is born to be weak or in danger of dying presently they shall then if it can be done call the Vicar or in his absence any other Priest to come immediately to Baptize the Infant but if the danger shall be such as not to admit of any delay in that case any Person that is present shall Baptize it in the Church throwing Water upon its Face and saying I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen which shall be done by Ecclesiasticks if any are present rather than Laicks and by Men rather than Women if they know the Form but if they do not then any one that knows it may perform it and when Infants are in danger of dying in the birth in case the Head or any other principal Member doth appear tho' the whole Body should not they shall sprinkle the Member that appears with Water using the Form And as for those that have been Baptized in this manner if they shall happen to live and it shall be proved that they were Baptized on the Head or the greater part of the Body they shall not then be Christen'd again but shall only be carried to the Church to be anointed with the Holy Oils but if the Baptism was performed on any other part they shall then be Baptized again but with a Condition saying If thou art not Baptized I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen And after the same manner Priests and others shall behave themselves as to such Persons of whose Baptism they have any reason to doubt provided if there are any other present it shall not be lawful for the Parents of such Infants to Baptize them that they may not contract the Spiritual Relation of Godfather or Godmother but in case there should be no body else present and the Child should be in apparent danger of Death in such a case of necessity the Father or Mother must Baptize it Decree VIII THe Synod doth earnestly recommend to all People to procure Christian Daia's or Midwives in all their Towns and such as know the Form of Baptism and are able to succour the necessities of Infants when born in danger And whereas Infidel Daia's do use a great many Ceremonies and Superstitions with Infants which are foreign to the purity and integrity of the Gospel and especially such of them as are Mahometans the Vicars shall therefore take care frequently to instruct all their People but especially the Daia's in the Form of Baptism that so every body may know how to succour the necessities of Infants when they are born and the Confessors of the Daia's must be sure to examine them as to the said Form and having instructed them therein shall acquaint them how much it is their duty to be perfect in it Decree IX THe Synod doth command That no Person presume to keep an Infidel Slave without Baptizing him whom if they are Infants they shall Baptize presently and if come to years of discretion they shall take care to instruct in the Faith in order to make them Christians but without any manner of Compulsion besides that of continual Persuasion and whosoever should be found to have an Infidel Child that is not Baptized or one that is of Age and does desire to be shall be severely punished by the Prelate and the Parties shall be Christened In this the Vicars ought to be extreamly vigilant and especially when they make the Roll of Confessions and inquire what Persons are in every Family and who are not Christians and why they are not Decree X. THere being some Christians so unmindful of their Christian Obligations as to sell Christians to Infidels contrary to the Holy Canons who by that means are certainly constrained to Apostatize from the Faith wherefore the Synod in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred doth command That no Christian presume to Sell any of the Faithful to Infidels and that whosoever shall be found to have done it shall be forthwith declared Excommunicate and shall not be Absolved until he hath redeemed the said Christian tho' he should cost him more than what he sold him for or until it shall be manifest to the Vicar of the Church and to other Curates and the whole People that it cannot be done in which case he shall not be Absolved until by way of Penance he has refunded the Money that he received with which the Vicar and Church-wardens shall buy an Infidel whom they shall Christen great numbers of such being sold daily in Malabar and the Person so bought shall have his liberty and shall be cemmitted to the care of some devout substantial Christian that will Educate him for God's sake Moreover the Synod in virtue of Obedience doth prohibit all Christians to Sell any Boys or Girls tho' they are not Baptized to any Mahometan Jew or Heathen it being certain that such when sold to Infidels will never come to the knowledge of the Faith tho' when it is necessary and they are their lawful Slaves they may sell them to other Christians Whosoever shall transgress herein shall be severely punished except the Person that was sold was Twenty Years of Age and it is manifest to the Vicar to whom he shall be carried
Patriarchae totius Ecclesiae Catholicae pastoris naming the Patriarch of Babylon by Name instead thereof he shall say Praecipuè oportet nos orare pro incolumitate patrum nostrorum Domini Papae naming him also Episcopi hujus Metropolis naming him also Furthermore when the Deacon a little before saith Commemoramus autem beatissimam Mariam virginem Matrem Christi salvatoris it shall be said Sanctam Matrem Dei vivi salvatoris Redemptoris nostri c. because the perverse Nestorians do impiously deny the Blessed Virgin to be the Mother of God as has been observed Furthermore when the Deacon a little lower saith Commemoramus quoque Patres nostros sanctos veritatis Doctores Dominum Sanctum Nestorium c. all which is Heretical it being an impious thing sacrilegiously to pray to God to preserve the Doctrine of Nestorius and of other Hereticks his followers in the Church all the forementioned having been such except St. Ephraim wherefore instead of them he shall say Commemoramus quoque Patres nostros sanctos veritatis Doctores S. Cyrillum c. And tho' in some Missals the Names of Nestorius Theodorus and Diodorus are already left out yet they do still remain in some and the Names of Abraham and Narcissus two of the Ringleaders of that cursed Sect are in all of them Wherefore there must be care taken to have them also left out Furthermore in the beginning of the Prayer wherein the Deacon saith Oportet nos orare exaltare unum Deum Patrem Dominum omnium adoratione dignissimum qui per Christum fecit nobis bonam spem it shall be said Qui per Jesum Christum filium suum Dominum nostrum fecit nobis bonam spem Furthermore where the Priest pouring the Wine into the Cup saith Misceatur pretiosus Sanguis in Calice Domini nostri Jesu Christi it shall be said Misceatur Vinum in Calice Domini nostri that no occasion may be given to the Error of calling the Wine before it is consecrated The Precious Blood of Christ alluding to the condemned Custom of the Greeks who as they offer the Bread and Wine before they are consecrated so they adore them too saying they do it for what they are to be and presently after where the Priest saith Expectans expectavi Dominum Corpus Christi sanguinem ejus pretiosum super sanctum altare offeramus it shall be said for the same reason Panem Sanctum Calicem pretiosum offeramus and immediately after where the Deacon saith Edent pauperes saturabuntur Corpus Christi Sanguinem ejus pretiosum super sanctum altare offeramus He shall say for the same reason Ede◠pauperes saturabuntur Panem sanctum Calicem pretiosum c. Furthermore where the Priest with a low Voice in the Prayer which begins Offeratur gloriae immoletur saith Christus qui oblatus est pro salute nostrâ he shall say Jesus Christus Dominus noster Dei filius qui oblatus est c. And where the Priest raising his Voice saith Gloria Patri c. Fiat Commemoratio Virginis Mariae Matris Christi he shall say Fiat commemoratio Virginis Marie Matris ipsius Dei Domini nostri Jesu Christi And a little lower where the Deacon saith In saecula usque in saecula Amen Amen Apostoli ipsius filii amici unigenti he shall say Apostoli ipsius filii Dei amici And where the Priest begins Pusilli cum majoribus and saith Resurrectione tuâ supergloriosâ resuscitabis eos ad gloriam tuam he shall say Per Resurrectionem tuam supergloriosam suscitabis eos Furthermore where the Deacon saith Effundite coram illo corda vestra jejunio oratione poenitentia placaverunt Christum Patrem quoque Spiritum ejus sanctum where in saying Spiritum sanctum ejus they seem to allude to the Error of the Greeks that the Holy Spirit proceedeth only from the Father and not from the Father and the Son as from one principal as the Catholick Faith confesseth and because the Nestorians by reason of the great Communication they have had with the Greeks have imbibed some of their Errors that there may be therefore no countenance given to such an Error it shall be reformed thus Placaverunt Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum Furthermore In the Prayer where the Priest saith Dominus Deus fortis tua est Ecclesia sancta Catholica quae admirabili Christi tui passione empta est it shall be said Quae admirabili Christi filii tui c. Furthermore near the end of the Gospel taken out of that Chapter of St. John which as has been observed is corrupted in the Syrian Translation where it is read quoniam venit hora in quâ omnes qui in monumentis sunt audient vocem ipsius it shall be read audient vocem filii Dei as it is in the Gospel Furthermore in the Creed that is sung in the Mass there are wanting several substantial words where speaking of our Lord Christ and saying that he was born of the Father before all Worlds there is wanting God of God light of light very God of very God all which shall be added to it as also the word consubstantial to the Father leaving out the words that are in its place in the Syrian filius essentiae Patris and the whole shall be reformed and translated into the same words as it is sung in the Catholick Church in the Roman Missal Furthermore presently after the Creed where the Deacon praying for and making a Commemoration of the Holy Apostles Martyrs and Confessors desires of God that he would raise them up that they may be Crowned with Glory at the Resurrection of the Dead saying Oremus in quam ut resurrectione quae est ex mortuis à Deo coronâ donentur which besides that it is not the Custom of the Church to pray for the Holy Apostles Martyrs and Confessors nor to desire any good thing for them whom we believe to be in possession of Bliss but much rather to * Pray to them The Malabar Custom in this is much the ancienter as appears from all the ancient Liturgies in all which Petitions Christians prayed for the Dead no otherwise than as we pray for them in the Lord's Prayer in the Petition Thy Kingdom come and in the Office for the Burial of the Dead where we beseech God of his gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of his Elect and to hasten his Kingdom Pray to them to intercede for us and to obtain for us of God whose familiar Friends they are all that we stand in need of and is of importance both as to all our Spiritual and just Temporal Concerns it seems to allude to the Nestorian Opinion That the Souls of the Saints are not to see God until after their Bodies are raised at the day of Judgment and that till then they are in a Terrestrial Paradise which is Impious
over celebrating and performing all other Exercises and Ministeries of Priests all which they thought they might do lawfully by virtue of a Licence granted by their Prelates who notwithstanding they prohibited them to Marry upon pain of Excommunication and had declared them Excommunicate did nevertheless Absolve them for a sum of Money or upon some Simonaical contract so that notwithstanding that Excommunication they did all Marry and continued in Wedlock reckoning themselves safe in Conscience upon their having obtained a Licence after such a manner All which being detested by the Synod as the inventions of the Devil and devised by the covetousness of Schismaticks and desiring to restore this Church to its due purity and the usage of the Roman Church doth command in virtue of obedience and upon pain of Excommunication latae Sententiae that henceforward no Clerk in Holy Orders presume to Marry nor shall any Cassanar Marry any such nor shall any presume to be present at any such Marriage nor give Council Favour or Assistance thereunto And whoever shall offend in any of these particulars must know that they are Excommunicate and Cursed and are to be declared as such by the Church and as to those who are already Married the Synod suspends them all whether Married once or oftner from the Ministery of their Orders and all Sacerdotal Acts until such time as they have put away their Wives effectually which is what the Synod intreats them in the Lord to do And to those who have been twice Married or have Married Widows or Women that were publickly dishonest the Synod doth command all such as being Bigamists and having Married contrary to their consciences as it appears several of them have done by their giving over thereupon to Celebrate notwithstanding their having obtained a Licence from their Bishop in virtue of obedience and upon pain of being declared Excommunicate so soon as this Decree shall come to their knowledge to turn off the said Women not only as to Bed and Board but so as not to dwell in the same House with them declaring that until they have done it they are in Mortal Sin and do live in Concubinate such Marriages having never been true or valid but on the contrary void and of no force neither can any Prelate or Bishop grant Licences in such cases having no Authority to do it by reason of its being contrary to the Rules of the Church that have been always punctually observed and contrary to the Holy general Councils received all over the World and as to those who have been but once Married the Synod will consult the most Holy Pope and Bishop of Rome that he as Prelate and Head of the whole Church of God and Master and Doctor of the same may teach and command what ought to be done therein and whatsoever his Holiness shall ordain shall be punctually observed Decree XVII THe Synod doth declare That those Priests who as obedient Sons shall follow the advice of the Synod in turning away their Wives may after they have so done continue in the exercise of their Functions and if not otherwise hindered may Celebrate notwithstanding they have been twice Married or may have Married Widows since by such Weddings not being true Marriages they did not incurr the irregularity of Bigamy All which the Synod grants out of pure Grace being extreamly desirous to have them turn away such Women and out of respect to their Ignorance and the Cheat that was put upon them by their Prelates who instead of instructing them better granted them Licences And whereas all Priests that Marry are Irregular according to the Holy Canons the most Illustrious Metropolitan by the Ordinary as well as the Apostolical Authority that he has in this Church by reason of the See 's being vacant doth dispense with the Priests and all the other Clergy-men in Holy Orders that shall yield obedience to the Synod in turning away their Wives and shall desire to continue to officiate as to the said irregularity which they have incurred granting them Licence as to this freely and without scruple to exercise their Orders Decree XVIII WHereas the Wives of Priests who are called Catatiaras or Cassaneiras have not only the most Honourable place in the Church for their being such and are the more reverenced but do moreover partake of the profits of the Churches wherein their Husbands ministred equally with the surviving Priests and have sometimes a greater share of them than any of the Priests by reason of the Seniority and Preheminence that their Husbands had in the Church therefore the Synod doth ordain That such of them as do not from henceforward depart from their Husbands shall receive no such benefit but if obeying the admonition of the Synod they shall leave their Husbands they shall then immediately receive their proportion as an Alms to help to sustain them and their Families and shall injoy the same place and Honour in the Church and every where else which they did before Decree XIX THe Synod doth declare That notwithstanding it has received the Holy Council of Trent with all its Decrees relating both to the good Government of the Church and Manners nevertheless that what was declared therein relating to Priests Bastards not being permitted to Minister in the same Church wherein the Fathers have Ministered before is not to be extended to the Sons of the Married Priests in this Diocess that are now born by reason of the great numbers there are of such at present in all Churches and of other great inconveniencies that would follow thereupon it is therefore permitted to such to Minister nay to be Vicars of the Churches wherein their Fathers have officiated but this is to be understood of such only as were born of Marriages that were reputed true the provision of the forementioned Holy Council being to take place as to all that shall be born hereafter Decree XX. WHereas the sin of * Simony This noise of Simony was raised for no other reason but to throw Dirt on the Memory of their former Bishops whose Fees at their Ordination were not in all probability so great as they are at Goa and had as little in them of a formal Bargain But the truth is Simony as well as Heresy is a Stone the Church of Rome throws blind-fold at all that displease her tho' at the same time she 's the Church in the World that 's most guilty of it so when she was crying shame of the Emperors as Simoniacks Petrus Clemangis tells us she her self was totius negotiationis latrocinii rapinae officina in quo venalia exponuntur Sacramenta venales ordines And Didacus Abulensis a learned Spanish Bishop and who was no stranger at Rome at the same time she was thus reproaching the poor Church of Malabar tells us in his Book of Councils that vitium Simoniae frequens est veluti res honestissima in usum deducitur in Curiâ Romanâ nulla unquam punitione
command that all that is above related be punctually observed according to the Decrees of the Holy Council of Trent which has been received by this Church in this Synod declaring all Marriages not celebrated in this Form or not by the Parish-Priest before two Witnesses to be null and the Parties not to be Married neither are they to be permitted to live together as Man and Wife And the Priests who shall presume to Marry without leave from the Parish-Priest or Ordinary shall be suspended from their Orders and Benefices for one Year without Indulgence and the Marriage shall be declared void and the Parties shall be obliged to Marry again in the foresaid Form The Synod doth furthermore declare That the Contracted may be Married by the Parish-Priest of either of the Parties tho' the ordinary Custom is to be Married by the Parish-Priest where the Woman lives Decree II. WHereas Matrimony ought to be celebrated with words signifying a present Consent and in many places of this Diocess it is commonly celebrated with words signifying only a Consent for the time to come Therefore the Synod doth command That when the Persons that are to be Married come to the Door of the Church the Parish-Priest or some other Priest having his or the Prelates Licence being in his Surplice with his Stole and at least two Witnesses present shall ask them if they are pleased to Marry and if they say they are or express their Consent by some other evident signs the Priest then shall take one end of his Stole and laying it on the Palm of his left Hand shall take the right Hand of the Bride and lay it on the Stole and lay the Palm of the right Hand of the Bridegroom on the Palm of the right Hand of the Bride in form of a Cross and covering both their Hands with the other end of the Stole and laying his own right Hand upon all so that the Hands of both Parties and both the ends of the Stole are betwixt the Priest's Hands after having blessed them with the sign of the Cross he shall say In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen and shall make the Bride say first I N. receive thee N. for my lawful Husband so as the Holy Mother Church of Rome doth command and shall afterwards make the Bridegroom say the same words I N. receive thee N. for my lawful Wife so as the Holy Mother Church of Rome doth command and after they have both said these words the Priest shall say I by the Authority I have do join you in Matrimony in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen after which he shall sprinkle them both with Holy Water saying By this sprinkling of Holy Water the Lord give you Health and Blessing Amen And if neither of the Parties was ever Married before they shall then be carried before the Higâ— Altar where being upon their Knees the Priesâ— shall give them the Blessings as they are in thâ— Roman Ceremonial of the administration of thâ— Sacraments which is to be translated into Syriaâ— and to be used in all Churches but if eitheâ— of the Parties have been Married before he shall not then give them the said Blessings but dismiss them after having said a Prayer in the Church Decree III. THat there may be no Frauds in Matrimony and that the Impediments which if they were known would hinder the same may be discovered and that in all things we may conform our selves to the Decrees of the Holy Council of Trent the Synod doth command That what is ordained by the said Holy Council be punctually observed to wit That the Parties to be Married shall have their Banns published by the Vicar or by one appointed by him on three Sundays or Holy-days in the Churches where the Bridegroom and Bride live when the People are assembled at Mass in this Form N. born in such a place does purpose to Marry N. the Daughter of N. and N. born in such a place wherefore if there be any that know any Impediment they must declare it upon pain of Excommunication And the Vicar in case he has any lawful Impediment declared unto him shall not Marry the Parties before he has made the Prelate acquainted therewith that so he may determine what is just to be done therein which Publications cannot be dispensed with by any but by the Prelate or one representing him And in case it is probable that if such Publications are made there are those that will maliciously endeavour to hinder the Marriage tho' in such a case the parties may be received without them yet for the better discovery of other Impediments that may happen to be therein they cannot be joined together nor receive the Blessings tho' capable thereof before the publications are made in the Churches without the Prelate should be pleased to dispense therewith to whose Prudence and Judgment the Holy Council of Trent has committed the whole of this Matter and the Priest who shall receive any couple without a License from the Prelate before such publications have been made shall be suspended from his Office and Benefice for six months Decree IV. THis Synod conforming it self in all things to the Holy Council of Trent doth command that in every Parish there be a Book as was ordered as to Baptism wherein the Vicar of the Church shall write the Names of the Married Persons and the Place day of the Month and Year and the Names of the two Witnesses commonly called the Padrinhos where they were Married registring them thus On such a Day of such a Month and Year I N. Vicar of the Church naming the Saint to whom it is dedicated in such a part naming where the said Church is did joyn N the Son of N and N. to N. the Daughter of N. and of N. born in such a place both at the gate of the Church according to the Holy Council of Trent the Witnesses were N. and N. to which the Vicar and the two Witnesses shall sign their Names and when any Priest shall by a License from the Vicar or Prelate marry any couple he shall write On such a day of such a Month and Year I N. a Priest by a License from the Vicar of such a place or from the Bishop if he granted the License did receive at the gate of the Church N. naming him the Son of N. and N. naming his Parents born in such a place naming the Town according to the Holy Council of Trent the Witnesses were N. and N. to which the said two Witnesses and Priest shall put their Names which Book shall be kept among the Registers of the Church and the Prelate at his Visitations shall see that there be no fault or neglect therein Decree V. AS Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament and as such conveys Grace it ought therefore to be received with great Purity and Holiness wherefore this Synod conforming
