in these Parts Established; and being fenfible how much the Integrity of the Faith depends upon that Tribunal, it does promife and fwear to be obedient to all its Commands in all things thereunto pertaining; being, after the Example of all other Bishopricks in this Province, willing that all matters of Faith fhould be judged of by the fame Court, or by fuch Perfons as it fhall depute: And notwithstanding the said Holy Office has not hitherto, by reason of this Church's having been separated, and had little or no cor

neither fuffers its Prifoners to know the particular Crime where of they are accused, nor the Perfons that accufe them, nor the Witneffes that depofe against them, Alls 25. ver. 16. I referr thofe that have a mind to be fatisfied of the Juftice of this Court, to the Hiftory of the Inquitation of Goa, which was the Inquifition this Synod put the Church of MaLabar under, published by a French Papift who was himself a Prifoner in it; tho' I must tell them that as bad as his Treatment was therein, that it was but Play to what it would have been, had he profefs'd himfelt a Proteftant, or not to have been of the Roman Communion,tho'he had once been of it. Bulenger, tho' otherwife a fierce Papift, gives chis following account of this Holy Office. Inter bec allum à Pontifice cum Hifpania Rege, ut Inquifitio Hifpanica Mediolanum inferretur, quod tam acerbè tulêre Infubres, ut defectionis confilia ini

erint. Ea quæftio in Hifpania Mauris deprehendendis inftituta eft, per cujus caufam, & nomen, crebrò innocentes ac fceleris integri cuftodia mancipan tur, opibus evertantur, vitâ & dignitate falfis criminibus circumventi fpoliantur. Si vocula fortè à Delatoribus excepta eft, Majeftatis illicò poftulantur, in ultime fortis hominibus crimina prætentata, mex in Viros Principes diftri&ta funt. Jacent plerumque tres annos in fitu

pedore carceris, priufquam libello aut noto crimine arceffantur: alii nullius criminis comperti judicio affliguntur: quidam in fqualore carceris ignorati contabefcunt. Auricularii, frumentarii, quadruplatores fubdolè graffantur, qui rei facienda Studio in Divitum capita involant, & non tam crimina judicio, quam objekta menta jurgio prolata quærunt. Sermones inter familiares habitos in rem non modo feriam,fed capitalem ducunt.

And Mazeray a rapist too, in the Life of Henry II. calls the Inquifition a Dreadful Monster.

refpon

refpondence with the Apoftolical See, or with any of the Churches that are fubject to it, medled with any Perfons belonging to this Bishoprick, yet now for the benefit of their Souls, as to Abfolutions in cafes of Faith, which are known to be referved to that Court; This prefent Synod doth befeech the Lords Inquifitors to Authorize fome Learned Men within this Bishoprick, or the Jefuits of the College of Vaipicotta, and of other refidences of the fame Religion in the faid Diocefs, to Abfolve all fuch as fhall ftand in need thereof, and that with fuch limitations as they fhall think fit; confidering how difficult it is for the People inhabiting the Serra, to have recourfe to the Tribunal at Goa; neither can it be otherwise, confidering that they live in the midst of Infidels, but that fuch neceflary Cafes will fometimes happen, and efpecially to rude and ignorant People.

Τ'

Decree XXIII.

He Preservation of the Purity of the Faith, and the prevention of Peoples being corrupted with falfe and ftrange Doctrines, being a thing of the greatest importance; this Synod doth therefore command all Perfons, of what Quality or Condition foever in this Bishoprick, that whenfoever they fhall happen to know of any Christians doing, fpeaking, or writing any thing that is contrary to the Holy Catholick Faith, or of any that fhall give affiftance or N 3

coun

countenance thereunto, to * dilate them with all pollible Expedition and Secrecy to the Prelate, or to the Vicars of the Church, or to fome other faithful Perfon, who will immediately give an account thereof, that so such a course may be forthwith taken, as the neceflity of the Matter fhall require; the Synod in virtue of Obedience commanding the faid Vicars, and Perfons to whom fuch things fhall be denounced to intimate them with all poffible speed.

* What a Confufion muft this is newly and forcibly converted to practice needs make in a place that the Roman Church.

ACTION IV.

Of the Sacraments of Baptifm, and Confirmation.

He Holy Sacraments of the Gospel, instituted

THE

by our Saviour and Redeemer Jefus Chrift the Son of God, for the Remedy and Salvation of Men, and to which he hath applyed the Virtue of his Holy Paffion, and infinite Merits, and by which all true Holiness begins in us, and being begun, is encreafed, and being loft is recovered, are † Seven, to wit, Baptifm, Confirmation, the Eucharift, Penitence, Extream Unition, Or

+Seven The Doctrine of the Seven Sacraments is fo great a Novelty in the Church of Rome, (for it is in no other Church) that Bellarmine with all his read ing, was not able to produce the teftimony of one Father for it, Greek nor Latin: Peter Lombard,

who lived above a thousand years after the Apoftles, being the firft he quotes for it. This is a long time for an Apoftolical Tradition to run under ground; and which is yet more wonderful, that it fhould break out in an Age that knew nothing of Ec

der,

der, and Matrimony: All which do differ much from the Sacraments of the Old Law, which did not cause, but did only fignifie the Grace that was to be given by the Paffion of Chrift, whereas our Sacraments do contain Grace, and give it to all thofe that receive them worthily; the first five were ordained for the Spiritual perfeeting of every Man only with relation to himfelf, the two laft were appointed for the good Government and encrease of the Church; by Baptifm we are fpiritually born again to God; by Confirmation we are advanced in Grace, fortified in the Faith, and being Regenerated and strengthened, we are fupported by the Divine Food of the Eucharift, and Sacrament of the Altar; and when we chance by Sin to fall into any diftemper of Soul, we are Spiritually restored by Penitence, and both Spiritually and Corporally by Extream Unction; by the Sacrament of Order, the Church is governed, and Spiritually multiplied, and by Matrimony Corporally: All these Sacraments are perfected by three Caufes; that is, Things as their matter, Words as their form, and the Perfon that is to ad ninifter them with an † Intention of doing what the Church

clefiaftical Antiquity, or indeed of any other fort of Learning; but this was the common fate of all the Roman Doctrines and Rites, which they pretend to have received from the Apoftles, only by the way of the dark and uncertain conveyance of Oral Tradition.

tntention This Doctrine after all their talk of the neceffity there is of an infallible certainty in all matters of Religion, must make them to be very far from having any fuch certainty of their being Chriftians, or of their having either a Prieft, or a Bishop in their Church. For as they

N.4

doth;

doth; and where any of thefe three Causes are wanting, they are not perfect, neither indeed is any Sacrament adminifter'd; all the Ceremonies and Rites, approved and made use of by Holy Mother Church, in the administration of the Sacraments are holy, and cannot be despised, neglected,or changed for others without a great Sin, notwithstanding they do not appertain to the In