de personas religiosas particulares el commun y direction de la corona attendio a depredar Reynos y Cidades alli avia mas dilatados conversiones a donde avia mas que hartar la codicia y alla eran hombres obstinados donde no avia que robar concluding y cessa Religion quando no se sique la codicia y que no entran en el cielo todos los que dizen senor abrid nos It is a vain conceit if it please your Majesty speaking to Philip IV. that the World has entertain'd of the Zeal of the Portuguezes upon accoun◠of the Conversions that have been made by them in the Indies for it was Covetousness and not Zeal tha◠engaged them to make al those Conquests The Conversions that have been made there were performed by the Divine Power and the Charity of a few particular Friars the Government and Crown having no other aim therein but the robbing of Kingdoms and Cities and there were still the greatest Conversions where there was most to gratify their Covetousness But where there was nothing to be had there the People were Obdurate and not to be wrought upon And so we see their Zeal expired quickly in all places where it was not animated by Covetousness and how they who had nothing else to say but Lord open unto us were not thought sit to enter into Heaven Manuel de Faria also in the Third Tome of his Asia Portuguesa after having reckoned up the Errors as he calls them of the Christians of St. Thomas makes the following Reflection upon his Countrymen's having been so long in reducing them to the Roman Church Gran lastima es oir que uviesse esto in frente de los Portugueses en la India a los cien annos de su assistancia en ella y lo que es mas a los mesmos oios de prelados en Goa La verdad es que destos eran los Mercadores que Christo hallo en el Templo y echo del açote It is a shameful thing saith he that this Church should continue an Hundred Years in the Neighbourhood of the Portuguezes without being reduced to the Roman Faith and which makes it still the worse under the Eye of the Bishops of Goa but the truth is those Merchants whom Christ whipp'd out of the Temple were such as these Tho' after all the Portuguezes Negligence in this matter was nothing so scandalous as the Violences they afterwards made use of in the reducing of them In the Year 1544. the Cross and other Reliques of St. Thomas which have since made such a Noise in the World were found at Meliapor the Legend whereof in short is That the Portuguezes as they were pulling down an old Chappel in order to rebuild it met with a vast Stone some Foot under-ground which having lifted up with great ease they found all the Earth under it stain'd deep with Blood that appear'd very fresh and thereon a Cross excellently well cut after the fashion of that of the Military Order of Aviz in Portugal and over it a Dove or Peacock for the learned are not agreed which 't was and above that a bloody Dagger There was also an Inscription on the Stone but in Letters that no Body knew what to make of There was a Cross of the same Saint and found much after the same manner by the Portuguezes in Meliapor in the Year 1522. with this Inscription At the time when Thomas founded this Temple the King of Meliapor made him a Grant of the Customs of all the Merchandizes that were brought into that Port which Duty was the Tenth part of the Goods With this Cross were also found the Bones of St. Thomas which were reckoned by all the World before to have been lodged at Edessa There was also found an ancient Record of St. Thomas 's having converted the King of Meliapor who it's like was the Prince that gave him the forementioned Grant by drawing a great piece of Timber ashore which the King and St. Thomas both pretended a right to after all the King's Elephants and all the Wit of Man were not able so much as to wag it A Prophecy of St. Thomas was also found in the same Treasure declaring that whenever the Sea shou'd come up to Meliapor which was then Twelve Leagues from it a Nation shou'd come from the West which shou'd preach the very same Faith that he had preached And to put all this Indian Treasure together for it is pity any of it should be lost the Bones of the Three Kings were found in the same Grave with those of the Apostle which were known to be theirs by an ancient MS. which gave the following account of them The King of Nubia and Arabia was Melchior Baltasar was King of Goli and Saba Gaspar was King of Tursi Insula and Grisola or Malabar where the Body of St. Thomas lieth by whom they were all three consecrated Bishops and were afterwards martyr'd with him I leave the Examination of the truth of this MS. to the City of Cologne whose concern it is Among other things there was a Copper plate found with the following Donation engraved upon it This is the Testimony of Alms by which Paradise is acquired and which all the following Kings who shall distribute the said Alms shall certainly obtain Whereas they that shall refuse to give them shall be Six Thousand Years with Worms in Hell This Imprecation is literally used by the ancient Kings of Spain in most of their charitable Donations but whether the Spanish Kings had it from the Indian or the Indian from the Spaniard is not certainly known In the Year 1645. Dom Joan Dalbuquerque the first Arch-Bishop of Goa being ashamed it 's like of their talking so much in Europe and doing so little in India in the matters of Religion sends one Vincent a Franciscan Friar of which Order the Arch-Bishop himself was to Cranganor to try what he could do towards the reducing of those Christians to the obedience of the Roman Church The Labours of this single Friar are so strangely magnified by the Portuguezes that it looks as if it were done on purpose to excuse their not employing of more Hands in a Work which here in Europe they pretended was their chief Business in the Indies For he is said not only to have preached daily in their Churches which were built after the fashion of the Pagod Temples but also to have built several Churches among them after the Latin way and at last by the order of the Vice-Roy and Archbishop upon his having inform'd them of the small success that his preaching had had among them to have erected a College at Cranganor in the Year 1546. in order to the instructing of their Sons in the Learning and Usages of the Latin Church By the way It is somewhat strange how Friar Vincent who is not said to have had the gift of Tongues no more than the Jesuite Xavier
whole Christianity into that for some time none of them were found so hardy as to venture to go among them The news of this great and unexpected Heat as it did strangely afflict the Arch-Bishop who had set his Heart so much on the reducing of those Christians so it was the thing that made him resolve to go in Person to the Serra to try what his Presence and Authority would do Not only the Viceroy but the whole Clergy and Laity and particularly the whole Chapter of Goa together in a body did all they could as it is said to disswade him from so dangerous an enterprise but tho' he was deaf to all the Remonstrances of his Friends yet upon a War breaking out suddenly in the Year 1598. betwixt the Kings of Mangate and Paru in whose Territories most of these Christian Churches stand he thought fit to put off his Journey for that Year satisfying himself with writing a Letter to the Arch-Deacon to perswade him to reconcile himself and his Church to that of Rome and acquainting him with his Intentions to visit all the Churches in the Serra in Person so soon as the forementioned War was over which he believed would be very speedily The Arch-Deacon when he received this Letter dreading nothing so much as the Arch-Bishop's coming in Person among them declared that he had refused to Subscribe the forementioned Profession of Faith for no other reason but because he was Commanded to do it before the Rector of the Jesuites College of Vaipicotta with whom and his whole Order he pretended to be justly dissatisfied giving the Arch-Bishop to understand at the same time that if he would order any other Priest or Friar to take his Subscription that he was ready to make it But the Arch-Bishop looking upon this only as a Trick to throw an Odium upon the whole Order of Jesuites and that for no other reason but because they were the most industrious in the reduction of those Christians to the Roman Faith would not comply with the Arch-Deacon's Request in naming some body else to take his Subscription for which Conduct the Arch-Bishop was very much blamed most People and especially the other Orders of Friars murmuring against him as one grown so fond of the Jesuites as to lose the reduction of so many thousand Souls rather than displease the Jesuites But the Jesuites who sacrifice all Interests and Obligations to the Honour of their Order have requited the Arch-Bishop but very ill for this his great kindness for them in having reported this Affair so here in Europe as to rob him of that which he esteemed his chief Glory to wit the Reduction of this Church to the Roman Faith For in the History of the Jesuites in the Indies published by Pieire du Jarri a Jesuite and printed at Bourdeaux in the Year 1608. we have all that is said by the Portuguezes of Mar Abraham and his Arch-Deacon's great aversion to the Roman Church and particularly to the whole Order of Jesuites flatly contradicted for in that History we are told that Mar Abraham had such an extraordinary kindness for the Jesuites that for some time before his Death he put himself so entirely into their hands as to be governed by them in all things and that the Arch-Deacon George had such an high Opinion of their worth as to declare to all the World that without their aid and assistance he should not know after the Arch-Bishop's Death how to Govern the Diocess It is furthermore said that Mar Abraham when he was upon his Death-bed called the Rector of the College of Vaipicotta to him and having all his Clergy about him declared that he committed his Flock to the Bishop of Rome as the chief Pastor and Prelate of the whole Church and Commanded the Arch-Deacon and all his Priests to obey the Jesuites whom his Holiness had sent to cultivate that Vineyard in all things and to be sure to follow the Doctrines that they taught which were the whole truth and nothing but the truth after which Charge he is said furthermore to have beseeched and conjured the Rector by the love of Christ and the great friendship there had been always between them to take care of the Government of his Church after his Death and to have ordered an authentick instrument to be made of all this to remain as a Testimony of his last Will and of the Faith he died in The same History furthermore tells us That this Church was so far reconciled to the Pope in the Year 1596. that when the Jubile of Clement VIII was published among them by the Jesuites they gave his Holiness a thousand Blessings for it and took a singular pleasure in pronouncing his Name and that during the whole time of the Jubile they were at Church from Morning to Night without taking any refection and were so zealous to confess themselves to the Fathers that they waited in the Church till Midnight in great Crowds to do it Now according to this report of things the Arch-Bishop when he came into the Serra had little more to do than to open his Arms to embrace a People who being before hand prepared by the Jesuites were ready to throw themselves into them But to leave Romance and return to History having only observed by the way that it is visible from this gross misrepresentation of those Affairs how little regard is to be had to the Jesuites Reports of their Feats in the Indies since to support a Story purely invented for the Honour of their Order they do not boggle to pretend to have an authentick instrument of the truth of it and that drawn up by the Order of a dying Prelate But a thing happened at this time which tho' in it self not considerable did abundantly manifest how little disposed the Clergy of this Church was to submit to the Pope A Boy that went to School to the Jesuites at Vaipicotta having been taught by them to name the Pope in his Prayers before the Patriarch of Babylon being over-heard doing it in the Church by some of the Malabar Priests was after they had beat him severely turned out of the Church they spoke also to his Father to whip him out of praying for the Pope who they said was none of their Prelate nor had any thing to do with them The Arch-Bishop being informed thereof writ immediately to the Arch Deacon commanding him to make Examples of those impudent Hereticks for what they had said and done to the Boy which the Arch-Deacon was so far from doing that he Honoured them the more for it By the way the Jesuites teaching their Scholars to pray for the Patriarch of Babylon tho' after the Pope is one instance among others of their Conscience in those Parts being subservient to their Policy But the World continuing still to blame the Arch-Bishop for not putting the Affairs of the Serra into some other hands than those of the Jesuites against whose order that whole
