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complied with in a year after the death of the testator, the SESSION bishop shall by censures, and other penalties, if found necessary, constrain the heirs, or others, whose duty it is to fulfil the same.

VIII.

DECREE XXXIX.

BURIAL SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED FOR ALL THAT DIE

PENITENT.

Whereas it often happens that persons dying who were under the scandal of having committed some grievous sin, though never proved upon them, are upon that account denied the prayers, and other offices of the dead, especially if they desired confession, and were confessed at their death, which is contrary to the order and custom of the church, which deprives none of her public prayers, but such as die excommunicate, or in the act of some mortal sin, without having given any sign of contrition: Therefore the Synod doth command, that whatsoever sins one may have committed, if the censure of excommunication was not annexed to them; or unless the person died in the very act of some mortal sin, without giving any sign of contrition, or slowly in his bed, without desiring to be confessed, or to have a priest called to him to that effect, as is appointed by the decrees of the sacrament of penance, they shall pray and perform the office of the dead for him, and bury him in holy ground with the same prayers they do other people.

DECREE XL.

A GENERAL LICENSE GRANTED TO THE JESUITS.

The Synod having thanked the Jesuits of the College of Vaipicotta in this diocese, and of the other residences, for the pains they have been at in instructing the Christians of these parts, does for the greater benefit of the souls of the said Christians, grant license to the said religious, as well of the college, as of their other greater residences to preach and hear confessions, and administer the sacraments in all churches wherever they come, without standing in need of any further license, the sacrament of matrimony only excepted, which it shall not be lawful for them to administer without leave from, or at the request of the parish priests, commanding all vicars and curates of churches, and all the people to receive the said fathers cheerfully, and to entertain them with great kind

VIII.

SESSION ness and thanks, for the great trouble they are at in travelling continually over the mountains only for the salvation of their souls, and rejoice to learn from them how to administer the sacraments, and to have their flocks instructed by them in all such doctrines as are necessary to their souls; and their vicars shall oblige their people to come to church, to hear them, whenever they preach, the Synod being very confident, that the said fathers will exercise all the said functions in great love and charity with the parish, and all the other priests of the church.

DECREE XLI.

THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS TO BE BOUND BY THE CONSTITUTIONS
OF GOA.

Whereas the Constitutions of the Bishopric of Goa have been received in the provincial councils thereof, and have been ordered to be observed through the whole province, of which this church being a suffragan, is obliged by the said councils, and to which this Synod yielding a due obedience, doth command, That in all things that can be observed in this bishopric, or concerning which there is no provision made in this Synod, the said constitutions be kept and obeyed, and doth likewise command, That appeals whensoever made from sentences given in this bishopric to the Metropolitan, such appeals being made in such cases wherein the canons allow them, shall be granted; nevertheless not intending hereby to alter anything in that mild method of the prelate, and four or more persons composing matters amicably to the prevention of many discords; but if the parties shall not submit to such determinations, but will appeal to the Metropolitan, it shall not be denied them, being done in due form.

SESSION IX.

Of the Reformation of Manners.

DECREE I.

ALL SUPERSTITIOUS CUSTOMS TO BE ABOLISHED.

Whereas of all the evil customs that are to be rooted from among the faithful, those are the most dangerous which have

E

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something of the heathen superstition in them, of which this SESSION bishopric is full; therefore the Synod desiring that all such customs were totally extirpated, that so Christians may enjoy Christianity in its purity, doth in order thereunto command, that all superstitious washings which are by some most superstitiously practised as holy ceremonies be utterly abolished, such as the washing of dead corpses the day after they have given a dole, reckoning it a sin to neglect such washings, the making of circles with rice, into which they put the parties that are to be married, having given rice before to children, as also the taking a thread out with great superstition when they cut a web of cloth, and the taking two grains of nele back again, after they have sold and measured it all which heathenish vanities the Synod totally prohibits, commanding all that shall use them hereafter to be severely punished.

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DECREE II.

EXPLAINS IN WHAT CASES CHRISTIANS MAY TOUCH HEATHEN
AND INFERIORS.