the Kings and Lords of Malabar Decree XXXVII THe Synod being desirous that the Church of the Serra should in all things be conformable to the Latin customs or Holy Mother Church of Rome unto which See she has now â—ielded a perfect Obedience and whereas in the Roman Church the custom is to make the Sign of the Cross and Blessings from the left to the â—ight so that in saying In the Name of the Faâ—her and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost they â—ut their hand on their Forehead and after that descended to their Breast where after having â—rossed themselves they go next to the left Shoulâ—er and from thence to the right thereby sigâ—ifying among other Mysteries that by virtue of the Cross of Christ the Son of God we are translated from the left hand the place of Reprobates to the right the place of the Elect and the custom of this Diocess is to make the said sign from the right to the left wherefore the Synod doth command that all Children and all other People be taught to cross and bless themselves from the left to the right according to the Latin custom which shall also be observed by the Priests in the blessings they give to the People and in the Crosses they make in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Administration of the other Sacraments Decree XXXVIII THe Synod doth declare That the Execution of Last Wills lawfully made by deceased Christians does by the Canon Law belong to Prelates and Bishops who are to take care that they be observed and that whatsoever Christian has made a Will that is valid according to the custom of the place if it is not complyed with in a Year after the Death of the Testator the Bishop shall by censures and other Penalties if found necessary constrain the Heirs or others whose Duty it is to fulfill the same Decree XXXIX WHereas it often happens that Persons dying who were under the scandal of haâ—â—â—g committed some grievous Sin tho' never â—â—oved upon them are upon that account deâ—â—ed the Prayers and other Offices of the Dead â—â—ecially if they desired Confession and were â—â—â—fessed at their Death which is contrary to the â—â—der and custom of the Church which deprives â—one of her publick Prayers but such as die Excommunicate or in the Act of some Mortal Sin without having given any sign of Contrition Therefore the Synod doth command that whatsoever Sins one may have committed if the cenâ—â—â—e of Excommunication was not annexed to â—â—m or unless the Person died in the very Act 〈◊〉 some Mortal Sin without giving any sign of â—â—ntrition or slowly in his Bed without desiâ—â—â—g to be confessed or to have a Priest called to 〈◊〉 to that effect as is appointed by the Decrees 〈◊〉 the Sacrament of Penance they shall pray and â—â—â—form the Office of the Dead for him and buâ—y him in Holy Ground with the same Prayers they do other People Decree XL. THe Synod having thanked the Jesuits of the College of Vaipicotta in this Diocess â—nd of the other Residencies for the pains they have been at in instructing the Christians of these parts does for the greater benefit of the Souls of the said Christians grant Licence to the said Religious as well of the College as of their other greater Residencies to preach and hear Confessions and administer the Sacraments in all Chuâ—ches where-ever they come without standing 〈◊〉 need of any further Licence the Sacrament of Matrimony only excepted which it shall not be lawful for them to administer without leave froâ— or at the request of the Parish Priests commanding all Vicars and Curates of Churches and 〈◊〉 the People to receive the said Fathers chearfully and to entertain them with great Kindneâ—â— and Thanks for the great trouble they are 〈◊〉 in travelling continually over the Mountains onâ— for the Salvation of their Souls and rejoyce 〈◊〉 learn from them how to administer the Sacraments and to have their Flocks instructed 〈◊〉 them in all such Doctrines as are necessary 〈◊〉 their Souls and their Vicars shall oblige theâ— People to come to Church to hear them when ever they preach the Synod being very conâ—â—dent that the said Fathers will exercise all thâ— said Functions in great Love and Charity with the Parish and all the other Priests of the Church Decree XLI WHereas the Constitutions of the Bishoprick of Goa have been received in the Proâ—â—ncial Councils thereof and have been ordered 〈◊〉 be observed thorow the whole Province of â—hich this Church being a Suffragan is obliged by â—e said Councils and to which this Synod yieldâ—g a due Obedience doth command That in 〈◊〉 things that can be observed in this Bishoprick 〈◊〉 concerning which there is no provision made 〈◊〉 this Synod the said Constitutions be kept â—d obeyed and doth likewise command That â—peals whensoever made from Sentences given 〈◊〉 this Bishoprick to the Metropolitan such Apâ—ls being made in such Cases wherein the Caâ—â—s allow them shall be granted nevertheâ— not intending hereby to alter any thing in â—t mild method of the Prelate and four or â—ore Persons composing Matters amicably to the â—evention of many Discords but if the Parties â—â—ll not submit to such determinations but will â—peal to the Metropolitan it shall not be denyed â—m being done in due form ACTION IX Of the Reformation of Manners Decree I. WHereas of all the evil Customs that are to be rooted from among the Faithful thoâ— are the most dangerous which have something 〈◊〉 the Heathen Superstition in them of which thâ— Bishoprick is full therefore the Synod desiriâ— that all such customs were totally extirpated thâ— so Christians may enjoy Christianity in its purity doth in order thereunto command that all Superstâ—tious washings which are by some most superstitously practised as Holy Ceremonies be utterly abolished such as the washing of Dead Corps the Daâ— after they have given a Dole reckoning it a Sâ— to neglect such washings the making of Circlâ—â— with Rice into which they put the Parties that aâ—â— to be Married having given Rice before to Children as also the taking a thred out with great Superstition when they cut a Web of Cloath and the taking two grains of Nele back again after they have sold and measured it all which Heathenish Vanities the Synod totally prohibits commanding all that shall use them hereafter to be severely punished Decree II. THo' it would much rejoice the Synod to see the Superstitious and absurd Customs of the Heathen Malavars of the better sort not mixing with the lower and of having no communication or correspondence with those that â—ave but touched any of them totally abolished â—mong the Christians of this Bishoprick yet forâ—much as the Christians thereof by reason of â—â—eir being subject to Infidel Princes whom they â—e forced to obey in all things wherein the â—â—ith is no ways concerned and that Christians 〈◊〉 they should but touch those of the baser rank â—â—uld not after that according
in the Church the foresaid Oaths being what Christians ought to dread more than all the Torments of the World Decree XVII WHereas the distinction of the Faithful from Unbelievers even by outward signs and habits is a thing which has always been endeavoured that so the one may be known and divided from the other therefore the Synod having observed that there is no distinction neither in their Habits nor in their Hair nor in any thing else betwixt the Christians of this Diocess and the Heathen Naires doth command that henceforward no Christian do presume to bore their Ears or to do any thing to make them large except Women among whom it is an Universal Ornament and whosoever shall transgress herein shall be punished at the pleasure of the Prelate who shall not suffer them to wear an Ornament of Gold or of any thing else in their Ears and whosover shall presume to wear any such Ornament shall be thrown out of the Church neither shall the Casture be given them until such time as they are brought to yield effectual Obedience and to leave off all such Ornaments but as for those whose Ears are bored already if they are not Children they may wear what they please or what they have accustomed themselves to Decree XVIII THe Synod being desirous to rectifie whatever is amiss in this Diocess and so far as it is possible to reform all evil Customs and having observed the great Debauchery of many and especially of the poorer sort in drinking Orraca from whence do follow many Disasters Murders and Wounds wherefore in order to the preventing such Mischiefs so far as is possible the Synod doth prohibit the selling of Orraca in any Christian Inn neither shall Christians Trade in that Commodity upon pain of being punished at the pleasure of the Prelate by which means not only Disorders but the great Communication the Faithful hath with the Heathen in such Inns will also be prevented Decree XIX WHereas it is a manifest Injustice to have diverse Weights in the same Country the Synod being informed that in many Markets of this Bishoprick every one sells with what Weights they please doth command That there be but one Weight for the same Merchandize in a Market and all the Shops thereof and that it be the usual Weight of the place to which all that do not yield Obedience shall be admonished by the Vicars and if they do not reform thereupon shall chastised at the pleasure of the Prelate who shall constrain them to the same by Penalties and Censures if they shall be found necessary there being no other Government among the Christians of this Diocess but that of the Church nor no other coercive Power but that of Censures Decree XX. WHereas an unreasonable Custom has obtained in this Diocess viz. That Males only inherit their Fathers Goods the Females having no share at all thereof and that not only when there are Sons but when there are Daughters only and they unmarried and many times Infants by which means great numbers of them perish and others ruin themselves for want of necessaries the Fathers Goods falling to the Males that are next in Blood tho' never so remote or collateral there being no regard had to Daughters no more than if their Parents were under no obligation to provide for them all which being very unreasonable and contrary to the natural right that Sons and Daughters have to succeed to the good of their Parents the Kindred who have thus possessed themselves of such Goods are bound to restore them to the Daughters as the lawful Heiresses to them wherefore the Synod doth decree and declare this Custom to be Unjust and that the next a-kin can have no right when there are Daughters to inherit their Father's Estate and being possessed of such Estates are bound in conscience to restore them neither is it lawful for the Males to divide the Estate among them without giving any equal Portion to the Females or if they have not done it already they stand indebted for their Portions or if the Father has disposed of the third part of his Estate by Will the remaining two parts shall be equally divided betwixt the Sons and the Daughters the Portions that have been received by those that are married being discounted all which the Synod doth command to be observed intreating and commanding all the Christians of the Diocess to receive this Decree as a Law and observe it intirely it being laid as a duty upon their Consciences and if any shall act otherwise and being a Kinsman shall seize upon the Goods belonging to Daughters or being a Son shall deny to give Portions to his Sisters or being in possession of the said Goods shall refuse to make restitution the Prelate if it cannot be done otherwise shall compell them to it by Penalties and Censures declaring them Excommunicate without any hope of Absolution until such time as they shall pay an effectual Obedience and shall make restitution Decree XXI THe Adoption of Sons is not lawful but in defect of natural Children which not being understood by the Christians of this Bishoprick through their ignorance of the Law they do commonly Adopt the Children of their Slaves born in their Houses or of other People disinheriting their lawfully begotten Children sometimes upon the account of some differences they have had with them and sometimes only for the affection they have to Strangers all which is contrary to Law and Reason and is a manifest injustice and wrong done to their legitimate Children wherefore the Synod doth declare that the said Adoptions must not be practised where there are natural Children and being done are void so that the Persons thus Adopted are not capable of inheriting any thing except what may be left them by way of Legacy which must not exceed the third of the Estate no not tho' the Adoption was made before there were any Legitimate Children to inherit The Synod doth furthermore declare That the Adoptions which have been made before the celebration of this Synod where there are Children and the Adopted are not in actual possession of the Estate are void neither shall the Adopted have any share thereof or having had any shall be obliged to restore it to which if it be found necessary the Prelate shall compell them by Pennalties and Censures but as to those who by virtue of such Adoptions have for a long time been in quiet possession of Estates the Synod by this Decree does not intend to dispossess them thereof by reason of the great disturbance and confusion the doing so would make in this Diocess which is what this Synod pretends to hinder leaving every one however in such Cases at liberty to take their remedy at Law Decree XXII WHereas the way of Adopting by ancient Custom in this Diocess is to carry the Parties that are to be Adopted before the Bishop or Prelate with certain Testimonials before whom they declare that they take such a one
Bolognia with the splendid Title of the Armenian Patriarch This Humor was carried on by one Elias who likewise pretended to be chose Patriarch of Babylon he sent several Nuncio's to the Pope with the Submission of the Babylonish Church and a Confession of Faith but these Nuncio's spoiled their business by over-acting their Parts for it having been discovered that the better to support their Pretence of the Chaldaean Church agreeing with the Church of Rome in all things they had tore several Pages out of their Church-Offices they were dismissed with disgrace However this did not discourage Elias as indeed what will a hungry Monk from sending one Adam Camara his pretended Arch-Deacon to Rome three Years after that misfortune who together with his Patriarch's Letter delivered to the Pope a Book of his own composing concerning the Reconciliation of the Chaldaean Church to the Roman which he desired might be diligently examined In his Letter he told Paul V. That let Hereticks do what they will he for his part was resolved never to go against the Holy Precepts of the Apostles and Orthodox Fathers who had all affirmed the See of great Rome to be the Head of all other Sees but would always confess that the Roman Church was the Mother of all the other Churches in the World and that all that did not own her to be so were accursed It 's observable that this Elias had a stretch of Courtship beyond his begging Predecessors which was his assuring the Pope That all their Clergy anciently had their Orders immediately from Rome and that that Custom continued till several that were going to Rome on that Errand were murdered by the way which having several times happened the Pope when he came to hear of it did of his free Grace say Let us ordain them a Patriarch and not only so but permit them to chuse him that so they may not perish thus by the way And thus said good Elias we received all the Authority we pretend to from Rome and not from our selves as they pretend to do and the greater Wretches they who trample upon the Canons of the Apostles and the Laws of the Fathers It is from this blind Story that the Roman Doctors have endeavoured to persuade the World that all the Babylonish Bishops do own that they derived their Power of Ordination from the Western Fathers meaning the Bishops of Rome no doubt Now what crude Stuff is this that those hungry Monks served up to the Pope and was as greedily swallowed at Rome there being not the least Colour of Truth in any part of the Story For as to the ancient Custom that is so confidently affirmed it is plainly contradicted by the 33d Arabick Canon of the Council of Nice which tho' not the genuine Canons of that Council are yet very ancient The Canon runs thus Canon 33. Let the See of Seleucia which is one of the Eastern Cities be honoured likewise and have the Title of Catholicon and let the Prelate thereof ordain Arch-Bishops as the other Patriarchs do that so the Eastern Christians who live under Heathens may not be wronged by waiting the Patriarch of Antioch's leisure or by going to him but may have a way opened to them to supply their own Necessities neither will any injury be done to the Patriarch of Antioch thereby seeing he has consented to its being thus upon the Synod's having desired it of him From which Canon it is plain That the Church of Seleucia or Babylon was anciently subject to the Patriarch of Antioch who of all the Patriarchs was their nighest Neighbour So that if the Chaldaean Bishops do own that they derived all their Authority from the Western Fathers as is pretended they do they must mean by the Western Fathers the Bishops of Antioch And as to its being said That the Chaldaean Bishops do to this day own that they had their Ordinations from the Western Fathers meaning the Bishops of Rome the falshood of that Pretence appears evidently not only from what has been said but from the whole Tenor of the following Synod and of all the late Reports of the Portuguezes concerning that Church As it does likewise That all those Patriarchs of Babylon who came to Rome notwithstanding the great Noise they made in this Part of the World were mere Impostors never owned by the Churches they pretended to be Patriarchs of Father Simon speaking of this in the 93 Page of his Histoire Critique confesseth their magnifying the Pope's Power as they did to have been a piece of gross Flattery but withal will have it to have been Pardonable in such poor Wretches who would not otherwise have been suffered to have approached the Pope to whom they came into Europe on purpose to make their Court for as he observes upon the same occasion few or none of the Oriental Prelates ever applied themselves to the Pope but for the promoting of some particular Interest which was one reason why the reunions they pretended to make did not last long But tho' for some time these mock Prelates being supported by the Pope made a shift to keep the face of a Church at Charamet none of them ever daring to go to Mosul yet after a little time the true Chaldaean Prelates obliged them to leave Charamet from whence they retired to Zeinalback a yet remoter Place on the borders of Persia where from little in a short time they dwindled to nothing The Prelates of Babylon we see were anciently stiled Bishops of Seleucia a City not far from Ctesiphon from whence it was that Simon who suffered Martyrdom under Sapor is stiled Bishop of Seleucia and Ctesiphon of which City we meet with this following Account in Strabo Babylon was anciently the Metropolis of Assyria which now Seleucia of Tigris is near to which is a great Village called Ctesiphon where the Kings of Parthia used to spend the Winter to spare Seleucia that it might not be continually oppressed with Soldiers and Scythians but notwithstanding this Change of the Metropolis as the Country all about is still called Babylon so the Natives tho' Born in the very City of Seleucia are still called Babylonians from the Region and not Seleucians In the Bibliotheca Patrum there is a Treatise of Paradise translated out of Syriack into Latine by Masius writ by one Moses Bar Cepha who is stiled Bishop in Bethraman and Bethleno and Curator of the Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Mozul or Seleucia Parthorum This Moses flourished in the Tenth Century But it is time to leave these Sham Prelates who run so fast to Rome of their own accord and return to the true ones who were forc'd to go thither much against their Wills After the Christians of the Serra had heard of their Arch-Bishop's being sent a Prisoner to Portugal despairing of ever seeing him again they sent secretly to Mar Simeon Patriarch of Babylon desiring him to order them a new Arch-Bishop who straightways sent them one Mar Abraham who having gotten
