it; that Neftorius was a Preacher of Truth; and in feveral places God is praised for having declared the Truth to Theodorus and Diodorus, who was Mafter to Neftorius; and in feveral Prayers they befeech God to chastise thofe that believe otherwise than Neftorius, and his Followers, whofe Faith they fay is founded on St. Peter's, and the rest of the Apostles; Moreover it is faid, that the Holy Virgin, and her Spoufe Jofeph, appeared before the Priefts, who could not tell how fhe had conceived; and that Images are Idols, and ought not to be adored, nor fo much as kept in Churches or in Houfes of Chriftians; there are likewise Offices of Neftorius and his Followers, and Commemorations of feveral Hereticks.

In the Office for Priefts departed, it is fung, That in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, there is only the Virtue of Chrift, but not his true Bo

its not having been believed either by themselves, or by the Orthodox; for had the latter believed it, tho' they had not done it themselves, they could not have failed to have used it as Argumentum ad hominem, which is what they have no where done. It is true, this is only a Negative Argument, but it is as true, that it is fo circumftantiated as to be of equal force with one that is pofi tive. So again, I do not fee how we could have had a clearer proof of Tranfubftantiation, not having been believed either by the Mani

chees, or the Orthodox, than we have from the Manichees abftaining from the Cup in the Sacrament for no other reafon, but because they did not think it lawful to drink Wine, and from the Orthodoxes proving against them from that very Inftitution that it was lawful, and endeavouring to convince them by feveral Arguments, that it was their Dury to receive the Cup in the Sacrament; and all this without ever so much as once intimating, that the Liquor in the Cup, when it came to be received, was Blood and not wine.

dy

dy and Blood; all which Books and Breviaries, tho' they do well deserve to be burnt, for these and other Errors that they contain, yet there being no other at prefent in this Diocess, for the keeping up of Divine Service, and the celebration of Religious Offices, until fuch time as they fhall be furnished with new Breviaries, which the Synod defires they may speedily, and that fome may be Printed for them at St. Peter's in Rome; the Synod doth order them to be corre &ted and purged from all their Errors, and Commemorations of Hereticks, and the entire Offices for all fuch; and the Offices of Advent and the Nativity to be entirely tore out of their Breviaries and burnt, entreating the most Illuftrious Metropolitan to fee it done at his next Vifitation in all the Churches of the Diocefs, commanding all Curates in virtue of Obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipfo facto incurred, to produce the faid Books, and all the other Books that they have, as well of publick as of private Ufe, and of Prayers, as well as of the Mafs, before the faid Lord Metropolitan at his Vifitation, in order to their being corrected by Perfons appointed for that work, in conformity to what is here ordained.

Fo

Decree XVI.

OR the prefervation of the Purity of the Faith, the Synod does command all Priefts, Curates, and all other Perfons, of whatsoever

Con

Condition, or Quality, within this Bishoprick, in virtue of Obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication within two Months after the publication thereof shall come to their knowledge, to deliver all the Books they have written in the Syrian Tongue, either with their own hands, or by fome other Perfon, to the most Illuftrious Metropolitan, which they may do at the Vifitation that he intends to hold fpeedily, or to Father Francifco Roz, of the Society of Jefus, Profeffor of the Syrian Tongue in the College of Vaipicotta, or to the faid College, in order to their being perused and corrected, or destroyed, as fhall be thought most convenient, the Books of Common Prayer being excepted, which are to be emended in the form abovefaid; and under the fame Precept of Obedience, and pain of Excommunication, the Synod does command, That no Perfon, of what Condition or Quality foever within this Bishoprick, fhall prefume to tranflate any Book into the Syrian Tongue, without exprefs License from the Prelate, with a Declaration of the Book to which it is granted, the Books of Holy Scripture and Pfalms only excepted; and until fuch time as this Church fhall be provided with a Bishop, the most Illustrious Metropolitan doth commit the Power of granting all fuch Licenses to the Reverend Father Francifco Roz, of the Society of Jefus, by reafon of his great skill in those Books, and in the Chaldee and Syrian Languages.

Decree

Decree XVII.

Eeing the Purity of Faith and good Manners doth very much depend on the Doctrine that is preached to the People; wherefore the Synod, being informed that there are several ignorant Curates who do take upon them to preach, and make Difcourfes in publick, wherein they teach feveral Errors and Herefies that they meet with in Books that they do not understand, and several fabulous and Apocryphal things, thofe efpecially which they take out of the Book of the Infancy of our Saviour, and other Apocryphal and Heretical writings, doth command that none prefume to preach, or make any fet Difcourfe to the People, but who are Licenfed by the Prelate in Writing, who fhall firft examine them diligently, as to their fufficiency and Doctrine, according to the Holy Council of Trent; and when there fhall happen to be no Prelate during the vacancy of the See, the most Illu ftrious Metropolitan doth commit the care thereof to the Rector of the Jefuits College of Vaipaicotta in this Diocess, that so he, and such of the Fathers as he fhall name, may make the faid Examinations, of which they fhall give a Certificate fealed by the Rector; and at the next Vi fitation the Lord Metropolitan fhall name fuch as fhall appear to him to be most for the benefit of the People of this Bishoprick, in order to their being rightly inftructed; and whosoever

fhall

fhall, without having undergone fuch an Exami nation, and without having obtained a License thereupon, in writing, under the hand of the Bishop, or Prelate, prefume to preach, or make any Difcourfes to the People, fhall be fufpended from their Office and Benefice for a Year; nevertheless, all Vicars may in their own Churches make fuch Difcourfes to their People, as they fhall judge neceffary, out of the Holy Scriptures, and other approved Books; to which end the Synod doth earnestly defire, that there may be a Catechifm made in the Malabar Tongue, out of which there may be every Sunday fomething read to the People: And whereas the Synod is informed that the most Illuftrious Metropolitan is already about fuch a Work, and has reafon to hope that it may be done by the end of the Vifitation, it doth command, fo foon as it is finished and published, That all Vicars do every Sunday at the time of Offering, or before, or after Mass, read a Chapter of the fame to the People in conformity to the Orders they shall receive.

WH

Decree ⭑XVIII.

Hereas, through the Ignorance and bad Doctrines of the Priests of this Diocess, occafioned by their having been accustomed to read Heretical and Apocryphal Books, they do many times deliver Errors, and fabulous Stories, in their Sermons, and Admonitions to the People, without knowing what they fay themselves: Where