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omnium capite requirantur,ea morum correctio atque inftitutio quæ à subditis exigenda est: præfertim verò illud eft ab eo poftulandam, ac denique fummopere perendum, ne in curia Romana ofcitanter tot contractus Simoniaci, tot manifefia fraudes,

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tot adverfus naturalia & Divina jura fcelera, palam in totius orbis fcandalum permittantur; id enim adeo jam in aminium aures devenit, ut à nemine, nifi is prorfus à fenfu alienus judicari cupiat, taceri poffit.

Decree XI.

The Sentence of Excommunication being the laft and most rigorous punishment of the Church, and which for that reafon ought not to be inflicted but with great Caution and Confideration, the Synod doth therefore condemn the facility wherewith it has been used in this Diocefs upon very flight and impertinent occafions, commanding it not to be inflicted hereafter, but for weighty causes, and with great confideration, and never by word of mouth, but always in Writing. The Synod doth likewife condemn what has been formerly commanded in this Bifhoprick, which was, that in certain Cafes Penitents were not to be abfolved, but at the hour of Death, and in fome not their neither, which is contrary to Chriftian Charity, and the Rules of the Church, who as a Pious Mother at all times receives true Penitents, and never fhuts the Gates of Salvation against any of her Children: So that let their Crimes be never fo enor mous, yet upon their doing Penance, and ex- preffing a deep forrow for their Sins, and yielding the fatisfaction that is impofed upon them, they are graciously received, and made free at T3

leaft

leaft in the Internal or Sacramental Court: But being there is no other punishment in this Church, by reafon of its being under Kings that are Infidels, beyond that of Excommunication or Exclufion from the Church, fome who are abfolved, in the Internal Court may ftill continue excommunicate in the External, fo as not to be permitted to enter the Church; and tho' the Priests may go to their Houses, they fhall not give them the Cafture, until fuch time as the Prelate fhall order it to be done, having a regard to the heinoufnefs of their Crimes, and the length of time from the Commiffion of them, that by this means the facility wherewith the Chriftians of this Diocefs commit feveral Crimes, namely Murther, and the Ceremonies of the Taliconum may be removed.

Decree XII.

Orafmuch as the Ignorance of Confeffors is the deftruction of Penitents, and thorow the Error of the Key, there is nothing done, and it being known to the Synod that in this Diocefs there are many Confeffors that are fuch Idiots, as not to know what they do in Confeffion, all the Priests exercifing themselves therein without ever having been examined as to their fufficiency; it doth therefore command, that from henceforward no Prieft fhall prefume to hear Confeffions without being Licensed thereunto in writing by the Prelate, which License shall not

be

be granted to any, but what have been first examined by Learned Perfons, as to their fufficiency for fuch an Employment, and until fuch time as this Church is provided of Prelates to regulate all fuch matters to the best of their understanding, the Synod doth commit the Examination and Approbation to the Fathers of the Society of Jefus, of the College of Vaipicotta, upon

'grua fuftentacion lo mismo hazen
'ein la nueva Espana, quanto mas
C corre er tiempo, tanto mas crece
eldano legan ya con la navaia
hafta el hueffo. That is, In the
Provinces of Peru, the Cathedrals
have complained theje 70 Years of
the Jefuits robbing them of their
Tithes, by their valt purchases, they
hold their Tongues, and go on purcha-
fing Eftares, without any noise,
thereby stripping the Bishops of their
Rents, the poor of their Alms, and
the Chapter of a convenient main-
tenance; they do the fame in New
Spain, and tow evil has gone on in-
creafing daily, so that they are now
come to the bone with their Rafr.
'Revego a Dios, faith the fame
Bishop, Que ne fean las pintas
de un tabardillo peligrofiffimo,
que neceffire de fercurado en
algunos hijos defta Religion por-
lamano del pontifice fumo com
repitidas fangrias de tanto poder;
And I pray God that these things be
not the spots" of a most dangerous
malignant Feavour, not to be cured
in some of the Sons of that Religion,
any other ways than by repeated bleed-
ings from the Chief Pontiff.

Fathers. This is what the Bishops and other Orders in the Church of Rome complain of fo much, that the Jefuits every where in the Indies ingrofs all ju risdiction and Advantages to themfelves. Of their ingroffing all to themselves to the exclufion of all other orders in China, Japan, and the other parts of the Eaft Indies, we have large complaints in the Apologies of Diego Collado a Dominican, and in the Letter of Father Luis Sotela, a Francifcan, written to Urban VIII. and as to the Weft Indies, Bithop Pallabox in his Defence of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction against the Jefuirs, who had worryed him out of his Archbishoprick,after twenty more fuch charges, fayeth, En las 'provincias del Peru ha fetenta fe quez an las Catheannos que 'drales, de que las Religiofos de la 'Compania com immoderadiffi'mos adquifciones les defpoian de los diesmos, ellos callando y paf'fando y comprando, haziendos con grandiffima paz y filencio van defnudando a los ocifpos de fus rencas, a los pohes de fu fo'corro, a los Cabildas de fu con

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whose Examination and Approbation, and a Li-` cence granted by the Governour whom the most Illuftrious Metropolitan will leave in this Bishoprick, the Priests may hear Confeffions with the limitations expreffed in the faid Licences, and all fuch as are at prefent Confeffors, shall be examined by order of the Lord Metropolitan at his next Vifitation and fuch of the Clergy as fhall be made Parish Priefts, or Vicars, shall be first examined, and approved of in the fame form to be Confeflors, that fo fuch as are not qualified to be Confeffors may not be admitted Vicars, whofe precife Obligation it is to confefs their Sheep: And all Confeffors that are not approved of by the faid Lord Metropolitan in the form aforefaid, this. Synod doth fufpend from the Office of Confeffor till fuch time as they fhall be effectually examined and allowed of, and if Prieft, which God forbid, fhall be found hearany ing Confeflions without fuch a Licence, except in the cafe of danger of Death, and where no Confeffor is to be had, he fhall be fufpended from his Office and Benefice for a Year, and be further punished according to the degree of his Contumacy, and the Penitents fhall be admonifhed to confefs themselves again to some approved Confeffor,

Decree

Decree XIII.

reafon of the great want there is of know

Bing and able Confeffors in this Bishoprick,

the Synod for the fake of the Sheep thereof doth approve of all fuch Confeffors as understand the Malabar Tongue, and are Licensed Confeffors in any other Diocefs, of whom alfo the Prelate may make ufe for the affiftance of the ParishPriests in Lent, where it shall be judged neceffary, and especially of the Priests of this Diocess refiding at Cochim.

Decree XIV.

He Synod doth grievously condemn the Τ Tsacrilegious Ignorance of thofe Priefts,

who when they have confeffed any at the command of the Prelate, or of any other by whom they are authorized, after having heard the Sins of their Penitents, do carry them to the faid Prelate, to be abfolved by him in the Sacramental Court; which was what happened to the most Illuftrious Metropolitan in these parts; the Synod doth therefore teach and declare, That none can abfolve the Penitent in the Sacramental Court, but the Prieft only that heard his Sins for whereas he is the Judge, it is he that ought to pass sentence and abfolve, in conformity to what he has heard confeffed, the contrary being a grofs and manifeft Error. Decree

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