not go over his Threshold to meet the King received him when he came with great Civility and after the Complements were over acquainted him first with his Intention of visiting all the Christian Churches in the Serra in order to reduce them to the true Christian Faith from which they had very much swerved telling him that since great numbers of those Churches were within his Territories he expected his assistance in so good a work of which being assured by the King the Arch-Bishop went on and told him that there was another thing that he must not deny him and that was to put off his War with the Caimal till Cunahle was taken the King gave many reasons why he could not deferr it but the Arch-Bishop prest him so hard upon the point that before they parted he made him promise to disband his Army The Arch-Bishop having put the Affairs of the Siege in a good posture begun to apply himself to the reduction of the Christians of St. Thomas and the first step he made towards it was to send to the Arch-Deacon to come and speak with him at Cochim But after having expected him some days and finding that he neither came himself nor returned him any answer he concluded as well he might that he was afraid to venture himself in that City whereupon he sent him a Letter of safe Conduct swearing he would not question him about any thing that was past The Arch-Deacon upon this occasion Assembled a great number of Caçanares and other considerable Christians to consult together what was best to be done It was agreed on all hands that the Arch-Deacon shou'd go and wait upon his Lordship who was a Person of that Authority as to be able to undo them all at once by depriving them of their Pepper-Trade if they should disoblige him and besides he was able to oblige their Kings who were all very much at his Devotion to Sacrifice all their Lives and Estates to his displeasure and what made them the willinger to comply with him therein was their being confident that they should be quickly rid of his Company since Winter was at hand which they thought would certainly call him to Goa Upon all which Considerations it was agreed That they should give way to his saying of Mass and his Preaching in their Churches which their Books told them was a common Civility that is every where paid to Bishops tho' out of their own Diocesses but as for any Acts of Jurisdiction such as Visiting Conferring Orders Excommunicating and the like if he should pretend to exercise any such Acts as it was to be feared he would that they shou'd then put him off as well as they cou'd with delays until he returned to Goa which they thought he would in two Months at farthest by which means they might without embroiling themselves with so powerful a Prelate wait till they had a Bishop sent them by the Patriarch of Babylon to whom they had writ for one of all which they made a publick Instrument and for their further Security brought together a Body of 3000 brave Men who were all well Armed the Christians of St. Thomas being by much both the stoutest and best Firemen in the Indies as the Portuguezes knew very well which made them be the more zealous to reduce them to the Roman Church in order to make them Subjects to the King of Portugal The Arch-Bishop sent also at the same time to some of their Paniquais some of which have 4000 some 6000 Men at their Command to come and speak with him at Cochim but they instead of going thither took an Oath solemnly to make themselves Amouços after the Custom of the Malavars against him in case he offer'd any violence to their Arch-Deacon or to any other of their Priests When the Malavars devote themselves to be Amouços for any cause they defend it to the last drop of their Blood without either fear or wit With two of these Paniquais and 3000 Men well Armed the Arch-Deacon came to wait upon the Arch-Bishop at Cochim Don Antonio de Noronha the Governour of the City met them without the Gates and conducted them to the Arch-Bishop's Palace The Arch-Deacon when he came before the Arch-Bishop kneeled down and kiss'd his Hand as did all the other Caçanares that were in his Company the two Paniquais were also presented to his Lordship by the Arch-Deacon who when the Arch-Bishop and the Governour and the Arch-Deacon came to sit down placed themselves at the Elbows of the Arch-Bishop's Chair where they stood all the while with their broad Swords naked over his Head The door of the Room where they were being shut to keep out the Crowd those that stood without imagining that it was done to make their Arch-Deacon a Prisoner said to one another this is the time to die for our Arch-Deacon and for the Church of St. Thomas but being assured that their Arch-Deacon was in no danger they were quieted After the hubbub was over and they had discoursed together for some time it was agreed that the Arch-Bishop should go next day to Vaipicotta which upon the account of its having a College of Jesuites in it should be the first Church he should Visit and that the Arch-Deacon with his Caçanares should repair thither immediately The Arch-Bishop having furnished himself with all Necessaries for his Voyage embarked with all his Retinue upon seven Tones or Gallies and Roque de Mello Pereyro who had been Governour of Malaca attended him with two Gallies more and Joan Pereyra de Miranda who was afterwards Governour of Cranganor with one Being arrived at Vaipicotta he was conductâ—d by the Jesuites and their Scholars and the whole Village to the Church where with his Mitre on his Head and his Crosier in his hand he gave them a long Sermon His Text was He that entereth not in by the door c. on which words he told them at length That none were true Pastors but what entered in by the door of the Roman Church and were sent by the Pope who was Christ's Vicar which none of their former Prelates having been who had been all sent to them by the Schismatical Bishops of Babylon they were all Thieves and Murderers of the Flock When he had done his Sermon he bid them come next day to the Church to be confirmed which some did to whom after he had confirmed them he told the news of Purgatory a place most of them had never heard of before All this while no Arch-Deacon appeared who came not to Vaipicotta till two days after the arrival of the Arch-Bishop He had delayed his coming on purpose that he might not by his presence seem to consent to any of those things which he knew the Arch-Bishop would offer to do at that place Tho' the Arch-Bishop knew well enough what it was that had made the Arch-Deacon loiter so behind yet he dissembled so far as to receive him very kindly treating with him about
only dwell in Christ as in a Temple The Arch-Deacon returned no answer to this but passing to another point said to the Arch-Bishop Your Grace would fain perswade us likewise that none can be saved out of the Obedience of the Roman Church which is what St. John no where saith that ever I could see besides we have in our Archives a Letter of St. Caius Bishop of Rome wherein he confesseth that he had nothing to do with the Church of Babylon no more than the Church of Babylon had to do with his Church We have also another Letter which is called in our Books the Letter of the Lord's-day because it is said upon that day to have fallen down from Heaven wherein the same Truth is affirmed Here the Arch-Bishop run into a long discourse of the Primacy of St. Peter and of the Pope's being his Successor and Christ's Vicar upon Earth after which they came at last to this Agreement That as to matters of Faith a Synod should be called to determine them and that in the mean while the Arch-Bishop might if he pleased give the Blessing and Preach in any of their Churches but should not be received in them as their Prelate but as a Bishop that was a Stranger neither should he pretend to Confirm or do any other Episcopal Act within that Diocess This Agreement was Signed by the Arch-Bishop and the Arch-Deacon and all the Caçanares who were present with a Declaration that the Synod should be Celebrated before Whitsuntide and that the Arch-Deacon should no longer stir up the People against him nor go attended with such Troops of Armed Men as he had done formerly This Agreement being Signed the Arch-Bishop set Sail for Canhur whither the Arch-Deacon went by Land not daring to trust himself by Water where he would have been in the Power of the Portuguezes At Canhur he was received very friendly by the Christians who had been told by the Arch-Deacon that he did not pretend to come among them as their Prelate but only as a Stranger but tho' he kept to his Agreement so far as not to offer to do any thing but give the Blessing and Preach yet in his Sermon which was a very long one he talked so much of the Roman Church and its Supremacy and of the obligation all Churches were under to submit to it that the whole Congregation were much offended with him the Arch-Deacon was likewise discontented with it and being Sick or at least pretending he was returned to Cheguree to be cured and the Arch-Bishop having other work on his hands was willing enough to dismiss him who in pursuance of the Instruction he brought with him from Goa was obliged to hasten to Coulaon a Fortress belonging to the Portuguezes to see in what condition it was and to take some course to have the Fort the King of Travancor was building in its Neighbourhood and would much incommode it demolished On the first of March he set Sail for a Castle that is within two Leagues of Cochim where the Governour and Bishop of the City met him to whom having communicated his Designs he Sailed directly for Porcoa where the King of the Country had been some days expecting him he went to a Church that was there in the Evening where he was kindly received by the Christians the King who professed a great Friendship for the Portuguezes having Commanded them upon pain of his displeasure to comply with the Arch-Bishop in all things After having Preached he went to Lodge at the House of the Caçanar whither the King came at Night to visit him the Arch-Bishop entertained him very friendly and thanked him for the kindness he had shewed to the Christians of St. Thomas and their Churches and for having cleared his Coast of Pyrates the King after some Complements desired to be admitted to the Honour of being a Brother in Arms to the King of Portugal as the King of Cochim had been The Arch-Bishop told him that was an Honour the King of Portugal never did to any King before he had merited it by some signal Service however he promised to do all that lay in his Power to help him to it Next Morning the Arch-Bishap went to Church where he said Mass and afterwards confirmed the whole Congregation notwithstanding his late solemn Promise to the contrary as indeed none but Fools will ever expect that Papists will observe any such Promises longer than the first opportunity they have to break them From Porcoa he sailed directly to Coulaon where under pretence of visiting a Church that stood near the Fort the King of Travancor was building he took a view of the Fort and finding it was near finished and would in a few days have a Garrison put in it he immediately dispatched away a Messenger to the Captain General of the Fleet and Troops that were before Cunahle to come forthwith with his whole Armada to demolish the said Fort which if he came quickly he might do with great ease for that he would find none in it but Workmen Now you must know that the Arch-Bishop when he was last at the Bar of Cunahle notwithstanding that the King of Travancor and the Portuguezes were at that time in Peace had left a private Order with the General that so soon as he was Master of Cunahle he should set Sail immediately with the whole Armada and demolish this Fort which by reason of Cunahle's not being yet taken had not been executed But while the Arch-Bishop was expecting the Captain-General he received the bad news of a great slaughter of Portuguezes in an Attack they had made upon Cunahle and that the Captain-General was retired to Cochim to have his wounded Men cured from whence he intended to come and wait upon him for further Orders The Arch-Bishop was extreamly troubled at this News as well upon the account of the great numbers of Persons of Quality that had been killed in the Action as because he feared it would very much hearten the Kings of Malabar who had till then still looked upon the Portuguezes as Invincible Wherefore to prevent the ill effects that the true News of this Defeat might have upon the Minds of the Princes of Malabar he dispatched Letters immediately to all of them to acquaint them with the great Victory the Portuguezes had obtained before Cunahle and tho' he acknowledged that it was purchased with the Blood of several brave Men among whom were some of his own Kindred who were very dear to him yet he did not doubt but that they would infallibly carry the Place at the next Attack they made These tricks of the Arch-Bishop coming so thick one upon the neck of another for here we have no fewer than three of them in less than a Fortnight puts me in mind of what Manuel de Faria saith of him in the 3d. Tome of his Asia Portuguesa which I shall give the Reader in his own words Este illustre Prelado estuviera yo por
latae sententiae to receive any Orders from him with which he sent another Instrument commanding all Priests and Christian People not to suffer him to come into any of their Churches as also not to be present at any of his Masses or Sermons The Arch-Bishop had Preached two days following and had confirmed a great many before these Instruments had reached Diamper but after they came once to be published they put a full stop to what went on so currently before The oldest Caçanar of the Church requiring the Arch-Bishop upon the receipt of them to leave the place and not to offer to set his Foot in their Church any more nor to Confirm any Body which among them who anointed Children on the Head when they were Baptized was an unnecessary Ceremony Notwithstanding this the Arch-Bishop continued still a Preaching and when the day appointed for the Ordination was come Ordained 37 on it having first obliged them to subscribe the Faith of Pius IV. and to swear obedience to the Pope After this Solemnity was over the Arch-Bishop determined to pass the Holy Week and Easter at Carturte a considerable Town of Christians in the Dominions of the Queen of Pimenta He took several Churches in his way thither at some of which he met with a kind Reception at others the Christians would not so much as see him Being arrived at Carturte after a dangerous Voyage on the Friday before Palm-Sunday he went to Church betimes next Morning where having said Mass and Preached he Commanded the Congregation not to fail to be at Church next day for that he had something of Importance to communicate to them and having the same Night invited several of the most considerable Christians of the place aboard his Galley by some means or other for you must understand he was not sparing of his Money in this occasion no more than he was of his Promises he gained two of the most substantial among them intirely to his Party who did him afterwards very great Service Their Names were Itimato Mapula and Itimane Mapula The Arch-Bishop not knowing but that the Portuguezes Musick might charm the common People and reconcile them to the Latin Service to which they seemed to have a great aversion sent for a full Quire from Cochim and on Palm-Sunday had high Mass performed with the same Ceremony and Majesty that he could have had it done at Goa but the Caçanares and People were so far from being satisfied with the Musick and pompous Ceremony of that Service that if they liked it ill before they liked it a great deal worse after that as in truth none but they that place all Religion in external Performances can do otherwise there being no Passion which that Service will not excite in its Spectators which is all the People are sooner than Devotion The Queen of Pimenta being importun'd to it by several Christians and her own Jealousies sent an Order to the Arch-Bishop to leave her Kingdom in three days upon pain of Death and not to trouble her Subjects with his Novelties under which she had reason to apprehend some ill design against her State was couched But the Arch-Bishop knew his own strength too well to be frighted away with Paper Threats and so sent the Queen back word positively that he would not stir out of her Territories before he had finished the work that had brought him thither telling her withal That he was serving her rather than otherwise in what he was doing and that her Ancestors had granted Privileges to the Arch-Bishop of the Serra but being Infidels had never offered to concern themselves in the matters of their Religion That if she should Murther him she must know that she Muthered the second Man in the Indies and that his would be the dearest Blood that ever she spilt in her Life since the Portuguezes the