Book 1  Continuation .....................
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Decree X

     There being some Christians so unmindful of their Christian obligations, as to sell Christians to infidels, contrary to the holy canons, who by that means are certainly constrained to Apostatize from the faith; wherefore the synod in virtue of obedience, and upon pain of excommunication to be ipso facto incurred, doth command, that no Christian presume to Sell any of the Faithful to infidels; and that whosoever shall be found to have done it, shall be forthwith declared Excommunicate, and shall not be absolved, until he hath redeemed the said Christian, tho’ he should cost him more than what he sold him for; or until it shall be manifest to the vicar of the church, and to other curates, and the whole people, that it cannot be done; in which case he shall not be absolved until by way of penance he has refunded the money that he received, with which the vicar and church-wardens shall buy an infidel, whom they shall christen, great numbers of such being sold daily in Malabar; and the person so bought shall have his liberty, and shall be cemmitted to the care of some devout substantial Christian that will Educate him for god’s sake. Moreover, the synod in virtue of obedience, doth prohibit all Christians to sell any boys or girls, tho’ they are not baptized, to any Mahometan, Jew or Heathen; it being certain, that such when sold to infidels, will never come to the knowledge of the faith; tho’ when it is necessary, and they are their lawful Slaves, they may sell them to other Christians: whosoever shall transgress herein, shall be severely punished, except the person that was sold was twenty Years of age; and it is manifest to the vicar, to whom he shall be carried before he is sold, that he refused to be baptized.

The heathens of these parts being so strangely addicted to auguries, and superstitions, as sometimes to kill their children which are born on those days which they reckon to be Unlucky, imagining they must be miserable if they live, the mothers, that they may not Murther them with their own hands, leaving them in Heaths, or at the bottom of some tree, or in a Ditch, there to perish; wherefore the synod doth command all the faithful Christians of this Bishoprick, that whereas living among such heathens, and being their neighbours, they cannot for the most part but know what passes in their houses, to be very watchful in this case; and whensoever they shall know of any infants being thus exposed, or shall find them at any time in the heaths, to carry them home to their houses, and cherish them with Christian charity, either baptizing them themselves, or procuring it to be done; and if when they find them, they shall apprehend them to be near dying, notwithstanding they may know that their parents will take it ill of them, who by thus exposing them have lost their dominion over them, they shall baptize them immediately, whereby the church will acquire a right in them, and as a holy mother, is glad to receive them; and if it should so happen that those by whom they are found, are not in a condition to breed them up, they shall then carry them to the vicar, and the other curates of the church, whom we command in the name of Christ, to call together the chief men of the parish, to take some course about the bringing up of the child; and if there is no well-disposed person that will for the love of god, take the charge thereof upon him, they shall then procure a nurse, and whatsoever else is necessary, if there can be no other way found, out of the alms and Fabrick of the church.

The synod commands, that the infants that are left at the Gates of
the churches, or in any other place, if it does not manifestly appear that they are already christned, shall be baptized, and shall be brought up in the same manner as is prescribed for the children of infidels that are found exposed in the heaths, the vicars doing all they can to prevail with some to undertake the charge of their education for God’s sake.

ALL that shall be converted from Heathenism to Christianity, being of Age, shall be well instructed in the matters of faith, before they shall be admitted to baptism, and shall know at least how to cross themselves, and be able to say the pater Noster, Ave Mary, the creed, and the commandments, as well as they can be taught; in which matter there has been hitherto a great Neglect, commanding the vicars to examine all such in the faith before they christen them, without they should happen to be in danger of death before they have learn’d those things; in which case their making a profession of Faith, and the necessary mysteries thereof, and signifying a desire to be baptized, shall be sufficient: and whereas the synod is inform’d, that great numbers of infidels living among Christians, have long desired baptism of them, but through the coldness of Priests and others, have had none that would be at the pains to instruct them, it doth therefore charge the Consciences of the vicars therewith, speedily to set about instructing such, according to the fervour of those that desire it, that so they may be brought to the sacred font of baptism, desiring all other Christians likewise to be diligent and zealous in that matter.

The Holy oils having hitherto not been used in this bishoprick in any of the sacraments, and if any have been used, it having been with out any distinction, and without being Blessed by the Bishop; wherefore for remedy thereof, the most Illustrious metropolitan, in his reformation of the Affairs of this Church, having on the Thursday of the last holy week blessed the oils, and furnished all the churches therewith, instructing them in their holy uses and distinctions; the synod doth therefore command all vicars in virtue of holy obedience, to use the said Oils in baptism, anointing all that are baptized therewith on the breast, and the sides, and after they are baptized, anointing them with the Holy Chrism on the Head, and making the sign of the Cross thereon with their Thumb dipt in the Holy Oils, or with a Feather kept in the vessel for that use, wiping the oil off afterwards with a cloth or towel, which shall likewise be kept in the same place: The synod doth also command under the same precept, That all curates and vicars do celebrate this sacrament, with the rites and ceremonies, exorcisms and prayers, that are contained in the roman ceremonial; which the most illustrious metropolitan has order’d to be translated into Syrian for the administration of all the sacraments, and is to be kept in all churches; and that the priests when they administer baptism solemnly in the church, shall have on a surplice, and a stole about their necks, for the more decent administration of that sacrament, and shall not perform it in their ordinary wearing habit, as they have done hitherto.

Where as hitherto the ancient custom of the church of having godfathers and godmothers, has not been in use in this bishoprick, by which means there has been no knowledge therein, of the spiritual affinity that is contracted betwixt the party baptized, and the parents thereof, and the godfathers and godmothers; therefore the synod does command, that all that are baptized, shall have one or two godfathers and godmothers, to present them in the church, and to touch them on the head before baptism, and to receive them from the holy font: The men must be fourteen years of age at least, and the women twelve; neither shall any be admitted under those ages. The synod doth likewise declare, that there is such a close spiritual affinity betwixt the godfathers and godmothers, and their god-children, and the parents of the children, that they can never marry with one another, without a Dispensation from the pope, or from one empowered by him, and which is seldom granted, and never but when there is a very urgent cause for it; and that such marriages celebrated without a dispensation, are void, and of no effect. The synod furthermore declares, that this spiritual affinity reacheth no further than to the one or two godfathers, and one godmother, but not to those that shall stand for them, tho’ they touch the heads of the children, neither shall the priest admit above two.

Seeing that by our Lord Jesus Christ, and his Death, we are passed from the Old Law, to the New Law of Grace, it is therefore reasonable, that we should in all things be ingrafted into the same: and whereas in this Bishoprick Christians do take several of the Names of the Saints of the Old Testament, as also several of 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; nevertheless 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 36Name of JESUS, to which that Respect and 37Reverence 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 38in 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.

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 39Christian 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.

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.

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.

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 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 40confirmation 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.