notwithstanding he knew him to be an Infidel The King who could not help standing amazed at the Arch-Bishop condemning the Arch-Deacon so much for endeavouring to interest him in a thing which he himself at the same time was swaggering him into perceiving that the more they talked the Arch-Bishop grew the more furious and talked the louder put on a pleasant Countenance and told him with great sweetness That there was nothing he had ever studied so much as to please His Lordship With this the Arch-Bishop's Passion being something mitigated he replied It was what he had always expected from His Highness and that he hoped he would not wonder to see him put into so great a Passion in a case wherein Christianity was so much concerned for the least of whose Interest he was bound in duty to sacrifice his Head The King told him That if he knew of any that sought after his Head they should not keep their own long upon their Shoulders After they had made an end of this hot business they talked for some time of indifferent matters and when the King was for going the Arch-Bishop accompanied him to the Caiz where they are said to have parted very good Friends which if they did the King considering how he had been treated was certainly the best natured Prince that ever wore a Crown and in a very substantial point a much better Christian than the Arch-Bishop This rancounter was of no small advantage to the Arch-Bishop in the reduction of that Christianity for the King fearing to provoke one of the Arch-Bishop's Character and Temper so soon as he had left him writ away immediately to the Arch-Deacon to come and submit himself to the Arch-Bishop he writ also to the King of Mangate in case he found the Arch-Deacon not willing to do it to oblige him to it Upon the receipt of this Letter the Arch-Deacon sent away immediately to the Arch-Bishop to let him know That he was ready to throw himself at his Grace's Feet and to obey all his Commands and that within the time he had prefixed but withal desired to wait upon him some where else than in Cranganor which being a Fortress belonging to the Portuguezes he was afraid to trust himself in there being nothing that he dreaded so much as being some time or other kidnapped for Goa However the Arch-Bishop complyed so far with his Fears as to order him to meet him at the Jesuites-College in Vaipicotta They met first in the Church where the Arch-Deacon threw himself at the Arch-Bishop's Feet with the words of the Prodigal in his mouth Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I do humbly beg Pardon for all my Errors which have been great The Arch-Bishop lifting him up and embracing him tenderly told him all that was past was forgot and that God's Mercy in reducing him to the Catholick Church was greater than the Malice of the Devil which had been the cause of his returning no sooner that he would certainly have that great Reward that is reserved in Heaven for those that bring so many Souls to the purity of the Faith as he was confident he would do by his Example that he would therefore have him subscribe the Profession of Faith and ten Articles immediately The Arch-Deacon beg'd to speak one word first with His Grace in private promising after that to do whatsoever His Grace should command him and being alone he told him That if His Grace would have it so he was ready to subscribe the Profession and Articles publickly tho' with submission he thought it would be better if he would allow him to do it in private for the sake of that Christianity who were not as yet so well instructed as they ought to be but that before the meeting of the Synod at which he promised to sign them publickly he hoped to be able to prepare them for the receiving of whatsoever should be therein determined which he believed he should be able to do the more effectually if they knew nothing of his having already submitted to the Roman Church The Arch-Bishop answered That notwithstanding a Profession of the Faith was by so much the better as it was the more publick nevertheless he so far approved of his Reason as to dispense with his making it openly Whereupon they and the Jesuite Francisco Roz repaired to the Arch-Bishop's Lodgings and having shut the doors the Arch-Deacon kneeled down before a Crucifix that stood on the Arch-Bishop's Table and laying his hands upon the Missal swore to the Ten Articles and to the Profession of Faith to which the Arch-Bishop obliged him to put his hand to prevent his denying it afterwards Next Morning all the Caçanares being called together the Arch-Bishop acquainted them with his intention of calling a Synod very speedily which they all agreed to It was then debated where it should meet some were for its being held at Angamale the Metropolis of the Diocess but the Arch-Bishop would not hear of its being held there for three Reasons the first was That the Christians of Angamale were the Christians of the whole Bishoprick that were most addicted to their old Religion Secondly It was not in the Dominions of the King of Cochim the Prince of Malabar that had the greatest dependence upon the Portuguezes And Lastly Because it was at too great a distance from the Portugueze Garrison of Cochim It was carried therefore that it should be held in the Town of Diamper which was but a little way from Cochim and should begin on the 20th of June being the 3d. Sunday after Whitsuntide In pursuance whereof the Arch-Bishop and Arch-Deacon did both issue forth their Ollas commanding all Priests and Procurators of the People who were four from every Town to assemble together at the Town of Diamper on the 20th of June next there to celebrate a Diocesan Synod The Ollas bore date the 11th of May so that there were six Weeks allowed for the preparing of business which the Arch-Bishop made good use of Before the Arch-Bishop left Vaipicotta the Caimal of Angamale who was called the black King of Malabar came to give him a visit The Arch-Bishop received him kindly and at parting presented him with some pieces of very rich Cloath which was what he went well furnished withal from Goa having laid out 18000 Pardaos in Goods to make Presents of in the Serra The Caimal who was a boisterous and bloody Prince was so well pleased with his Present that he promised the Arch-Bishop to see him obeyed in all things After which the Arch-Bishop returned to Cranganor where he composed the Decrees of the Synod which were all writ with his own Hand word for word as they are published As soon as he had finished them he had them translated out of Portugueze into Malavar He likewise Consecrated there a Stone Altar for every Church in the Serra which was what they all wanted What
together with clear Confirmations of the Truth of what we meet with in the Fourteenth and other Decrees of the Third Action of this Synod to wit That the Three great Doctrines of Popery the Pope's Supremacy Transubstantiation the Adoration of Images were never believed nor practised at any time in this ancient Apostolical Church but on the contrary were rejected and condemned by her and that in her Publick Offices So that upon what we learn from this Synod and History I think one may venture to say That before the time of the late Reformation there was no Church that we know of no not that of the Vaudois abating that one thing of her being infected with the Heresie of Nestorius of which too she is cleared by one of the Roman Communion that had so Few Errors in Doctrine as the Church of Malabar If the Synod I here publish should be well received as I have reason to hope it will by all Protestants and lovers of Truth upon the account of the clear Discoveries it makes of the forementioned Popish Errors having never been at any time the Doctrines of the Universal Church which we know is confidently affirmed and much boasted of and for further satisfaction in so important a Matter the above-named History should be desired I shall be ready to translate and publish it with all expedition alone and in the same Volume with this of the Synod together with the best Account I can procure of the Church of Malabar and the other Oriental Churches that were never within the Bounds of the Roman Empire for it is in those Churches that we are to expect to meet with the least of the Leaven of Popery As to the Synod to prevent all surmises of its being a Piece either forged by some Protestant or of no Authority in the Church of Rome tho' set forth by a Member of her Communion I have together with the whole Title Page which tells where when and by whom it was printed translated and published all the Licences that it came out with And if any should suspect the Translation if they please they may satisfie themselves of its Fidelity by having recourse to the Original in the Bodleian Library at Oxford to which as the safest as well as noblest Repository of Books in the World I design to give it I have here and there added some short Remarks upon some Passages which will not I hope be unacceptable to the Reader The DOCTRINES wherein the Church of Malabar agrees with the Church of England and differs from that of Rome 1. SHe condemns the Pope's Supremacy 2. She affirms that the Church of Rome is fallen from the true Faith 3. She denies Transubstantiation or that Christ's Body and Blood are really and substantially in the Eucharist 4. She condemns Images and the Adoration of them as Idolatrous 5. She makes no use of Oils in the Administration of Baptism 6. She allows of no Spiritual Affinity 7. She denies Purgatory 8. She denies the necessity of Auricular Confession 9. She knows nothing of Extream Vnction 10. She allows her Priests to Marry as often as they have a mind and Ordains such as have been married three or four times and to Widows without any scruple 11. She denies Matrimony to be a Sacrament 12. She holds but two Orders Priesthood and Diaconate 13. She Celebrates in Leavened Bread 14. She Consecrates with Prayer 15. She denies Confirmation to be a Sacrament In the Account that is given of the Doctrines of the Church of Malabar in the Eighteenth Chapter of the First Book of the Visitation SHe is said 1. Not to adore Images 2. To hold but Three Sacraments Baptism the Eucharist and Order 3. To make no use of Oils 4. To have had no Knowledge of Confirmation or Extream Unction 5. To abhor Auricular Confession 6. To hold many enormous Errors about the Eucharist insomuch that the Author of the History saith he is inclined to believe that the Hereticks of our Times meaning Protestants the revivers of all forgotten Errors and Ignorances might have had their Doctrine about the Eucharist from them 7. To Ordain such as have been married several times and to Widows and to approve of her Priests marrying as often as they have a mind 8. That she abhors the Pope and the Church of Rome as Anti-Christian in pretending to a Superiority and Jurisdiction over all other Churches A Diocesan SYNOD Of the Church and Bishoprick of ANGAMALE Belonging to the Ancient Christians of St. Thomas in the Serra or Mountains of MALABAR Celebrated by the most Reverend Lord Dom Frey Aleixo de Menezes Archbishop Metropolitan of Goa Primate of the Indies and the See being vacant of the above-named Bishoprick by virtue of two Briefs of the most Holy Father Pope Clement 8th on the third Sunday after Pentecost being the 20th day of July in the Year of our Lord 1599. in the Church of All-Saints in the Town and Kingdom of Diamper Subject to the King of Cothin an Infidel in which the said Bishoprick with all the Christians thereunto belonging submitted it self to the Pope and the Holy Roman Church Printed at Conimbra in the Shop of Diogo Gomez Laureyro Printer to the University in the Year of our Lord 1606. THE Father of the Society of Jesus intrusted with the revising of Books in Conimbra having perused the Synod mentioned in the following Petition and the Inquisition of the said City having upon his Approbation given Licence to Print the same we do Order That after it is Printed it be together with the Book Intituled The Journey of the Serra or Mountains transmitted to this Council that it may be compared with the Original and Licensed without which it shall not be made publick Marcos Teixira Ruy Piz de veiga I Have perused this Synod and to me it appears to be a Work that deserves to be Printed for besides the sound Doctrine contained therein it will be of great Use and Consolation to all and very necessary to the extirpating of the Errors Schism and Heresies sown by Hereticks and particularly the Nestorians in the ancient Christianity planted in the Indies by the Apostle St. Thomas Octob. 23d 1605. Joan Pinto BY virtue of a particular Commission to us granted in this behalf by the Council of the General Inquisition of these Kingdoms having seen the Information of Father Joan Pinto Revisor of this City we give Licence for the Printing of the Book Intituled The Synod and the Journey of the Serra provided that after it is Printed it be sent to the said Council to be compared with the Original and to have leave to be made publick Jan. 11. 1606. Joan Alvarez Brandon It may be Printed Conimbra 25th of Feb. 1606. The Bishop Conde THE PUBLICATION and CALLING OF THE SYNOD DOM Frey Aleixo de Menezes by the mercy of God and the Holy Roman See Archbishop Metropolitan of Goa Primate of the Indies and the Oriental Parts c. To the
Reverend in Christ Father George Archdeacon of the Christians of St. Thomas in the Serra of the Kingdom of Malabar and to all other Priests Curates Deacons and Subdeacons and to all Towns Villages and Hamlets and to all Christian People of the said Bishoprick Health in our Lord Jesus Christ We give you all and every one of you in particular to understand that the most Holy Father Pope Clement VIII our Lord Bishop of Rome and Vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ upon earth at this time presiding in the Church of God having sent two Briefs directed to Vs one of the 27th of Jan. in the Year 1595 and the other of the 21st of the same Month in the Year 1597 in which by virtue of his Pastoral Office and that Vniversal Power bequeathed to the Supream Holy and Apostolical Chair of St. Peter over all the Churches in the World by Jesus Christ the Son of God our Lord and Redeemer he commanded us upon the death of the Archbishop Mar-Abraham to take Possession of this Church and Bishoprick so as not to suffer any Bishop or Prelate coming from Babylon to enter therein as has been hitherto the Custom all that come from thence being Schismaticks Hereticks and Nestorians out of the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church and Subject to the Patriarch of Babylon the Head of the said Heresy and to appoint a Governour or Apostolical Vicar to Rule the said Diocess both in Spirituals and Temporals until such time as the Holy Roman Church shall provide it of a proper Pastor which being read by us we were desirous to execute the Apostolical Mandates with due Reverence and Obedience besides that the same was incumbent on us of right the said Church having no Chapter to take care of it during the vacancy of the See as Metropolitan and Primate of this and all the other Churches of the Indies and the Oriental Parts But perceiving that our Mandate in that behalf had no effect what we had ordered not having been obeyed in the said Diocess so that what our most Holy Father the Bishop of Rome had designed was like to be frustrated after having laboured therein for the space of two Years Schism and Disobedience to the Apostolical See having been so rooted in that Diocess for a great many Years that the Inhabitants thereof instead of yielding Obedience to the Apostolical and Our Mandates on the contrary upon the intimation thereof did daily harden themselves more and more committing greater Offences against the Obedience due to the Holy Roman Church after having commended the Matter to God and ordered the same to be done through our whole Diocess and after mature Advice by which Methods the Apostolical Mandates might be best executed and being also moved by the Piety of the People and the Mercy God had shewn them in having preserved so many thousand Souls in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ from the time that the Holy Apostle St. Thomas had Preached to them until this day notwithstanding their having lived among so many Heathens and been scattered in divers places their Churches and all belonging to them having been always subject to Idolatrous Kings and Princes and incompassed with Idols and Pagods and that without holding any correspondence with any other Christians before the coming of the Portuguezes into these Parts we being likewise desirous that the Labours of the Holy Apostle St. Thomas which still remained among them should not be lost for want of sound Doctrine and that the Apostolical Mandates might not be frustrated did determine and having provided for the Government of our own Church during our absence did prepare to go in Person to take Possession of the said Bishoprick to see if by our Presence we might be able to reduce them to the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church and purge out the Heresies and false Doctrines sown among them and introduced by the Schismatical Prelates and Nestorian Hereticks that had governed them under the Obedience of the Patriarch of Babylon as also to call in and purge the Books containing those Heresies and according to our Pastoral Duty so far as God should enable us to Preach to them in Person the Catholick Truth Accordingly going into the said Bishoprick we set about visiting the Churches thereof but at that time Satan the great Enemy of the good of Souls having stirred up great Commotions and much opposition against this our just intent great numbers departing from us and forming a Schism against the Holy Roman Church after having passed through many troubles and dangers out of all which God of his great mercy not remembring our sins and evil deeds was pleased to deliver us and to grant us an intire Peace for the Merits of the glorious Apostle St. Thomas the Patron of this Christianity but chiefly of his own great Clemency and Mercy which makes that he doth not delight in the death of a sinner but rather that he should return and live and by coming all to the light of the Truth may joyn with us in the Confession of the Catholick Faith approving our Doctrine and Intention and submitting themselves to the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church which being by us observed after having returned Thanks to God we thought fit in order to the compassing and securing of all those good Effects to assemble a Diocesan Synod in some commodious place near the middle of the said Diocess there to Treat of all such Matters as are convenient for the honour of God the exaltation of the Holy Catholick Faith and Divine Worship the good of the Church the extirpation of Vice the Reformation of the Christians of the said Diocess and the profit and peace of their Souls to which end having pitched upon the Town and Church of Diamper We do hereby let all the Inhabitants and Christians of the said Bishoprick as well Ecclesiasticks as Laicks of what State or Condition soever to understand that we do call and assemble a Diocesan Synod in the said Town of Diamper on the 20th of June of this present Year 1599 being the Third Sunday after Whitsuntide and do therefore by Virtue of holy Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication latae Sententiae Command the Reverend the Arch-Deacon of this Diocess and all the other Priests of the same that shall not be hindered by Age or some other just Impediment to be present in the said Town of Diamper there with us to celebrate a Diocesan Synod conformable to the Holy Canons And whereas by immemorial Custom and a Right introduced into this Diocess from its Beginning and consented to by all the Infidel Kings of Malabar the whole Government as it were and the Cognizance of all Matters wherein Christians are any ways concerned has belonged to the Church and the Prelate thereof and it having likewise been an ancient Custom in the same to give an Account to the People of whatsoever has been ordained in the Church in order to its being the
St. Mark St. Luke and St. John the Acts of the Apostles writ by St. Luke the fourteen Epistles of St. Paul viz. One to the Romans two to the Corinthians one to the Galatians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Colossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothy one to Titus one to Philemon and to the Hebrews two of the Apostle St. Peter three of the Apostle St. John one of the Apostle St. James one of the Apostle St. Jude and the Revelation of the Apostle St. John all which Books with all their parts are Canonical and contain in them nothing but what is infallibly true Decree II. THe Synod declareth that in the Books of the New Testament used in this Church and writ in the Syrian or Syriack Tongue there is wanting in the Gospel of St. John the beginning of the 8th Chapter the History of the Adulteress that was carried before our Lord Christ as also in the 10th of St. Luke where it is said that Christ sent seventy two Disciples it is said he sent seventy Disciples and in the 6th of St. Matthew the words For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever is added to the end of the Lord's Prayer there is also wanting in the said Books the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third Epistles of St. John and that of Jude and the Revelation of St. John and in the 4th Chapter of the first Epistle of St. John this Verse is wanting having been impiously left out Qui solvit Jesum non est ex Deo and in the 5th Chapter of the same Epistle these words are wanting There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are One and in the Old Testament there are wanting the Books of Esther Tobit and Wisdom all which the Synod commandeth to be translated and the passages that are wanting to be restored to their Purity according to the Chaldee Copies which are emended and the Vulgar Latin Edition made use of by holy Mother Church that so this Church may have the Holy Scriptures entire and may use it with all its parts as it was written and as it is to be used in the Universal Church to which end the Synod desireth the Reverend Father Francisco Roz of the Society of Jesus and Professor of the Syrian Tongue in the College of Vaipicotta in this Bishoprick that he would be pleased to take the trouble thereof upon him for which he is so well qualified by reason of his great skill both in the Syrian Language and the Scripture Decree III. WHereas the Holy Scriptures are the Pillars that support our Holy Faith and as it were the Foundations whereon it stands and wherein the Truth and Purity thereof is to be met with which has made all Hereticks in their endeavours to destroy the said Faith constantly and industriously to corrupt the Text of the Divine Scriptures partly by taking away such passages as did manifestly contradict their Errors and by perverting other places so as to make them * Seem to favour them It is hard to give any other reason than this why the Church of Rome tho' since the time of the Council of Trent she has corrected some hundreds of Errors in the Vulgar Latin did not think fit to correct that in the 3d. of Genesis which they apply to the Virgin Mary nor that in the 11th of Isaiah which they make use of to promote Pilgrimages to Jerusalem nor that in the 11th to the Hebrews which seems to make for the Adoration of Images nor that in the first Chapter of the 2d Epist of St. Peter which seems to give some countenance to the Invocation of Saints seem to favour them which hath also happened in this Bishoprick through its having been governed by Bishops who were Nestorian Hereticks and that used the same practices upon the Holy Scriptures that were in their hands in favour of their Heresies as in the 20th of the Acts of the Apostles where St. Paul saith Take heed to your selves and the whole Church over which the Holy Spirit hath made you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he purchased with his Blood the word God is impiously changed for that of Christ and it is said that Christ hath made them to govern his Church which he purchased with his own Blood because the Nestorians being instigated by the Devil will not acknowledge according to the Catholick Truth that God suffered and shed his Blood for us and in the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St. John this Verse is left out Qui solvit Jesum non est ex Deo because it contradicts the Nestorians who do impiously divide Christ by making him to have two Persons and in the 3d. Chap. of the same Epistle where it is said In this we know the Love of God because he laid down his Life for us the word God is maliciously left out and that of Christ put in its stead saying That in this we know the Love of Christ c. and so it favours the Nestorian Heresie which denies God to have dyed for us and in the 2d Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews where the Apostle saith We have seen Jesus for the Passion of his Death crowned with glory and honour that he by the Grace of God should taste death foâ— all men the Surian the better to make a difference of Persons in Christ which was what Nestorius taught has impiously added VVe have seen Jesus for the passion of his death crowned with honour and glory that the Grace of God praeter Deum or besides God might taste death for all and in the 6th of St. Luke where our Lord Christ saith Lend hoping for nothing again to favour and justifie their Usury they have made it Lend and from thence hope for something All which places being depraved and corrupted by Hereticks the Synod commandeth to be corrected in all their Books and to be restored according to the Purity and Truth of the Vulgar Edition used by Holy Mother Church entreating the most Illustrious Metropolitan forthwith to visit the Churches of this Diocess either in Person or by some well skilled in the Syrian Tongue whom he shall be pleased to depute Decree IV. THe Synod being informed that the Christians of this Diocess by reason of the Communication they have with Infidels and by living among them have imbibed several of their Errors and Ignorances namely three that are the common Errors of all the Infidels of these parts the first is That there is a * Transmigration This was not the Doctrine of this Church as appears plainly from what is said in twenty places of this Synod of her believing that the Souls of the Just departed this Life were in a Terrestrial Paradise where they were to remain till the day of Judgment Transmigration of Souls which after Death go either into the Bodies