Greatness of whose Power she and her Kingdom could not be but sensible of having so often felt it would infallibly Revenge his Death to the utmost What made the Arch-Bishop the stouter in this occasion was his knowing that he had secured most of her Regedores namely him of Carturte and the Country about it to his Party whom he had engaged by very rich Presents to favour and protect him in the execution of his designs The Arch-Bishop having thus intimidated the Queen and bribed her Officers began to make bolder steps than he had offered to make before and so seeing a Caçanar at Church one day whom he had excommunicated but a little before for having presumed to excommunicate him he sent to him to get him out of the Church which was no place for an excommunicate Rebel as he was The Caçanar laughed at the Order and told him very briskly That he would not go out of the Church for that he was none of his Prelate neither did he value Roman Excommunications no more than he did the dirt under his feet the Roman Church having nothing to do with the Church of the Serra the Arch-Bishop not being able to bear such a publick Affront and knowing his Party in the Church to be the stronger commanded the Service and Musick to cease and turning towards the place where the Caçanar stood commanded him to come up to him which the Caçanar refusing to do with great scorn he was dragg'd up to him by some Caçanares and others that he had gained to his Party and being kept down upon his Knees before him was commanded to beg his Lordship's Pardon he told them resolutely H◠would die before he would do it or any thing whereby he should acknowledge him his Prelate Th◠Arch-Bishop perceiving that he was not to be terrified into a compliance ordered him to b◠turned out of the Church the Caçanar to◠him He would not be turned out of a Church where he had more to do than he had upon this the whole Church was all in an uproar some striving to keep him in the Church and others to thrust him out but the Arch-Bishop's Party being the stronger after a great disturbance turned out he was The Night following several Caçanares and others abjured the Patriarch of Babylon and were reconciled to the Church of Rome at the Arch-Bishop's Lodgings which were over the Church After which the Arch-Bishop was resolved either to make the Arch-Deacon bend or to break with him totally and so having all his Converts together without whose advise he told them he would never do any thing he declared to them that he could no longer bear with the Arch-Deacon's Rebellion and was therefore determined to depose him and put another in his place naming one Thomas Curia a near Kinsman of the Arch-Deacon's to be his Successor They all owned that His Grace had great reason to be angry with the Arch-Deacon but yet seeing he was but a young Man and had had the ill luck to be in the hands of bad Counsellors they intreated His Grace before he declared his place void to allow
them some time to admonish him in and to try whether they could not perswade him to Conformity for which they desired but twenty days promising that if he did not submit within the time that they would never own him more but would submit to any Arch-Deacon that His Grace should set over them Next day they sent six to treat with him who tho' they took a great deal of pains to perswade him to submit himself to the Arch-Bishop could not prevail with him to do it On Easter-Eve the Arch-Bishop had a second Ordination whereat he Ordained a great many that had been hindred by the Regedores from coming to the first The same day Francisco Roz the Jesuite who was afterwards made Bishop of the Serra by the Pope came to wait upon the Arch-Bishop who after Mass told him That he could not believe he was in Carturte where not many Months ago having a mind to say Mass he was forced to have the Church doors opened to him by the Queen's Regedor and where when he elevated the Sacrament the People all shut their Eyes that they might not see it and beat one of his Scholars for having named the Pope in his Prayer's and when he shewed them an Image of our Lady cried out Away with that filthiness we are Christians and for that reason do not adore Idols or Pagods On Easter-day the Arch-Bishop intended to have a most solemn Procession which the Heathens having notice of were resolved either to hinder or disturb it but finding they were not strong enough to do the former by reason of the Regedore's guarding the Arch-Bishop as he did they hired the most infamous Sorcerer of the whole Country to kill the Arch-Bishop in the Procession which he undertook to do with a Charm that had never failed him but as he begun to do his Tricks in the Procession he was seized on and sent to Prison and a Currier was immediately dispatched away to the Queen to acquaint her with what had been done The Queen straightways sent back an Order that he should be put on the Caloete which is a sharp Stake fastned in the Ground which being stuck thorow the Body of the Malefactor he dies thereon in great torment But the Arch-Bishop would not give way to his being punished so but condemned him to greater punishment in sending him to Cochim to Row in the Gallies as long as he lived which shews how great the Arch-Bishop's Power however he came by it was at Carturte where he made his first great Conversion When the Morning-Service was over the Arch-Bishop was invited by the Caçanares to the Nercha which is a Feast kept in the Church on certain days all the Christians that are present sitting down to it The Bishop if present craves the Blessing and in his absence the eldest Priest of the Church The Bishop has one half of the Provision the Priests a quarter and the People a quarter among them In many Churches there are certain Rents dedicated to the maintenance of those Feasts which seem to be the same with the Apostolical Agapae or Love-Feasts I do not know but St. Paul might allude to this double Portion that the Bishop has at these Feasts when he saith That they who rule well and labour in the Word and Doctrine are worthy of double Honour and the rather because he immediately subjoyns Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the Corn c. Besides it is evident from St. Cyprian 34 Ep. to his Church of Carthage that the Clergy were said to be Honoured according to the proportion they had of the Publick Offerings where speaking of Aurelius and Cellerinus two Confessors he writes Presbyterii honorem designasse nos illis jam sciatis sportulis iisdem cum Presbyteris honorentur divisiones mensurnas aequatis quantitatibus partiuntur The Arch-Bishop being tired with the Service of the day desired to be excused assisting at the Nercha nevertheless he had his double Portion sent home It was a great branch of Figs and several Cakes made of Rice and Honey with several other Dishes dressed a la Mode de Malabar In the Evening the Arch-Bishop went and visited all the Sick in the Town and gave them both Money and Ghostly Counsel the People imagining that this was the common Practice of all the Roman Prelates began to cry them up to the Skies as much more humble and charitable than the Chaldean Bishop On Easter-Tuesday the Arch-Bishop went out to Nagpili a Church about a quarter of a League from Carturte where having Preached he confirmed a great many and reconciled several Caçanares to the Roman Church By the way it is something strange too how the Arch-Bishop tho' he was able to School their Kings and Regedores who all spoke Portugueze should be so powerful a Preacher as the Portugueze make him to have been among the Malavars considering that he neither knew a word of their Language nor they of his Next day the Arch-Bishop set Sail for Molandurte where when he arrived he found the People much changed from what they were when he was there last for they had shut the Church doors against him neither did there so much as one single Person appear to receive him at the place where he was to Land which was a quarter of a League from the Town The Arch-Bishop understanding how things were ashoar did not offer to Land for fear of raising a Tumult but wrote away immediately to the Governour of Cochim to send the King of Cochim's chief Regedor to him before Molandurte The King tho' he did not love to hear of the Christians of St. Thomas submitting themselves to the Arch-Bishop being very sensible if they were once brought under Portugueze Bishops it would not be long before they would be entirely under the Crown of Portugal too by which means he should lose 50000 of the best Soldiers in his Kingdom yet at the same time he appeared very zealous to promote that work having more than once Commanded all his Christian Subjects in all things to do what the Arch-Bishop would have them and accordingly when the Governour sent him word that the Arch-Bishop desired to speak with the chief Regedor at Molandurte he immediately ordered him to go and wait on him When the Regedor was come the Arch-Bishop complained to him of the vexation his Master had given the Christians of Molandurte for no other reason but for the kind reception they had given him when he was there last The Regedor endeavoured to palliate the matter and promised to acquaint his Master with what the Arch-Bishop had told him Who if any thing were amiss he said would be sure to redress it and to give his Grace satisfaction The Arch-Bishop here took him up short and told him That he expected no kindness from his Master since he had denied him so small a favour as to order the Musquets that were lodged in the Quire of the Church to be removed to
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
and Praises bestowed upon them the Heads of the said Sect. Therefore the Synod in Virtue of Holy Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred doth prohibit all Priests and Curates and all other Persons as well Secular as Ecclesiasticks in this Diocess at any time either in common or in particular to commemorate any of the foresaid Hereticks or to keep a day to them or to celebrate their Festivities with any Solemnity or to make any mention of them in the Divine Offices or in the Mass or any where else or to direct any Prayers to them either in common or particular or to make any Vows Promises Offerings or any Nercha's to them or to have their Images either in the Churches or in their Houses and in no wise to give them that Worship and Veneration which is due to Saints and that they raze their Names out of their Books Calendars and Offices and that their Masses be cut out of their Breviaries and Missals and burnt and their Commemorations extinguished that so their Memory may perish among the faithful all of them having been cursed and excommunicate Hereticks and condemned by Holy Mother Church and are * At this time burning This rash Judgment brings to my mind what the Conde de Ereicera in his History printed about fourteen years ago at Lisbon said of King Charles having spent some time in Devotion upon the Scaffold that seeing he died a Heretick that Devotion was of no other benefit to him but as it prolonged his life a few minutes But tho' our Princes for I have reason to believe they heard of it did not think fit to resent this Sauciness as well as Impiety so far as to have the Author questioned for it yet it would seem that God would not suffer it to go long unpunished who a few years after suffered that great Minister to go out of the World after such a manner that they must have a great deal of Charity indeed that can think well of the future state of his Soul for the unhappy Man Murthered himself which is a thing that very seldom happens in Portugal at this time burning in the torments of Hell for their Crimes and Heresies and for their having been the †Followers of such The Church of Rome is not without Hereticks in her Martyrologies and Calendars for not to speak of Eusebius Caesariensis St. George Lucifer Calaritanus Barsanuphius and others the Learned Valesius in his Tract of the Roman Martyrology gives the following Account of Theodotus Bishop of Laodicea Jam vero illa quae in dicto Martyrologio Adonis sc Roswedi leguntur secundo die Novembris Laodiceae Theodoti Episcopi qui arte Medicus fuit descripta sunt ex Ruffini lib 7. cap. ult Sed Compilator iste non animadvertit Theodotum hunc Laodiâ—eae Episcopum cujus eo loco laudationem intexuit Eusebius Arianarum partium praecipuum fautorem fuisse quippe qui ab initio Arianum dogma tutatus est post Nicaenum Concilium conspiratione cum Arianis factâ Eustathium de Antiochenâ sede dejecerit ut scribit Theodoretus lib. 1. hist cap. 24. Hic est Theodotus cui Eusebius libros suos de Praeparatione Evangelicâ nuncupavit cujus meminit Suidas in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem quoque Error irrepsit in Martyrologium Romanum quod Patrum memoriâ jussu Sixti quinti editum Baronii notationibus illustratum est nec satis mirari possum quonam modo id Baronii diligentiam fugerit Furthermore The Church of Rome has several Saints in her present Calendars and Martyrologies that were never in being or were never of humane race and here not to mention St. Almanakius or St. Almanak upon the 1st of January nor St. Zinoris on the 24th of the same Month on the 24th of July in the present Reformed Roman Martyrology it is said Amiterni in vestinis Passio Sanctâ—rum Militum Octoginta trium among whom as Baronius learnedly observes Florentinus and Foelix were two of the most Eminent Now in the ancient Martyrology published by Maria Florentinus it is said upon the same day It Amiterninâ civitate Miliario 83º ab urbe Romanâ via Salutaria natalis Sancti Victorini and in another ancient one called Martinianâ—â— it is writ In Amiterninâ civitate Mil. 83 ab urbe Romana via Salutaria Sancti Victurini and in the Queen of Sweden's Martyrology is writ In Amiterna civitate Mil. 83 ab urbe Roma Sancti Victurini and in the Corbey Martyrology thus In Amiternina civitate Miliario Octogesimo tertio ab urbe Româ— via Salutaria natalis Sancti Victorini Martyris So that here we have Eighty-three Italian Miles Canonized and made Eighty-three Martyrs and Souldiers with their Captain and Lieutenants Names Again On the 16th of Feb. in the present Reformed Roman Martyrology it is said In Aegypto Sancti Juliani Martyris cum aliis quinque Millibus Now if this is the Julianus that was Pamphilius's Companion as doubtless it is they must then have encreased his Company mightily for they were but five that suffered with him in Aegypt who it is probable were Souldiers and so the contracted word Mill. came to be taken for Mille This makes me suspect that there may be some such mistake in St. Vrsula's Army of Eleven thousand Virgins For some of her Saints who were Heathens see the Remarks upon 25 Decree Act. 8. followers of such a cursed Sect the Synod doth furthermore command that instead of them on the Friday next after the Nativity St. Athanasius St. Gregory Nazianzen St. Basil St. John Chrysostom and St. Cyril of Alexandria shall be Commemorated and on the seventh Friday following St. Austin St. Ambrose St. Gregory and St. Ephrem who was mentioned by them among the Hereticks and on Wednesdays All-Saints and Confessors together and in the Commemorations of the Divine Offices and Mass they shall Commemorate all the forenamed Saints in the place of the above-mentioned Hereticks neither shall any one that shall presume to do the contrary be absolved from the Censures he has incurred until he hath undergone a condign Penance or such a one as his Prelate shall think fit to impose upon him and shall thereupon be obliged to curse all the said Hereticks and their damnable Sect and to make Oath of the Faith publickly and to submit to all other punishments that his Rebellion shall deserve and if he is an Ecclesiastick he shall moreover be suspended from his Orders and Benefices and punished according to the Holy Canons Decree X. WHereas the Church of Angamale called the Archbishop's was built by Mar-Abraham and dedicated to Hormisda the Abbot commonly called St. Hormusio who was a Nestorian Heretick and a great Ring-leader of that Sect and for that reason was abhorred by all Catholicks who are called Romans as is reported in his Life writ in the Surian Tongue and which was ordained to be burnt by the most Illustrious