Forasmuch as hitherto there has been no use, nor so much as knowledge of the Holy sacrament of confirmation among the Christians of this bishoprick, the heretical prelates that governed it, having neglected to feed the people in a great many cases with wholsome Catholick food; therefore the synod doth declare, that all persons who are come to the use of reason, ought to receive this holy sacrament, having the opportunity of receiving it at the hands of a bishop, and that all masters of families, and others having the charge of children, are in duty bound to command their children and slaves to receive the said sacrament, and that all who out of contumacy or contempt shall refuse to receive it, or to order such as belong to them to go to it, are guilty of a mortal sin, and if they neglect it out of a conceit of it’s not being a sacrament, they are Hereticks and aliens from the true Catholick faith; wherefore the synod doth command, that in the visitation that is to be made speedily by the most illustrious metropolitan in the churches of this bishoprick, all men and women that are above seven years old do come to be Christen’d or confirmed, those only excepted who were confirmed by the said lord in his former visitation, or at some other, or on some other occasion, by some other bishop; this sacrament as well as that of baptism being never to be repeated, in so much, that all that receive it a second time wittingly, are guilty of a great piece of sacrilege, besides, that they receive no sacrament thereby: but in case any are doubtful whether they have ever been confirmed or not, or should not remember that they were ever, they shall declare so much to the said lord, or to the bishop that is to confirm them, that they may order the matter according to the merit of their doubts: But if any, which god forbid, should sacrilegiously and obstinately despise the said sacrament, it being proved upon them, they shall be declared excommunicate until such time as they have done condign penance, and shall be punished at the pleasure of the prelate.

The synod, to its great sorrow, having been informed, that some ignorant persons in sacred matters and the doctrine of the holy sacraments of the church, being instigated by the devil to persist in their cursed schism, did in several places resist the most illustrious metropolitan in his former visitation of these churches, so far as not only to refuse to receive the holy sacrament of confirmation from him, but did also oppose him publickly in the churches, and that many did absent themselves, some whereof excused themselves by pretending, that it was an unnecessary thing, and that they had never seen nor heard of it before, and others that they should be affronted by the Holy ceremony of the prelates touching their cheek, scurrilously upbraiding those that had received it, with base provoking words, telling them that they had suffer’d themselves to be affronted and buffeted, with other such sacrilegious expressions, full of infidelity and heresy, arising from the schism wherein they have been brought up: Whole towns conspiring together so far in this mutiny, that the despising or receiving this holy sacrament, became the test of their obedience or disobedience to the said metropolitan, doth therefore (notwithstanding it knows they have all in common, and every one in particular repented of this, and being sensible of the greatness of the error they committed therein, have beg’d pardon for it, and upon their having confess’d their ignorance, have been graciously received by the said Lord metropolitan, and having submitted themselves to the obedience of the Holy roman church, are ready to do all that shall be enjoyned them, to prevent the life however, that none for the time coming may commit the like faults or sacrileges) command, That if any (which god forbid) shall dare to do or say any such thing against this sacrament or the holy ceremonies and rites wherewith it is administred to the faithful, that they be declared excommunicate, and be separated from the church and the communion of the faithful, until such time as they have undergone condign penance at the pleasure of the prelate, and shall demonstrate their due subjection to the obedience of the holy church, and have taken the oath of the faith contained in this synod, and declared that all that reject and despise the rites and ceremonies approved of, and received in the church, in the solemn administration of this and the other sacraments, are Hereticks and apostates from our holy Catholick faith, as was determin’d in the holy council of trent, and ought to be proceeded against and punished as such, according to the sacred canons.

The Synod doth declare, That in the Sacrament of Confirmation or Chrism, there must be a Godfather and Godmother as well as in Baptism, to present such as are to be confirmed according to the ancient custom of holy mother church, but there shall be but only one godfather and godmother, who must themselves have been confirmed; it being very indecent, that any person should present one to have that done to him, which they have not had done to themselves; and that the Man shall be above 14, and the Woman above 12 years old, or one of them at least shall be of that Age; and in this Case the Godfathers and Godmothers do contract the same Spiritual Affinities and the same Impediments that the others do in Baptism, the said Spiritual Affinity being equally contracted in both these Sacraments.

Of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, and
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Doctrine of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.

The third Sacrament in the Order of the spiritual life, is the Holy Eucharist, tho’ in Veneration, Sanctity and Dignity, it is the first and most excellent, for containing in it the true, real and substantial Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God, and true Man, our Saviour and Redeemer; which was instituted by him the day before he suffer’d for us, as the most sweet Remate, or conclusion of all his works, and a Memorial of his Passion, the fulfilling of all the ancient Figures, the greatest of all the Miracles that ever he wrought, and for the singular Consolation of the Faithful in his absence. The matter of this Sacrament is Bread of Wheat, and Wine of the Grape only; so that all that Consecrate in Bread made of Rice, or of any thing else but the Flower of Wheat, or of Wine that was not pressed out of the ripe Grape of the Vine do not make the Sacrament; there must also be Water mixed with the Wine before it is Consecrated, but in a much smaller quantity than the Wine, that so it may easily 41turn it self into Wine before the Consecration: which mixture is therefore made, because from the Testimony of Holy Fathers, Holy Mother Church believes that our Lord Christ himself did so, whose having mixed water with the wine that he consecrated, makes it a great sin to omit to do it. It is also agreeable to the representation of the mystery of what passed on the Cross, and of our Lord Christ, out of whose precious Side flowed Water and Blood; as also to signifie the Effect of this Sacrament, which is the Union of the faithful with Christ, the Water signifying the Faithful, and the Wine our Lord Christ, and the conversion of the Water into the Wine, the Union of our Souls with Christ by means of this Divine Sacrament, according to what our Lord said; He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. The Form of this Sacrament is the words of our Saviour, by which the Sacrament is made; for tho’ the Priest pronounceth many and divers words in the Mass, and 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 42under one Species, because in that they receive Christ entire. To this Divine Sacrament the Worship, Veneration and 43Adoration 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 Union 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.

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 44observed 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.

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, to wait, till Whitsuntide, and then to declare them; provided that before they declare those that live on the Heaths, they shall first take care to admonish them, either by themselves, or by others of known fidelity, that so they may do their Duty herein, letting them know if they fail, that they must be declared Excommunicate. The Curates must also be sure to observe who have complyed with this Obligation, putting their Names in a Roll as is ordered in Confession. But notwithstanding the Sacred Canons do oblige the Faithful only to confess and communicate once a Year at the time aforesaid, nevertheless the Vicars shall advise their Parishioners to do it oftner, namely at Christmass and Whitsuntide, and the Assumption of our Lady, giving warning thereof still the Sunday before.

THe Synod doth declare and teach, That no Christian, how contrite soever for his Sins, may lawfully come to receive the Divine Sacrament of the Altar, being guilty of any Mortal Sin, without having first confessed all his Sins entirely, to some approved Priest that has Authority to receive his Confession, that being the Tryal and Examination that the apostle speaks of, and saith a Man ought to make of himself, and being so approved and confessed, let him eat of the Divine Bread, and drink of the Divine Cup; For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, and with a Conscience of sin, eateth and drinketh judgment and condemnation to himself; for which reason this Divine sacrament must not be given to publick sinners, without they have left their sins, as publick witches, and common women, and such as keep concubines publickly, and such as are in open malice, before they are reconciled, and all other open sinners whatsoever. In which Matter the Vicars must be extreamly careful, being sensible, that as it is a grievous sin in such to receive the Divine sacrament, before they have forsaken their sins; so it is like-wise a grievous offence in them to give the Sacrament to such publick sinners, and who are known by all to live in such sins, and not to have forsaken them, notwithstanding they should have been confessed by others, and should bring a Note of their being absolved. This matter ought to be laid home to the Consciences of the Vicars by reason of the great dissoluteness that there is in this Bishoprick in giving the Communion to publick sinners, and especially to those that keep Concubines, and are Married, but will not live with their Wives, and to others who live in open Malice, without any Body to hinder them, of all which the Vicars must give a strict account to God; but at the point of death they may give the Divine sacrament even to such as have been publick sinners, if they are not finally impenitent.

