VIII. SESSION churches where they have no bells, the Synod grants license until such time as they can procure some, to make use of boards, as they have done formerly, to call the faithful toge ther, and to give the signal at the mass. DECREE XXX. CAUSES THAT DEFILE A CHURCH, AND HOW TO BE PURIFIED. The Synod doth teach and declare, that by ancient right always observed in the church, churches may be so violated in certain cases, that it is not lawful to celebrate in them, nor to bury the dead until they are reconciled, which through the ignorance of the canons has not hitherto been observed in this bishopric; the cases are, when human blood is injuriously shed in the church, or there is a natural cause given of such shedding, or of death; as if one has a mortal wound given him in the church, or a wound that fetches blood, notwithstanding the wounded person shall be got out of the church before any blood is shed; but if the wound was given without the church, notwithstanding the blood thereof should come to be shed therein, the church is not violated thereby; and by a wound that is injuriously given in the church, whereby blood is shed, though the wound should not prove mortal, the church is violated. The second case is, 'si semen voluntarie effundatur intra Templum, etiam si id fiat per copulam conjugalem' the third is, when one that is excommunicated is buried in the church: the fourth, when an infidel is buried in it; in which case the church is not only to be reconciled, but the walls are also to be scraped the fifth is, when the church has been consecrated or blessed by a bishop that was publicly excommunicate; in all which cases the church is to be reconciled, which reconciliation being to be done to a church that was consecrated by a bishop, none but a bishop can perform it but having been only blessed by one, or by a priest, the vicar may perform the reconciliation, according to the form, and with the prayers and ceremonies contained in the Roman ceremonial translated into Syriac; and it is to be observed, that when a church is violated, the churchyard that belongs to it is violated also, if they are not at some distance the one from the other; but when the churchyard is violated in any of the forementioned cases, the church it belongs and is joined to, is not violated thereby. : SESSION DECREE XXXI. THE SICK FORBIDDEN TO LIE IN THE CHURCH. It being of mighty moment that consecrated churches be had in great reverence; and whereas in this diocese it is a common thing for sick people out of devotion to lie in churches with their wives and families for several days, hoping thereby to be cured of their distempers, which cannot be done without many services; wherefore the Synod doth command, that no person whatsoever, though never so sick, do lie in the church with his family, the time of war only excepted, but the sick having performed their devotion, shall lie at home at their own houses, or if they shall desire it may lodge in some houses that are near to the church, or in the porches thereof, but by no means within the church. DECREE XXXII. THE DEAD TO BE BURIED IN HOLY GROUND AND BY A PRIEST. Whereas there is a great neglect in carrying the corpse of those that die in the heaths to the church, which are sometimes buried without a priest, and in unconsecrated earth; wherefore the Synod doth command, that the kindred, or those in whose houses Christians do die, do carry their corpse, how far soever they may live off, near to the church, where the vicars shall go to fetch them, with the cross of the church, and in their surplice and stole, praying all the way they go with the rest of the clergy, and inter them, which all, though never so poor, shall be obliged to do: and if at the time when they bring the corpse they shall meet with no priests in the church, they shall then assemble as many Christians together as conveniently they can, and bury the corpse in the churchyard, praying for their souls with Christian charity: and whosoever shall neglect to bring their dead to the church, and shall bury them in profane ground, shall be severely punished by the bishop. DECREE XXX HOW TO INTER THOSE WHO DIE OF THE SMALL-POX. Whereas the Small-Pox is looked upon in these parts as a VIII. SESSION very dangerous and infectious distemper, for which reason a great many Christians dying thereof are not carried to the church, nor buried in holy ground; therefore the Synod doth very much recommend it to the vicars to take order, that the corpses of such as die of that sickness may be brought with due caution to the church-yard, where they with the rest of the clergy at some distance are to recommend them, and pray for them, as they do for others, and to see them interred: all which Christian charity will teach them to do, according to the obligation of their office. DECREE XXXIV. NO CHURCH IS TO BE DEDICATED TO A SECOND SAINT, WITH- The Synod doth order that no town or village, wherein there is a church dedicated to any saint, shall dedicate the same to any other, or if they do, they shall appoint another Orago, or wake, so as to have two festivals to prevent those emulations that are common in these parts. The Synod also condemns the ignorance of those Christians who imagine that they do an injury to a church, in dedicating a new one in the same country to a different saint, from whence it is that all the churches in the same country are as it were called by the same name, and doth furthermore command, That upon the Orago's of