makes many Prayers and Petitions to God yet when he comes to Consecrate he useth only the words of Christ none others belonging to the substance of Consecration so the Priest speaking in the Person of Christ makes this Divine Sacrament because by virtue of those words he turneth the substance of Bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and the whole substance of the Wine into his Blood there remaining nothing of Bread and Wine after that but only the Accidents or Species of them and that after such a manner that the whole of Christ's Body and Soul and Divinity are contained under every Particle of both tho' never so small when separated so that in every crumb of the Host tho' never so small there is Christ intire and in every drop of the Species of Wine that is separated there is Christ entire so that in each of the Species whole Christ God and Man is received as also the true Sacrament for which reason Holy Mother Church does not use to Communicate the Faithful but †Vnder one Species What makes the Sacrilege of denying the Cup to the People in the Sacrament to be something the greater is that most of the Roman Doctors do hold that there is more Grace convey'd to People by communicating under both the Species of Bread and Wine than under that of Bread only Vasquez Cap. 2. Quaest 80. Art 12. Disp 215. Nay Pope Clement the VIth in his Bull to the King of England in the Year 1341 acknowledgeth as much wherein he tells that King that he granted him the privilege of communicating under both kinds that he might receive the more Grace by receiving the Sacrament so under one Species because in that they receive Christ entire To this Divine Sacrament the Worship Veneration and ‖ Adoration The Primitive Christians must have been People of a strange confidence in triumphing as they did over the stupidity of the Heathen Worship for being directed to Objects that were subject to all the Accidents and Casualties that any other Bodies are subject to had they themselves at the same time Worshiped the Host which is subject to more Accidents than the Stone Wood or Brass of the Heathen Images for they that do Worship it cannot deny but that the Host may be Stole Burnt eat by Mice or other Vermine and if kepâ— too long will of it self Mould and Corrupt They must certainly have the privilege of believing what they have a mind to that can believe That if the Primitive Christians had had any such Doctrine as this of Transubstantiation among them considering how many especially in times of Persecution apostatized from the Faith that it was possible for them to have concealed it from Celsus Lucian Porphyry and above all from Julian the Apostate or that those Heathens if they had but had the least inkling thereof would not have made the World to have rung with the noise of it wherefore their having never mentioned any such thing considering the Wit and Spite of the Men is a demonstration that there could be no such Doctrine among Christians in their days neither can Schelstrat's Doctrina Arcani considering the great numbers quality and temper of Renegado's do any service in this case Adoration of Latria is due or the same that is due to God who is contained therein and is really present there The Effect that this Sacrament worketh on the Souls of those that receive it worthily is the Vnion of the Man with Christ and by it through Grace the Man is incorporated into Christ and joyned to his Members Moreover by this Sacrament Grace is increased in all such as receive it worthily so that whatever effects Carnal eating and drinking works upon a Man as to his Corporal Life the same are wrought upon Man by this Divine Sacrament as to a Spiritual Life Decree I. THere being nothing so necessary for the Faithful as the acknowledgement of and thankfulness for so profound a Blessing and so excellent a Mercy as that which our Lord Christ did for us in leaving himself under the Sacramental Species to be the true Food of our Souls and for the consolation support and remedy of the Spiritual Life of Believers we ought therefore wholly to occupy our selves in the Veneration of that Divine Mystery In order whereunto Holy Mother Church besides the continual Thanks and Veneration which she always gives and shews hath ordained a particular Day in the Year for the celebration of the Memory of so great a Blessing which not being * Observed in this This Feast is of later standing by at least 100 Years than the Doctrine of Transubstantiation It was Instituted in the Year 1240 by Pope Vrban as is commonly said upon a Vision a Nun had of the Church's being Imperfect for want of it but the Spaniards will have a Miracle that was wrought in Spain at thâ—â— time which is both too long and too ridiculous to relate to have given occasion to the Pope's instituting it The Indulgences granted to it by Pope Vrban Martin and Eugenius are 500 days Pardon to all that shall be present at its first Vespers 500 to all that shall be present at the Mass of the day 500 to all that shall be at its second Vespers and 500 to every day of its Octaves as also 500 to every hour of them and wheresoever it finds any place interdicted it takes off the Interdict for eight days observed in this Diocess the Synod desiring that in all things this Church may conform her self to the Customs of the Holy Mother the Universal Church of Rome doth command the Festivity of the most Holy Sacrament to be Celebrated in all the Churches of this Diocess on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday according to the Stile of these Parts and the said Day to be kept by all sorts of People and that thereon either before or after Mass they make a Procession through the Town or in some convenient place with all possible Solemnity in the same manner as they do upon Easter-day Decree II. THe Synod doth declare That every faithful Christian so soon as he attains to the Years of perfect Discretion that is to say Men at the Age of fourteen more or less according as their Confessors shall think fit and Women having a Capacity to know what they do at the Age of twelve are obliged to receive the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist once a Year in Lent or at Easter from the hands of their own Vicar or Curate of their Church and that whosoever does not receive it being capable betwixt the beginning of Lent and the second Sunday after Easter shall be declared Excommunicate on the third Sunday and be held as such untill they have confessed themselves and Communicated Nevertheless the Synod gives Licence to such Vicars as know their Parishes to be of that Nature that it is not possible for the People to comply with this Obligation in so short a time
turn to Vinegar with which they celebrate notwithstanding not considering the danger there is of there being no Consecration for remedy whereof the Synod in the strictest manner that it can doth command That in every Church there shall be in the Vicars keeping a sweet pipe or small Runlet of Wood or a Frask in which the Wine for the Masses shall be kept and that the Vicars be extreamly careful that the Wine do not decay or turn to Vinegar which if it should happen so as to have lost the essence of Wine in the Opinion of those that have good Palates they shall not then celebrate therewith it being a great Sacrilege to do it seeing there can be no Consecration Decree IX WHereas for want of Portugal Wine it many times falls out that there are no Masses celebrated in this Diocess to the great prejudice of the Faithful Christians who for that reason are several months without hearing Mass and without an opportunity of receiving the most Holy Sacrament and the Sick of receiving the Holy Viaticum wherefore the Synod for remedy hereof doth entreat his Majesty the King of Portugal out of his great Piety and as he is Protector of the Christians of these parts once a Year to send us as an Alms a Pipe and a half or two Pipes of Muscatel Wine of Portugal to be distributed among the Christian Churches of this Bishoprick and of the whole Indies and till such time as an Answer shall be returned to this Petition the most Illustrious Lord Archbishop of Goa Dom ffray Aleixo de Menezes Metropolitan of this Church Primate of India and President of this Synod is pleased to give the said quantity of Wine to be distributed among the Churches of this Bishoprick the distribution whereof shall be made by the Prelate according to the Informations he shall receive of the Necessities of every Parish and whereas all the successes of this Life are uncertain if this should happen to fail at any time the Prelate shall then at his Visitation take so much out of the stock of every Church as shall suffice to purchase what Wine is necessary and the Wine shall be committed to the Vicar who shall make use of it only in the Masses that are said in the Church and order shall be taken that the Mass of the day which belongs to the whole Parish and is the chief obligation of the Church shall be celebrated without fail Decree X. THis Synod being very doubtful whether the Stones of the Altar on which the Masses are said in the Churches of this Diocess be consecrated with Holy Oil or truly Blessed by reason of the small care and knowledge which the former Prelates coming from Babylon had of such Matters doth command That all such as are not well known to have been lawfully Consecrated shall be brought to the most Reverend Metropolitan that they may be Consecrated by him whom the Synod doth intreat to provide such Churches with Stones as want them Commanding likewise all Cups that are not of Gold Silver Copper or Tin to be broke and * No Cups In the Primitive Church they thought it no such Crime to make use of wooden Chalices in the celebration of the Sacrament So Honorius in the 89 Chap. of his 3. Book De gemma animae saith Apostoli eorum successâ—res in ligneis Calicibus Missas celebrârunt And Boniface Bishop of Mentz being asked in the Council of Triburis whether it were Lawful to celebrate in Wooden Chalices answered Quondam Sacerdotes aurei ligneis Calicibus utebantur nunc è contra lignei Sacerdotes aureis utuntur Calicibus no Cups to be used but what are made of one of these Metals and that Mass be never said in any of these after they are broken and seeing there are many Churches that for want of Cups have no Masses the Lord Metropolitan is desired to give order that all Churches be furnished with Cups Decree XI WHereas there are many poor Churches in this Bishoprick and especially in the Heaths that have no consecrated Vestments for the saying of Mass and for that reason have but few said in them to the great prejudice of the faithful Parishioners therefore the Synod doth command That out of the Alms of the Parish the most Reverend Metropolitan may provide all Churches with Holy Vestments so that none may be without them and for that reason be without having Masses every Sunday and in those Parishes where the Alms shall not be found to be sufficient to do it the said Lord Metropolitan is desired to take such order therein that they may be some way or other provided and have so great a want supplied Decree XII WHereas the Christians of this Diocess have not hitherto heard Mass as upon obligation having never imagined that the not hearing thereof upon some particular days was a mortal sin for which reason some have without any scruple neglected going to hear it and others have not stayed to hear it out therefore the Synod doth declare That it is the Precept of the Universal Church and that upon penalty of a mortal Sin that all Christians Men and Women having no lawful impediment do hear an entire Mass upon every Sunday and Holy-day that is commanded to be kept if they have the opportunity of a Priest to say it to them As also that all Masters of Families are obliged by the said Precept to make their Children and such of their Servants and Slaves as are Christians and all other Persons living in their Families to go every Sunday and Holy-day to hear Mass which every one shall endeavour to hear at his own Parish-Church or at the place where he then happens to be and as for those who with just reason are afraid to leave their Houses alone without any body in them and especially such as live in Heaths and are a great way from any Church they shall so order the matter that all in their Families shall take their turns of going to Mass and staying at home on Sundays and the Vicars of the Churches must be careful to mark all such as are negligent herein and reprove admonish and punish them so as they shall judge necessary and where there is any number of Clergy they shall sing the Mass on Sundays and Holy-days and when there is not a competent number there the Mass shall be said at a convenient hour the whole Parish being present and he shall at the same time Preach publish their Admonitions the Banes of Matrimony and whatsoever else is necessary in the Church Decree XIII THe Synod being informed that most of all the Christians that live out of Towns and Villages in the Heaths being a great way from Church do go to Church but once a Year on the three days before Lent which they call Monorbo and then rather to fill their Bellies with what is given by Christians at that time than to hear Mass and that there are others who content