The synod teacheth, That this Divine sacrament ought to be received Fasting, as Holy Mother Church commands, and that upon the day on which people are to communicate, they are neither to eat nor drink any thing from Midnight untill after they have received the communion, not to do so being 45a most grievous sacrilege, such only excepted as are under any great infirmity, or much spent with sickness, who may take Electuaries, and other light things to strengthen them, of which the confessor must be judge.

Christians are not only bound to receive the most Holy sacrament of the Altar once a year, at Easter, but as often as they are in probable danger of Death, and especially in any great sickness, for which reason this Divine sacrament is called the Viaticum, that is to say, the support in the way from a Mortal to an Eternal Life, wherefore the synod doth command all sick people, whose Distempers are any thing dangerous, to receive it with much Devotion; and as they that look after the sick ought to give the Vicars timely Notice, so the Vicars themselves must be diligent to enquire what persons are sick in their parishes, that so before they come to be too weak, at a time when it will do them no prejudice, they may be brought in a Palanquin, or in something else that covers them, to the church, there to receive the Holy sacrament; for which use there shall be a Palanquin, or Net, made commodious with Carpets, in every Church, in which the sick shall be carried with due care, which shall be bought within a month after the publication hereof out of the Fabrick money of the Church, all which the synod doth recommend earnestly to the Vicars, this being truly the chief Duty of their Office; and if it shall any time happen that a Parishioner shall die without having received the Communion, thro’ the Vicars default, the said Vicar shall be suspended for six months, from his Office and Benefice, and if it happen thorow the Vicars not having been advised thereof, then those that attended the Sick Person, shall be severely punished by the Prelate.

Whereas Women are many times in danger of Death in Child-bed,a great many dying therein, the Synod doth therefore declare, That all Women with Child ought about the time when they reckon they are to be delivered, to confess themselves, and receive the Holy Sacrament, but especially before the Birth of their first Child, in which the danger is greatest, recommending it to them to be careful to do it in time, that they may not be prevented by their Labour from going to Church. Such also as design to undertake any long and dangerous Voyage, ought to do the same, to whom the Synod recommends it much, and requires it of them.

Forasmuch as there are several Priests and Cazanares of this Diocess that do never celebrate, some by reason of their having been ordained when they were but Boys, and so do wait till they come to be of a due Age, and others through other Impediments, therefore the Synod doth command all such to receive the Holy Sacrament upon all the solemn Festivities, and at least once a month, wishing they would do it every Sunday with a due preparation and reverence; and as often as any Priest doth communicate, he shall be in a Surplice and Stole, with a Cross on his Breast to distinguish him from other People, by reason of the Reverence and Respect that is due to the Sacerdotal Office which he bears.

Seeing as is aforesaid, it is not lawful for any Person to come to the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, having the least scruple of any Mortal Sin about him, without having been Sacramentally confess’d, the Synod doth declare, That even to Priests it is not lawful, and that none finding in themselves the least scruple of Mortal Sin, and having an opportunity of a Confessor, shall say Mass, tho’ under an Obligation to do it, without having first confessed themselves: But besides, that such when under any scruple are obliged to confess, for the greater purity of their Souls, tho’ under no scruple the Synod commands all Priests to confess at least once a Week.

The Synod doth furthermore command all Deacons and Sub-Deacons, that Minister solemnly in the solemn Masses on Sundays and Saints-days, to receive the most Holy Sacrament at those times, and on the Festivity of our Lord Christ, our Lady, and the Holy Apostles, all the Chamazes, or Clergy that are in the Church; of which the Vicars ought to take special care, and the Prelate in his Visitations is to make diligent Inquiry , how these things are observed.

The great Love of God to Mankind, does not only appear in the Institution of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, and in the putting of his Divine Body and Blood under the Sacramental Species, to be the heavenly Food of our Souls, by which the Spiritual Life is maintained and preserved, but in his having likewise so instituted it, that the Catholick Church Militant might have a perpetual and visible Sacrifice for the purging away of our sins, and for turning the Wrath of our Heavenly Father, who is many times offended with our wickedness into Mercy, and the rigour of his just punishment into Clemency : So in the Mass there is offered unto God a true and proper Sacrifice, for the pardon both of the Living and of the Dead, by the offering of the which Sacrifice the Lord is so far appeased as to give Grace, and the Gift of Repentance to Sinners, and by means thereof does forgive Men their Sins and Offences, tho’ never so enormous; the Host that is offered by the Ministry of the Priest on the Altar of the Church, being one and the same that was offered for us on the Cross, with no other difference besides that of the reason of their being offered : And so it is not only offered for the Sins, Punishments, Satisfactions, and other Necessities of the Faithful that are Living, but also for the Dead, departed in Christ, and that are in the Torments of Purgatory, being not as yet fully purged by reason of their not having made a compleat satisfaction for the punishments due to their sins, it being but just and reasonable, that all should be benefited by a Sacrifice, which was instituted for the Remedy and Health of all Mankind; which Oblation is of that purity, that no indignity or wickedness in the Offerers is able to defile it: so that as to the substance, value, and acceptation, it is the same when offered by a wicked and unclean sinner, as when by a pure and holy Priest, because it does not derive its Dignity from the Offerer, but from the Majesty and excellency of what is offered, neither does the Eternal Father accept thereof for the Merits and Vertue of the Priest that offers it, but for the value of the Sacrifice it self, and the infinite Merits of Christ, who is offered therein; so that our Saviour being about to offer himself to God the Father on the Altar of the Cross, could not possibly have given us a greater expression of his immense Love for us, than by leaving us this visible Sacrifice in his Church, in which the Blood which was presently to be once offered upon the Altar of the Cross, was to be renewed every day upon the Altar of the Church, and the Memory thereof to our great profit, was to be adored every where in the Church until the end of the World; which Divine Sacrifice is offered to God only, notwithstanding it is sometimes celebrated in Memory and Honour of the Martyrs, and other Saints in Bliss; it not being offered to them but to God only, who has been pleased to Crown them with Immortal Honour, rendring him thereby our bounden thanks for the notable Victory of the Martyrs, and the publick Mercies and Blessings he has vouchsafed to other Saints, and for the Victories which by these means they obtained over the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; beseeching the said Saints to be pleased to intercede for us in Heaven, whose Memories we celebrate on Earth : and tho’ the Divine Eucharist does still continue to be a Sacrament, yet it is never a Sacrifice, but as it is offered in the Mass.