all that are subject to her are immediately under Christ without owing any reverence to the Roman Bishop they say likewise That the Roman Church is fallen from the Faith having perverted the Canons of the Apostles by the force of Heretical Emperors Arms and that the Romans are Hereticks for not celebrating in leavened Bread which has been the inviolable Custom of the Church derived from our Saviour and his Holy Apostles that all the Bishops that followed Nestorius ought to be much esteemed and when named to be stiled Saints and to have their Reliques reverenced That Matrimony is not a Sacrament that it may be dissolved for the bad conditions of the Parties That Vsury is Lawful and there is no Sin in it Also the Book of Timothy the Patriarch where in three Chapters The most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is blasphemed it being impiously asserted in them That the true Body of our Lord Christ is not there but only the Figure thereof Also the Letter which they pretend came down from Heaven called the Letter of the Lord's day wherein the Roman Church is accused of having fallen from the Faith and having violated the Domingo or Lord's-day Letter Also the Book called Maclamatas wherein the distinction of two Persons in Christ and the accedental Union of the Incarnation are pretended to be proved at large and are confirmed with several false and Blasphemous Similitudes Also the Book intituled Vguarda or the Rose wherein it is said That there are two Persons in Christ that the Union of the Incarnation was Accidental that our Lady brought forth with Pain and the Sons of Joseph which he had by his other Wife being in company went for a Midwife to her with other Blasphemies Also the Book intituled Camiz wherein it is said That the Divine Word and the Son of the Virgin are not the same and that our Lady brought forth with Pain Also the Book intituled Menra wherein it is said That our Lord Christ is only the Image of the Word that the Substance of God dwelt in Christ as in a Temple that Christ is next to the Divinity that Christ was made the Companion of God Also the Book of Orders wherein it is said That the Form and not the Matter is necessary to Orders and the Forms therein are likewise Erroneous that there are only two Orders Diaconate and Priesthood that Altars of Wood and not of Stone are to be Consecrated there are also Prayers in it for those that are converted from any other Sect to Nestorianism in form of an Absolution from the Excommunication they had incurred for not having followed Nestorius and of a reconciliation to the Church Also the Book of Homilies wherein it is said That the Holy Eucharist is only the Image of Christ and is distinguished from him as an Image is from a true Man and that the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is not there nor no where else but in Heaven That the whole Trinity was Incarnate that Christ is only the Temple of the Divinity and God only by Representation that the Soul of Christ descended not into Hell but was carried to the Paradise of Eden that whosoever affirms the contrary errs and that we therefore err in our Creed There are therein likewise some Letters of some Heretical Synods in which it is said That the Patriarch of Babylon is not subject to the Roman Bishop with an Oath to be taken to the said Patriarch as the Head of the Church wherein People Swear to obey him and him only and not the Bishop of Rome Also a Book intituled An Exposition of the Gospels wherein it is every where pretended to be proved That there are two Persons in Christ and that Christ as a pure Creature was obliged to adore God and stood in need of Prayer that he was the Temple of the most Holy Trinity that Christ's Soul when he died descended not into Hell but was carried to the Paradise of Eden which was the place he promised to the Thief on the Cross That our Lady the Virgin deserved to be reproved for having vainly imagined that she was Mother to one that was to be a great King looking upon Christ as no other than a pure Man and presuming that he was to have a Temporal Empire as well as the resâ— of the Jews That the Evangelists did not Record all Christ's Actions in Truth as they were they not having been present at several of them which was the reason why they differed from one another so much That the Wise Men that came from the East received no favour from God for the Journey they took neither did they believe in Christ that Christ was the adopted Son of God it being as impossible that he should be Gods Natural Son as it is that Just Men should be so that he received new Grace in Baptism which he had not before that he is only the Image of the Word and the pure Temple of the Holy Spirit that the Holy Eucharist is only the Image of the Body of Christ which is only in Heaven at the right hand of the Father and not here on Earth That Christ as pure Man did not know when the day of Judgment was to be That when St. Thomas put his Hand into Christ's Side and said My Lord and my God! he did not speak to Christ for that he that was raised was not God but it was only an Exclamation made to God upon his beholding such a Miracle That the Authority that Christ gave to St. Peter over the Church was the same that he gave to other Priests so that his Successors have no more Power or Jurisdiction than other Bishops That our Lady the Virgin is not the Mother of God That the first Epistle of St. John and that of St. James are not the Writings of thole Holy Apostles but of some other Persons of the same Name and therefore are not Canonical Also the Book of Hormisda Raban who is stiled a Saint wherein it is said That Nestorius was a Saint and Martyr and suffered for the Truth and that St. Cyril who persecuted him was the Priest and Minister of the Devil and is now in Hell That Images are filthy and abominable Idols and ought not to be adored and that St. Cyril as a Heretick invented and introduced them There are also many false Miracles Recorded in this Book which are said to have been wrought by Hormisda in confirmation of the Nestorian Doctrine with an Account of what he suffered from the Catholicks for being obstinate in his Heresy Also the Book of Lots into which they put that they call the Ring of Solomon with a great many more Superstitions for the choice of good Days to Marry upon and for several other uses wherein are contained many Blasphemies and Heathenish Observances as also all other Books of Lots and for chusing of Days the Synod prohibits under the same Censure Also the Book written after the manner of â€
the whole Offices of the Advent and Nativity are little else than pure Blasphemy In the Book of Prayers for the great Fast it is frequently said that there were two Persons a Divine and Humane in Christ It contains also several Commemorations of Nestorius and other Hereticks his Followers affirming Marndeay Theodorus and Diodorus and other Nestorian Hereticks to have been the Followers of St. Ephrem In the Greater Breviary which they call Hudre and Gaza or The Treasure of Prayers it is every where said that there are two Persons in Christ and one representation of the Son of God that he is the Image of the Word and the Temple of the same that the Divine Person did enlighten the Humane and that Christ advanced in Grace and Knowledge by degrees that our Lady never carried God in her Womb as Hereticks affirm Christ being a Man like to others and that she ought not to be called the Mother of God but only the Mother of the second Adam that the whole Trinity assumed Humanity and that St. Matthew taught the Hebrews so that God did not make himself Flesh which he only took as a Dwelling to cover his Glory that God accompanyed Christ on the Cross but had not taken the Humanity neither was it God that suffered that the Word of the Father changed it self into Humanity and by the Son of Mary redeemed Mankind that the Father Eternal took Flesh in the same manner as the Son that the Angel delivered his Message to the Virgin in the Temple and not at Nazareth that the pains of travail opened the Womb of the Virgin who brought forth with labour after the manner of other Women that * In the most holy Sacrament The Christians who live scattered about Mesopotamia and Assyria and whose Patriarch resides at the Monastery of St. Raban Hurnez the Persian in the Gordyaean Mountains 40 miles above Niniveh tho' Eutychians and for that reason Enemies to the Chaldean Christians do agree with them in denying Transubstantiation as appears from the following Prayer taken out of their Missal and communicated to me by my Learned Friend Dr. Hide Angeli homines laudabunt te O Christe Sacrificere pro nobis qui per Sacramenta quae sunt in Ecclesia tua docuisti nos secundum magnificentiam tuam quod sicut in Pane Vino Natura sunt à te distincta in Virtute potentia idem sunt tecum Sic etiam Corpus quod à nobis distinctum est à verbo in substantia cum illo tamen qui accipit illud adunitum est in magnificentia potentia Sic credimus non metuimus ab iniquitate quod in uno sc una Hypostasi sit filius fatemur non est duo sicut improbi id est sicut dicunt Nestoriani non enim in completionibus Sacrificii Corpus Corpus frangimus sed unum per fidem sicut docuisti nos in Evangelio tuo laus tibi qui per Sacramenta tua instruxisti nos ut lauâ—emus nomen tuum Now I take this Testimony against Transubstantiation to be much the stronger for it 's being given by the Eutychians to whose Heresie Transubstantiation had it been believed would have given great Countenance as indeed I cannot but reckon those Hereticks having no where made use of that Doctrine to support their Heresie to be a considerable Argument of its not having been believed either by themselves or by the Orthodox for had the latter believed it tho' they had not done it themselves they could not have failed to have used it as Argumentum ad hominem which is what they have no where done It is true this is only a Negative Argument but it is as true that it is so circumstantiated as to be of equal force with one that is positive So again I do not see how we could have had a clearer proof of Transubstantiation not having been believed either by the Manichees or the Orthodox than we have from the Manichees abstaining from the Cup in the Sacrament for no other reason but because they did not think it lawful to drink Wine and from the Orthodoxes proving against them from that very Institution that it was lawful and endeavouring to convince them by several Arguments that it was their Duty to receive the Cup in the Sacrament and all this without ever so much as once intimating that the Liquor in the Cup when it came to be received was Blood and not Wine in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is not the true Body of Christ with a thousand more Blasphemies about it that Nestorius was a Preacher of Truth and in several places God is praised for having declared the Truth to Theodorus and Diodorus who was Master to Nestorius and in several Prayers they beseech God to chastise those that believe otherwise than Nestorius and his Followers whose Faith they say is founded on St. Peter's and the rest of the Apostles Moreover it is said that the Holy Virgin and her Spouse Joseph appeared before the Priests who could not tell how she had conceived and that Images are Idols and ought not to be adored nor so much as kept in Churches or in Houses of Christians there are likewise Offices of Nestorius and his Followers and Commemorations of several Hereticks In the Office for Priests departed it is sung That in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar there is only the Virtue of Christ but not his true Body and Blood all which Books and Breviaries tho' they do well deserve to be burnt for these and other Errors that they contain yet there being no other at present in this Diocess for the keeping up of Divine Service and the celebration of Religious Offices until such time as they shall be furnished with new Breviaries which the Synod desires they may speedily and that some may be Printed for them at St. Peter's in Rome the Synod doth order them to be corrected and purged from all their Errors and Commemorations of Hereticks and the entire Offices for all such and the Offices of Advent and the Nativity to be entirely tore out of their Breviaries and burnt entreating the most Illustrious Metropolitan to see it done at his next Visitation in all the Churches of the Diocess commanding all Curates in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred to produce the said Books and all the other Books that they have as well of publick as of private Use and of Prayers as well as of the Mass before the said Lord Metropolitan at his Visitation in order to their being corrected by Persons appointed for that work in conformity to what is here ordained Decree XVI FOR the preservation of the Purity of the Faith the Synod does command all Priests Curates and all other Persons of whatsoever Condition or Quality within this Bishoprick in virtue of Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication within two Months after the
publication thereof shall come to their knowledge to deliver all the Books they have written in the Syrian Tongue either with their own hands or by some other Person to the most Illustrious Metropolitan which they may do at the Visitation that he intends to hold speedily or to Father Francisco Roz of the Society of Jesus Professor of the Syrian Tongue in the College of Vaipicotta or to the said College in order to their being perused and corrected or destroyed as shall be thought most convenient the Books of Common Prayer being excepted which are to be emended in the form abovesaid and under the same Precept of Obedience and pain of Excommunication the Synod does command That no Person of what Condition or Quality soever within this Bishoprick shall presume to translate any Book into the Syrian Tongue without express License from the Prelate with a Declaration of the Book to which it is granted the Books of Holy Scripture and Psalms only excepted and until such time as this Church shall be provided with a Bishop the most Illustrious Metropolitan doth commit the Power of granting all such Licenses to the Reverend Father Francisco Roz of the Society of Jesus by reason of his great skill in those Books and in the Chaldee and Syrian Languages Decree XVII SEeing the Purity of Faith and good Manners doth very much depend on the Doctrine that is preached to the People wherefore the Synod being informed that there are several ignorant Curates who do take upon them to preach and make Discourses in publick wherein they teach several Errors and Heresies that they meet with in Books that they do not understand and several fabulous and Apocryphal things those especially which they take out of the Book of the Infancy of our Saviour and other Apocryphal and Heretical writings doth command that none presume to preach or make any set Discourse to the People but who are Licensed by the Prelate in Writing who shall first examine them diligently as to their sufficiency and Doctrine according to the Holy Council of Trent and when there shall happen to be no Prelate during the vacancy of the See the most Illustrious Metropolitan doth commit the care thereof to the Rector of the Jesuits College of Vaipaicotta in this Diocess that so he and such of the Fathers as he shall name may make the said Examinations of which they shall give a Certificate sealed by the Rector and at the next Visitation the Lord Metropolitan shall name such as shall appear to him to be most for the benefit of the People of this Bishoprick in order to their being rightly instructed and whosoever shall without having undergone such an Examination and without having obtained a License thereupon in writing under the hand of the Bishop or Prelate presume to preach or make any Discourses to the People shall be suspended from their Office and Benefice for a Year nevertheless all Vicars may in their own Churches make such Discourses to their People as they shall judge necessary out of the Holy Scriptures and other approved Books to which end the Synod doth earnestly desire that there may be a Catechism made in the Malabar Tongue out of which there may be every Sunday something read to the People And whereas the Synod is informed that the most Illustrious Metropolitan is already about such a Work and has reason to hope that it may be done by the end of the Visitation it doth command so soon as it is finished and published That all Vicars do every Sunday at the time of Offering or before or after Mass read a Chapter of the same to the People in conformity to the Orders they shall receive Decree XVIII WHereas through the Ignorance and bad Doctrines of the Priests of this Diocess occasioned by their having been accustomed to read Heretical and Apocryphal Books they do many times deliver Errors and fabulous Stories in their Sermons and Admonitions to the People without knowing what they say themselves Therefore to prevent the Peoples being mis-taught the Synod doth command That whensoever it should be proved to the Prelate that any such thing has been delivered in publick or in any Congregation that the Prelate having drawn up a Form of Recantation in Writing shall send to the said Curates or the Persons that have delivered such things commanding them to retract and unsay the same in publick either by reading the said Recantation or by declaring the Contents of it to the People and teaching them the Truth which if any shall refuse to do which God forbid they shall be declared Excommunicate and shall be punished according to the Holy Canons and the quality of the Matter they delivered which shall be executed with great rigour if it shall appear to have been spoke with Knowledge and Malice but where it shall be found to have flow'd from Ignorance and an innocent Mind it shall suffice that a ready Obedience be paid to the said Satisfaction and Recantation Decree XIX THe Synod having been informed of several Meetings that were in this Diocess upon the death of Bishop Mar-Abraham in which both publick and private Oaths were taken against yielding Obedience to the Holy Roman Church several Curates and others obliging themselves never to consent to any change either in the Government of the Bishoprick or in matters of Faith nor to receive any Bishop that should be sent to them by the Holy Apostolical See or by any other way than by the Order of the Schismatical Heretical Nestorian Patriarch of Babylon with several other particulars contrary to the Sacred Canons and the Obedience that is due to the most Holy Roman Pontificate doth declare all * Such Oaths We may see by this what doughty Securities Promises or Oaths made to defend a Church that is not Popish are in the opinion of Papists such Oaths or any other taken or that shall be taken in the same manner to be void and of no force and that they do not only not oblige the Consciences of those that have taken them but that as they were rashly and maliciously taken so it is an Impiety and Schism to keep them denouncing the Sentence of the greater Excommunication upon all those that made them or took them This Synod having above all other things promised and sworn to yield Obedience to the Commands of the Pope and the Holy Apostolical See according to the Holy Canons and never to receive any Bishop or Prelate but what shall be sent by the Holy Roman Church to which it of right belongs to provide Prelates and Bishops to all the Churches in the World and to receive those that he shall send without any doubt or scruple acknowledging them for the true Prelates and Pastors of their Souls without waiting for any other Order besides that of the Bishop of Rome notwithstanding any impious Oaths that may have been made at any time to the contrary Decree XX. THis present Synod together with all the