churches where there are sermons, people having no sermon in their own parish, do repair thither, that so there may be no division among churches, to the prejudice of charity and Christian unity, as the Synod is informed there is in many places, all which it is desirous to remove, as not becoming Christians, and for the further service of the church commands fraternities to be erected, but especially for the festivities, by which means such things as are necessary for the church may be greatly advanced. DECREE XXXV. GENTLENESS TO BE USED IN THE CONVERSION OF INFIdels. The Synod doth very much recommend it to the vicars of churches, and other priests to labour much in the conversion of Infidels, and that by just and gentle methods, namely, by the preaching of the Gospel to bring them to the catholic faith, and to omit no opportunity of instructing as well the Naires as the Chegos, or baser sort of people in the knowledge of the truth; but above all, the poor malleans who live in the heaths, who as the Synod is informed, are less wedded to their errors, particularly that of the adoration of idols, and are much better disposed to receive the evangelical doctrine than others; and whensoever any infidel is converted, the priest shall advise the prelate thereof, that he may take such order therein as he shall judge most convenient, and to be most for the service of Christ, earnestly entreating that the conversions that are begun in some parts by the most reverend Metropolitan, may be carried on by the clergy of this diocese, by providing themselves continually of such priests as are fit to advance the same, and wherever there is any considerable number of converts, they shall immediately build churches, and appoint vicars to take the cure of their souls. 665 VIII. SESSION DECREE XXXVI. ALL THE POOR WHO DESIRE IT ARE TO BE BAPTIZED. Whereas the Synod is informed, That the meaner sort of people are much better disposed to receive the faith than the Naires, or nobles, and being extremely desirous to find some way whereby such well disposed people may be made Christians, so as to assemble together with the old Christians, (as why should they not, since they all adore the same God, with whom there is no distinction of persons, and are all of the same faith, and do all use the same sacraments?) and whereas after mature deliberation, and having oftentimes recommended the matter to God, and conferred about the most methods for the effecting of it in the congregations, proper we have not been able to find any that are effectual, by reason of the heathen kings and lords to whom all the Christians in these parts are subject, who, if they should observe that we withdraw their common subjects from their religion, would correspond with us no longer to the loss of the trade and commerce we do at present maintain with them, all which being observed by the Synod, it doth command that if any of the poorer sort of people shall desire to turn Christian, that they be received to baptism, and the prelate shall be advised thereof, that he may give order for the building of distinct churches for them, and may appoint priests to take the cure thereof, that so the meaner sort of people may not have the gate of Christianity and salvation shut against them, as it has been hitherto in this church; and in case they have not a church to themselves, they shall then hear mass without SESSION doors in the porch, until Christ shall provide some better way for them, and the heathen kings shall be brought to allow the mean people that turn Christians to be esteemed as noble, upon the account of the relation that all Christians stand in to one another: and the Synod doth beg it of his majesty, the King of Portugal, that by means of the great power he has in these parts, he would procure this privilege of the kings and lords of Malabar. DECREE XXXVII. ALL TO BE TAUGHT ΤΟ CROSS THEMSELVES FROM LEFT ΤΟ RIGHT. The Synod being desirous that the Church of the Serra, should in all things be conformable to the Latin customs, or holy mother Church of Rome, unto which see she has now yielded a perfect obedience, and whereas in the Roman Church, the custom is to make the sign of the Cross and Blessings from the left to the right, so that in saying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," they put their hand on their forehead, and after that descended to their breast, where after having crossed themselves, they go next to the left shoulder, and from thence to the right, thereby signifying among other mysteries, that by virtue of the cross of Christ the Son of God, we are translated from the left hand, the place of reprobates, to the right, the place of the elect; and the custom of this diocese is to make the said sign from the right to the left; wherefore the Synod doth command that all children and all other people be taught to cross and bless themselves from the left to the right, according to the Latin custom, which shall also be observed by the priests in the blessings they give to the people, and in the crosses they make in the holy sacrifice of the mass, and the administration of the other sacraments. DECREE XXXVIII. BISHOPS TO SEE TO THE EXECUTION OF WILLS. The Synod doth declare, That the execution of last wills lawfully made by deceased Christians does by the canon law belong to prelates and bishops, who are to take care that they be observed; and that whatsoever Christian has made a will that is valid according to the custom of the place, if it is not |