thereof to the Curates, and after that, to be fixed to the Gates of the Church.

Dated from Chanotta, the 14th. of May, under our Seal, and the Great Seal of our Chancery, and Written by Andre Cerqueira, Secretary to the most Illustrious Archbishop and Primate, in the Year 1599.

Frey Aleixo Arcebispo, Primas.

THE

THE

ACTS and DECREES

OF THE

SYNOD of Diamper.

IN

ACTION I.

N the Name of the most Holy and undivided Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the Year of our Lord 1599, on the 20th of June, being the third Sunday after Whitfuntide, in the fe venth Year of the Pontificate of our most holy Lord, Clement VIII. the Supreme Roman Bishop, and in the first Year of the Reign of the Catholick King Philip, the Second King of Portugal, and Algarves, and of Malucco; the Illuftrious Lord Dom Francifco da Gama Conde de Vidigeyra, Admiral of the Indies, being Vice-roy in the Town of Diamper, fubject to the King of Cochim, an Infidel and Heathen, in the Church of All-Saints, in the Bishoprick of Angamale of the Chriftians of St. Thomas in the Serra of Malabar, the See being vacant by the death of the Arch-Bishop

H

Ma

Mar-Abraham, there affembled in a Diocefan Synod according to the Holy Canons, the most illuftrious and moft Reverend Lord Dom Frey Aleixo de Menezes, Arch-Bishop Metropolitan of Gua, Primate of the Indies, and the Oriental Parts, together with all the Priefts and Curates of the faid Bishoprick; and the Procurators of all the Towns and Corporations in the fame, with great Numbers of other Perfons belonging to the faid Church, and called to the faid Synod by the moft Reverend Metropolitan: Where, after having given Thanks to God for his having extinguifhed and compofed all the Alterations and Commotions by, which Satan, the Enemy to all that is Good, had endeavoured to hinder the affembling of this Synod; and being all filled with Joy, to fee themselves met together to Treat of things pertaining to the Service of God, the Purity of the Faith, and the Good of Christianity and their own Souls; the most Illuftrious Metropolitan did celebrate the Solemn Mafs for the removing of Schifm, as it is in the Roman Miffal; and having preached to the People to the fame purpose, the Mafs being ended, he re-invefted himfelt in his Pontifical Robes, and read the Office for the beginning of a Synod, as it is in the Roman Pontifical; which being over, and the Metropolitan feated in his Chair, with all the Ecclefiafticks and Secular Procurators about him in their order, he told them, That he celebrated this Holy Synod by Virtue of two Briefs of the Holy Father our Lord Pope Clement VIII. in

which his Holiness had recommended to him the Government of that Church, after the death of the Arch-Bishop Marabran, until fuch time as it should be provided of a Paftor and Prelate; besides, that the fame belonged to him as the Metropolitan thereof, and Primate of the Indies, and all the Oriental Parts, by the Canons, the See thereof being vacant, and it having no Chapter to take care of it during the vacancy; which Briefs being faithfully tranflated into the Malabar Tongue, were immediately read, and received with that Reverence and Obedience that was due to them: After which the Lord Metropolitan told them, That feeing he had but littlé knowledge of the Malabar Tongue, it was neceffary for him to have fome faithful Perfon; and that was well verfed in Ecclefiaftical Affairs, to relate truly in the Congregations what he should fay, or what should be fpoke to him: Whereupon Jacob, a Prieft, and Curate of the Church of Pallurte in the faid Bishoprick, a Perfon well skilled both in the Portugueze and Malabar Languages, was presently pitched upon by cominca Confent; who being called by the Lord Metropo litan, was charged by him with the Office of Interpreter to himfelf and the Holy Synod, giving him an Oath at the fame time upon the Holy Gospels, well and faithfully to discharge the faid Office, and truly and exactly to `relate all that fhould be faid by his Lordship or any other Perfon in the Synod, without any addition or diminution; as alfo to read in the Congregations H 2

all

all the Decrces and Determinations of the Synod, which were to be in the Malabar Tongue: And whereas Truth it felf has teftified, That in the mouth of two or three there is all Truth; therefore for the greater fecurity, there were given to the faid Interpreter, by the most Reverend Metropolitan, as Affiftants, the Reverend Fathers,

* He was afterwards made Bishop of the Christians of St. Tro

*Francifco Roz, and Antonio Tof cano of the Society of Jefus in the College of Vaipicotta in this Diocefs, who being well skilled in the Malabar Tongue, were to obferve all that was related by the Interpreter, and in cafe he was at any time faulty, to correct him; there were befides feveral others prefent, Natives as well as Portuguezes, that were well vers'd in both Languages.

TH

Decree I.

He Congregation being met, and all placed according to their Order, the Metropolitan feated in his Chair, faid, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, Three Perfons and One only True God. Amen.

My beloved Brethren, you the Venerable Priefts, and my most dear Sons in Chrift, you the Reprefentatives and Procurators of the People, Does it please you, that for the Praise and Glory of the Holy and undivided Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and for the Increase and Exaltation of the Catholick Faith, and the Chriftian Religion, of the Inhabitants of this Bishop