Forasmuch as it is of great moment, that all things belonging to the Sacrifice of the Mass, should be preserved pure and undefiled, and whereas this Church has been for 461200 years from under the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church, the Mistress of all the other Churches, and from whence all good Government and true Doctrines do come, all the Bishops that came hither from Babylon having been Schismaticks and Nestorian Hereticks, who have added to, and taken from the Mass at their pleasure without any order; from whence it has come to pass, that several things are foisted into the Syrian Mass which is said in this Diocess, without any consideration, and such things too as may give occasion to many Impious and Heretical Errors : For which, if due Order were observed, all the missals of this Bishoprick ought to be burned, as also for their having been of Nestorian use, and compiled by Nestorian Hereticks; but being there are no other at present, they are tolerated, until such time as our Lord the Pope shall take some Order therein, and there shall be Missals sent by him printed in the chaldee Tongue, which is what this synod humbly and earnestly desires may be done : And in the mean time it doth command, that the Missals now in use be purged and reformed as to all the following Matters, and that till such time as they are so purged, which the most Illustrious Metropolitan, with the assistance of some persons well versed in the Chaldee Tongue will see done the next visitation, no Priest shall presume to make use of them any more.Whereas from the above declared Doctrine of this sacrament it is evident, that the priest does not Consecrate with his own words, but with those of our Lord Christ, the Author and Institutor of the said Divine sacrament; it is not therefore lawful to add any Clause, how good soever in it self to the Form of Consecration, or to what our Lord Christ said therein; in which we do not comprehend the word Enim, which the Church of Rome adds to the Consecration of the Body and Blood; for besides that, there is the 47Tradition of the Holy Apostles, for our Lord Christ’s having used it in the Consecration of the Body; and that St. Matthew also relates it in the Consecration of the Cup, it is no Clause or distinct sentence, but a conjunction to a sentence of the words of Christ which immediately follow. As also the word AEterni in the Consecration of the Cup; and the words Mysterium Fidei, which tho’ not mentioned by the Evangelists, yet as it is proved by Apostolical Tradition, were used by our Lord Christ in the Consecration of the Cup, and for that reason the Holy Church continues to use them in the same; but as for the words added to the consecration of the Cup in the Syrian Missal, Et hoc erit vobis pignus in Saecula Saeculorum, they being no where in any of the four Evangelists, nor in any Book of the New Testament; and it not appearing to the Church by Apostolical Tradition, that Christ used them in that Consecration, the Synod doth prohibit them to be used therein any more; but the words in themselves being good and Holy, and agreeable to what Holy Church singeth of this Divine Sacrament, that it is the pledge of the Glory that we expect, that we may keep to the Old Missal so far as the sincerity of the Faith, and the purity of this Divine Sacrifice will permit, the Priest shall say them ‘after the elevation of the cup, where making a profound Reverence, he shall begin the following prayers with them, only changing the word Vobis, which was used as spoke by Christ, for Nobis, as spoke by himself, saying, Hoc erit nobis pignus; and for the words in Saecula Saeculorum which follow, they being commonly said in the Church of such Matters only as are to last for ever, or are wished to be Eternal, seeing the use of this Divine Sacrament as well as of the rest, is to continue but to the end of the World, (they having been instituted only as a remedy for our Spiritual necessities in this life, for in the other we are to see our Lord no more under Sacramental Species, but clearly as he is, neither shall we in Heaven eat this Divine Bread of Angels Sacramentally, but shall eat as the Angels do in the Vision of the Divine Word.) The words in saecula saeculorum shall be therefore left out, and instead thereof shall be put usque ad consummationem Saeculi, saying, hoc erit nobis pignus usque ad consummationem, saeculi, the Sacrament being a pledge only for so long as we do not see the Glory that we hope for, but is and ever will be such a pledge in this life, Christ having promised to his Church, that he will be with her to the end of the World; so that the Divine Sacraments, which were instituted for our benefit, can never fail till then; after these words the Priest shall go on with what immediately follows in the Mass, Gloria tibi, Domine, gloria tibi, and so on.

Furthermore in the Consecration of the Cup there is added to the words of Christ, novi testamenti qui pro vobis, &c. novi & aeterni testamenti mysterium fidei, qui pro vobis & pro multis, &c. Therefore the Synod doth command, That the words of Consecration of the Body and Blood be reformed, and put in all their Missals, according to the Canon of the Roman Missal used in the Universal Church without the least addition or diminution, and with the same Adorations, Inclinations, and Ceremonies as are in the Roman Missal.

Furthermore, where the Priest saith Dominus Deus noster quando spirabit in nobis odor suavissimus, it is said in the same Prayer, & cum animae nostrae veritatis tuae scientiâ fuerint illustratae, tunc occurremus dilecto filio tuo, &c. speaking of the day of Judgment, it shall be said, Cum corporae nostra veritatis tuae splendore fuerint illustrata, tunc occurremus dilecto filio tuo, the Souls of the Just being illuminated and glorified in Heaven before the day of Judgment, which is the time when the Bodies receive their Glory; this Passage seeming to allude to the Nestorian Heresie, which teacheth that the Souls of the Just do not see God, nor are Glorified, nor are in Bliss, before the day of Judgment.

Furthermore, where the Deacon saith, Orando pro sanctis patribus nostris Paetriarchâ nostro pastore universalis totius Ecclesiae Catholicae, meaning the Schismatick of Babylon, & Episcopo hujus Metropolis; it shall be said Pro sanctis Patribus nostris, beatissimo Papâ nostro totius Ecclesiae Catholicae pastore, naming him by his Name, & Episcopo hujus Metropolis, naming him also, & Ministris ipsorum; and a little lower where the Deacon praying, saith, praecipuè nos oportet orare pro incolumitate Patrum nostrorum sanctorum, domini Patriarchae totius Ecclesiae Catholicae pastoris, naming the Patriarch of Babylon by Name, instead thereof he shall say, Praecipuè oportet nos orare pro incolumitate patrum nostrorum Domini Papae, naming him also, & Episcopi hujus Metropolis, naming him also.

Furthermore, when the Deacon a little before saith, Commemoramus autem beatissimam Mariam, virginem Matrem Christi & salvatoris, it shall be said Sanctam Matrem Dei vivi, & salvatoris, & Redemptoris nostri, &c. because the perverse Nestorians do impiously deny the Blessed Virgin to be the Mother of God, as has been observed.

Furthermore, when the Deacon a little lower saith, Commemoramus quoque Patres nostros sanctos & veritatis Doctores Dominum & Sanctum Nestorium, &c. all which is Heretical, it being an impious thing sacrilegiously to pray to God to preserve the Doctrine of Nestorius, and of other Hereticks his followers in the Church, all the forementioned having been such except St. Ephraim; wherefore instead of them he shall say, commemoramus quoque Patres nostros sanctos veritatis Doctores S. Cyrillum, &c. And tho’ in some Missals the Names of Nestorius, Theodorus, and Diodorus are already left out, yet they do still remain in some, and the Names of Abraham and Nareissus, two of the Ringleaders of that cursed sect are in all of them. Wherefore there must be care taken to have them also left out.

Furthermore, in the beginning of the prayer wherein the Deacon saith, Oportet nos orare & exaltare unum Deum Patrem Dominum omnium adoratione dignissimum, qui per Christum fecit nobis bonam spem, it shall be said, Qui per Jesum Christum filium Suum Dominum nostrum fecit nobis bonam spem.