Priests and faithful People of this Diocess doth embrace all the Holy General Councils received by Holy Mother Church believing and confessing all that was determined in them anathematizing rejecting and condemning all that they have rejected and condemned but especially it doth with great Veneration receive and embrace the first Holy Council of Ephesus consisting of 200 Fathers firmly believing all that was therein determined and rejecting and condemning whatsoever it condemned but above all the Diabolical Heresy of the Nestorians which has been for many Years preached and believed in this Diocess which together with its Author Nestorius and all his Followers the said Council did reject and anathematize who being taught by the Devil held that there were Two Persons in our Lord Christ affirming also that the Divine Word did not take Flesh into the Unity of its Person but only for an Habitation or Holy Dwelling as a Temple and that it ought not to be said that God was Incarnate or that he Died nor that our Lady the Glorious Virgin was the Mother of God but only the Mother of Christ with other Diabolical Heresies all which this Synod does condemn reject and anathematize embracing the Holy Catholick Faith in that purity and integrity that it is believed and professed in by the Holy Mother Roman Church the Mistress of all Churches to which in all things it submits it self according to the profession it has made Furthermore this Synod does acknowledge the Glorious Cyril Archbishop and Patriarch of Alexandria who by Order of the Bishop of Rome †Presided St. Cyril presided in the Ephesan Council in his own right being the only Patriarch that was present at it presided in the Holy Ephesan Council to be a Blessed Saint at this time enjoying God in Heaven and that his Doctrine in the said Council against the Nestorians is Holy and universally received in the Catholick Church professing all that reject it to be Excommunicated Hereticks Decree XXI FUrthermore This present Synod with all the Priests and faithful People of this Diocess doth embrace the last * Holy Council of Trent Justinianus a Noble Venetian in the 15th Book of his History of Venice gives the following account of the Holiness of the Trent Council Religionis causa in Tridentino Concilio parum prosperos successus habebat ob dissentientes animos coecamque Praelatorum ambitionem Solus autem Cardinalis Lothoringius Vir pietatis Studio dicendi arte clarus que ad Dei honorem veram Ecclesiae reformationem essent fuadebat cui plerique ex Concilii Patribus humanarum potius rerum quà m divinarum curam habentes refragabantur variisque opinionibus Sanctâ Synodâ— dissidente nil quod rectum sanctum piúmque foret decerni potuit omniaque confusione coecitate plena erant tantaque Praelatos ambitio coeperat ut nulla apud eos fidei Religionisque pro verâ Ecclesiae reformatione ratio haberetur Holy and Sacred Council of Trent and does not only believe and confess all that was determined and approved of therein and reject and anathematize all that that Council rejected and condemned but doth moreover receive and embrace the said Council as to all matters therein determined relating to the reformation of the Church and all Christian People promising and swearing to Govern it self according to the Rules thereof and to observe the same Forms that are observed in the Catholick Church and as are observed in this Province of the Indies and in all the other Provinces and Suffragans to the Metropolis of Goa in order to the removing of all Abuses and Customs that are contrary to the Decrees of the said Council of Trent by which only it is resolved to Govern it self as to all matters relating to the Government of the Church and the Reformation of the Manners of this faithful and Catholick People any Customs tho' immemorial in this Bishoprick to the contrary notwithstanding Decree XXII THis present Synod together with all the Priests and faithful People of this Diocess doth with great submission and reverence submit it self to the Holy Upright Just and Necessary Court of the Holy Office of the †Inquisition This agrees with what Paul the IIId said of â—he Inquisition upon his Death-â—ed that it was the Pillar of the Church of Rome if he had been in his Chair he could not have delivered a greater truth A Heathen Roman Synod would never have been guilty of calling that an Upright and Just Court which neither suffers its Prisoners to know the particular Crime whereof they are accused nor the Persons that accuse them nor the Witnesses that depose against them Acts 25. ver 16. I referr those that have a mind to be satisfied of the Justice of this Court to the History of the Inquisition of Goa which was the Inquisition this Synod put the Church of Malabar under published by a French Papist who was himself a Prisoner in it tho' I must tell them that as bad as his Treatment was therein that it was but Play to what it would have been had he profess'd himself a Protestant or not to have been of the Roman Communion tho' he had once been of it Bulenger tho' otherwise a fierce Papist gives this following account of this Holy Office Inter haec actum à Pontifice cum Hâ—spaniae Rege ut Inquisitio Hispanica Mediolanum inserretur quod tam acerbè tulêre Insubres ut defectionis consilia inierint Ea quaestio in Hispaniâ Mauris deprehendendis instituta est per cujâ—â— causam nomen crebrò innocentes ac sceleris integri custodiae mancipaâ—tur opibus evertuntur vitâ dignitate falsis criminibus circumventi spoliantur Si vocula fortè à Delatoribus excepta est Majestatis illicò postulantur in ultimae sortâ—â— hominibus crimina praetentata mâ—â— in Viros Principes districta sunt Jacent plerumque tres annos in fitâ— paedore carceris priusquam libeâ—â—â— aut noto crimine arcessantur alâ—â— nullius criminis comperti judicio affliguntur quidam in squalore carcerâ— ignorati contabescunt Auricularii frumentarii quadruplatores subdâ—â—â— grassantur qui rei faciendae Stâ—dâ—â— in Divitum capità involant 〈◊〉 tam crimina judicio qùam objectâ— menta jurgio prolata quaerunt Sermones inter familiares habitos in reâ— non modo seriam sed capitalem ducuâ— And Mazeray a Papist too 〈◊〉 the Life of Henry II. calls the Inquisition a Dreadful Monster Inquisition in these Parts Established and being sensible how much the Integrity of the Faith depends upon that Tribunal it does promise and swear to be obedient to all its Commands in all things thereunto pertaining being after the Example of all other Bishopricks in this Province willing that all matters of Faith should be judged of by the same Court or by such Persons as it shall depute And notwithstanding the said Holy Office has not hitherto by reason of this Church's having been separated and had little or no
Ecclesiam non Communicant What the Cardinal saith here of these two Practices makes almost the whole Roman Worship at this time to be a meer Novelty the whole of that Worship consisting almost now in Peoples going o Mass upon Sundays and Holy-days which the Church obliges them to not obliging them at the same time to communicate above once a Year and in adoring the Host when the Priest elevates it As to the Priest's putting the Sacrament into the mouth of the Communicants the same Cardinal in the 17th Chap. of his second Book saith Sacra Communio antiquo ritu non ore excipi solebat ut hodiè fit sed manu quam qui susceperat Ori reverenter admovebat As to the Priest's speaking the words of Consecration so low that no body can hear him in his 12th Chap. of the same Book he saith Graeci alii Orientales verba consecrationis elatâ voce pronunciant populus respondet Amen Eundem morem servabat olim Ecclesia Occidentalis omnes enim audiebant verba consecrationis postea statutum est ut Canon submissa voce recitaretur sic desiit ea consuetudo seculo decimo ut conjicio As to the usage of her denying the Cup to the People in the 18th Chap. of his second Book he saith Semper enim ubique ab Ecclesiae primordiis usque ad saeculum duodecimum sub specie panis Vini in Ecclesiis communicârunt fideles coepitque paulatim ejus saeculi initio usus calicis obsolescere plerisque Episcopis eum populo interdicentibus sic paulatim introducta est Communio sub solâ specie panis quod à nullo negari potest qui vel levissimâ rerum Ecclesiasticarum notitiâ imbutus est And as to her making use of Unleavened Bread in the 23d Chap. of his first Book he saith Quod si Veteres Patres percurrere omnem evolvere antiquitatem libeat inveniemus proculdubio sic à tempore Apostolorum de inceps de pane Eucharistico omnes loqui ut non nisi de communi fermentato commodè intelligi explicari queant As to her giving the Sacrament in Wafers in the 23d Chap. of the same Book he saith Vivente Humberto qui floruit Anno 1245. panis consecrandus in Eucharistiâ tantae magnitudinis erat ut ex eo consecratae tot particulae frangi possent quot erant necessariae ad populum communicandum panis qui tradebatur talis fuit ut deglutiri non posset nisi dentibus comminutus And as to her keeping the consecrated Bread or Hosts as she calls them after the Communion is over he saith in the same Book Ne reliquiae Sacramenti superessent saepe decretum est ut tot particulae consecrarentur quot erant parati ad communionem si quid residuum foret à sacerdete seu Ministris commederetur quod si contigerit ut Ministrorum incuria putrescerent statuit Concilium Arelatense apud Joan. X. 2. Cap. 56. ut igne comburatur cinis juxta Altare sepeliatur idque in usu fuisse docet Algerus Lib. 2. Cap. 1. Now I take this acknowledged change of Rites in the Administration of the Eucharist to be a very great Evidence that there has been a Change of belief about it and indeed to have been the Natural Consequence of such a Change and so I believe will any body else that shall consider it impartially changed for others without a great Sin notwithstanding they do not appertain to the Integrity or Essence of the Sacraments there are three that imprint a Spiritual sign on the Soul that can never be blotted out it is called a Character which is the reason why those Sacraments are never to be repeated they are Baptism Confirmation and Orders the other four that is Penitence the Eucharist Extream Vnction and Matrimony imprint no Spiritual Sign in the Soul and so may be repeated with due Order but tho' these seven Sacraments are all Divine and do contain Grace and dispense it to their worthy Receivers deserving our most profound Reverence and Adoration on the account of the Majesty of their Institutor who was our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God as also for the assistance of the Holy Spirit who operates in conjunction with them and for the virtue that is in them for the curing of Souls the Treasure of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ being deposited in them and dispensed to us by their means Nevertheless this does not hinder but that in some respects some of them may be more worthy than others and may deserve a greater reverence and veneration These Sacraments were all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ before his Ascention into Heaven that so by their means he might communicate Grace and other Spiritual Benefits he had merited for us by his Death on the Cross confirming them to the faithful by his Word and Promises that so by using them lawfully and with due dispositions we might be ascertained of his communicating himself and all the fruits of his Passion to us in every one of them in such a manner as he represents himself in them The Doctrine of the Holy Sacrament of Baptism THe first of all the Sacraments is that of Baptism which is the Gate of the Spiritual Life and that whereby we are made capable of the other Sacraments of which without it we are no ways capable for as a Man must first be born before he can enjoy the good things of the Natural Life so Men before they are born again in Baptism are not capable of enjoying the heavenly advantages of a Spiritual Life it being by Baptism that we are made Members of Christ and are incorporated into the Christian Common-wealth and the Mystical Body of the Church for as by the first man Death came upon all for the Sin of Disobedience committed by him and us for which Sin we were excluded the Kingdom of Heaven and were born Children of Wrath and separated from God so that without being born again of Water and the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven as Christ himself has taught us so that as we were born Children of Wrath by Baptism we return to be Children of Grace and as we were born in sin the Sons of Men in Baptism we are born the Sons of God all that are baptized in Christ as St. Paul hath it having put on Christ The Matter of this Sacrament is true natural and common Water as of the Sea Rivers Fountains Lakes or Rain and no other tho' never so pure and clean all others being Liquors and not natural Water The Form is I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Minister of this Sacrament is a Priest to whom it belongs by virtue of his Office but in case of necessity not only a Priest or Deacon but a Lay-man or Woman nay an Infidel a Mahometan a Heretick or Jew
Matters may not be so in the dark as they have been formerly when there was no certain way of coming to the knowledge of Peoples Age which must needs create great scruples in the Minds of such as were to be Married or Ordained The Doctrine of the Sacrament of Confirmation THe Second Sacrament is Confirmation which our Lord Christ instituted in order to the confirming and establishing of Christians in the Faith so that nothing might be able to separate them from it through the Power of the Holy Ghost which is given therein particularly to that effect besides the sanctifying Grace which it gives in common with the other Divine Sacraments the Matter of this Sacrament is the Holy Oyl of Chrism made of the Oyl of the Olive-tree signifying the light and purity of the Conscience and of Balsam which signifies the sweet smell of a good Name both mixed together and blessed by the hand of the Bishop the Form are the words spoke by the Bishop when he dips his Thumb into the said Chrism making therewith the Sign of the Cross on the Forehead of the Person that is confirmed saying I sign thee with the sign of the Cross and do confirm thee with the Chrism of Health in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost to which the Bishop subjoyns three holy and wholsome Prayers wherein he beseeches God to fill those that are confirmed with his Divine Spirit The ordinary Minister of * The English Jesuits who could not endure that the Pope should put a Bishop over them here in England in their Books wherein they laboured to prove that there was no need of one spoke very slightingly of Confirmation affirming it to be a Sacrament that was not enjoyned but only where it might be had very easily that the effects thereof might be abundantly supplyed by the other Sacraments nay by ordinary Assistances that the Chrism in Baptism had not only the signification but all the effects of Confirmation so far at least as to make it not to be very necessary In a word that Confirmation was not simply necessary neither Necessitate Medii nor Necessitate Praecepti so that it was not likely that the want of it in Eâ—â—land was the cause of so many Peoples apostatizing from the Catholick Faith So little do either the Sacraments or the Hierarchy not excepting the Papacy it self signifie when they stand in the way of the Jesuits ambition I do not except the Papacy because when it was generally believed that Clement the VIIIth was resolved to condemn Molina's Book of Scientia Media the Spanish Jesuits endeavoured to ward off that blow by affirming in their publick Conclusions in their College at Complutum that it was not a matter of Faith to believe that Clement the VIIIth was true Pope for which Luisius Turrianus the President of the Disputation the Rector of the College and Vasquez who were present at the Act were all summoned to appear before the Inquisition of Toledo as Gaspar Hortadus Gregory de la Camara and Alvarez de Villegas were to appear at Rome before the Pope for having defended the same Conclusion publickly in the said University much about the same time so that had Clement the VIIIth condemned Molina's Book after the whole order of the Jesuits had espoused the merits thereof so publickly which the Dominicans say he would certainly have done had he but lived a few Months longer Ignatius Loyola appearing to some Jesuits in Spain and assuring them that Molina's Book would never be condemned by any Pope notwithstanding we should have had Simony or some other Nullity found in his Election by the Jesuits before this time By this we see that Jesuits have wherewith to intimidate Popes as well as Princes and Bishops Confirmation is the Bishop for tho' simple Priests may perform several other Unctions this can be done only by a Bishop the Bishops being the Successors of the Apostles by the imposition of whose hands the Holy Ghost was given in the place of which imposition of hands the Church gives Confirmation Christ having so ordained it wherein the Holy Ghost is given likewise Nevertheless by a dispensation from the Holy See and by no other way when there is any very urgent Occasion or when it happens to be necessary for the good of the Faithful simple Priests may confirm with Chrism that has been consecrated by a Bishop in the forementioned Form the effect of this Sacrament is that therein the Holy Ghost is given to the strengthening and fortifying of the Soul as it was given to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost that Christians may with boldness confess the Name of Christ and his Catholick Faith for which reason the Person confirmed is anointed on the forehead with the Sign of the Cross that being the most open place of the Body and the Seat of Shame and Confusion which is very different from what is done to People when they are baptized who are anointed on the Head People are confirmed on the forehead that they may not be ashamed to confess the Name of Jesus Christ and his Cross which as the Apostle saith is to the Jews an Offence and to the Heathens foolishness this Sacrament differs much from that of Baptism for as by Baptism we are born into the Faith so by this we are confirmed therein for as in the Natural Life to be born is different from growing so in the Spiritual Life it is one thing to be born to Grace and Faith which is done in Baptism and another to encrease and grow stronger therein which is done in Confirmation and so in Baptism we are born to a Spiritual Life and are afterwards prepared and confirmed for our Warfare and do receive so much strength that no dangers or terrors of Punishments or Losses or Torments or Deaths are able to separate us from the Confession of the Name of Christ and of the true Faith we profess Decree I. FOrasmuch as hitherto there has been no use nor so much as Knowledge of the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation among the Christians of this Bishoprick the Heretical Prelates that governed it having neglected to feed the People in a great many cases with wholsome Catholick Food therefore the Synod doth declare That all Persons who are come to the use of reason ought to receive this Holy Sacrament having the opportunity of receiving it at the hands of a Bishop and that all Masters of Families and others having the Charge of Children are in Duty bound to command their Children and Slaves to receive the said Sacrament and that all who out of contumacy or contempt shall refuse to receive it or to order such as belong to them to go to it are guilty of a Mortal Sin and if they neglect it out of a conceit of it 's not being a Sacrament they are Hereticks and Aliens from the true Catholick Faith wherefore the Synod doth command that in the Visitation that is
to be made speedily by the most Illustrious Metropolitan in the Churches of this Bishoprick all Men and Women that are above seven years old do come to be Christen'd or Confirmed those only excepted who were confirmed by the said Lord in his former Visitation or at some other or on some other occasion by some other Bishop this Sacrament as well as that of Baptism being never to be repeated in so much that all that receive it a second time wittingly are guilty of a great piece of Sacrilege besides that they receive no Sacrament thereby But in case any are doubtful whether they have ever been confirmed or not or should not remember that they were ever they shall declare so much to the said Lord or to the Bishop that is to confirm them that they may order the matter according to the merit of their doubts But if any which God forbid should sacrilegiously and obstinately despise the said Sacrament it being proved upon them they shall be declared Excommunicate until such time as they have done condign Penance and shall be punished at the pleasure of the Prelate Decree II. THe Synod to its great sorrow having been informed that some ignorant Persons in Sacred Matters and the Doctrine of the Holy Sacraments of the Church being instigated by the Devil to persist in their cursed Schism did in several places resist the most Illustrious Metropolitan in his former Visitation of these Churches so far as not only to refuse to receive the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation from him but did also oppose him publickly in the Churches and that many did absent themselves some whereof excused themselves by pretending that it was an unnecessary thing and that they had never seen nor heard of it before and others that they should be affronted by the Holy Ceremony of the Prelates touching their Cheek scurrilously upbraiding those that had received it with base provoking words telling them that they had suffer'd themselves to be affronted and buffeted with other such Sacrilegious Expressions full of Infidelity and Heresy arising from the Schism wherein they have been brought up Whole Towns conspiring together so far in this Mutiny that the despising or receiving this Holy Sacrament became the Test of their obedience or disobedience to the said Metropolitan doth therefore notwithstanding it knows they have all in common and every one in particular repented of this and being sensible of the greatness of the error they committed therein have beg'd pardon for it and upon their having confess'd their Ignorance have been graciously received by the said Lord Metropolitan and having submitted themselves to the obedience of the Holy Roman Church are ready to do all that shall be enjoyned them to prevent the life however that none for the time coming may commit the like faults or Sacrileges command That if any which God forbid shall dare to do or say any such thing against this Sacrament or the Holy Ceremonies and Rites wherewith it is administred to the Faithful that they be declared Excommunicate and be separated from the Church and the Communion of the Faithful until such time as they have undergone condign Penance at the pleasure of the Prelate and shall demonstrate their due subjection to the obedience of the Holy Church and have taken the Oath of the Faith contained in this Synod and declared that all that reject and despise the Rites and Ceremonies approved of and received in the Church in the solemn administration of this and the other Sacraments are Hereticks and Apostates from our Holy Catholick Faith as was determin'd in the Holy Council of Trent and ought to be proceeded against and punished as such according to the Sacred Canons Decree III. THe Synod doth declare That in the Sacrament of Confirmation or Chrism there must be a Godfather and Godmother as well as in Baptism to present such as are to be Confirmed according to the ancient Custom of Holy Mother Church but there shall be but only one Godfather and Godmother who must themselves have been Confirmed it being very indecent that any Person should present one to have that done to him which they have not had done to themselves and that the Man shall be above 14 and the Woman above 12 Years Old or one of them at least shall be of that Age and in this Case the Godfathers and Godmothers do contract the same Spiritual Affinities and the same Impediments that the others do in Baptism the said Spiritual Affinity being equally contracted in both these Sacraments ACTION V. Of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass The Doctrine of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist THe third Sacrament in the Order of the Spiritual Life is the Holy Eucharist tho' in Veneration Sanctity and Dignity it is the first and most excellent for containing in it the true real and substantial Body and Blood together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God true God and true Man our Saviour and Redeemer which was instituted by him the day before he suffer'd for us as the most sweet Remate or Conclusion of all his Works and a Memorial of his Passion the fulfilling of all the ancient Figures the greatest of all the Miracles that ever he wrought and for the singular Consolation of the Faithful in his absence The Matter of this Sacrament is Bread of Wheat and Wine of the Grape only so that all that Consecrate in Bread made of Rice or of any thing else but the Flower of Wheat or of Wine that was not pressed out of the ripe Grape of the Vine do not make the Sacrament there must also be Water mixed with the Wine before it is Consecrated but in a much smaller quantity than the Wine that so it may easily * Turn For Water to turn it self into Wine is as great a Miracle as for the Priest to turn Wine into Blood turn it self into Wine before the Consecration which mixture is therefore made because from the Testimony of Holy Fathers Holy Mother Church believes that our Lord Christ himself did so whose having mixed Water with the Wine that he Consecrated makes it a great Sin to omit to do it It is also agreeable to the representation of the Mystery of what passed on the Cross and of our Lord Christ out of whose precious Side flowed Water and Blood as also to signifie the Effect of this Sacrament which is the Vnion of the Faithful with Christ the Water signifying the Faithful and the Wine our Lord Christ and the conversion of the Water into the Wine the Union of our Souls with Christ by means of this Divine Sacrament according to what our Lord said He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him The Form of this Sacrament is the words of our Saviour by which the Sacrament is made for tho' the Priest pronounceth many and divers words in the Mass and