matters appertaining to their Salvation do but too often make them unmindful of the Holy Sacraments wherefore the Synod doth command and earnestly recommend it to all Confessors that are called upon to Confess any Sick Person to instruct them in the Doctrine and Efficacy of this Sacrament of Vnction admonishing persuading and intreating them when they shall come to stand in need of it to have it administred to them and they shall also admonish the People and particularly those who attend the Sick Person not to fail to call the Vicar when it is necessary that is when they apprehend the Sick Person to be in any danger and before he has lost his Senses to give him the Holy Vnction and such as shall be negligent therein besides the offence they do to God and the Sick Person shall be punished severely at the pleasure of the Prelate Decree III. THe Synod doth command the Priests that go to anoint the Sick tho' it should be to the Hamlets to go in their Surplice and Stole carrying the Vessel the Holy Oil is in in their hands covered with a piece of Silk with great reverence having the Chamus or Parish-Clerk before them with the Cross of the Church in his Arms who or some other Person shall also carry a Pot of Holy Water and if it is in the Night a Lanthorn or some other Light before him that so all People may know what he is going about and if the Sick Person is in a condition he shall persuade him to Confess himself again and be reconciled notwithstanding he should have Confessed himself the day before letting the Sick Person know that it is necessary in order to his receiving the Holy Sacrament of Vnction with the greater purity and when the Priest shall be to carry this Sacrament a long way to those that live in Heaths he shall go in the best Form he can and shall carry the Surplice and Stole along with him that so when he comes to administer the Sacrament he may do it with all due reverence he shall likewise if the Sick Person has not a Crucifix of his own leave one upon his Pillow exhorting him to fix both his Eyes and confidence thereon at his last minute begging by it the pardon of his Sins of our Lord who for our sake died thereon ACTION VII Of the Holy Sacraments of Order and Matrimony The Doctrine of the Sacrament of Order THe sixth Sacrament is that of Order which was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ the day before he suffered for us after that he had made an end of instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist that so he might institute the Sacrifice and the Priests that were to offer it together at which time he created the Apostles Priests giving them withal power to consecrate others that so the Sacrifice and the Priesthood might be continued in the Church till the end of the World The Matter of this Sacrament is that which is delivered to the Person that is ordained for the exercise of that Order he has received to the Priests a Cup with Wine in it and a Patten with Bread to a Deacon the Book of the Gospels and to a Sub-Deacon an empty Cup and Patten and so as to the other inferiour Orders The Form of the Priesthood and other Orders are the words spoke by the Bishop when he delivers to every one that which belongs to his Ministry and the exercise of his Order The Minister of this Sacrament is only a Bishop to whom only Christ committed the power of Consecrating Priests the effect of it is the encrease of Grace to the end that the Person ordained may be a fit Minister This Sacrament was instituted by Christ as highly necessary in his Church for a Sacrifice and Priesthood are so joined that the one cannot be without the other wherefore since under the New Testament the visible Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist was to be instituted it became therefore necessary that there should be a new visible and eternal Priesthood in the same Church whereby the ancient Priesthood of the Old Law was translated and there were Priests provided accordingly for the Offering of the Divine Sacrifice which Priests being lawfully ordained our Lord Jesus Christ has given them power over his true and real Body to Consecrate Offer and Administer it as also over his Mystical Body the Church giving them power to pardon and retain Sins to which power â—t likewise belongs to rule and govern all Christian People and to lead them in the way to Eternal Life Now the Priesthood being so high an Office that it may be exercised with the more decency and veneration it was convenient that there should be different Orders or Ministers who are bound by their Function to serve the Priesthood and to be divided in such 〈◊〉 manner that after having received the Clerical Tonsure they are to ascend through the lower to the higher Orders The * Lower That there was none of the lesser Ecclesiastical Order in the Primitive Church is acknowledged by Caâ—d Bona in his Book of Liturgies Tertia classis Ministrantium saith the Card. Clericos minorum ordinum complectitur Acolythos scil Exorcistas lectores Ostiarios quos antiquissimos esse ab Apostolis vel ab immediatis eorum Successoribus institutos Doctores Scholastici asserunt sed non probant dicendum igitâ— cum St. Thoma quod temporibâ— Apostolorum omnia Ministeria quâ— ordinibus minoribus competunt non 〈◊〉 distinctis personis sed uno duntaxâ— Ministro exercebantur contingit 〈◊〉 mirum Ecclesiae quod hominibus soleâ— qui dum tenâ—e patrimonium hâ—beâ— uno servo contenti sunt qui solâ— omnia administrat si vero rediâ—â— augeantur servorum etiam augetâ— numerus eoque modo crescit familiâ— lower are the Ostiary Reader Exorcist Acolythus The higher those which are called Holy and are the Sub-Deacon Deacon and Priest to which degrees there is joined that of Bishops who succeeded in the place of the Apostles and as St. Paul saith are ordained to govern the Church of God so that they are in a higher degree than the Priests and to them only it belongs by virtue of their Office to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to Consecrate the Holy Oil of Chrism and to Consecrate Altars and Churches and ordain Priests and other Bishops The Church enjoins Continency and Chastity to all that take Holy Holy that so being disingaged from all other business they may employ themselves wholly in the Ministry of the Altar and be intent only on matters appertaining to our Lord and Divine Worship The Church does not admiâ— Slaves to be Priests because it is necessary to the Divine Worship that the Ministers thereoâ— should be free and not subject to others and that they should not have been guilty of Murther or Blood neither must they have been born out of lawful Wedlock nor have any blemish or maim nor have been twice Married nor have
married a Widow nor be Boys that are not come to perfect Age all which is ordered for just Reasons and Considerations and out of respect to the high Mystery wherein they are exercised Decree I. WHereas it has been hitherto the Custom of this Diocess to ordain Boys even Priests and that without examining their Lives and Manners having for Money and not for any extraordinary sufficiency all the Orders Inferiour as well as Holy conferred upon them in one day contrary to the Holy Canons and the Laws of the Church Therefore the Synod doth command That from henceforward none be ordained but what have first been examined as to their Sufficiency Lives and Manners which shall be done by the Prelate or by some appointed by him fearing God and who are observers of the Holy Canons and the Forms of the Holy Council of Trent And whereas in the said Council it is commanded That none be ordained Sub-Deacon under Two and Twenty nor Deacon under Three and Twenty nor Priest till they are Five and Twenty this Synod doth command the same to be inviolably observed declaring that no Prelate can dispense therewith without being particularly impowered and authorized thereunto by the Apostolical See And forasmuch as there are great numbers in this Diocess that have been ordained before they were at that Age the Synod suspends all such whether Priests Deacons or Sub-Deacons from the exercise of their several Functions until such time as they have perfectly attained to it they shall nevertheless hold their Places and reap the benefits thereof in the same manner as if they were in the exercise of their Functions And as to their Sufficiency the Synod doth declare That as the Council of Trent requires that all that are ordained do understand Latin so in this Diocess it is required that all that are ordained if they do not understand Latin should understand Syrian Neither shall any Syrian that does not understand it so well as to be able to read and sing it so as to understand what they say in the Offices be admitted into Orders or at least not into those that are Holy Decree II. ALL that are in Orders in this Diocess having been Simonaically ordained in having pay'd a certain price upon a formal Bargain for their Orders have thereby incurr'd the grievous punishments of the Law Nevertheless in consideration of their Ignorance and the false Doctrine wherein they have been educated by theiâ— former Prelates the Most Reverend Metropolitan both by his ordinary Authority this See being vacant and the Apostolical Authority committed to him over this Church doth Absolve all that have been so ordained from all Penalties and Censures which by the Law they have incurr'd by having been Simonaically ordained commanding them to have no further scruples about that matter and dispensing with them all as to the exercise of their Orders so that they may lawfully officiate as in right they may and ought to do Decree III. THe Synod being informed that there are several Priests who tho' infected with the Leprosie and miserably deformed thereby do presume to Celebrate to the great loathing of the People and to handle the Holy Vessels and Vestments to the endangering of the health of others doth command That none that are notoriously Leprous do presume to Celebrate â—ll such being irregular according to the Law of Corporal defects on the account of the disgust they give to People when they see them Celebrate in such a condition and receive the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar at their â—ands Decree IV. WHereas it is the custom to receive the Casture or Blessing from the hands of the oldest Clergy-man that officiates in the Quire and for all that are present to return it to him which according to the usage of this Diocess contains in it a Symbol of Charity Communion and Brotherly Love the Synod being informed that there are those who not being in Charity with their Neighbours do not speak to them nor take them by the hand and do neither give nor take the Casture from them thereby discovering that they live in malice with their Neighbours denying them the ordinary Ecclesiastical Salutation used in the Church of this Diocess doth command that all that shall refuse to give or receive the same be punished by the Prelate as Persons living in hatred or out of charity with their Neighbours and that until such time as they shall give the said Casture they shall not be suffered to come to the Altar according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ Neither shall they be permitted to officiate or Minister in the Church neither shall the Blessing be given them until they have effectually reconciled themselves to their Brother Decree V. WHereas it is the Precept of the Universal Church that all that are in Holy Orders do recite the whole Divine Office and the usage of this Diocess is to recite it only when they go to Church and there tho' it happen to be near ended before they come having heard a little to go away immediately reckoning they have complied with their Obligation tho' they do not say over what they were not present at there being very few that recite the Divine Office in their Houses some imagining that they are not bound to do it any where but in the Church and others excusing themselves for want of Books there being but very few and those that are are in Manuscript in this Bishoprick therefore the Synod doth declare That all that are in Holy Orders are obliged upon pain of Mortal Sin to recite the whole Divine Office as it is recited in the Church and that all such as shall come late shall be obliged to recite what they have missed and if they do not recite it in the Church they shall do it at home in their Houses having the conveniency of a Book which being what a great many do want the Synod obligeth all such to recite the said Divine Office by Beads that so there may be none but what perform this duty either by Book or Beads And tho' the Divine Office consists of seven distinct Canonical hours yet in this Church in conformity to the Breviary thereof they shall only recite one part at two times in the Morning and the other part in the Evening without making any other difference in the Divine Office besides that of repeating one part thereof in the Morning and the other in the Evening and whereas they who have no Books are to recite with Beads such beginning in the Morning as the Divine Office is begun in the Church shall say Thirty-three Pater Nosters and as many Ave Maries with the Gloria Patri c. in the Morning and when they are ended they shall moreover say twelve Pater Nosters and twelve Ave Maries for the Souls of the Faithful departed and one Pater Noster and one Ave Mary for the Pope and the same for the Bishop instead of the Prayers that are said