Furthermore, where the priest pouring the wine into the cup saith, Misceatur pretiosus Sanguis in Calice Domini nostri Jesu Christi, it shall be said, Misceatur Vinum in Calice Domini nostri, that no occasion may be given to the Error of calling the Wine before it is consecrated, The precious Blood of Christ, alluding to the condemned Custom of the Greeks, who as they offer the Bread and Wine before they are consecrated, so they adore them too, saying they do it for what they are to be; and presently after where the Priest saith, Expectans expectavi Dominum, corpus Christi & sanguinem ejus pretiosum super sanctum altare offeramus, it shall be said for the same reason, Panem Sanctum & Calicem pretiosum offeramus; and immediately after where the Deacon saith, Edent pauperes & saturabuntur, Corpus Christi & Sanguinem ejus pretiosum super sanctum altare offeramus : He shall say for the same reason, Edent pauperes & Saturabuntur, Panem Sanctum, & Calicem pretiosum, &c.

Furthermore, where the Priest with a low Voice in the Prayer, which begins, Offeratur & gloriae immoletur, saith, & Christus qui oblatus est pro salute nostrâ, he shall say, Jesus Christus Dominus noster Dei filius qui oblatus est, &c. And where the priest raising his voice saith, Gloria Patri, &c. Fiat commemoratio Virginis Mariae Matris Christi, he shall say, Fiat commemoratio Virginis Mariae Matris ipsius Dei & Domini nostri Jesu Christi; And a little lower, where the Deacon saith, In saecula usque in saecula, Amen, amen, Apostoli ipsius filii & amici unigenti; he shall say, Apostoli ipsius filii Dei & amici. And where the priest begins, Pusilli cum majoribus, and saith, Resurrectione tuâ supergloriosâ resuscitabis eos ad gloriam tuam, he shall say, Per Resurrectionem tuam supergloriosam suscitabis eos.

Furthermore, where the Deacon saith, Effundite coram illo corda vestra, jejunio, oratione, & poenitentia, placaverunt Christum, Patrem quoque & Spiritum ejus sanctum, where in saying, Spiritum sanctum ejus, they seem to allude to the Error of the Greeks, that the Holy spirit proceedeth only from the Father, and not from the Father and the son, as from one principal, as the Catholick Faith confesseth, and because the Nestorians by reason of the great Communication they have had with the Greeks, have imbibed some of their Errors, that there may be therefore no countenance given to such an Error, it shall be reformed thus, Placaverunt Patrem Filium, & Spiritum Sanctum.

Furthermore, In the Prayer where the Priest saith, Dominus Deus fortis, tua est Ecclesia Sancta Catholica, quae admirabili Christi tui passione empta est; it shall be said, Quae admirabili Christi filii tui, &c.

Furthermore, near the end of the Gospel taken out of that Chapter of St. John, which, as has been observed, is corrupted in the Syrian Translation, where it is read quoniam venit hora in quâ omnes qui in monumentis sunt audient vocem ipsius, it shall be read audient vocem filii Dei, as it is in the Gospel.

Furthermore, in the Creed that is sung in the Mass there are wanting several substantial words, where speaking of our Lord Christ, and saying that he was born of the Father before all Worlds, there is wanting God of God, light of light, very God of very God, all which shall be added to it: as also the word consubstantial to the Father, leaving out the words that are in its place, in the Syrian, filius essentiae Patris, and the whole shall be reformed and translated into the same words, as it is sung in the Catholick Church in the Roman Missal.

Furthermore, presently after the Creed, where the Deacon praying for, and making a Commemoration of the Holy Apostles, Martyrs and Confessors, desires of God that he would raise them up that they may be Crowned with Glory at the Resurrection of the Dead, saying, Oremus, in quam, ut resurrectione quae est ex mortuis à Deo coronâ donentur, which besides that it is not the custom of the Church to pray for the Holy Apostles, Martyrs, and confessors, nor to desire any good thing for them, whom we believe to be in possession of Bliss, but much rather to 48Pray to them, to intercede for us, and to obtain for us of God, whose familiar Friends they are, all that we stand in need of, and is of importance, both as to all our Spiritual and just Temporal Concerns; it seems to allude to the Nestorian Opinion, That the Souls of the Saints are not to see God, until after their Bodies are raised at the day of judgment, and that till then they are in a Terrestrial Paradise, which is Impious and Heretical; wherefore the synod doth command, That since there are no such prayers used in the Church, nor any such petitions made to God in behalf of the Saints, notwithstanding they are said in the Revelation to make them for themselves, that those words be blotted out, and what follows be joined with what went before, saying, & Confessores hujus loci & omnium Regionum, oremus, inquam, ut det nobis ut efficiamur socii eorum, &c. leaving out the fore- mentioned words; and at the end of the Prayer where it is said, per gratiam Christi, it shall be said Per gratiam Dei, & Domini nostri Jesu Christi.

Furthermore where the Priest begins Consitemur & landamus, Domine Deus noster, where he saith below Dignos nos fecisti dispensatione sacramentorum sanctorum corporis & Sanguinis Christi tui, it shall be said Christi filii tui; as also before where the priest speaketh to those on the right side of the Altar, and they answer with the Deacon Christus exaudiat orationes tuas, hoc sacrificium quod tu offers pro te, pro nobis, & pro toto orbe à minimo usque ad maximum, the last words & pro toto orbe à minimo usque ad maximum, must be left out, for the Mass being a publick prayer of the Church, Infidels, Schismaticks and Hereticks are not to be prayed for therein, but only Catholicks, and such as are united to the Church; wherefore instead thereof it shall be said, quod tu offers pro te, pro nobis, & pro universâ Ecclesiâ Catholicâ, & omnibus orthodoxis, atque Apostolicae & Catholicae fidei cultoribus.

Furthermore, where the Priest begins Etiam Domine Deus Exercituum, where he saith, & pro Sacerdotibus, Regibus, & Principibus, it shall be said, & pro Regibus & Principibus Catholicis, the Christians of this Church being subject to Infidel Princes; and a little lower, where the priest begins Tu Domine cui propter, &c. where he saith, recordatione corporis & sanguinis, it shall be said, Christi filii tui; and a little lower in the same Prayer, near the end , it shall be said, sanguine Christi filii tui redempta.

Furthermore, where the Deacon and Clergy praying, do say, Et pro omnibus Patriarchis, Episcopis, & Presbyteris, &c. it shall be said, & pro beatissimo Papâ nostro, naming him, & pro omnibus patriarchis & Episcopis.

Furthermore, in the Hymn said by the Clergy and the Deacon alternatim after the elevation of the most Holy sacrament, in the Verse where the Priest saith, Quando ad sanctum altare ingreditur, manus suas pure protendit in coelum, & invitat spiritum qui de superis descendit & consecrat corpus & sanguinem Christi, in which words the Priest seems to call upon the Holy Ghost, to come down from Heaven to consecrate the Body of Christ, as if it were not the Priest that consecrated it; whereas in truth it is the Priest that does it, tho’ not in his own words, but the words of Christ; wherefore that no colour may be given to such an error, it shall be said, manus suas purè protendit in coelum & consecrat corpus & sanguinem Christi, leaving out the words of & invitat spiritum qui de superis descendit, &c. and the following words à saeculo usque in saeculum.

