And the Synod doth furthermore declare, That the Faft of our Lady's Affumption, which begins on the first of August, and lafts to the day of the Festivity, and the Fast that is called the Apoftles, which begins on the first day after Whitfuntide, and lafts fifty days, notwithstanding they are Holy and Laudable, it wifheth they were not kept as they are by the Christians of this Diocefs, after the fame manner as the ancient Fafts are; nevertheless, fince they are obferved by fome and not by others, that there may be no Scruples nor Disorder, the Synod doth declare, that the keeping of them is not commanded under the Precept of a Mortal Sin, though they may be kept out of Devotion by those that have a mind to't, neither are People under any obligation to a Lent Fare on these Days; and as to the three Fafting Days of the Prophet Jonas, called Mononebo, which begins eighteen days before the first day in Lent, the Synod, out of refpect to its Antiquity and Holiness, doth permit it to be observed with great ftrictness: But whereas People do affemble together in the Churches on those days, there to eat the Nercha's that are distributed, the Synod, tho' it is not willing to oblige People to Faft on thofe three days under the obligation of a Mortal Sin, doth nevertheless oblige them to a Lent Diet at least upon them; and the Vicars fhall be obliged to give notice to the People of all the Fafts of the Week upon Sundays, that so all may be warned to obferve them. Decree TH Decree XI. He Synod doth approve of the Holy and Laudable Cuftom obferved by the Christians of this Diocefs, of eating neither Eggs nor Cheese, nor any thing made of Milk, nor of Fish, and of abstaining totally from Wine, and from their Wives during the whole time of Lent; all which it défires them to continue to obferve inviolably, as alfe to begin the Faft upon the day after Quin-· quagefima Sunday; and fome Abules being reformed, it doth declare, That Fafting doth not only confift in Peoples abstaining from fome forts of Meat, but alfo in their not eating fo often as they may defire, the Integrity of the Precept of Fafting obliging People not to eat above one Meal a day; and that at an hour appointed, and at Night they that shall stand in need of The Fafts of the Church of Rome, as they are now obferved, are little elfe than a Mockery of the Duty, of which Card. Bona in the 21ft Chapter of his firft Book of Liturgies; complains as loud as he durit: Ita factum eft, faith the Cardinal, ut non prorfus venerand vetuflas interierit, dum ordo à Janelis patribus præfciptus, faltem in publica officiorum recitatione, retinetur, quamvis legitimus horarum punctus nullo modo attendatur, neque enim hore none officium, tertia vel quarta poft meridiem in Vigiliis pfallimus, neque vefperas in Quadrage. fima, circa folis occafum, fed una A a * vel duabus horis ante meridiem, quæ anticipatio, ut dollifimus Franerlinus fcribit Cap. 34. quadam eft noftri temporis calamitas, ne dicam abufus: Capit hac horarum praventio poft feculum duodecimum introduci, cum priftina feveritas paulatim relaxata, mollior difciplina fucceffit, de quâ fatius eft tacere quam loqui. And fo that they may obferve the ancient Rule of not eating upon a Fafting day till after Vefpers, they have turned the Morning.into Evening, and fay the Vefpers at Ten a Clock, that they may go to Dinner at Eleven. it, it, and have an appetite to drink for their Healths-fake, may eat a light Collation, according to the permiffion of the Church; but if they fhall exceed either in the quality or quantity of the faid Collation, or eat oftner than twice after this manner, they do violate the Faft, and Sin Mortally; and if through infirmity or weakness, they should break the Fast upon any day, they fhall not, as fome imagine, be releafed by their having broke Lent once: from continuing the Faft, but on the contrary, they fhall be guilty of fo many Mortal Sins, as there are days of Obligation, on which they neglect to Faft: They are alfo bound to Fast on all the Saints days, tho' never fo Solemn, that shall fall in Lent, Sunday only excepted, upon which it is not lawful for any Christian to Fast, as to which matter there are great Abuses introduced in to this Diocess. Decree XII. He Synod doth declare, That notwithstan Tding Fafting is of great benefit, that it doth not intend to oblige any that are under one and Twenty, nor fuch as are very ancient, or weak, or fickly, nor Women with Child, nor those that give Suck, nor those that cannot Fast conveniently by reafon of fome hard Labour they are obliged to, to Fast any otherwise than by cating a Lent Diet on Fafting-days, as to which too the weak and fick are excepted, who may at at all times eat what is neceffary to their health; and it shall alfo be lawful for Women with Child to eat whatsoever they long for, to prevent Abortion. Decree XIII. The Synod doth very much condemn what fome ignorant obfervers of Heathenish Superftition imagine, viz. That if they do not wash their Bodies betimes in the Morning on a Fastday, their Fast will be of no worth; and that if they happen to touch any of a base Race, or a Naires, they must wash themselves to make their Fast to. be of any Merit; and declares, that all fuch Washings and Superftitious touches, are commanded neither by God nor the Church, and are no ways proper for Christians; and doth furthermore command the obfervers of all fuch Superftitions to be punished severely by the Prelate, as followers of Heathenish Vanities, condemned by Holy Mother Church, earnestly defiring that all fuch things may be totally rooted out of the hearts of the very Infidels in this Diocess. * *Heathenish Superftitions.] The Church of Rome has little reafon to condemn any practise purely for being Heathen, her Creature Worship, with all the Ceremonies thereof, being vifibly of fuch extraction; for it was a true judgment that the Fathers of the Coun cil of Conftantinople under Leo Ifau rus, paffed upon the endeavours of those who were for introducing Images into the Chriftian Church; That to do it would be to restore Heathenifm again under a Scheme of Chriftianity. A a 2 Decree . No Decree XIV. Otwithstanding the Synod doth approve of the laudable Cuftom that has obtained in this Diocefs, of beginning the Holy Faft of Lent, upon the Monday following Quinquagefima Sunday: Nevertheless in conformity to the ufage of the Univerfal Church, it doth ordain and command, that on the Wednesday following, they confecrate Ashes in the Church, which shall be sprinkled on the Heads of the People by the Priest that celebrates Mafs, using these words, Remember Man that thou art duft, and that to dust thou fhalt return, as he is directed by the Roman Ceremonial tranflated into Syrian, by the order of the nioft Reverend Metropolitan, leading by this Holy Ceremony the, Faithful to a deeper Repentance, for their Sins, and a fenfe of their own vilenefs in that Holy time; which Ashes fo far as it can be done, fhall be made of the branches that were bleffed the former Year upon Palm Sunday, which is called Ofana in this Diocess, as it is likewife ordered in the faid Ceremonial, but at the fame time the People fhall be told that this is only a Holy Ceremony of the Church, and not a Sacrament. 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