to them ordering such as shall be found at any time overtaken with drink to be sharply reproved by the Prelate and if it appear that they are frequently so drunk as to lose their Judgment they shall be suspended from the Exercise of their Orders for ever tho' not from reading Prayers with others in the Church nor from the profits they may receive from thence The Synod doth likewise command That no Priest shall dare to eat or drink in a Tavern or Publick Eating house it being very unbecoming the gravity of the Sacerdotal Office so to do and is therefore forbid the Priests by Law it doth likewise prohibit all Priests to eat with Infidels whether Heathens Mahometans or Jews upon pain of being suspended for four Months from their Office and Benefice Decree XII IT being convenient that Clergymen should always go in a habit different from that of the Laity and in such a one as becomes their Function wherefore the Synod doth command that no Clergymen presume to go abroad in Doublets with their Skirts flanting out as has been too customary or with any open Linen but when they shall go into Town or to the Church or when they travel upon the Road they shall wear a white and black or blew Vestment according to Custom and a Hat or Bonnet on their Heads neither shall they at any time go disguised no not at Nights nor when they go a hunting or Fishing and all that shall transgress herein shall be severely punished neither shall they wash themselves or if they do it shall not be in the Company of Women according to the custom of the Country it being a thing very unbecoming the gravity of the Ministers of the Church and as for their Beards they shall be left to their liberty to do what they shall think fit only such as are Young shall not suffer their Beards to grow but shall still keep them shaved and they that wear them very long shall take care to * Cut This is one of the many superstitious Cautels that the belief of Transubstantiation has introduced into the Roman Church cut off the Hair that grows near their Lips that so they may not be a hinderance to their receiving the Blood of the Cup in the Mass by being so long as to touch it Decree XIII WHereas the Apostle S. Paul saith That the Persons that are particularly dedicated to the service of God and the Divine Worship ought not to entangle themselves in secular Affairs for which reason all Clerks are by the Sacred Canons prohibited to Merchandize a thing very little observed in this Diocess therefore the Synod doth prohibit all the Clerks thereof to go upon the publick Exchange or to Farm any of the Revenues or to be Factors or Agents or to farm any Contracts singly or in Company or to sell any sorts of Merchant Goods publickly in their houses or any sort of Victuals or to bear any * Secular There are several Custom-houses where you shall seldom fail to find Jesuits dispatching Sugar Tobacco and other Goods The Archbishop who within 5 years was made the Supream Governor of the Indies could not but execute this Decree with a very good Grace secular Office all that shall transgress herein shall be most rigorously punished by the Prelate and if they do not reform shall be suspended from their Orders and such as are Taregas if they shall not renounce that Office within a month shall not be suffered to enter the Church and shall be suspended from their Office and Benefice until such time as they have effectually abandoned it Decree XIV WHereas several Priests in this Diocess not having the fear of God or of the Church or of their Prelates before their eyes and without having a due regard to the high Station and Dignity they are in do occupy themselves in Secular Business and in publick Merchandize and that they may do it the more securely do neither wear the Sacerdotal Habit nor the Tonsure nor any manner of Crown but do wear their Hair long like the Laity Therefore the Synod doth command in vertue of obedience and upon pain of Excommunication That all Clerks in Holy Orders do wear the Habit Tonsure and shaved Crown and not long Hair after the fashion of the Laity and that whosoever shall transgress herein shall be declared Excommunicate until they have put on the said Habit and Tonsure and shall have their Crown shaved as other Ecclesiasticks Decree XV. WHereas there are several Ecclesiasticks as well Cassanars as Chamazes who being unmindful of their obligations to free themselves from some vexations of Infidel Kings or which is yet more scandalous to be favoured and protected by such Princes against their Prelates that they may not punish them for their faults do receive Pay from the said Kings as the Natives do whereby they are obliged to take the Field as Souldiers and Fight when commanded which is expresly contrary to the Holy Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws Therefore the Synod doth command in virtue of obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred That no Cassanar nor Chamaz do from henceforward presume to receive pay from any King as a Souldier and that whosoever shall transgress herein shall be immediately declared Excommunicate and shall not be Absolved before they have renounced the said pay and all the obligations thereof and have undergone condign punishment for their fault Decree XVI IT having been the Universal custom from the beginning of the Church for all that are in Holy Orders and especially Priests to keep Chastity and Continency as is evident from all the ancient Councils Eastern and Western and tho' in the beginning of the Church as well for the want of Priests as for the making use of several Learned Men who were Married when they turned Christians but not having been twice Married several who were Married were not only consecrated Priests but Bishops also which custom still remains both in the Greek Church and in some that are subject to the Apostolical See by which it is tolerated for just Reasons Nevertheless the Church Catholick did â—ever consent that Priests should Marry after they are in Orders but was much rather for having such as were Married to leave their Wives that that they might serve the better in the Holy Ministry And whereas in this Diocess which the Synod has taken notice of with great sorrow through their vile ignorance of the Law and the abounding iniquity of the Times and their having been governed by Schismatical Prelates Priests have Married after they were in Orders nay have taken Orders on purpose that they might Marry the better and have frequently Married Widows and some have Married three or four times making no account of the impediment of Bigamy so strictly observed in the Church from the beginning but did notwithstanding that go on still exercising their Function some few excepted who after they had been twice Married gave
hujus sceleris à judicibus Ecclesiasticis praemissâ I do not deny but the Canons and Bulls of that Church are severe against all sorts of Simony namely the Bull of Julius the II. published in the Year 1553 against Simony in obtaining the Papacy I shall here set down the substance of that Bull and then leave it to any to judge whether according to that Bull we have had so much as one true Pope since it was made or are likely ever to have one so long as the Papacy continues so great a preferment Si Papa elâ—gatur per Simoniam nempe aliquo Cardinale quomodo libet suffragium ferente datâ vel acceptâ vel promissi pecuniâ vel honis cujuslibet generis Castris Officiis Beneficiis Promissionibus vel Obligationibus vel per se vel per alium pro Pontifice non habeatur item etiamsi duarum partium suffragiis vel unanimi Cardinalium concordiâ etiam per viam assumptionis concorditer nemine discrepante etiam sine scrutinio facto sit electio nullus existat nihil juris electus acquirat sive in Spiritualibus sive in Temporalibus contra electum per Simoniam oppâ—ri criminis exceptio possit sicut contra electum potest opponi vera indubitata haeresis electus Simoniacè à nullus pro Papâ habeatur Simony is one of the greatest offences in the Church and a pernicious plague therein which God has always punished with great rigour it being the selling of Spiritual things for Money and this Bishoprick which the Synod takes notice of with great regret having hitherto abounded with it Money having been publickly taken for the administration of the Holy Sacraments and after such a manner that none of them were given before the Money was either put into the Priest's hands or into the Church Box to be divided among them no not so much as the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist at which all pious Ears do tremble nor any other Sacraments or Dispensations for Marriages nor Absolutions from Excommunication nor the Consecrations of Stones nor any of the lesser Orders nor Licences nor Reverenda's to go to receive those Orders in another place nor Letters Dimissory for Clerks to go to other Diocesses all which was done at a Rated Price or by a Publick Agreement All which the Sydod detesting as a most execrable and horrid abomination doth therefore in virtue of Holy Obedience and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipso facto incurred command That no Money nor nothing else be taken for any of the foresaid things and that no Priests shall dare to take any thing for the administration of any of the Sacraments nor to give them upon any such consideration to any Person whatsoever but shall give the Holy Sacrament gratis to the Faithful according to the Precept of our Lord Christ who said Freely you have received freely you shall give neither shall they so much as receive Alms that the Faithful would give voluntarily though not given with any respect to the Sacrament if offered at the same time when the Sacrament is administred And the Priest that shall be found to transgress herein besides being Excommunicated shall be suspended from his Office and Benefice for three Years and the Vicars must take care to advertise the People thereof The Synod being moreover informed That a great many poor People who live in the Heaths do not bring their Children to be Baptized because they have not so much Money as is demanded doth order the Priest to be satisfied with the profits arising from the Dead the Alms they receive for their Masses in which the Synod declares there is nothing of Simony but only a congruous maintenance for the Priest that Celebrates given by the Person that he recommends and with the other Alms which the Faithful are accustomed to give which being Just and Holy shall be divided after the same manner as they have been formerly And the Synod doth declare further That such as are absolved from Excommunication if it was for any great Crime that they were under that Censure though there can be nothing taken for their Absolution yet for the Fault that they have committed they may by way of Punishment be Condemned in a Pecuniary Mulct if Authorized by the Prelate which Money must be put to some Pious use or employed in the building of a Church and the Offender being Poor he may be employed in Person to do some work about a Church for so long as shall be thought fit and in that Case no Money shall be required of him Decree XXI THe Synod desiring by all means possible to destroy and root out of this Diocess the pernicious Vice of Simony which it understands to have been encreased in part by the want the Ministers of the Church are in of a necessary maintenance doth therefore most earnestly entreat the People of this Bishoprick to apply a certain Yearly Summ to be raised by the way of Alms Collection or Assessment or by the way of Tithes according to Peoples Abilities for the support of the Vicar and Curate of their Souls and the other Ministers that are necessary to the Divine Service in the Church which the most Reverend Metropolitan may treat about in every Parish for they must know that Christians are bound both by Divine and Humane Laws to maintain the Priests which pray to God for them and give Spiritual Food to their Souls of which they are to render an account to God and their Prelates Decree XXII THat this Synod may by all ways possible supply the Necessities of the Ministers of the Church and by that means extirpate Simony besides what it desires the People to contribute towards their maintenance understanding their Poverty to be such that they are not able to supply them with so much as is necessary it doth further beseech his Catholick Majesty the King of Portugal that as Protector of the Christians of these parts and the only Christian King and Lord in the Indies he would be graciously pleased to provide the Vicars of this Church with a sufficient Maintenance as he does in all the other Churches of the Indies allowing them at least fifteen thousand Cruzado's to be divided among them all besides what shall be gathered for them in their respective Parishes which as the Synod is informed is the Summ that was formerly desired of his Majesty in the third Provincial Council of Goa in order to the reducing of this Church to the Obedience of the Church of Rome and the extirpating of Simony The Synod doth moreover intreat the most Illustrious Metropolitan to present this their Petition to his Majesty in the Name of this Church representing therewith the great Necessities of the Ministers thereof and that until such time as they shall have his Majesty's Answer the said Lord Archbishop Metropolitan of this Church and President of the Synod Dom fray Aleixo de Menezes understanding how effectual a course
this will be for the rooting the Pestilential Sin of Simony out of this Diocess and for the tying of Vicars to their Churches there to govern the Faithful and administer the Holy Sacraments to them would be pleased to give the said Summ of fifteen thousand Cruzado's Yearly out of his own Revenues and to pay it Quarterly at Goa to be divided among the said Vicars the distribution whereof the Synod orders to be made in all Churches according to the Allotments in the Instrument passed and signed and sealed by the said Lord Arch-bishop under the Great Seal of his Chancery every Church being to receive so much as was now read in the presence of the whole Synod Decree XXIII WHereas this Diocess is not only provided with a sufficient number of Clergy but has a great many more than are necessary and the Holy Council of Trent having prohibited that any more should be ordained than what are necessary for the Churches the Synod doth therefore command that during the vacancy of this See none shall be put into * If this was one of the Grievances of this Church the Arch-Bishop did not do well in Ordaining above a Hundred Priests among them in less than three Months time Holy Orders neither shall any Reverenda's or Licences be granted for that purpose such only as are in Holy Orders may go ascending therein as the Governour who is to be left in this Diocess by the most Illustrious Metropolitan shall judge convenient The Synod doth also put such as do aspire to Priests Holy Orders in mind of not failing to learn the Doctrine of the Sacraments and the Form of Sacramental Absolution so as to be ready to use them on all occasions and in all Cases of Necessity as also the absolution from Censures or at least the Conditional one which always goes before the Sacramental Absolution from Sins in Confession The Doctrine of the Sacrament of Matrimony THe seventh Sacrament is that of Matrimomony which according to the Apostle is the signification of that Union which is betwixt Christ and his Church The efficient Cause of Matrimony regularly is the Consent of both parties declared by Words or Signs de praesenti This Sacrament our Lord Jesus Christ Founded on the Matrimonial Contract which has always been in the World and in all Religions from whence it is that Matrimony is to be considered in two respects either as a Natural Contract or as a Sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ The Bond of Matrimony God hath made to be perpetual insomuch that it cannot be dissolved by any thing but Death according to what Christ said Whom God hath joined let no Man put asunder which is also in it self very convenient As it is a Sacrament there is Grace received therein as in other Sacraments our Lord Christ who was the Author and Institutor of the Divine Sacraments having by his Passion merited Grace for us whereby the Natural Love which is betwixt the Married couple is perfected and the conjunction that is betwixt them is confirmed and made Perpetual and the Husband and Wife are Sanctified There are two Reasons or Ends for which Matrimony was ordained and instituted the first and principal is the Procreation or Generation of Children for the conservation of the World and the multiplication of the Faithful and Servants of God The second is for a remedy for Uncleanness and that such as are inclined to that Vice might have a remedy given them by God so that living with their Wives they might not fall into that Sin from whence it is that People may not only Marry once but as often as one of the Parties dies because this end of Matrimony may not only be compassed in the first but equally in the subsequent