any that have children of their own; or in case they have none, yet it shall be declared in the olla, That if they shall afterwards happen to have any, that the said olla shall be void to all intents and purposes; by which means the great injustices that are now so common in this diocese will be prevented. DECREE XXIII. CHRISTIANS DESIRED TO DWELL TOGETHER IN VILLAGES. The Synod being desirous to have all the Christians of this diocese to live together in villages, by reason of the great inconveniences they are under that live in the heaths, as well by reason of the great communication they must have with infidels, as for wanting opportunities of going to church, and sacraments, whereby they are kept in ignorance of Christianity, doth in order thereunto very earnestly recommend it to all Christians that live in heaths, to do all they are able, either to come and live in some village, or to build new villages with churches, that so they may live more civilly, and be separated from the communication of infidels, and be the better instructed in the customs of our holy catholic faith, recommending it earnestly to the vicars to persuade their sheep thereunto, for the spiritual profit they will receive thereby which the prelate shall also endeavour to effect with all his power. : DECREE XXIV. DESIRES THE KING OF PORTUGAL TO TAKE THE CHRISTIANS The Synod having taken into consideration the manifold injustices, oppressions and grievances wherewith infidel kings and governors do often treat the Christians of this bishopric; and that out of enmity to our holy catholic faith, and observing the necessity they are in of defence and protection, doth with great instance desire, That his Majesty the King of Portugal would be graciously pleased to take all the Christians of this bishopric under his favour and protection, he being the only Christian king or lord in all these oriental parts; and the Christians of this diocese shall on their parts be ready at all times to sacrifice their lives to their holy catholic faith, the preservation of Christianity, and the defence of Christians, which they shall be always prepared to do with their lives and fortunes; beseeching the most reverend Metropolitan, President of this Synod, to present this their petition to his majesty, and to let him know how ready all the Christians of this bishopric are to serve him. DECREE XXV. ORDERS ALL VICARS TO HAVE A COPY OF THESE DECREES, Whereas in this Synod, matters pertaining to our holy catholic faith, the holy sacraments of the church, the reformation of affairs thereof, and the customs of Christian people have been handled; the Synod doth command all vicars of churches not to fail to have all its decrees transcribed from the original Malabar, and to have a copy thereof in all their churches, signed by the reverend the Archdeacon of this diocese, and the Rector of the College of Vaipicotta, and upon every Sunday and holy day, when there is no sermon or no lecture upon the Catechism set forth by the most reverend Metropolitan, that a portion of this Synod be read to the people; but on the seasons when the said Catechism is ordered to be read, it shall be read on Sundays, and the Synod upon holy days, that so all that is decreed therein may come to the knowledge of the people, and may be remembered and observed by them; the original of the said Synod being signed by the most reverend Metropolitan and all the other members thereof, shall be put in the archives of the Jesuits' College of Vaipicotta in this diocese, from whence so many copies as shall be thought necessary, shall be transmitted to the churches; there shall also be another original signed by the most reverend Metropolitan, the archdeacon, and other members, kept in the archives of the church of Angamale, called the Archbishop's see, that all copies may at all times be corrected according to either of those originals; and the Synod doth furthermore recommend it to all vicars, priests, and curates, and to all and every Christian of this diocese, and commands them all in the Lord to conform themselves to the Decrees of this Diocesan Synod, and so far as is in their power, to observe and cause them to be observed inviolably, and to govern themselves by them in all things; which the Synod is confident they will do with the help of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who liveth and reigneth for ever. Amen." N.B. The congratulatory letter of the Bishop of Cochin, and the Synod's answer, referred to at page 132, Note 7, give no additional information to what is contained in the foregoing Decrees. It is deemed expedient, therefore, to omit them, as their insertion could serve little purpose but to increase the bulk of this volume. SESSION IX. APPENDIX B. Book IV. CHAP. I. PAGE 94. The following Litany and prayers to the Virgin Mary are copied from the Romish offices referred to at p. 94, and given in a small work, entitled - The Church of Rome-The Apostasy, &c. By William Cunninghame, Esq. pp. 7-15. "In the Romish Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer, edited by the Rev. Peter Gandolphy, and printed in London in the year 1812, there is a Litany in honour of the Virgin Mary, which is commonly called the Litany of Loretto, from which I extract the following passage:'— "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all danger, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.' "The rest of this Litany, with the exception of a few petitions addressed to God, and our Lord, is as follows. The texts of Scripture which are placed opposite to the various expressions of praise, are copied from the Roman Prayer-book, and seem to be intended as authorities for the language used. 1 "The Liturgy here quoted is entitled, Liturgy, or a Book of Common Prayers, and Administration of the Sacraments, with other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, for the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In this title, it is evidently implied, that all Protestants who reject this Book of Prayer with abhorrence as idolatrous, are not Christians. And yet there are persons with such facts before their eyes, who imagine that the popery of the present day is essentially improved." "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever blessed and glorious Virgin. "Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.' "I shall quote from the same Romish Prayer-book "a thanksgiving in honour of the Patron Saint of the place where we dwell. O Lord, who by an effect of thy singular bounty towards the inhabitants of this place, has given us St. N. as a special patron, 66 6 vouchsafe to accept the most humble thanks we can offer to thee for so great an act of thy tender charity; and in consideration of that favour which he enjoys with thee, and his earnest intercessions for us, preserve us from all misfortunes and accidents, and especially from all sin-" And thou, great Saint, vouchsafe to make us every day experience the powerful effects of thy protection, and after procuring for us from our Lord, the grace of leading a truly Christian life, obtain for us the special grace of dying a holy death, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. Amen.' "The following specimens of Romish Idolatry from the Primer or Office of the Virgin, seem to exceed in blasphemy even what has already been laid before the reader. "1. O gloriosa Virginum, 10. Et aula lucis fulgida. Qui natus es de Virgine, 15. Cum Patre et Spiritu In sempiterna sæcula. O glorious Virgin, exalted in the stars, thou nourishest with thy milky breast the little one that created thee: That which sad Eve took away, thou restorest in thy gracious offspring. Thou openest the gates of heaven that the mourners may enter the heavens (stars) Thou art the gate of the great King, and the shining palace of light. Ye Redeemed nations, clap your hands, that life is given by a VIRGIN. Jesus, to thee be glory who wast born of a Virgin, with the Father and the gracious Spirit through eternal ages.' 66 Now, if this be not abominable idolatry, let the Romanists show wherein the worship of the heathen goddesses Juno and Minerva and Venus, and of the Queen of Heaven, to whom women of Israel baked cakes, did constitute the sin of idolatry. I shall give extracts from two other prayers to the Virgin in the Latin Office. 66 6 Obsecro, te Domina sancta Maria, Mater Dei,' &c. "I beseech thee, O holy Lady Mary, Mother of God, most full of pity, daughter of the supreme King-mother most glorious— mother of orphans-the consolation of the afflicted-the way of those who go astray-the salvation of all who hope in thee-a |