least scruple of Mortal Sin and having an opportunity of a Confessor shall say Mass tho' under an Obligation to do it without having first confessed themselves But besides that such when under any scruple are obliged to confess for the greater purity of their Souls tho' under no scruple the Synod commands all Priests to confess at least once a Week Decree IX THe Synod doth furthermore command all Deacons and Sub-Deacons that Minister solemnly in the solemn Masses on Sundays and Saints-days to receive the most Holy Sacrament at those times and on the Festivity of our Lord Christ our Lady and the Holy Apostles all the Chamazes or Clergy that are in the Church of which the Vicars ought to take special care and the Prelate in his Visitations is to make diligent Inquiry how these things are observed The Doctrine of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass THe great Love of God to Mankind does not only appear in the Institution of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and in the putting of his Divine Body and Blood under the Sacramental Species to be the heavenly Food of our Souls by which the Spiritual Life is maintained and preserved but in his having likewise so instituted it that the Catholick Church Militant might have a perpetual and visible Sacrifice for the purging away of our sins and for turning the Wrath of our Heavenly Father who is many times offended with our wickedness into Mercy and the rigour of his just punishment into Clemency So in the Mass there is offered unto God a true and proper Sacrifice for the pardon both of the Living and of the Dead by the offering of the which Sacrifice the Lord is so far appealed as to give Grace and the Gift of Repentance to Sinners and by means thereof does forgive Men their Sins and Offences tho' never so enormous the Host that is offered by the Ministry of the Priest on the Altar of the Church being one and the same that was offered for us on the Cross with no other difference besides that of the reason of their being offered And so it is not only offered for the Sins Punishments Satisfactions and other Necessities of the Faithful that are Living but also for the Dead departed in Christ and that are in the Torments of Purgatory being not as yet fully purged by reason of their not having made a compleat satisfaction for the punishments due to their sins it being but just and reasonable that all should be benefited by a Sacrifice which was instituted for the Remedy and Health of all Mankind which Oblation is of that purity that no indignity or wickedness in the Offerers is able to defile it so that as to the substance value and acceptation it is the same when offered by a wicked and unclean sinner as when by a pure and holy Priest because it does not derive its Dignity from the Offerer but from the Majesty and excellency of what is offered neither does the Eternal Father accept thereof for the Merits and Vertue of the Priest that offers it but for the value of the Sacrifice it self and the infinite Merits of Christ who is offered therein so that our Saviour being about to offer himself to God the Father on the Altar of the Cross could not possibly have given us a greater expression of his immense Love for us than by leaving us this visible Sacrifice in his Church in which the Blood which was presently to be once offered upon the Altar of the Cross was to be renewed every day upon the Altar of the Church and the Memory thereof to our great profit was to be adored every where in the Church until the end of the World which Divine Sacrifice is offered to God only notwithstanding it is sometimes celebrated in Memory and Honour of the Martyrs and other Saints in Bliss it not being offered to them but to God only who has been pleased to Crown them with Immortal Honour rendring him thereby our bounden thanks for the notable Victory of the Martyrs and the publick Mercies and Blessings he has vouchsafed to other Saints and for the Victories which by these means they obtained over the World the Flesh and the Devil beseeching the said Saints to be pleased to intercede for us in Heaven whose Memories we celebrate on Earth and tho' the Divine Eucharist does still continue to be a Sacrament yet it is never a Sacrifice but as it is offered in the Mass Decree I. FOrasmuch as it is of great moment that all things belonging to the Sacrifice of the Mass should be preserv'd pure and undefiled and whereas this Church has been for * 1200 Years It would puzzle them to prove that they had ever been at any time under her obedience however this shows what a Cheat that submission of the Patriarch of Babylon in his own name and in the name of all the Churches that were subject to him to the Pope at the Council of Trent was which Father Paul tells us made a mighty noise in the World the Court of Rome boasting thereupon that the Pope had got more new Subjects by that submission than he had lost by the Reformation 1200 years from under the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church the Mistress of all the other Churches and from whence all good Government and true Doctrines do come all the Bishops that came hither from Babylon having been Schismaticks and Nestorian Hereticks who have added to and taken from the Mass at their pleasure without any order from whence it has come to pass that several things are foisted into the Syrian Mass which is said in this Diocess without any consideration and such things too as may give occasion to many Impious and Heretical Errors For which if due Order were observed all the Missals of this Bishoprick ought to be burned as also for their having been of Nestorian use and compiled by Nestorian Hereticks but being there are no other at present they are tolerated until such time as our Lord the Pope shall take some Order therein and there shall be Missals sent by him printed in the Chaldee Tongue which is what this Synod humbly and earnestly desires may be done And in the mean time it doth command that the Missals now in use be purged and reformed as to all the following Matters and that till such time as they are so purged which the most Illustrious Metropolitan with the assistance of some Persons well versed in the Chaldee Tongue will see done the next Visitation no Priest shall presume to make use of them any more Whereas from the above declared Doctrine of this Sacrament it is evident that the Priest does not Consecrate with his own words but with those of our Lord Christ the Author and Institutor of the said Divine Sacrament it is not therefore lawful to add any Clause how good soever in it self to the Form of Consecration or to what our Lord Christ said therein in which we do not
themselves with going to hear Mass twice or thrice in the Year and so have no opportunity of being instructed in matters of Faith and Religion as they ought to be nor of complying with their Obligations doth command all Christians living within two Leagues of the Church to go to Mass at least once a Month and on the principal Festivities of our Lord and Lady commanding the Vicars also to constrain them to do it and all such as are but one League to hear Mass once a Fortnight and such as are less than a League to hear it every Sunday and Holy-day commanding all that shall trangress herein being obstinate after the third Admonition to be thrown out of the Church when they come thither neither shall the Priest go to their Houses or give them the Casture or Blessing until they shall come to hear Mass more or less in the Form aforesaid and besides they shall be punished by the Prelate as he shall think good Decree XIV WHereas upon several Festivals of the Church there are Musicians called to the celebration thereof according to the custom of the Country who are all Heathens small care being taken in what part of the Church they are placed or to hinder them from playing during the time of the Holy Sacrifice at which no Excommunicate Person or Infidel ought to be present therefore the Synod doth command that great care be taken not to suffer them to remain in the Church after the Creed is said or the Sermon if there be one is ended that so they may not behold the Holy Sacrament the Vicar shall also be careful to drive all Heathens who may come upon such occasion from the Doors and Windows of the Church Decree XV. WHereas there is nothing that is so great a help to the Souls of the Faithful that are in the Fire of * Purgatory I shall give the Reader one instance out of a hundred of the Popes liberality in the matter of Indulgences to Souls in Purgatory INdulgencias Concedidas pello Papa Adriano VI. de boa Memoria ás contas ou graos que benzeo á Instancia do Illustrissimo Cardeal Laquinaues Trigermano Barbarino no Anno de 1523. E. Confirmadas pelo Santissimo Padre Gregorio Decimo tercio aos 26 de Mayo de 1576. E bien assi confirmadas pelo Sanctissimo Padre Pape Paulo quinto no anno de 1607. E. tambem agora confirmadas por nosso santissimo Papa Urbano Octavo no quarto anno de sue Pontificado Primeiramente quem tiuer huma destas contas rezando hum Pater Noter et huma Ave Maria cada dia tira tres Almas das penas do Purgatorio de for em Domingo ou em Dia se festa rezando dobrado tira de is Item Cada sexta feira rezando sinco vezes O Pater Noster Ave Maria à honra das sinco chagas de Christo ganha setenta mil annos de perdam et remissam de todos seus peccados Item em cada Sabbado rezando sete Pater Nostres et sete Ave Marias aos sete gozos de nossa Senhora ganha indulgencia sem numero Item Quem nano poder correr as estaçoens de Roma na Quaresma rezando sinco Pater nostres et sinco Ave Marias diante da imagem de nam Crucifixo ganha as ditas estaçoens dentro et fora dos muros de Roma Jerusalem Item Trazendo consigo huma destas contas confessado et comungado ganha indulgencia plenaria et remissam de todos seus peccados Item O Sacerdote que confessa et comunga ganha indulgencia plenaria et remissam de todos seus peccados et alem disto ganha tam bem todas as indulgencias que estam dentro et fora de Roma Hierusalem Item avendo comungado quantas vezes rezer O Pater Noster à Ave Maria tantas almas tira do Purgatorio Item Concede sua Santidade que estas contas qua sua Santidade benzeo possam tocar a outras as quaes tocadas ficam com as mesmas graças salvo que estas tocadas nam possam tocar as outras Dada em Roma a 15 de Janeiro de 1607. Nos Joano Ambrosio Referendario Apostolico Visto estar conforme com o Original pòde correr este Summario de Indulgencia Lisboa 11. de Junho de 1642. Er. Joano de Vascocel Franc. Card. de Torn Sebastiano Caesar de Meneses Com. Licença Em. Lisboa Na Officina de Domingos Carneyro Anno 1660. Indulgences granted by Pope Adrian VI. of Blessed Memory to some Beads or Grains which he blessed at the instance of the most Illustrious Cardinal Laquinaues Trigermano Barbarino in the Year 1523. and which were confirmed by the most Holy Father Gregory X. on the 26 of May 1576. and were also confirmed by the most Holy Father Pope Paul V. in the Year 1607. and were now again confirmed by our Holy Father Pope Urban VIII in the 4th Year of his Pontificate First Whosoever shall have one of these Beads and shall recite a Pater Noster and an Ave Mary every day shall take three Souls out of the Torments of Purgatory and if he shall double them upon a Sunday or Holy-day he shall take out six 2. If he shall say five Pater Nosters and five Ave Maries to the honour of the five Wounds of Christ upon a Friday he shall gain seventy thousand Years Pardon and Remission of all his Sins 3. If he shall every Saturday say seven Pater Nosters and seven Ave Maries to the seven Joys of our Lady he shall gain Indulgences without number 4. He that cannot go the Stations at Rome in Lent if he shall say five Pater Nosters and five Ave Maries before a Crucifix he shall gain the said Stations within and without the Walls of Rome and Jerusalem 5. He that shall bring one of these Beads along with him and shall Confess and Communicate shall gain a plenary Indulgence and remission of all his Sins 6. The Priest that shall Confess him and give him the Sacrament shall likewise gain a plenary Indulgence and the remission of all his Sins and moreover all the Indulgences which are within and without Rome and Jerusalem 7. Having Communicated as often as he shall say a Pater Noster and Ave Mary so many Souls he shall take out of Purgatory His Holiness does likewise grant That these Beads which have been blessed by his Holiness may touch other Beads which being touched by them shall have the same Graces saving that those which are touched cannot touch others Dated at Rome the 15th of January An. 1607. We John Ambrosio Referendary Apostolick having seen this summary of Indulgence to be conformable to the Original it may be Published Er. Joan. de Vasconcel Franc. Card. de Torn Caesar de Meneses With Licence In Lisbon in the Shop of Domingo Carneyro 1660. Purgatory as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of which there is no memory remaining in this Diocess that Holy
them And as to Venial Sins which we frequently fall into and for which we are not excluded from the Grace of God tho' the confessing of and being absolved from them is very profitable to the Soul yet we are not under any such precise obligation of confessing them there being other ways by which they may be pardoned so that it is no sin not to discover them The third part of Penitence is Satisfaction for Sins according to the judgment of the Confessor which satisfaction is chiefly performed by Prayer Fasting and Alms the Penitent being obliged to comply with the Penance imposed upon him by the Priest who being as a Judge in the place of God ought to impose what he thinks to be necessary not only with respect to the amendment of Sin for the future but chiefly with respect to the Satisfaction and Penance of past Sins The Form of this Sacrament is I absolve thee to which necessary words the Church has thought fit to add the words following from all thy Sins in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost There are also some Prayers which the Priest saith immediately after over the Penitent which tho' they are not essential to the form yet are very profitable and healthful for the Penitent Now by pronouncing the form not only all the Sins that are confessed but all those likewise which after a due diligence and Examination of the Conscience do not occurr to the Memory so as to be discovered all such being included in the said Confession are all pardoned tho' with an obligation of confessing them if they should ever after come to be remembred sins being as it were chains to the Soul from which it is delivered by the absolution of the Priest which is applicable to such as by virtue of contrition joyned with a desire of confessing have obtained pardon of God for their Sins which they were under an obligation to have confessed as also to those Sins which were never confessed because not remembred after a due diligence and to those likewise which having been once lawfully confessed and truly pardoned are by the Penitent of his own accord and for the greater Penance confessed and submitted to the Keys several times The Minister of this Sacrament is a Priest who hath Authority to absolve and is either the Ordinary as the Prelates or such as are commissioned and approved of by them The effect of this Sacrament is The absolution and pardon of Sins and for that reason it is by the Doctors properly called the Table after Shipwrack because the Grace which was given to us in Baptism being lost by the commission of Mortal Sin by which we make Shipwrack thereof and of all the other Vertues and Gifts which together therewith were poured down upon us there remains no other remedy or means whereby we can be saved but only by the plank of Penance or the Sacrament of Confession for that without this either actually received or firmly purposed according to the command of Holy Mother Church with contrition wherein such a purpose is always included we cannot be saved nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for which reason this Sacrament ought to be much reverenced and frequented as the only remedy that sinners have for all their evils Decree I. WHereas an entire Sacramental Confession is of Divine right and necessary to all those who after Baptism fall into any Mortal Sin and Holy Mother Church doth command all faithful Christians who are come to the use of Reason upon pain of Mortal Sin to confess at least once a Year in the time of Lent or at Easter when all that are capable are bound likewise to receive the most holy Sacrament of the Altar declaring all that neglect to do it to be excommunicate and notwithstanding this Precept has not hitherto been in use in this Bishoprick in which no Christian has ever confessed upon Obligation and a great many not at all which was occasioned through their ignorance of this healthful precept and of the necessity of this Divine Sacrament this Church having been governed by Schismatical Chaldaeans and Nestorian Hereticks the particular Enemies of this Sacrament being the cause of their being totally unacquainted with the Virtue Efficacy and Necessity thereof Some not using it all others being perswaded by the Devil into a vain and superstitious Opinion That if they should confess themselves they should die immediately all which having been made known to the most Illustrious Metropolitan in his first Visitation of these Churches he at that time perswaded a great many that had never done it before to confess themselves having undeceived them as to the unreasonable and pernicious mistakes which they lay under therefore the Synod the more to further this doth declare that it is the Duty of every faithful Christian upon penalty of Mortal Sin to observe the precept of the Church concerning Confession at the time by her determined and founded on the Divine precept of Confession for all such as are fallen from Grace by the Commission of any Mortal Sin and doth command all faithful Christians Men and Women that are arrived at the Years of Discretion to confess themselves to their own Vicar or to such Priests as are licensed by the Prelate to hear Confessions at the time of Lent or against Easter and that whosoever shall not have complyed with this Precept or is not confessed sometime betwixt the beginning of Lent and the second Sunday after Easter shall be in the Church declared Excommunicate by the Vicar without waiting for any order from the Prelate to do it until he has effectually confessed himself and has undergone the punishment due to his Rebellion and if the Vicar shall for some just reason think fit to wait any longer for some that have been negligent and who being busie have desired to be dispensed with till Whitsuntide it shall be in their power to bear with them according to what is determined in the 2d Decree of the 5th Action of the Sacrament of the Eucharist having first admonished those that live in the Heaths or are at Sea or engaged in Business in such places where there are no Churches to confess in that when they return home they are bound to do it within a month And that the whole of this may be executed with the more ease and be performed as is reasonable the Vicars of the Churches shall be obliged a month or more before Lent if it be necessary to go to all the Houses of their Parishes belonging to Christians however remote in the Heaths either in Person or by some other Clergyman whom in Conscience they can trust with such a business and taking the Names of all the Christians even to the very Slaves in every Family that are nine Years old and upward and of those too that are abroad observing whether they do return home after the time of the Obligation and having made a Roll of Parchment of