Marriages wherefore the Church detests those as Hereticks who condemn second Marriages holding them to be unlawful as some Hereticks did anciently and as some of the most Superstitious Heathens do at this day in these Parts from whence it may also be collected that this Sacrament may not only be lawfully celebrated betwixt Persons capable of having Children but also betwixt those who according to the ordinary course of Nature cannot have any because the second end may be answered in such Marriages but where neither the one nor the other end can be answered as in Children for whom the Church has set a certain time and in such as are under a Natural Impotency that will last as long as they live as to Matrimonial Acts Matrimony is not to be celebrated And tho' both under the Law of Nature and of Moses there were Dispensations whereby Matrimony was made to deviate from its first Original some of the Patriarchs having had several Wives at once by a Divine Dispensation and the Law of Moses having permitted Divorces or the repudiating of Wives yet under the Evangelical Law by which Matrimony was perfected and restored again to its first Estate and Purity it is prohibited for a Man to have more than one Wife at a time and to turn away his Wife and take another so long as she lives The Benefits of Marriage are three principally the first is the Generation and Education of Children for the Worship and Service of the true God the second is the Fidelity which the Married couple ought to keep to one another and the third is the Perpetuity of Matrimony which in that it cannot be dissolved signifies that inseparable Conjunction and Union that is betwixt Christ and his Church And notwithstanding for the cause of Fornication or Adultery it is lawful for the Married couple to part as to Cohabitation yet it is not lawful to Marry with any other because the Bond of Matrimony being once lawfully tied is Perpetual and cannot be dissolved by any thing but the death of one of the Parties Decree I. HOly Mother Church has always so ordered the celebration of Matrimony as to make it to be understood to be a Holy thing and that as Holy it ought to be Holily treated wherefore for the removing of several inconveniencies and those especially that attend Clandestine Marriages she has ordained and commanded that Matrimony be celebrated in the face of the Church by the Vicar or Parish-Priest or some other Priest Licensed by him or the Prelate and in the presence of two or three Witnesses at least and that all Marriages that are not celebrated with this Solemnity by the Parish-Priest before two Witnesses are void and null And that the Priest who without leave from the Parish-Priest and the Parish-Priest who without two Witnesses shall presume to Marry any couple shall be severely punished Now the Synod understanding that this Rule is not observed in this Diocess but that the Persons who are to be married do imploy any Priest and are married where they please from which great Inconveniencies and Disorders do many times follow different Rites and Ceremonies being also used in divers places in the celebration thereof doth
for the Churches that are in the Heaths the Vicars shall give orders that the Children or at least such of them as are nighest to the Church shall upon a certain day of the Week come to learn the Doctrine employing others persons to instruct the rest therein and the Schoolmasters that teach Syrian or that teach to read and write shall every day before they begin School repeat the said Doctrine to their Scholars in Malabar neither shall any inferior Orders no not the first Tonsure be given to Children before they can say the whole Doctrine in Malabar in which they must be examined according to the Holy Council of Trent and in all Church s there shall be a Book of the * Doctrine The Christians of Malabar would certainly lose the second Commandment by receiving this Roman Doctrine in which that Commandment never appears no not as part of the first nay in the Tridentine Catechism tho' writ in Latin and for the use of Parish-Priests there is only the three first words of it mentioned and I do not believe there is one Priest of a thousand in Spain or Portugal who if they should have the whole Second Commandment repeated to them would not say what I have heard more than one and those very grave Priests too say of it That it might be John Calvin's but they were sure it was none of God's Commandments Doctrine in the Malabar Tongue for the instruction of Children which the Synod doth entreat the Father Rector of the College of Jesuits of Vaipicotta to order to be translated by some of that College commanding all the Churches of this Diocess as also exhorting all the Christians thereof at Night to cause the said Doctrine to be taught in their Houses to their whole Families that so their Servants and Slaves may be instructed therein and the Confessors in their Confessions must not fail to examine their Penitents in the Doctrine and to exhort them to learn it Decree XIX THat the Faithful Christians in this Diocess may in their Common Prayer be conformable to the whole Catholick Church they must not from henceforward say the Ave Mary as they have been taught by the Perfidious Nestorians but must say it thus Ave Mary full of Grace the Lord be with thee blessed art thou among Women blessed is Jesus the fruit of thy Womb Holy Mother of God pray for us Sinners now and at the hour of our Death Amen Jesus And in this form it shall be inserted into all the Prayer Books of this Diocess Decree XX. VVHereas the Christians of this Diocess do not shew the least Reverence to the most Holy Name of Jesus when it is mentioned which ariseth from the false Doctrine of the Nestorian Hereticks who do impiously assert That it is not worthy of Reverence being the Name of a Humane Person teaching falsly that there are two Persons in Christ therefore since that Divine Name contains in it so many Divine Mysteries being the Name of our Redemption and the Name above all Names At which St. Paul saith every knee in Heaven and in Earth and below the Earth ought to bow the Synod doth command that as often either in the Gospel or Prayers of the Mass or Offices or any where else that that Name is mentioned all People do reverently bow their Body whether they be sitting or standing and the Clergy and other Christians having their Caps on shall take them off and the Vicars and Preachers must not neglect to put their People frequently in mind thereof and whereas the Name Lyo is the same with the most sweet Name of Jesus in the Malabar Language and is commonly given to Children in Baptism the Synod doth strictly prohibit the giving of that Name to any body for the future commanding all that are called by it to take another Name in Confirmation or at any other time it being a great irreverence for any one to be called by so high and Divine a Name Decree XXI WHereas it is necessary that the Feast of Christ's Nativity should be celebrated with great solemnity and uniformity through the whole Catholick Church the Synod doth command that on the Eve of that Festivity all the Clergy and People do assemble together in the Church there to say the Matins with the greatest Solemnity possible and that after they have done these Prayers which shall end about Midnight they shall make the customary Procession which being over a Solemn Mass shall be said with all possible Festivity after which the Priest may say a Mass at break of day and a third at the usual time of Mass for the Priest must know that for the greater Solemnity of this Festival they are permitted to say three Masses upon it that is one at Midnight one at break of day and a third at the ordinary time or being private Masses all three together after break of day but being publick shall be all said in the fore-mentioned Order neither shall they after the first two take the Lavatory but after having received the Blood shall go on with the Mass without taking the Lavatory that so they may be Fasting to celebrate the third and they shall be very careful to have the Cups well scoured and their Fingers washed clean with Water which shall be preserved in a particular Vessel in order to its being afterwards either thrown into a Pond or poured under the Altar or into the Baptismal Water that is in the Font and if any Priest through carelessness should in either of the two first Masses take the Lavatory after that it shall not be lawful for him to say any more because the Mass is not to be celebrated but Fasting which the taking of the Lavatory breaks Decree XXII THe Synod doth command That the Priests in the solemn administration of the Sacraments of Baptism Matrimony and Extream Vnction or when they administer the Holy Eucharist without the Mass for the greater decency and reverence for what they are about do wear a Surplice with a Stole about their Necks And whereas hitherto there has been no such thing as a Surplice in this Bishoprick the most Reverend Metropolitan having been pleased to provide such Vestments as are necessary in this Bishoprick no Vicar shall go from hence without taking a Surplice along with him which he is to wear in the administration of the Holy Sacraments wherein the Synod commands them likewise to use the Rites and Ceremonies prescribed in the Roman Ceremonial which the said Lord Metropolitan has commanded to be translated into Syrian and to be kept in all Churches which contains the Forms of Baptizing of Anointing the Sick of Marrying of Sacramental Absolution with the customary Prayers therein of administring the Holy Sacrament of the Altar of the Exorcisms of the Church for People possessed with the Devil the Blessings of Holy Water of Ashes of Chains and Branches as also the Form of Burying the Dead Old and Young and of reconciling Churches and
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
he has vouchsafed to me and you and all the faithful People of this Bishoprick in permitting us to celebrate this Synod maugre all the impediments which Satan the enemy of Souls had created to obstruct it by stirring up Contentions and Debates on purpose to separate this Christianity from the Vnion of the Catholick Church and to keep them in their old Errors as you all very well know I do also give many thanks to God for his having been pleased to order Matters so that this whole Affair should end with so much Joy Peace and Concord as you all see it does and so much to the sorrow of Infidel and Idolatrous Kings and of all the other Enemies of our Holy Catholick Faith I do also thank you my most dear Brethren and fellow Priests and Coadjutors and you my beloved Sons the Procurators of the People and all the other principal Persons who have been present at this Synod that not regarding the troubles of the Ways and Times nor the displeasure of the Kings to whom you are subject you have as true Christians desirous of Salvation over-looked all those Inconveniencies and obeyed our Precept in assembling your selves together to treat about the good of your Souls for which God will reward you with Eternal Life if you persevere in the purity of the Faith you have here profest and which you have been taught by this Synod and shall conform your Lives and Manners to its Decrees I trust in the Lord that he will carry you back safe to your Houses and bless you and your Families and Posterity for ever which God of his infinite Grace and Mercy grant Amen This Discourse being ended the most Reverend Metropolitan rose up and with abundance of tears gave his solemn Blessing to the People and after that the Arch-Deacon with a loud voice said Let us depart in peace to which the whole Synod answered in the name of Christ Amen And thus the Diocesan Synod ended the 26th of June in the Year 1599 to the Honour and Praise of our Lord Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth for ever Amen The Synod being ended in conformity to what had been ordained therein there was given to every one of the Vicars that was nominated to any Church by the most Reverend Metropolitan a Stone Altar Consecrated by his Lordship for that purpose their former Altars not having been duly Consecrated as also a Box with the Vessels of Holy Oils together with Directions how to use them There was moreover a Book of the Administration of the Sacraments according to the Roman use translated into Chaldee and Syrian given to every Vicar and another which contained the whole Christian Doctrine in the Malabar Tongue for the instruction of Children and others as also a Surplice to be used in the administration of Sacraments which was what had never been in use among them the Churches were also furnished with Corporals Vestments Frontals Cups and what-ever else was necessary to the Ministry of the Altar all which were wanting in most Churches and all the Controversies whether betwixt Corporations or particular Persons that were brought before the Synod were decided by the most Reverend Metropolitan and his Assessors after which they all departed in peace The most Reverend Metropolitan as soon as the Synod was ended begun his Visitation of all the Churches in the Diocess in order to put the Decrees of the Synod in execution reciting the principal and most necessary of them in every Church and delivering the Books Breviaries and Missals as well of th◠Churches as of particular Persons every where and burning the Books condemned by the Synod and correcting others puting the Vicars in possession of their Churches who were every where received as such by the People who settled Revenues upon them of which together with what was given them by the most Reverend Metropolitan they made Ollas or Instruments in the Churches creating four Church-wardens and opening the Church Boxes and in a word ordering whatever was necessary to be done The Clergy who had not been present at the Synod made a profession of the Faith the Confessors were examined and had Licences given them in writing according to their abilities and the necessity of the Church prohibiting all others to hear Confessions Where there was a Font they also Baptized all the Children that they found unchristened and had those brought in that were in the Heaths where there were many that were Eight and Ten Years old unchristened They Confirmed the whole People and Absolved all that were Excommunicate many of which according to their custom had continued so for twenty or thirty Years and especially for Murther for which they never grant Absolution no not at the hour of death the Metropolitan preached every day to Christians in the Church and to Infidels who flocked to see him in the Church Porch treating with them about Baptism when he came to say Ingredimini in Sanctam Dei Ecclesiam several of which he persuaded to turn Christians who after having learned their Catechism were Baptized by him at other places He Catechized the Children in the Malabar Tongue and finding there was none of them that understood their Catechism he ordered them to be taught it every day out of Books that were kept in the Church Finally where he met with any that were disposed to Marry he Married them and gave Orders about every thing else relating to the Synod which he did in the Form following After the most Reverend Metropolitan had been received by the whole People with great Joy and Festivity according to their fashion and carried in Procession to the Church the way as he went being covered with Cloth or Mats or Boughs of Trees after the common Ceremony of Blessing and Absolution the whole People both Men and Women came with a most profound Humility and Reverence to kiss his Hands and to yield Obedience to him he went to Church betimes in the Morning with the whole Clergy and People where after having Confessed himself before the High Altar which he did for the great need there was of having those Christians instructed in the Sacrament of Confession which was in use among them but in few places he said Mass When Mass was ended Father Francisco Roz Master of the Chaldean and Syrian Languages in the Jesuites College at Vaipicotta with the rest of the Fathers deputed to that Work and some of the most learned Caçanares assembled together in the Sacristy or in some other place appointed where in obedience to the Excommunication of the Synod all the Syrian Books were brought before them as well those that belonged to the Churches as those belonging to private Persons all which were emended delivering those which were condemned by the Synod to the Metropolitan who burnt them all The Metropolitan having in the mean time put on his Pontificals sat down and Preached at length to the People all the necessary
