Faith and ten Articles immediately. The ArchDeacon beg'd to fpeak one word first with His Grace in private, promifing, after that to do whatsoever His Grace fhould command him; and being alone, he told him, That if His Grace would have it so, he was ready to fubfcribe the Profeffion and Articles publickly, tho', with fubmiffion he thought it would be better if he would allow him to do it in private, for the fake of that Christianity who were not as yet fo well inftructed as they ought to be; but that before the meeting of the Synod, at which he promised to fign them publickly, he hoped to be able to prepare them for the receiving of whatsoever should be therein determined, which he believed he fhould be able to do the more effectually, if they knew nothing of his having already fubmitted to the Roman Church. The Arch-Bishop answered, That notwithstanding Profeffion of the Faith was by fo much the better, as it was the more publick, nevertheless he fo far approved of his Reafon as to dispense with his making it openly. Whereupon they and the Jefuite Francifco Roz repaired to the Arch-Bishop's Lodgings, and having fhut the doors, the Arch-Deacon kneeled down before a Crucifix that stood on the Arch-Bishop's Table, and laying his hands upon the Miffal, fwore to the Ten Articles, and to the Profeffion of Faith, to which the Arch-Bishop obliged him to put his hand, to prevent his denying it afterwards.

Next Morning all the Caçanares being called together, the Arch-Bishop acquainted them with his

intention of calling a Synod very speedily, which they all agreed to. It was then debated where it fhould meet, fome were for its being held at Angamale, the Metropolis of the Diocess, but the Arch-Bishop would not hear of its being held there for three Reasons; the firft was, That the Christians of Angamale were the Chriftians of the whole Bishoprick that were moft addicted to their old Religion, Secondly, It was not in the Dominions of the King of Cochim, the Prince of Malabar that had the greatest dependance upon the Portuguezes; And Laftly, Because it was at too great a distance from the Portugueze Garrison of Cochim. It was carried therefore that it should be held in the Town of Diamper, which was but a little way from Cochim, and should begin on the 20th. of June, being the 3d. Sunday after Whitfuntide.

In pursuance whereof the Arch-Bishop and ArchDeacon did both islue forth their Ollas, commanding åll Priests and Procurators of the People, who were four from every Town, to affemble together at the Town of Diamper, on the 20th. of June next, there to celebrate a Diocefan Synod. The Ollas bore date the 11th. of May, fo that there were fix Weeks allowed for the preparing of business, which the Arch-Bishop made good ufe of.

Before the Arch-Bishop left Vaipicotta, the Caimal of Angamale, who was called the black King of Malabar, came to give him a vifit: The ArchBishop received him kindly, and at parting prefented him with fome pieces of very rich Cloath;

which was what he went well furnished withal from Goa, having laid out 18000 Pardaos in Goods, to make Presents of in the Serra. The Caimal, who was a boisterous and bloody Prince, was fo well pleafed with his Prefent, that he promifed the Arch-Bishop to fee him obeyed in all things..

After which the Arch-Bishop returned to Cranganor, where he compofed the Decrees of the Synod, which were all writ with his own Hand, word for word as they are published. As foon as he had finished them he had them translated out of Portugueze into Malavar. He likewife Confecrated there a Stone Altar for every Church in the Serra, which was what they all wanted.

What remained to be done, after having engaged all the Neighbouring Princes, and their Regedors to affift him, was to fecure the Major Vote in the Synod; and in order thereunto he Ordained no fewer than fifty Priests on TrinitySunday, in the Church of Parn, which fifty being added to the thirty eight he had Ordained but a little before at Diamper, and to those he had Ordained at Carturte, who are faid to have been many, must make up at least two thirds of the Priests that were prefent at the Synod, who in all were but 153. of which two thirds the Arch-Bishop was fecure, having before he Ordained them, made them abjure their old Religion, and fubfcribe the Creed of Pius IV.

He was also industrious to fecure to himself the Votes of feveral of the moft confiderable among

the

the Procurators, by making them great Presents, giving to one of them a Crofs fet with Diamonds of great value, as he did another of equal price, to an old Caçanar, who had been a great Companion of Arch-Bishop Mar Abraham. Upon which, and the other Precautions made use of by the Arch-Bishop to compass his ends in the Synod, Father Simon in his 109 Pag. of his Hiftorie Critique, makes the following judicious reflection: All that thefe methods have hitherto produced, ferves only to let the World fee by what means the Roman Religion has been established in the East, which he that knows will not wonder, that all the re-unions which have been made with thofe People we call Schifmaticks in thofe Parts, have been fo fhort lived.

On the 9th. of June the Arch-Bishop accompanied with fix Jefuites and his Confeffor, who were all Divines, and feveral Caçanares, arrived at Diamper, where he immediately erected a Junto of eight of the most popular Caçanares, before whom he laid the Decrees, defiring their opinion of them; and when they came to confider the Decrees relating to manners, he called four of the graveft of the Procurators alfo to be present at the Examination of them; after fome Debates the Decrees were all agreed to by the Junto, which, for that reafon, was given out to be the Author of them.

On the 20th. of June 1199. the Synod was opened,at which folemnity were present the Dean and Chapter of Cochim, with their whole Quire, as alfo the Governour, the Commiflioners of the

Trea

Treasury, and the Chamber of the fame City, and feveral other Portuguezes of Quality.

I will detain the Reader no longer from the perufal of the Synod it felf, in which he is not to wonder if he meets with the whole mafs of Popery, confidering that all its Decrees were composed by a Popish Arch-Bishop who affembled it on purpose to establish the Roman Religion in the Serra; in the doing whereof, tho' he was instrumental in letting the World know more of the Orthodoxy of that Apoftolical Church, than its like they would ever have known of it otherwife, we have reason to bless Providence, but none at all to thank him for it, who intended nothing less than the making of fuch a happy dif covery.

A Ca