Furthermore, in the prayer said by the Deacon, which begins Omnes timore pariter & amore accedamus, where it is said, unigenitus Dei mortale corpus & Spiritualem, rationalem, immortalemque animam ex filiis hominum suscepit, that there may be no countenance given to an error held by some, and followed by several Nestorians, that the soul as well as the Body, is ex traduce, or derived from the Parents; whereas in truth it is created by God out of nothing, and infused into the Body when it is perfectly formed; it shall therefore be said unigenitus Dei mortale corpus ex filiis hominum, & spiritualem, rationalem, immortalemque animam suscepit. As also where the deacon after the Communion of the Priest, inviting the People to communicate, saith, fratres mei suscipite corpus ipsius filii, he shall say ipsius filii Dei.

Furthermore, in the first word of the Benediction of the People, where he saith, Ille qui benedicit nos in coelis, per filium Humanitatis, he shall say Per filium suum; and in the first Blessing which the Priest gives to the People, at the end of the Mass, where he saith, Cathedra gloriosa Catholicorum orientalium, meaning schismatical Babylon, he shall say benedicatur Cathedra gloriosa Romana, and in the following verse of the same Blessing, where speaking of the Bishop of the Diocess, he saith, Dominus totius gregis episcopus plenus sobrictate custodiatur à malo, &c. he shall name our Lord the Pope, saying, Dominius totius gregis catholici Papa N. plenus sobrietate custodiatur à malo, una cum bono Doctore, & Episcopo nostro N. naming him by his Name: And a little after in the same Blessing, where he saith, Illustris in congregatione sanctorum religiosus Hormisda, sanctitas sanctitatum, &c. the name of Hormisda, who as has been observed, was a Nestorian Heretick, shall be left out, and instead thereof he shall say, Illustris in congregatione Sanctorum s. Apostolus Thomas, &c. all that follows agreeing very well with that glorious Apostle, who first taught the Faith in these parts, and not to that false Heretick.

Furthermore, in the first Verse of the Blessing of the Solemn Days, where it is said of the Divine word, Qui factus est homo, & operuit speciem suam in filio hominis, for fear of the Nestorian Doctrine it shall be said, Qui factus est homo, & operuit Divinitatem suam humilitate nostrâ; and a little lower where it is said, Benedic Ecclesiam tuam quae patitur, & in ovili pessimi Daemonis ecce comprehenditur, it shall be said, Quae patitur infestationes a pessimo Daemone, libera illam, &c. for the Catholick Church tho’ it be infested and persecuted by the Devil, is not held nor overcome by him, our Saviour having promised, that all the Powers of Hell shall never prevail against her. And afterwards where it is said, Benedic dextrâtuâ, Christe, congregationem hanc, it shall be said, Benedic dextrâ tuâ, Jesu Christe, &c. and in the same Blessing, where it is said, Salva Reges nostros & Duces nostros, it shall be said, Salva Reges nostros & Duces nostros Catholicos, all the Kings and Princes of this Church being Infidels, and so ought not to be prayed for in the publick Prayers of the Mass; and a little after, where it is said, Sicut decet coram ipso Jesu Salvatore, it shall be said, Coram ipso Jesu Deo Salvatore, because of the Nestorian error; and in the last Verse but one of that Blessing, where it is said, Qui comedit corpus meum & bibit ex sanguine meo sanctificante liberabitur ab inferno per me, the words of Christ, Habet vitam aeternam, shall be used instead of Liberabitur ab inferno; and in the end of the third Blessing, where it is said, Gloria illi ex omni ore Jesu Domino, it shall be said, Jesu Domino Deo because the Nestorians do impiously affirm, That the name of Jesus is the name of a humane Person, and does not agree to God.

All the above-mentioned particular the Synod doth command to be Corrected, as is here ordered, with such caution as is necessary in these Matters, wherein the cursed Nestorian Hereticks have sown so many Errors.

Whereas in the Missals of this Diocess there are some Masses that
were made by Nestorius, others by Theodorus, and others by Diodorus, their Master, which are appointed to be said on some certain days, and which, carrying those Names in their Titles, are full of Errors and Heresies; the Synod doth command all such Masses, entire as they are, to be taken out, and burnt, and in virtue of Obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication Latae Sententiae, doth prohibit all Priests from henceforward to presume to use them, ordering them to be forthwith cut out of their Books, and at the next Visitation to be delivered by them to the most Illustrious Metropolitan, or to such as he shall appoint to correct their Books, that so these Masses may be burnt.

Whereas in the Masses of this Bishoprick, there is an impious sac
rilegious Ceremony, which is the Priests, after having dipt that part of the Host, after his having divided it, which he holds in his right hand, and has made the sign of the Cross upon the other part that is upon the Patin, opening this latter part that was upon the Patin with the Nail of his right Thumb, to the end, according to their Opinion, that the Blood may penetrate the Body, that so the Blood and Body may be joyned together, which is ignorantly done in allusion to the Heresie of Nestorius, or of his Followers, who do impiously affirm, That under the Element of Bread is only the Body of Christ without Blood, and under the Element of Wine the Blood without the Body: Wherefore the Synod doth command in virtue of Holy Obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication to be Ipso facto incurred, that no priest presume to use any such Ceremony, and that they throw it out of their Masses, for that besides it alludes to the forementioned Heresie, it contains a great ignorance in supposing that the Species can penetrate the Body and Blood of Christ.

FOrasmuch as the Syrian Mass is too long for Priests that have a
mind to celebrate daily, the Synod doth grant License for the translating of the Roman Mass into Syrian, desiring the Reverend Father Francisco Roz, of the Society of Jesus to undertake the Work, which Mass together with all the Roman Ceremonies the Priest may say on particular Occasions, but the solemn and sung Masses of the day shall be always the Syrian, as they shall be emended by the most Reverend Metropolitan : and such Priests as are able to say Masses both in Latin and Syrian in the Churches of other Diocesses, may say it in Latin, but not in this Bishoprick, in which to avoid confusion, it shall be said only in Syrian. Wherefore the Synod desires the Bishops of those parts to give License, that the Priests of this Diocess, having Letters dimissory from their Prelate, that do not know how to say Mass in Latin, may be permitted to say the Syrian Mass in their Churches, or at least the Roman translated with all its Ceremonies into Syrian; the Schism which this Church has been in, being now thorow the goodness of God removed, entreating the most Illustrious Metropolitan, the President of this Synod, that he would be pleased to present this Petition in behalf of the Priests of this Diocess to the first Provincial Council that shall be celebrated in the Province, that so if the Fathers shall think fit, it may pass into a Decree.

WHereas the Power of handling the Holy Vessels is given particu-
larly to the order of the Subdeacon, this Synod doth command that from henceforward if the Minister that assists at the Mass be not a Subdeacon, that the Priest shall not put the Patin into his hand, when he is ordered by the Syrian Mass to do it, such a one having no Authority to touch it; but he may lay his hand only on the stone or wood of the Altar, so as not to touch the Patin, which is according to the Rubrick of the Missal, which supposes the Person that assists at the Mass to be a Deacon, ordering expresly that the Priest shall put the Patin into the hand of the Deacon.