Doctrines of Faith and Manners after which Discourse the chief Decrees of the Synod were published and a Procession for the Dead was made round the Church to which such vast multitudes of Heathens resorted to see the Novelty and the Pontifical Vestments that they filled the Church-yard and Windows After the Procession for the Dead was ended and the Doctrine of Purgatory and the benefits of praying for them declared the Metropolitan having seated himself began a Discourse of the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the necessities of the People and after that Anointed all that were present then he Baptized all the Children of Christian Parents in his Pontificals and such of the adult Heathens as desired it who were called together the day before to that purpose The Metropolitan whenever he came to the words Ingredimini Sanctam Dei Ecclesiam beginning a Discourse to the Heathens and Naires that flocked to see the Ceremony performed who tho' all Armed with Bows and Arrows and other Weapons and in their own Country remote from the Portuguezes did quietly and chearfully hear all that he said to them not only concerning the Faith of Jesus Christ but also the indignities and hard words which he bestowed upon their Idols and Priests in order to undeceive them When the Sermon and Baptism was over the Ecclesiasticks that were not present at the Synod made a profession of the Faith before the People in the hands of the Metropolitan and having called all the Children together and ordering them to kneel round his Chair he began a Chamaz or set of Prayers in their own Tongue which they all said after him and having Blessed them all made a Discourse to them suitable to their Age to the great satisfaction of their Parents teaching them the Veneration that is due to the most sweet Name of Jesus to which agreeable to the Nestorian Doctrine wherein they had been educated they had payed no manner of Respect After that he inducted the Vicar in the presence of the People charging him with the Flock which received him for their Pastor and where there were any to be Married he Married them great numbers also Confessed themselves to him and received the most Holy Sacrament at his hands among whom were abundance of Ancient People who had never Confessed themselves before In the Evening the People assembled together and agreed about the Stipend they determined to settle upon their Vicar which was Registred in Ollas that were to be kept in the Church and having opened the Money-Box of the Church they distributed such Alms as they thought necessary The Metropolitan and the Fathers that were in his Company having examined the Caçanares to such as he found to be qualified for it he granted a Licence in writing to be Confessors after that he heard all the Complaints and Controversies that were among Christians and having those four principal Men with the consent of the Parties they decided them all according to the Customs of the Country and the Judgment of the Metropolitan so as to exclude all farther Process or Appeals be then Absolved all that were Excommunicate and several that had lain twenty or thirty Years under that Censure there being several Cases wherein they were so barbarous as never to grant Absolution no not at the hour of Death injoyning every one such Penances as were suitable to their Faults omitting nothing that he judged necessary to the good of the Church and People in all which he was accompanied and assisted by five Jesuites who were all zealous for the Salvation of Souls and well skilled in the Malabar Tongue and two of them in the Chaldee also they were Father Hieronymo Cotta Father Jorgye de Crasto Father Francisco Roz who is now the most worthy Bishop of that Diocess Father Antonio Toscano and Brother John Maria Father Frey Braz de Santa Maria a Divine of the Order of St. Austin was Confessor to the most Illustrious Metropolitan there were also three Canons of the Metropolitan Church of Goa and the Metropolitan's two Chaplains and several Caçanares that were Natives who celebrated the Divine Offices both in Chaldee and Syrian whom the most Illustrious Metropolitan made great use of in several Occasions In the reduction of this Church to the Catholick Faith many remarkable things happened in which God manifested how much that Work was for his Service and in the Visitation of the Churches there were several Successes of great edification and that were much for God's Praise which shall God willing be written in another place for his Glory wâ—â— liveth and reigneth for ever Amen The Letter of Dom Andre Bishop of Cochiâ— to the Synod being Assembled BRethren in my judgment all you who are called the Christians of St. Thomas do owe much to God for his having by means of thâ— Apostle chose you from among such multitudes 〈◊〉 Infidels as the East is filled with to enlightâ—â— your understandings with the Truth and for having made you as St. Peter saith a Holy Nation 〈◊〉 purchased People For you are not to imagine that your Forefathers did deserve more at the hands of God than the other Infidels that were their Contemporaries and yet you see how God was pleased to chuse them and you by their means when 〈◊〉 the same time he left others and their Posterâ—â—â— in their natural Misery for which there can be no other Cause assigned but that it was the Wiâ—â— of God to extend that Mercy to you and your Forefathers which he denied to all the other People of these Parts and what makes this Mercy 〈◊〉 be the greater and more Illustrious is That Goâ— was pleased to bring you to the Faith not by 〈◊〉 Ministry of some obscure Person of small Authority which has been the Case of many other Christians but by sending two chosen and beloved Apostles to you for your greater Honour and that this Church might justly stile it self Apostolical a privilege that was granted but to few Churches that are now in being in the World and which the Metropolitan of Constantinople was long ago ambitious of usurping to himself if he might have been permitted But Satan the great Enemy to all that 's Good envying the great Glory of this Church laboured to sow the Tares of Errours and Heresies in this Field of Christ's and the Apostle St. Thomas and so coming from Babylon and the Land of the Chaldeans he brought along with him some of the Disciples of the perfidious Nestorius to pervert this Churchâ— This Nestorius was condemned as a Heretick in Asia minor in the City of Ephesus in a Council of 200 Bishops and afterwards in a Council of 630 Bishops He was so wicked and perverse an Heretick that besides the punishment inflicted on him for his Sins by Men God also begun to punish him in this Life giving him as it were an earnest of those Punishments and Torments which he is now suffering in Hell for besides his being deposed and deprived of his
the Names of the Country insomuch that there are but very few called by any of the Names of the Law of Grace wherefore the Synod doth command the Priests to do all they can to have the Names of the Law of Grace given in Baptism but chiefly those of the Holy Apostles and of the Saints that are most celebrated in the Church not intending hereby to take them from any Devotion that several among them may have for some of the Saints of the Old Testament whose Names have been hitherto very common in the Diocess such as Abraham Jacob Zacharias and others nevetheless from henceforward they shall not presume to take the Name of Hijo which has been very common among them neither shall the Priests ever give it to any it being the most sweet * Name of Iesus The Portuguezes had the least reason of any Christians that I know of to be offended with such a Name Emanuel being by much the most common Name in Portugal Name of JESVS to which that Respect and †Reverence Francisco Roz and the other Jesuits ought to have had their Order excepted here for if the Synod's Reason why none ought to be called by that Blessed Name holds good it will reach their Order no less than particular Persons Reverence is due that none ought to take it upon them for that in the naming thereof all Knees both in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth ought to bow themselves and every Tongue ought to confess that it is from that Divine Name that we desire all the good things that we enjoy on Earth commanding all that are called by that Name to change it for another when they come to be Confirmed and as for the common Names of the Countrey they may still retain them if they are such as have been used only among Christians but not among the Heathens for as to those Names which the Heathens have ‖ In common The Popes among whom we have had so many Alexanders and Julius's have had little regard to this Rule in common with Christians the Synod will not have them to be given in Baptism charging the Vicars and Priests that Baptize to take care thereof Decree XVII THe Synod being informed That there are some Christians so far unmindful of their Duties in this Matter as to give other Names to their Children than the * Christian Names This is what several Popes have done who upon their Creation have left their Baptismal Names which were Christian and have taken those that were rank Heathen Christian Names they received in Baptism and sometimes such as are not used among Christians it doth therefore strictly command that no Christian shall presume to give their Children or to call them by any other Names than those that were given them when they were Christened or when there shall happen to be any just cause for the changing of their Baptismal Names it shall be done only at their Confirmation and whosoever shall transgress herein shall be severely punished by the Prelate and the Priests must not be wanting frequently to admonish their People thereof Decree XVIII THe Synod being informed That when many Children are brought together to be Baptized there are great heats which shall be first Christened and that after having lay'd Wagers they give Money to the Curates for the preference all which are intolerable disorders and such scandalous abominations as the Church ought not by any means to give way to and which might be easily prevented if People could but be perswaded to bring their Children to be Christened upon the eighth day it being their deferring of their Baptism so long that is the cause of so many coming together wherefore for the removing of these disorders in the Church the Synod doth command that the Children be baptized as they come without any distinction of first or last and that the Priests do accustom themselves either to baptize the poorest first or all indifferently and the Vicar or Priest that shall be found to have taken Money or any Fee before or after Baptism tho' it should be voluntarily offer'd and of never so small value or only what is to be Eat shall be condemned of Simony and punished according to the Canons Decree XIX IN all Parochial Churches there shall with all possible expedition be Fonts provided for Baptism which may be built with the Fabrick Money or with the Alms Money of the Church or by a Collection among the Parishioners it must be erected in a decent place in a corner of the Church and shall have a hole in the bottom through which the Water may be conveyed away that so it may not be thrown out where it may be trod upon or treated with any irreverence it shall also be close covered at top and locked up and until such time as a Font shall be provided they shall have a Vessel of some Metal or other which shall be put to no other use and shall be always kept in some decent place in the Church or Sacristy neither shall they hereafter make use of any common Vessel as has been the Custom hitherto and the Water they have baptized with shall be thrown in some place of the Church where it will not be trod upon and all the Water that shall be made use of in Baptism whether it be in a Font or a Vessel shall be blessed with the Holy Chrism according to the Roman Ceremonial which they are to make use of Decree XX. THis Synod conforming it self to the Decrees of the Holy Council of Trent and the Universal usages of the Church doth command every Parish-Church to provide a Book wherein the Vicar shall register the Names of all that are baptized together with the Names of the Parents and of the place where they live and of the Godfathers and Godmothers naming the place also where they were Christened the day of the Month and the Year in this Form On such a day of the month in the Year N I N. Vicar of the Church of N. baptized there or in such a place N. the Son of N. and of N. naming the Father and Mother Natives of such a place and the Godfathers and Godmothers were N. and N. the Vicar signing his Name to it at the bottom and when any Priest that is not the Vicar shall Christen a Child which shall never be done without the Vicars leave he shall Register it thus I N. Curate with leave from the Vicar of such a Church naming both the Vicar and the Church did Baptize N. and so on as above signing his Name at the bottom which Book shall be always kept in the Church and the Vicars shall be obliged to give an account thereof and at every Visitation to shew it to the Prelate out of which the Curates are to give Certificates of the Age of such as are to be Married or to receive Holy Orders that so their Age may be certainly known and that such
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