Year at Easter when they are bound to it upon the penalty of mortal Sin but that they do frequently make use of this Sacrament in proportion to the Sins they fall into daily and not to fail to Confess themselves on the Festivities of the Nativity of the Holy Ghost and the Assumption of our Lady and at the Wake of their Parish and the Vicars must not fail to admonish their People thereof on the Sunday before those Festivities Decree VIII THe Synod doth declare That notwithstanding the power of pardoning Sins is annexed to the Sacerdotal Order nevertheless that all Priests cannot hear Confessions but only such as are Licensed by the Prelate for the Act of Absolution being an Act of Jurisdiction and Judicature cannot be without Subjects which the Prelate only can give when he appoints Confessors with such limitations as he thinks necessary so that a Priest having no Licence or transgressing the bounds that were set to him by his Prelate if he shall presume to hear Confessions and Absolve his Confessions and Absolutions are void and of no force neither are the Sins of the Penitents pardoned who are therefore bound to Confess themselves again to a Confessor that has power to Absolve as if they had not Confessed before but when any one is in probable danger of Death and cannot have a Priest that is Licensed any Priest tho' he is not Licensed may Confess and Absolve him in that case Decree IX WHereas it belongs to the good Government of the Church and the Faithful that Crimes of a heinous nature should be judged not by every Priest but by Prelates or Bishops because for that reason Christians will be the more fearful to commit them besides that it has always been the Custom of the Church to reserve to the Prelates and even to the Pope as the Universal Head of the Church some Crimes from which they and none else can Absolve or not do it without their leave therefore the Synod doth declare That notwithstanding this Doctrine has not hitherto been understood or practised in this Bishoprick by reason of the great Ignorance of the Church and sacred Canons that has reigned therein Nevertheless that the ordinary Confessors have no power to Absolve in cases reserved to the Prelate and least of all in those that are reserved to the Pope namely those contained in the Bulla Coenâ— Domini which all Confessors ought to be acquainted with neither can they Absolve in the Crime of Heresy or in any cases wherein the Faith is concerned all which do belong to the Court of the Holy Office of Inquisition or to such as are Commissioned by them or to the Bishop who by himself may Absolve in the Form of the Holy Council of Trent and according to the Ordinations of the Holy Fathers Neither can ordinary Confessors dispense with or change the Vows of Penitents because that belongs to the Prelate or such as are deputed by him or that have obtained Apostolical Privileges to that effect Only at the point of Death not only approved Confessors but also all simple Priests there being no other to be had are obliged to hear Confessions and may also Absolve in all Cases and from all Censures to whomsoe'er reserved Tho' as to the Censures with this Obligation that if the Sick Person shall recover they shall return to the Persons again to whom they were before reserved from whom they shall receive such healthful Penance as shall be thought meet Decree X. THat Confessors may the better know in what Cases they may and in what Cases they may not absolve their Penitents having no Authority to do it the Synod doth command the Bulla Coenae Domini and all the Cases reserved in this Bishoprick to be pasted on a Board and set up in all Sacristies and where there are no Sacristies in the chief Chapel in every Church in the Malabar Tongue for the direction of the Confessors and doth furthermore in its regulation of the reserved Cases in this Diocess declare That willful Murther publickly committed with violence on the Person of an Ecclesiastick the voluntary firing of Houses or of any Goods belonging to Christians formal Simony both in the givers and receivers marrying without the Vicar and two Witnesses Schism and Disobedience against the Prelate in all that are guilty thereof or that favour such as are the having of any of the Books condemned by this Synod in their Houses or the reading of any of them the performing of the publick Ceremonies called Taliconum Coliconu the having of Pagods or Idols in their Houses and the giving them any Veneration have all the censure of Excommunication annexed to them of which tho' some are * Reserved This is what destroys all Discipline in the Church of Rome and what the Bishops thereof complain of so much Didacus Abulensis in the 73d page of his Book of Councils gives the following account of it Est in to be Romanâ perniciosus abuâ—us qui dissimulatione quâdam jam diu toleratur nam sceleratissimi homines Episcoporum aliorum Judicum ordinariorum justissimam punitionem effugientes tanquam ad tutissimum asylum Romaâ—am accedunt curiam nihil aliud cogitantes quam quod eo ipso sint à gravissimis maximâ cum Justitiae jacturâ immunes Hinc sanè passim videmus Clericos Criminum atrocissimorum autores ab ordinariis Judicibus sugientes in Romanam Curiam propriis beneficiis quae obtinâ—bart aequissimè privatos brevi compendio temporis in Hispaniam patriamque redire ita liberos ut non tantum beneficia quibus ob scelera privati fuerant cum maximo dedecore justitiae contemptu favore importunis precibus obtinuerint iterum apud Romanam Curiam sed aliis pinguioribus honorati in praemium criminum liberam iterum millies peccandi licentiam ferè impefraverint sunt enim in Curiâ Remanâ tot Officiales quorum munus potissimum est prae avaritiâ maximâ voracitate ab ipsis litigantibus aliis extorquere ut tandem jam nihil obtineri apud eandem curiam possit aliter quam ingenti pecuniâ veluti in pretium rei impetratae impensâ And in the 62d Page he gives the Pope himself the following wholsome advice Cavere debet summus ipse Pontifex ne dum agitur de morum censura quae aâ— Clericos Episcopos alios Christianâ— professionis homines omnino in ipsâ— omnium capite requirantur ea morum correctio atque institutio quae à subditis exigenda est praesertim verò illud est ab eo postulandum ac denique summopere petendum ne in curia Romana oscitanter tot contractus Simoniaci tot manifestae fraudes tot adversus naturalia Divina jura scelera palam in totius orbis scandalum permittantur ad enim adeo jam in omnium aures devenit ut à nemine nisi is prorsus à sensu aliènus judicari cupiat taceri possit reserved by Law yet
for them in the Church and instead of the Prayers that are to be recited by them in the Evening they shall say Thirty-three Pater Nosters and as many Ave Maries with the Gloria Patri c. as in the Morning and when they are ended they shall say * Nine It would have been no true Roman Devotion had not the Ave Maries exceeded the Pater Nosters for one may speak within compass and say that the blessed Virgin has ten Prayers and an hundred Vows made to her in the Church of Rome where Christ has one made to him and of this the Tabulae Votivae in their Churches are a clear demonstration there being few or none of these Tables and there are vast numbers of them in several Churches but what are dedicated solely to the honour of the blessed Virgin nine Ave Maries to our Lady and one Pater Noster and one Ave Mary for the Pope and another for the Bishop as in the Morning provided that such as have Books shall recite by them and not by Beads and such as recite by Beads if they have said any of the Prayers either in the Morning or Evening at Church shall not be obliged to recite them again but shall only recite those which they may have omitted there Decree VI. THe Synod doth command the Creed of St. Athanasius Quicunque vult to be translated into Syrian and to be put into all the Breviaries and Books of Prayer of this Diocess and to be read every Sunday in the Church immediately after Morning Service desiring the Reverend Father Francisco Roz of the Society of Jesus to translate it and all the Curates and Clergy to learn the said Creed by Heart which is what the Holy Canons recommend to them for as much as that Creed contains in it summarily the chief Mysteries of our Faith and is used and sung in the Universal Church Decree VII THe Synod doth earnestly recommend it to all the Clergymen and Curates not to be absent from Church at the time of Divine Service Morning nor Evening and that none offer to talk or divert themselves there any other way as has been the Custom or to dispose themselves to sleep whilst others are reciting who are also to take notice that in reciting they ought not to begin a new Verse before the Congregation has done with the former and that tho' it has hitherto been the custom for the oldest Clergyman that was present at Divine Service to give the Casture that from henceforward the true Vicar of the Church being present shall in every thing be preferr'd to all others as he is the particular Pastor of the Church Decree VIII THere being no reason why they that do not minister in the Church should be equally rewarded with those that do it seems just to the Synod that the Curates and other Clergymen that are absent either from Morning or Evening Service or from the Mass of the day on Sundays and Holydays be marked by the Vicar or the oldest Clergyman in his absence that when the Dividend comes to be made for every time they have been absent so much may be deducted from their share as they that make the distribution shall think fit in proportion to the quantity of the Dividend which shall be done only when they are not hindred by some lawful Impediment as Sickness or are not otherwise employed in the Service of the Church or by the Prelate in all which cases they are to be excused and the Sconses shall be equally divided among the rest Decree IX THe Synod being informed that great numbers of Clergy-men do use superstitious and Heathen Exorcisms taking words out of an impious and prohibited Book called Parisman for the casting out of Devils doth command in virtue of Holy Obedience that none presume to use any other exorcisms to that effect but such as the Roman Church makes use of and have been approved of by the Holy Fathers which are to be bound up with the Offices of the Administration of the Sacraments and all Clergymen that shall be found to use any other or to use any unknown superstitious words or Ceremonies with such as are possessed shall be suspended from their Office and Benefice for a Year and be subject to what other penalties the Prelate shall be pleased to lay upon them according to the quality of the Superstitions they have made use of and in case they shall after they have been admonished and censured persist therein they shall then be Excommunicated and when it shall appear that any have acted thus upon any compact or contract with the Devil which God forbid as it is said some do they shall be declared Excommunicate until they have done the condign Penance which the Prelate shall have imposed upon them and shall be moreover suspended from their Office and Benefice during their Lives without any hopes of a dispensation and shall be yet further punished as the Law requires they should be who are guilty of such Crimes and are convicted of having had a compact with the Devil Decree X. WHereas there are several Clergymen who according to the superstitious Custom of the Heathens do give good days for Marriages and do several other things at the request of Christians for the Heathens and for that end keep an account of the lucky and unlucky days of the Gentiles in their Books and do use some of their Prayers and do make Schemes after the manner of Astrologers as appears from several even of their Church-books the Synod doth command in virtue of Holy Obedience and upon pain of the greater Excommunication that no Ecclesiastical or Secular or Cassanar shall dare to give good or bad days for Marriages or on any other occasion or to draw any thing out of a Book of Lots and namely out of that which is generally bound up with the Book called Parisman or out of any other place or by whomsoever invented and whosoever shall transgress herein shall be declared excommunicate and shall be suspended from their Office for a Year and six Months from their Benefice it being the duty of the Priests rather to admonish the People to avoid all Heathen Superstitions and to chuse the solemn days of the Church or the Saints days who may intreat God for them for the celebration of their Marriages or any other days they please all days being good to those that do good upon them being all equally the work of Gods hands Those only which are spent in the greatest works and the higher celebration of the Divine Mysteries being the days that are to be most reverenced Decree XI WHereas it is decent that Priests being the Masters from whom the People are to learn good Manners should themselves give good example the Synod is therefore much concerned for the scandal some give by their being disorderly in their eating and drinking to the great disgrace of the Sacerdotal Office among so many Infidels and does recommend Moderation
it self to the Holy Council of Trent doth exhort and admonish and command all that are to be Married that at least three days before the celebration of this Sacrament they do confess themselves and being caâ—able do receive the Holy Sacrament of the Euâ—harist neither shall the Vicars receive them before they have complyed with this Obligation concerning which they shall make diligent Enquiry The Synod doth furthermore command That all Marriages be celebrated in the Church and that the Parish-Priest do not accommodate himself to the negligence of those who do not care to be seen to marry in the Church but declaring withall that wheresoever Matrimony is celebrated if it be done by a Parish-Priest and in the presence of two Witnesses it is true and valid tho' the Parish-Priest ought not to Marry any out of the Church but upon very urgent Reasons Decree VI. THere have been always in the Church even under the Old Law prohibited degrees of Kindred within which Matrimony was not to be celebrated and being celebrated was null and that not only as to such as were prohibited by a Divine Natural Law as betwixt Persons in the first degree and betwixt Brothers and Sisters but as to others also who are prohibited by a Divine positive Law wherefore the Synod doth declare that the degrees at this time prohibited in the Church without which Matrimony cannot be celebrated without a Dispensation and being celebrated is void are only to the fourth degree inclusive of Consanguinity and of Affinity only to the second degree as first Cousins second Cousins third Cousins fourth Cousins by Father and Mother and the same degrees are prohibited in the Kindred of Affinity betwixt the Kinsfolk of the Husband and Wife with whom either of the Parties have been Married and besides that the Kindred in the first and second degree only with such or of those with whom either of the Parties have at any time had unlawful Carnal Knowledge beyond which degrees there are no other of Carnal Kindred that can hinder Matrimony but in all these that have been mentioned all Marriages that are made are null and of no force and all those that have Married so do live in the Mortal Sin of foul Fornication but if any upon just and reasonable accounts shall desire to Marry within any of these degrees that are prohibited only by a positive Law they must have * Recourse The Church of Rome seems to have multiplied prohibitions in Matrimonial matters for no other end but to get the more Money by Dispensatiâ—ns In Romana Curia saith Didâ—acus Abulensis adeo frequentes dispensationes ad Matrimonia contrahenda inter Consanguineos ut juris Canonici prohibitiones hac in pâ—rte nullis sint impedimento nisi â—iâ— qui pauperes sunt nec patrimoâ—iâ—m habent unde possint aliquam â—â—mam pro obtinenda dispensatione â—â—igare I have a rate by me of Matrimonial Dispensations which is too long to be here inserted I had it from a Protestant Merchant who upon receiving the rated summ in Portugal had the Dispensation dispatched at Rome and sent to him by the Jews that live there who by reason of their general Correspondence have in a manner ingrossed the whole trade of Dispensations so little is the honour of Christianity regarded by some People where it clasheth with conveniencies Emanuel King of Portugal with a dispensation Married two Sisters notwithstanding his having had a Son by the first and I knew a Nobleman in a certain Popish Country that was both Uncle and first Cousin to his Wife recourse to the Holy Apostolick See for a Dispensation or to their Prelate having power from the said See to do it declaring the degree of Kindred wherein they desire to be dispensed together with the Causes why they do desire it in which the Prelate shall do what he shall judge convenient in the Lord and so the Prelate being impowered by the Holy See to do it shall do it gratis without taking any thing for the dispensation tho' the Parties of their own accord should offer to pay him for it Decree VII BEsides the Carnal Kindred of Consanguinity and Affinity which hinders Matrimony in certain degrees there is also another sort of Kindred that does the same which is called Spiritual Kindred and is contracted in Baptism betwixt the Godfather and Godmother and the Child that is Baptized and the Parents of the said Child and in Confirmation or Chrism betwixt those who offer and present the Person that is confirmed as was ordered in the Decrees of Baptism and Confirmation which Spiritual Kindred of Godfathers and Godmothers and Gossips does so hinder the celebration of Matrimony that without a Dispensation from the Apostolick See or from some authorized by the Pope to that purpose the Matrimony is null and of no force all that live therein living in Fornication and a state of Damnation and if any that are thus a kin have a mind to marry together they shall preferr a Petition as they shall be directed hereafter but are to know that the Church does very seldom or never but for weighty Causes dispense in Cases of Spiritual Affinity Decree VIII WHereas hitherto the prohibited degrees and the reservation of dispensing with the same to the Apostolical See has not been understood in this Diocess the Prelates thereof having dispensed in all degrees prohibited only by a positive Law without having had Authority for what they did so that great numbers by virtue of such Dispensations have lived many Years in a Married Estate without any scruple concerning what was granted by their Prelates for which reason the Synod for the greater security of the Consciences of such People has thought fit that the most Reverend Metropolitan should dispense with them in all the said degrees by virtue of the Apostolick Authority granted to him in these parts to that effect and particularly by the brief of Gregory the XIII of glorious Memory obtained at the instance of the Jesuits and confirmed by our Holy Father Clement the VIII at this time presiding in the Church of God wherefore for the quieting of the Consciences of such as have been Married with the forementioned Dispensations the said Lord with the approbation of the Fathers of the Society doth by the Authority of the said Brief effectually dispense in all and every one of the said degrees of Spiritual as well as Carnal Kindred and Affinity which are prohibited only by a positive Law and with all Persons who have Married within the same with such dispensations so far as of right can or ought to be done as much as if they were here particularly named commanding them for the further security of their Consciences to be * Married By this Decree all the Children born before such Marriages were born Bastards now how many thousand Bastards would such a Decree make in any Country where such Prohibitions concerning Natural and Spiritual Affinity are not regarded Married again
to the Holy Canons And whereas in this Diocess there are many that have two or three Churches which they have had commended unto them in several parts either because they were built by their Relations or for some other Reason all which being a great Abuse the Synod doth declare That after the division of the Parishes is made none shall have any Jurisdiction therein besides their proper Vicars to whom only it shall belong to order all the Affairs of their Churches and to whom whosoever shall deny to yield Obedience shall be declared Excommunicate and shall be punished at the pleasure of the Prelate as disturbers of the Church and all such Priests as are in present possession of the Churches if qualified and there be no just Impediment the Synod will have it be instituted Vicars of one of their Parishes as the most Reverend Metropolitan shall think fit not that the Synod intends to prohibit the Prelate in case he is not provided of a sufficient number of able Priests or where there is not a sufficient maintenance to recommend two Churches to one Vicar provided they are at such a distance that he can look after both without any wrong to the administration of the Sacraments However this shall never be done but when there is an urgent and necessary Reason for it Decree IV. WHereas there are a great many Churches in this Diocess that have no Priests to the great detriment of the Faithful who by that means are for several Years without Mass or any to administer the Sacraments to them as has appeared to the Reverend Metropolitan in his Visitation of the Churches in some of which he found there had been no Masses said in five or six Years and that there are Children of that or a greater Age that have never been Baptized therefore the Synod both command That there be no Church that is made Parochial how poor and inconsiderable soever the People may be for any long time without a Curate or Vicar to administer the Sacraments to the Faithful of which the Prelate is to take special care and if it should so happen as it does too often that he cannot have a Priest to supply such Cures in that Case the Synod declares that the Prelate may oblige whomsoever he pleaseth by Penalties and Censures to serve such Churches that so the Necessities of the Faithful may be provided for giving them whereon to subsist in the said Churches Decree V. THe Synod being informed that there are many Villages in this Diocess which by reason of their great distance from any Church have little of Christianity left in them besides the Name of the Christians of St. Thomas which has been occasioned through the great negligence of the former Schismatical Prelates of this Bishoprick wherefore the Synod doth in virtue of Holy Obedience command all Priests that are nominated Vicars so soon as they shall come to their Churches to make a strict inquiry into the Christians that live in the Skirts of their Parishes and to report what they shall discover as to this Matter to the most Reverend Metropolitan that so he may take such course therein as shall be most for the Service of Christ and the Benefit of Souls and the same diligence shall be used in all Parts where there are such People found and have never been Baptized and where it is thought necessary there shall be New Churches built and Vicars appointed for the reducing such to true Christianity and the use of the Holy Sacraments of the Church Decree VI. WHereas the Church of Travancor is at this time totally demolished the greater part of its Parishioners having above forty Years ago turned perfect Heathens all which has happened through the negligence of sending Priests among them by reason of their great distance from any other Church there being nevertheless several good Christians there still therefore the Synod doth command that a Vicar be forthwith collated to that place who shall set immediately about rebuilding the Church there shall likewise be some Preachers sent along with him to reduce the said People into the bosom of Holy Mother Church and to the Holy Catholick Faith of Christ according to the Orders given therein by the most Reverend Metropolitan and the Vicar shall continue there baptizing and receiving all according to the necessity of the Church for which an Olla or License has been already obtained from the King of Travancor and shall from henceforth continue in the Church according to the necessity thereof Decree VII THe Synod being informed That upon the borders of the Territories belonging to the Samorim King of Calecut at the distance of four leagues from any Church in this Bishoprick there is a Country called Tadamalla in which there are certain Villages of Christians who were anciently of this Church but at present have nothing of Christianity but the bare Name doth command that Priests and Preachers be sent thither immediately from this Church to reduce them to the Catholick Faith and baptize them in which matter through the diligences that have been used by the most Reverend Metropolitan they will meet with no difficulties on the part of those who have lost their Christianity only for want of Instruction and the Synod doth recommend this People as a Member of their Church to the Spiritual Care of the most Reverend Metropolitan Decree VIII WHereas the use of the Holy Oils was instituted by Christ in the Church who made the Oil of Chrism the matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation and Extream Vnction and did furthermore appoint other Holy Unctions for the Catechumeni delivering the Doctrine of the Consecration of such Oils in his last Supper to his Disciples as we are taught by Holy Tradition from the Apostles and the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers of the Church and there having notwithstanding this been no such thing in use or known in this Church to this day Therefore the Synod doth command that in all Parish Churches there be a Box that shall hold three Vessels of Plate Tin or Glass in which the Holy Oils shall be kept with due Decency and Reverence with their several Names upon each Vessel so that they may not be used one for another commanding the Vicars that are to be nominated not to go from hence without carrying these Boxes along with them to their respective Churches which the most Reverend Metropolitan will furnish them withal and with the Holy Oils which he consecrated on Holy Thursday last for this purpose in the Church of Carturte in this Diocess which Boxes they shall put under Lock and Key in their Repositories either in the chief Chapel of the high Altar or in their Vestries or near to the Font having them always decently covered with Silk or in case the Vicars live at a considerable distance from their Churches or in the Heaths in some decent place in their Houses for fear of Infidel Robbers and that they may be always at hand
