the Apoftolical See, having been fo rooted in that Diocess for a great many Years, that the Inhabitants thereof, instead of yielding Obedience to the Apoftolical, and Our Mandates; on the contrary upon the intimation thereof, did daily harden themselves more and more, committing greater Offences against the Obedience due to the Holy Roman Church af ter having commended the Matter to God, and ordered the fame to be done through our whole Diocefs, and after mature Advice, by which Methods the Apoftolical Mandates might be best executed; and being alfo moved by the Piety of the People, and the Mercy God had hewn them in having preferved fo many thousand Souls in the Faith of our Lord Jefus Chrift, from the time that the Holy Apostle St. Thomas had Preached to them until this day, notwithftanding their having lived among So many Heathens, and been feattered in divers places, their Churches and all belonging to them, having been always fubject to Idolatrous Kings and Princes, and incompaffed with Idols and Pagods, and that without holding any correspondence with any other Chriftians before the coming of the Portuguezes into thefe Parts; we being likewife defirous that the Labours of the Holy Apoftle St. Thomas, which still remained among them, should not be loft for want of found Doctrine; and that the Apoftolical Mandates might not be fruftrated, did determine, and having provided for the Government of our own Church during our abfence, did prepare to go in Perfon to take Poffeffion of the faid Bishoprick, to fee if by our Prefence we might be able to reduce them to

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the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church, and purge out the Herefies and falfe Doctrines Sown among them, and introduced by the Schifmatical Prelates, and Neftorian Hereticks that had governed them under the Obedience of the Patriarch of Babylon; as alfo to call in and purge the Books containing thofe Herefies; and according to our Paftoral Du ty, So far as God should enable us, to Preach to them in Perfon the Catholick Truth.

Accordingly going into the faid Bishoprick, we fet about vifiting the Churches thereof; but at that time Satan, the great Enemy of the good of Souls, having Stirred up great Commotions, and much oppofition against this our just intent, great numbers departing from us, and forming a Schifm against the Holy Roman Church, after having paffed through many troubles and dangers, out of all which God of his great mercy, not remembring our fins and evil deeds, was pleafed to deliver us, and to grant us an intire Peace for the Merits of the glorious Apoftle St. Thomas. the Patron of this Christianity, but chiefly of his own great Clemency and Mercy, which makes, that he doth not delight in the death of a finner, but rather that he should return and live; and by coming all to the light of the Truth, may joyn with us in the Confeffion of the Catholick Faith, approving our Doctrine and Intention,and fubmitting themfelves to the Obedience of the Holy Roman Church; which being by us obferved, after having returned Thanks to God, we thought fit, in order to the compaffing and fecuring of all those good Effects, to affemble a Diocefan Synod in fome commodions

modious place near the middle of the faid Diocess, there to Treat of all fuch Matters as are convenient for the honour of God, the exaltation of the Holy Catholick Faith and Divine Worship, the good of the Church, the extirpation of Vice, the Reformation of the Chriftians of the faid Diocess, and the profit and peace of their Souls; to which end having pitched upon the Town and Church of Diamper,

We do hereby let all the Inhabitants and Chriftians of the faid Bishoprick, as well Ecclefiafticks as Laicks, of what State or Condition foever, to underftand, that we do call and affemble a Diocefan Synod in the faid Town of Diamper, on the 20th. of June of this prefent Year 1599, being the Third Sunday after Whitfuntide; and do therefore, by Virtue of holy Obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication, late Sententiæ, Command the Reverend the Arch-Deacon of this Diocefs, and all the other Priests of the fame, that shall not be hindered by Age, or fome other juft Impediment, to be prefent in the faid Town of Diamper, there with us to celebrate a Diocefan Synod conformable to the Holy Canons: And whereas by immemorial Custom, and a Right introduced into this Diocefs from its Beginning, and confented to by all the Infidel Kings of Malabar, the whole Government as it were, and the Cognizance of all Matters wherein Chriftians are any ways concerned, has belonged to the Church, and the Prelate thereof; and it having likewife been an ancient Custom in the fame, to give an Account to the People of whatsoever has been ordained in.

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the Church, in order to its being the better obferved by all: We do therefore under the fame Precept and Cenfure, command all Chriftians in all Towns and Villages of this Bishoprick; and where there are no Villages, all that use to affemble together at any Church as belonging to it, immediately upon this our Pleasure being intimated to them, to chufe Four of the most Honourable, Confcientious, and Experienced Perfons among them, to come in their Name at the faid time, to the faid Synod, with fufficient Powers to Approve, Sign, Confirm, and Confult in their Name, fo as to oblige themselves thereby to comply with whatsoever shall be determined in the Synod. And that thefe Commiffioners may demand or propose whatsoever they fhall judge to be of Importance to the Synod, and for the Spiritual or Temporal Good of their People; We do grant free Liberty to all in this Diocefs, as well EcclefiaSticks as Laicks, that have any Complaints, Grievances, or Controverfies about any fuch Matters as are decidable by the Prelate, or other Chriftians, to represent the same to the Synod; where they shall be heard with Patience, and have Justice done them according to the Sacred Canons, Customs, and lawful Usages of the Country.

And whereas we are informed that there are fe veral things in this Bishoprick which are the Causes of great Contentions, we do therefore not only give leave, but do alfo admonish and command all that are concerned in any fuch Matters, that forbearing all other ways that are prejudicial to Christiani.

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ty, they do now make use of this just and holy way of putting an end to all their Debates: And fince to bring all these things to a good iffue the favour and affiftance of God is neceffary, from whom all good things do proceed, and without whom we can do nothing, wherefore to engage the Divine Clemency by Prayer to be favourable to us, following the laudable Cuftom of the Holy Fathers, and Ancient Councils, we do Admonish, and in the Name of God earnestly request, all the faithful Chriftians of this Bishoprick, from this time forward until the end of the Synod, to exercise themfelves with a pure and clean heart, in Fafting, Alms, Prayer, and other works of Piety, inftantly befeeching God to enlighten the Understandings of all that shall meet together, and fo to enflame our Wills with Divine Love, that we may determine nothing but what is right, and may obferve and comply with whatsoever shall be Decreed; taking for our Interceffor, our Lady the most Holy Virgin Mary, of whofe Praife and Honour we are to Treat particularly; as alfo the Glorious Apoftle St. Thomas, the Mafter, Patron, and Protector of this Church; and all the other Saints in Heaven, that fo this Synod may begin, and proceed in Peace and univerfal Concord, and may end to the Praife, Honour, and Glory of God our Lord for ever. And that this our Publication of a Dio-. cefan Synod may come to the knowledge of all that are concerned, we Will and Command it to be Read in all the Churches of this Bishoprick to the People on the Sunday next after the intimation

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