Though it would much rejoice the Synod to see the superstitious and absurd customs of the heathen Malavars of the better sort not mixing with the lower, and of having no communication or correspondence with those that have but touched any of them, totally abolished among the Christians of this bishopric; yet forasmuch as the Christians thereof, by reason of their being subject to infidel princes, whom they are forced to obey in all things, wherein the faith is no ways concerned; and that Christians, if they should but touch those of the baser rank, could not after that, according to the laws, have any trade or communication with the better sort of people, and so would not be able to live among them; for which reason the Synod doth declare, That the custom of not touching any of the baser sort, being observed only in compliance with the heathens, and looked upon as a superstitious heathen vanity, and not voluntarily observed, is no superstition, nor for the above-mentioned reasons any matter of scruple, and that Christians may in all places thus lawfully observe it, where there are Naires or any of the better sort, or where it is likely they may be, or may come to hear of it : but in all places where these causes do not concur, or in secret, or among the Portuguese, this superstition cannot be observed without doing a great injury to their consciences; on the contrary, the Synod doth admonish all the faithful to receive all such with great love and charity, though never so

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SESSION poor and mean, and especially if they are Christians, knowing that there is no distinction of persons with God, who is Lord of all and albeit they do not touch the base sort of people upon the forementioned account, yet if they should happen to touch any of them, they shall not wash themselves thereupon, that being a thing that can never come to the knowledge of the heathens, and would therefore be a manifest superstition; those also that will not touch the Naires, or if they should, do wash themselves, which, as the Synod is informed, is what the Christians in the Southern parts do observe, where the forementioned impediment is not among the heathens, who are rather scandalized by such a contemptuous carriage: therefore the Synod doth command all that shall be found guilty of forbearing to touch such, or having touched them, shall wash themselves, to be severely punished as superstitious followers of the heathen customs, and commands the preachers and confessors to admonish them thereof in their sermons and confessions.

DECREE III.

FORBIDS HEATHENISH PURIFICATIONS.

The Synod being informed, that in some parts when any one of the baser sort do but touch the cisterns of Christians, that Christians do Disempolear, or Purify them, by performing certain ceremonies after the manner of the heathens, which is very contrary to the purity of the Christian religion, being an intolerable superstition, doth with great rigour command those that make the said Disempoleamento, or Purification, or use the said ceremonies, to be thrown out of the communion of the church, and to be denied the casture during the prelate's pleasure, or at least for one year, and to be punished with the penalties that such ceremonies do deserve.

DECREE IV.

FORBIDS ATTENDANCE ON HEATHEN FESTIVITIES.

Whereas in the feast of the heathen, called Ona, which is celebrated in August, in which they go out one against another with bows and arrows, and other arms, in which conflicts some are killed, and more wounded; and some Christians, unmindful of their obligations, living among them, and communicating much with them, do go forth with them, and armed as they are to the said feasts, and are thereby liable to

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the same disasters: therefore the Synod doth command all SESSION the faithful Christians of this bishopric, in holy obedience, and upon pain of excommunication, not to presume to resort to this or any other heathen festivity, though there should be no ceremony belonging to a pagod therein; forasmuch as all such feasts are dedicated to the said pagods, and are celebrated and observed to their honour and veneration; which is the rather to be forborne in this of the Ona, by reason of the danger of death that there is probably therein, the heathens superstitiously imagining that all that die in that occasion, go immediately to heaven; but Christians shall only observe their own holy festivities among themselves, and that with a due moderation and decency, as becomes the professors of the law of Christ; without having any thing to do with the superstitious festivals of the heathens, which are dedicated to the honour of the devil, and if any Christian shall die in the said heathen feast, he shall be denied ecclesiastical burial.

DECREE V.

DIRECTIONS FOR WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH.

Faithful Christians must not only avoid the ceremonies and superstitions of the Heathens, but the Judaical rites and ceremonies also, which were all abrogated by the sufficient promulgation of the Gospel; for which reason the Synod, though it doth very much commend the holy custom of carrying children to church forty days after they are born, to offer them to the Lord, in imitation and praise of what was done by our lady the most holy Virgin; nevertheless it condemns the separating of women for the said forty days after the birth of a male, as if they were unclean so as not to suffer them to enter into the church, imagining they would sin in doing it, and eighty days after the birth of a female; both which are Jewish ceremonies, that are now abrogated, and not only useless but prejudicial, and as such, the Synod doth totally prohibit the observance of them; declaring, that if women have health and strength sooner, they shall be obliged to go to church to hear mass upon Sundays and holydays: and after forty days they may, according to their custom, carry their sons to church with devotion, understanding that there is no precept of the church for it, but that it is only a pious devotion of faithful women that are willing to make such an offering of their sons to God in imitation of the most holy Virgin Mary, the mother of God, taking her for the intercessor of the children thus offered to God both for spirituals and temporals.

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