for their Son whereupon the Bishop passeth an Olla or Certificate and so the Adoption is perfected the Synod doth command That from henceforward the Prelate do not accept of an Adoption from any that have Children of their own or in case they have none yet it shall be declared in the Olla That if they shall afterwards happen to have any that the said Olla shall be void to all intents and purposes by which means the great Injustices that are now so common in this Diocess will be prevented Decree XXIII THe Synod being desirous to have all the Christians of this Diocess to live together in Villages by reason of the great inconveniencies they are under that live in the Heaths as well by reason of the great communication they must have with Infidels as for wanting opportunities of going to Church and Sacraments whereby they are kept in ignorance of Christianity doth in order thereunto very earnestly recommend it to all Christians that live in Heaths to do all they are able either to come and live in some Village or to build new Villages with Churches that so they may live more civilly and be separated from the communication of Infidels and be the better instructed in the Customs of our Holy Catholick Faith recommending it earnestly to the Vicars to persuade their Sheep thereunto for the Spiritual profit they will receive thereby which the Prelate shall also endeavour with all his power Decree XXIV THe Synod having taken into consideration the manifold Injustices Oppressions and Grievances wherewith Infidel Kings and Governours do often treat the Christians of this Bishoprick and that out of enmity to our Holy Catholick Faith and observing the necessity they are in of Defence and Protection doth with great instance desire That his Majesty the King of Portugal would be graciously pleased to take all the Christians of this Bishoprick under his Favour and * Protection By this we see the King of Cochim was not jealous without reason that the Arch-Bishop had a State design in the great pains and charge he was at in the reduction of his Christian Subjects and tho' nothing was talked of but the Pope and the Roman Obedience that the King of Spain and the augmentation of his strength in the Indies by the accession of so many new Subjects was the main Spring in the Enterprize I will not say tho' it is probable enough that the Arch-Bishop by magnifying this Service at the Court of Spain got first to be Governour of the Indies and afterwards to be Governour of all the Dominions of Portugal and President of the Council of State at Madrid but this we are sure of that that Service to the Crown of Spain was much boasted of here in Europe by others For the Jesuit Ilayus in his Book De Rebus Japonicis speaking of this very thing â—â—ith Cuae res quanto Regie Majestati emolumento sit latura nôrunt qui non ignorant quanti sit momenti gentem in tota India lectissimam à temporibus B. Thomae Christiano cultui deditum támque numerosum potentem ut armatos ad Triginta Millia in promptu habeat cum Lusitanis unire ad Ecclesiae Romanae obedientiam revocare in Fidem ditionemque Regis Catholici accipere But as it is visible that the increasing of the Portugueze strength in the Indies by the accession of so many new Subjects was what both the Arch-Bishop and Spanish Government aimed at chiefly in the troublesome and chargeable reduction of this Church So it is certain that from this very Year 1599 the Portugueze Historians do begin to reckon the declination of their strength in those parts who give the following Account of the three Ages of their Indian Government that it was in its Infancy till the Year 1561 and from that time till the Year 1600 in its Manhood or full strength and ever since has been in its Old declining Age and is now in truth become so decrepid as to be only the Ghost of a great Name Neither is this to be wondred at considering how common a thing it is for God to blast the most promising Securities when obtained by such violent and unlawful Methods Protection he being the only Christian King or Lord in all these Oriental Parts and the Christians of this Diocess shall on their parts be ready at all times to sacrifice their Lives to their Holy Catholick Faith the preservation of Christianity and the defence of Christians which they shall be always prepared to do with their Lives and Fortunes beseeching the most Reverend Metropolitan President of this Synod to present this their Petition to his Majesty and to let him know how ready all the Christians of this Bishoprick are to serve him Decree XXV WHereas in this Synod Matters pertaining to our Holy Catholick Faith the Holy Sacraments of the Church the Reformation of Affairs thereof and the Customs of Christian People have been handled the Synod doth command all Vicars of Churches not to fail to have all its Decrees Transcribed from the Original Malabar and to have a Copy thereof in all their Churches Signed by the Reverend the Arch-Deacon of this Diocess and the Rector of the College of Vaipicotta and upon every Sunday and Holy-day when there is no Sermon nor no Lecture upon the Catechism set forth by the most Reverend Metropolitan that a portion of this Synod be read to the People but on the Seasons when the said Catechism is ordered to be read it shall be read on Sundays and the Synod upon Holy-days that so all that is decreed therein may come to the knowledge of the People and may be remembred and observed by them the Original of the said Synod being Signed by the most Reverend Metropolitan and all the other Members thereof shall be put in the Archives of the Jesuites College of Vaipicotta in this Diocess from whence so many Copies as shall be thought necessary shall be transmitted to the Churches there shall also be another Original Signed by the most Reverend Metropolitan the Arch-Deacon and other Members kept in the Archives of the Church of Angamale called the Arch-Bishop's See that all Copies may at all times be Corrected according to either of those Originals and the Synod doth furthermore recommend it to all Vicars Priests and Curates and to all and every Christian of this Diocess and commands them all in the Lord to conform themselves to the Decrees of this Diocesan Synod and so far as is in their power to observe and cause them to be observed inviolably and to govern themselves by them in all things which the Synod is confident they will do with the help of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who liveth and reigneth for ever Amen After the Decrees were read the Bishoprick was divided into Seventy-five Parishes whose Bounds were greater or lesser as was judged to be most convenient for the administration of the Holy Sacraments and the Spiritual Food
God and of Holy Mother Church the Fasts of the â—our Seasons and the Vigils And before â—ent ye shall call upon your People to Confess and shall hear their Confessions with â—â—eat charity and zeal for their Spiritual profit Upon the Feasts of the Nativity Easter and â—hitsuntide ye shall exhort all the Faithful to reâ—eive the most Holy Sacrament of Christ's Body â—nd at Easter at least ye shall take heed that all â—hat are capable do receive it All quarrels diffeâ—â—nces and enmities that shall arise among your â—â—bjects ye shall endeavour to compose and â—blige them all to live as Friends in Christian Charity and if there be any that give offence by refusing to speak to their Neighbours being so malice with them ye shall admonish them thereof and so long as they continue to behave themselves so ye shall not suffer them to receive the Holy Sacrament of the Altar At certain times but chiefly upon solemn Festivities and Fasts ye shall admonish Married Men according to a Holy Council to abstain from their Wives None of you shall wear coloured Cloaths oâ— any Habit but what is grave and decent for Priests to wear Ye shall instruct your People to forbear Working on Sundays and Holy-days neither shall ye suffer Women to Sing or Danâ—â— in the Church Ye shall not communicate wiâ—â— any that are Excommunicate nor presume 〈◊〉 much as to Celebrate where any such are prâ—sent Ye shall admonish your People not 〈◊〉 Marry with any that are contracted to otheâ— nor with their near Kinswomen nor with aâ—â— they have stole out of their Fathers Houses neither shall ye suffer the solemnities of Marriage and of carrying home a Bride to be 〈◊〉 a time prohibited by the Church Ye shall constrain Shepherds and other Servants to heâ—â— Mass at least every Lord's-day and shall aâ—monish God-fathers and God mothers to teaâ—â— their God-children the Creed and Pater Nosteâ— or to appoint others to instruct them The Chrism or Holy Oil of the Catechumeni and Sick shall be kept in the Church under Lock and Key and in a decent and secure place of which ye shall give none away no not by way of Alms it being a most grievous Sacrilege to do it Every one of you must have a Catechism an Exposition of the Creed and of the Prayers of the Church conformable to the Exposition of the Holy Catholick Doctors by which ye may both edifie your selves and others Ye must also have this Synod that so you may govern both your selves and your People by its Rules Ye shall declare the Catholick Faith â—o all that will learn it The Introitus to the Mass the Prayers Epistles Gospels and Creed 〈◊〉 the Mass shall be read with a loud and â—â—telligible Voice but the Secret Prayers of the â—anon and Consecration shall be spoke slowly â—nd distinctly but with a low Voice When â—â—e recite in the Quire ye must let one Verse 〈◊〉 ended before ye begin another and not â—onfound the Service by chopping it up and â—umbling it together Ye must study to have 〈◊〉 Athanasius's Creed which contains the Caâ—holick Faith by heart and repeat it dayly â—he Exorcisms Prayers the order of Baptism â—â—nction of the Sick the recommendation of â—he Soul and the burial of the Dead ye must â—nderstand and practise according to the Holy â—anons and the use of the Holy Roman Church â—â—e Mother and Mistress of all the other Churches 〈◊〉 the World as also the Exorcisms and the â—â—secration of Salt and Water Ye shall study 〈◊〉 understand Singing and the things that are â—hanted in the Church as also the Rubricks of the Breviary and Missal that ye may be able to find what you look for as also the Account of the Moveable Feasts and of Easter in which that you may not be mistaken ye must be sure to have the Martyrology of the Saints in all your Churches which we will take care to have translated into Syrian All which ye shall observe that so by these and your other good Works ye may by the help of God bring both your selves and your People to that Glory which shall endure for ever and be bestowed on you through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth for ever and ever Amen The Speech and Admonition to the Vicars and Priests being ended the most Reverend Metropolitan commanded them all to Sign the Original Decrees of the Synod translated into Malabar desiring them if they had the least scruple concerning any thing commanded or declared in the Synod those excepted that have been decreed and decided already that they would signifie them openly before they Subscribed that there might be no doubt or controversie about any thing hereafter So after several Doubâ— had been considered and satisfied they did all unanimously Subscribe to the Synod Then the Books of the Synod were delivered to the most Reverend Metropolitan who being in his Pontificals and seated on his Throne with a Mitre on his Head Subscribed the said Decrees which being done a Table was set in the middle of the chief Chappel and the Decrees being laid upon it all that were called to the Synod as well Ecclesiasticks as Secular Procurators Signed and Subscribed them with their own hands before the whole Synod and People The Synod consisted of 813 viz. 133 Priests besides Deacons and Sub-Deacons and others of the Clergy and 660 Procurators of the People and other principal Men of the Laity besides the Inhabitants of the Town of Diamper where the Synod was held and of several other neighbouring Villages there were likewise present a great number of Portugnezes who came along with Don Antonio De Neronha Governour of Cochim who together with all the other Magistrates of the City assisted at the Synod The Decrees being Signed the most Reverend Metropolitan rose up and having taken off his Mitre kneeled down before the High Altar and begun the Te Deum with which to the great joy of all that were present a solemn Procession â—ound the Church was begun the Quire singing that and some other Psalms the Latines in Latin and the Native Priests in Chaldee and the People their Festivity in Malabar proceeding to praise God with abundance of tears and joy in three Tongues in the Unity of the Faith and Good-will among them all for having at last obtained that which they had so long desired of Almighty God Three Persons and One Nature the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost who liveth and reigneâ—â— for ever Amen After the Procession was over the most Reverend Metropolitan going to the High Altar read the Prayer Exaudi quaesumus Domine as it is in the Pontifical which being ended he seated himself upon his Throne with the Mitre on his Head and his Pastoral Staff in his Hand and directing his Discourse to the People said I give many thanks to Almighty God the Author of all good things for this great favour
thee Peter that the †Faith Here the Bishop makes very bold with the Scripture again in quoting the Faith of thy Church as St. Luke's words Faith of thy Church may never fail The Faith of other particular Churches as we have seen may fail but the Faith of the Roman Church has never failed nor never will Wherefore Brethren fasten your selves close to this firm Pillar of the Roman Church against which according to our Saviour's promises the Gates of Hell shall never prevail which Gates are the Heresies that are and have been in the World You ought therefore to render many thanks to God for his having relieved you at this time by sending you the Lord Arch-Bishop for a Spiritual Pastor and Master who having left his Dwelling and quiet is at all this Trouble only for the sake of your Salvation and to rescue you from the errors you have hitherto lived in For I know and am certain that he is one of those Pastors which God spoke of by Jeremiah And I will give you Pastors according to my heart and they shall feed you with Knowledge and Doctrine Hitherto you have been fed with Errors and Ignorances and your Pastors have sought gain and not the Salvation of your Souls This Pastor as you see does not come to take any of your Goods from you but to spend his own for your profit and to put you in the right way to Heaven and Salvation From ‖ Whence I do not believe that the Arch-Bishops of Malabar made half so much of their Bishoprick as Bishop Andre did of his of Cochim or as Father Rez the Jesuit made of Malabar after he was preferr'd to it by the Pope whence you may clearly perceive the great difference there is betwixt him and those other Pastors or to speak more properly those Wolves which you have had hitherto among you as our Lord saith in Sheeps cloathing Hitherto your Errors have had some excuse because you could know no more but what your Masters taught you whereas from henceforward you shall have no manner of excuse neither before God nor Man if you do not become such as all that love you desire you to be The Faith and Doctrine that has been preached to you by the Arch-Bishop is the Faith of all the Christians in the Indies and of all Clerks and Religious in these Parts and which all Portugal Spain and in a word all * Christendom The Reformed the Greek the Muscovite the Georgian the Armenian the Antiochian Alexandrian and Abyssin Church are it seems no part of Christendom with this Declamer Christendom holds This is the Faith that was taught by the Son of God the Faith that St. Thomas preached and was preached also by St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles and if any shall teach the contrary let him be as St. Paul saith Anathema and Excommunicated and expelled the Society of the Faithful as he is from Christ his Faith and Grace The Lord give you a perfect knowledge of himself as it is desired by your Brother in the Lord. Writ at Cochim the 28th of June 1599. Your Brother in the Lord Bishop FREY ANDRE The SYNOD'S Answer The Lord Assist Us. To the most Illustrious and Reverend Lord Dom Andre the most worthy Bishop of Cochim The Diocesan Synod of the Christians of St. Thomas of the Bishoprick of the Serra assembled in the Town of Diamper wisheth eternal Health and Prosperity in our Lord. OVr most Reverend Metropolitan ordered your most Illustrious Lordship's Letter to this Synod to be read in a full Assembly of the Priests and People and having heard and understood it we rejoiced exceedingly in the Lord to perceive that the Holy Doctrine taught us by your Lordship is the same with that our Metropolitan has preached in all our Churches and has declared in this Synod as also the same that is preached by the Fathers all over this Diocess by which means we are the more confirmed in the Catholick Faith and the Obedience we owe to the Holy Roman Church our true Mother and to our Lord the Pope the Successor of St. Peter and Christ's Vicar upon Earth as is manifest from the Acts of the said Synod Signed by Vs as your Lordship may see and if we have hitherto been wanting to our Duty in these Matters it did not proceed from any Obstinacy of Mind or from any Inclination we had to be Hereticks or Schismaticks but purely for want of the Light of true Doctrine and healthful and Catholick Food which was not given us by our Prelates but who did instead thereof poyson us with the false Doctrines of Nestorius and several other Errors from which we are now by the Divine Mercy rescued and by the goodness of God and the Ministry of our Metropolitan enlightened from whence also rose the Rebellion which was made by us when the Truth began to be first preached to us as also all the Troubles and Vexations that we gave to our Metropolitan and the manifest Dangers we exposed him to for all which we are now heartily sorry and do dayly more and more lament it But whereas God has been pleased to enlighten us with his Doctrine the Metropolitan being discouraged by none of those things to go on preaching in our Churches the light of the Truth coming to us by that means we have cordially embraced and have with an unanimous consent and great alacrity made profession thereof in this Synod having also put the Affairs of our Church in the best Order we were able and submitting our selves to the Judgment of our Metropolitan Mar Aleixo who as our Master has instructed us in all things But whereas his Lordship after his Visitation of this Diocess is over is to go to reside in his * Own Diocess The Arch-Bishop cured them of these fears for some time at least at the end of his Visitation when he made a solemn renunciation of the Arch-Bishoprick of God and as solemn an acceptation of that of the Serra and that judicially and in Form desiring the Christians of St. Thomas to whom he delivered both those Instruments to sollicite the Pope and King of Spain to give way to the Translation and promising withal to employ all his own interest in both to perswade them to it but it seems all would not do for the next News we hear of him is That instead of being gratified with the Arch-Bishoprick of the Serra he was condemned to be Governour-General of the Indies for three Years and after that translated to the Primacy of Portugal own Diocess which we take notice of to our great Sorrow by which means we shall want a Special Protection we do therefore beg that until such time as God shall be pleased to send the Pastor among us which we expect from the Holy Apostolical See your Lordship as being the Prelate that lives nearest to us and from whom and your Predecessors this Church has received so many