WHereas the Stole that is thrown over the Shoulders is the particular Badge of the Order of Deacon, it is not lawful therefore for any Person that has not taken the said Order, to use the Stole in the Church with any publick Ceremony; and whereas hitherto all of the Clergy that have assisted at Mass, tho’ but in inferior Orders, or without them, have wore the said Stole over their shoulders, no less than the Deacons, contrary to the Ceremoniale, which supposeth him that assists at the Mass to be a Deacon; the Synod doth therefore ordain and command, that from henceforward the Chamazes, who do assist at the Mass, and are not Deacons, be not permitted to wear the Stole; it would also be decent for the Deacons when they wear the Stole, to be in a Surplice, and to have a Towel, and not to have it over their ordinary wearing Cloths, as has been hitherto the Custom.

THe Synod doth command, That in all Churches there be Stamps of Hosts (or Instruments wherewith to print the Wafers that are to be Consecrated) which shall be bought forthwith out of the Fabrick money, or the Alms of the Church; and that the Vicars take care to be always provided of the flour of Wheat, for the making of them, which they must be sure not to mix with any thing else, as is done commonly in other Bread, for fear there should be no Consecration therein; wherefore they must either make them themselves, or employ such as are of known Skill and Fidelity to do it, and the same care shall be taken of the Wine that it be no other than that of Portugal, and that it be not mixed with the Juice of Raisins, or with any other Wines of the Countrey for the same danger.

THe Synod doth earnestly recommend it to the Priests of this Diocess to take heed in what Wine they celebrate, having been informed, That as some Churches, by reason of their Poverty, are without Portugal Wine, so where it is that the Priest keeps it in Glass Bottles, where being in a small quantity, and kept a long time, it must necessarily decay and 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.

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.

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 49no 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.

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.

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.

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 themselves with going to hear Mass twice or thrice in the Year, and so have no opportunity of being instructed in matters of Faith and Religion as they ought to be, nor of complying with their Obligations, doth command all Christians living within two Leagues of the Church to go to Mass at least once a Month, and on the principal Festivities of our Lord and Lady, commanding the Vicars also to constrain them to do it; and all such as are but one League, to hear Mass once a Fortnight, and such as are less than a League, to hear it every Sunday and Holy-day; commanding all that shall trangress herein, being obstinate, after the third admonition, to be thrown out of the Church when they come thither; neither shall the Priest go to their Houses, or give them the Casture, or Blessing, until they shall come to hear Mass, more or less, in the Form aforesaid; and besides, they shall be punished by the Prelate as he shall think good.

Whereas upon several Festivals of the Church there are Musicians called to the celebration thereof, according to the custom of the Country, who are all Heathens, small care being taken in what part of the Church they are placed, or to hinder them from playing during the time of the Holy Sacrifice, at which no Excommunicate person or Infidel ought to be present, therefore the Synod doth command, that great care be taken not to suffer them to remain in the Church after the Creed is said, or the Sermon, if there be one, is ended, that so they may not be- hold the Holy Sacrament; the Vicar shall also be careful to drive all Heathens who may come upon such occasion, from the Doors and Windows of the Church.

Whereas there is nothing that is so great a help to the souls of the Faithful that are in the Fire of 50Purgatory as the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, of which there is no memory remaining in this Diocess; that Holy sacrifice having been instituted for the health and remedy of the Living and of the Dead: Wherefore the Synod doth exhort all the Faithful of this Bishoprick to accustom themselves to procure 51Masses to be said for the Souls of their deceased Friends, and to leave something by will that they may have Masses said for their own Souls, which will be much more profitable for them than the feasts that they used to make for their Kindred and others invited to their Funerals; which Custom shall be left off, and instead thereof, they shall give a Dole to the Poor, which is also very profitable to the souls of the departed. And that the Decree relating to such Masses may have its due effect, the Synod doth command, That all that shall be found to have died worth 2000 Fanoins, and have left nothing for a certain number of Masses to be said for their Souls, shall have so much taken out of their Estates before they shall be divided among the Heirs, as shall procure the saying of five masses for their souls, which shall be deposited by the Executors in the hands of the Church-wardens, by them to be distributed among five Priests, that they may be the sooner said; and where there are more than five Priests, the Alms shall be given to the five Eldest, there not being sufficient to divide among them all; and where there is only the Vicar of the Church, the whole shall be given to him: which Custom of procuring Masses to be said for the Souls of the Faithful departed this Life, as it is used in the Universal Church, so it is what this synod is extreamly desirous to introduce into this Bishoprick, wherein it has been totally disused, recommending this Matter earnestly to the Preachers and Confessors, to persuade all Christians to it in their sermons and Confessions, and to the Vicars to do the same in their Admonitions.

Of the Holy Sacrament of Penance and Extream Unction.

THe Fourth sacrament is that of Penance, in which the Acts of the Penitent are, as it were, the Matter, and are distinguished into these three parts, Contrition of Heart, Confession of the Mouth, and Satisfaction for sins, according to the direction of the Confessor. it belongs to the contrition of the heart, that the Penitent be sorry at his Soul for the sins that he has committed, and detesting them, is firmly resolved not to commit them any more: which Contrition, tho’ it sometimes happen to be perfect through Charity, so as to reconcile one to God even before he has actually received the Sacrament of Confession, yet it can never be perfect, nor a means of reconciliation with God, if not attended with a readiness and purpose of mind to confess those very sins which it is conversant about; such sins being no less subject than others, to the Keys and the ingagements to Confession. It belongs to the Confession of the mouth, that the Penitent Confess himself entirely to his own Priest, as to all the sins that he remembers, using all due diligence according to the length of the time, since he last Confessed himself; and this Confession is not to be only of sins in general, nor only of the Species of them, but of every sin in particular, and as far as the Penitent is able to remember of their number; declaring withal, all the aggravating Circumstances, and all such as change the Species; in a word, all mortal sins, how secret soever, tho’ only in thoughts and wicked desires; as also all faults committed against the two last Commandments; Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife; Thou shalt not covet any thing that is anothers; such sins being at some times more dangerous for the soul, than others that are open; all which we are commanded to do by the Divine Law; our Saviour when he ascended into Heaven, leaving the Priests for his Vicars upon Earth, and constituting them Judges, before whom all mortal sins committed by Christians, were to be brought, that by the power of the Keys, which he committed to them to forgive or retain sins, they may pronounce sentence, which cannot be just and Righteous, neither can the punishments they impose be equal or proportionated to the nature of the Faults, without their having a full knowledge of the same, as of the matter that they pass Sentence upon; which knowledge cannot be had but by the Penitents confessing all and every Mortal Sin, whereon Judgment is to pass, not only in general, but in specie and number, making mention of every such sin in particular, with all its necessary circumstances, that so a just sentence of absolution or retention may be pronounced upon them. And as to Venial sins which we frequently fall into, and for which we are not excluded from the Grace of God, tho’ the confessing of, and being absolved from them, is very profitable to the Soul, yet we are not under any such precise obligation of confessing them, there being other ways by which they may be pardoned, so that it is no sin not to discover them. The third part of Penitence, is, satisfaction for Sins according to the judgment of the Confessor; which satisfaction is chiefly performed by Prayer, Fasting and Alms, the penitent being obliged to comply with the Penance imposed upon him by the Priest, who being as a judge in the place of God, ought to impose what he thinks to be necessary, not only with respect to the amendment of sin for the future, but chiefly with respect to the Satisfaction and Penance of past sins. The Form of this sacrament is, I absolve thee, to which necessary words the Church has thought fit to add the words following, from all thy Sins, in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. There are also some Prayers which the Priest saith immediately after over the Penitent, which, tho’ they are not essential to the form, yet are very profitable and healthful for the Penitent. Now by pronouncing the form, not only all the sins that are confessed, but all those likewise which after a due diligence and Examination of the conscience do not occurr to the Memory, so as to be discovered, all such being included in the said Confession, are all pardoned; tho’ with an obligation of confessing them, if they should ever after come to be remembred, sins being as it were chains to the soul, from which it is delivered by the absolution of the Priest, which is applicable to such, as by virtue of contrition joyned with a desire of confessing, have obtained pardon of God for their sins, which they were under an obligation to have confessed: as also to those sins which were never confessed, because not remembred after a due diligence, and to those likewise which having been once lawfully confessed and truly pardoned, are by the Penitent of his own accord, and for the greater Penance confessed and submitted to the Keys several times. The Minister of this Sacrament is a Priest, who hath Authority to absolve, and is either the Ordinary, as the Prelates, or such as are commissioned and approved of by them. The effect of this Sacrament is, The absolution and pardon of Sins, and for that reason it is by the Doctors properly called the Table after Shipwrack, because the Grace which was given to us in Baptism, being lost by the commission of Mortal Sin, by which we make shipwrack thereof, and of all the other Vertues and Gifts, which together therewith were poured down upon us, there remains no other remedy or means whereby we can be saved, but only by the plank of Penance, or the sacrament of Confession; for that without this either actually received, or firmly purposed according to the command of Holy Mother Church with contrition, wherein such a purpose is always included, we cannot be saved nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; for which reason this sacrament ought to be much reverenced and frequented, as the only remedy that sinners have for all their evils.

WHereas an entire sacramental confession is of Divine right, and necessary to all those who after Baptism fall into any Mortal Sin, and Holy Mother Church doth command all faithful Christians who are come to the use of Reason, upon pain of Mortal Sin, to confess at least once a year in the time of Lent, or at Easter, when all that are capable are bound likewise to receive the most holy sacrament of the Altar, declaring all that neglect to do it, to be excommunicate; and notwithstanding, this Precept has not hitherto been in use in this Bishoprick, in which no Christian has ever confessed upon Obligation, and a great many not at all, which was occasioned through their ignorance of this healthful precept, and of the necessity of this Divine sacrament, this Church having been governed by Schismatical Chaldaeans, and Nestorian Hereticks, the particular Enemies of this sacrament, being the cause of their being totally unacquainted with the Virtue, Efficacy, and Necessity thereof. Some not using it all, others being perswaded by the Devil into a vain and superstitious Opinion, That if they should confess themselves, they should die immediately, all which having been made known to the most Illustrious Metropolitan in his first Visitation of these Churches, he at that time perswaded a great many that had never done it before to confess themselves, having undeceived them as to the unreasonable and pernicious mistakes which they lay under, therefore the synod the more to further this, doth declare that it is the Duty of every faithful Christian, upon penalty of Mortal sin, to observe the precept of the Church concerning confession, at the time by her determined and founded on the Divine precept of Confession, for all such as are fallen from Grace, by the Commission of any Mortal sin, and doth command all faithful Christians Men and Women, that are arrived at the Years of Discretion, to confess themselves to their own Vicar, or to such Priests as are licensed by the Prelate to hear Confessions, at the time of Lent, or against Easter, and that whosoever shall not have complyed with this precept, or is not confessed sometime betwixt the beginning of Lent, and the second Sunday after Easter, shall be in the Church declared Excommunicate by the Vicar without waiting for any order from the Prelate to do it, until he has effectually confessed himself, and has undergone the punishment due to his Rebellion; and if the Vicar shall for some just reason think fit to wait any longer, for some that have been negligent, and who being busie have desired to be dispensed with till Whitsuntide, it shall be in their power to bear with them, according to what is determined in the 2d. Decree of the 5th. Action, of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, having first admonished those that live in the Heaths, or are at Sea, or engaged in Business in such places where there are no Churches to confess in, that when they return home, they are bound to do it within a month.

And that the whole of this may be executed, with the more ease, and be performed as is reasonable, the Vicars of the Churches shall be obliged a month or more before Lent, if it be necessary to go to all the Houses of their Parishes belonging to Christians, however remote in the Heaths, either in Person, or by some other Clergyman, whom in conscience they can trust with such a business, and taking the Names of all the Christians even to the very Slaves in every Family that are nine Years old and upward, and of those too that are abroad, observing whether they do return home after the time of the Obligation, and having made a Roll of parchment of all that are of Age to confess themselves, they shall afterwards make a mark at their Names as they come to Confession, that so they may know certainly who have, and who have not complyed, that the Disobedient may be Excommunicated, which we declare to be the precise Obligation of their Office, the Pastor being bound to know his sheep, that he may give them Food, and so far as he is able, supply all their necessities, Temporal as well as spiritual, and to have their number, that he may know when any are lost; and for the perfecting of such a Roll the Vicars may take the advantage of the Monoibo, at which time all Christians do flock to the Churches, at which time likewise they may hear of many that live in the Heaths. And as to those that have confessed themselves to some other approved confessors, they shall bring a Note signed by them of their having been confessed, which they shall deliver to their Vicar, who shall thereupon mark them in his Roll; but tho’ it is lawful for them to confess themselves to Confessors that are Strangers, yet they cannot receive the most Holy sacrament, nor the Communion upon Obligation in Lent any where, but in their own Parish Churches, and the Prelates in their Visitations shall call for those Rolls, in order to inform themselves how this Decree is observed.

Whereas the Precept of Confession obligeth all that have the use of Reason, and conscience of mortal sin, which happens sooner to some than others, the synod therefore taking the most safe and probable way, according to the knowledge it hath of the people of Malabar, doth ordain, That at eight Years old and upward, all people shall Confess themselves, and that without prohibiting such as are younger and capable to do it sooner; on the contrary, the Vicars, if they shall understand that there are any under eight, of so much Judgment and Discretion, as to be capable of committing a mortal sin, they shall immediately constrain them to come to confession, as being oblig’d to it, which must be left to the discretion of the Parish Priests.

THe Synod doth admonish all Masters of Families, and all that have the charge of others, to be careful to make all the Persons in their Families to confess themselves at the time of Obligation, and particularly their servants and Slaves, both Men and Women, who if they do never come to Confession, their Masters and none else must be certainly in the Fault, in having neglected to put them in mind of it, and to order them to do it, it being their Duty, and that upon penalty of Mortal sin,

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