VII. SESSION therefore forbidden the priests by law : it doth likewise prohibit all priests to eat with infidels, whether heathens, Mahometans, or Jews, upon pain of being suspended for four months, from their office and benefice. DECREE XII. REGULATES THE DRESS AND MANNERS OF THE CLERGY. It being convenient that clergymen should always go in a habit different from that of the laity, and in such a one as becomes their function, wherefore the Synod doth command, that no clergymen presume to go abroad in doublets with their skirts flanting out, as has been too customary, or with any open linen but when they shall go into town, or to the church, or when they travel upon the road, they shall wear a white and black, or blue vestment, according to custom, and a hat or bonnet on their heads; neither shall they at any time go disguised, no not at nights, nor when they go a hunting, or fishing and all that shall transgress herein shall be severely punished; neither shall they wash themselves, or if they do, it shall not be in the company of women, according to the custom of the country, it being a thing very unbecoming the gravity of the ministers of the church : and as for their beards, they shall be left to their liberty to do what they shall think fit, only such as are young shall not suffer their beards to grow, but shall still keep them shaved, and they that wear them very long, shall take care to cut off the hair, that grows near their lips, that so they may not be a hinderance to their receiving the blood of the cup in the mass, by being so long as to touch it. DECREE XIII. THE CLERGY NOT TO ENGAGE IN SECULAR BUSINESS. Whereas the apostle St. Paul saith, that the persons that are particularly dedicated to the service of God and the divine worship, ought not to entangle themselves in secular affairs ; for which reason all clerks are by the sacred canons prohibibited to merchandise, a thing very little observed in this diocese, therefore the Synod doth prohibit all the clerks thereof to go upon the public exchange, or to farm any of the revenues, or to be factors or agents, or to farm any contracts singly, or in company or to sell any sorts of merchant goods VII. publicly in their houses, or any sort of victuals, or to bear any SESSION secular office, all that shall transgress herein, shall be most rigorously punished by the prelate, and if they do not reform, shall be suspended from their orders; and such as are Taregas, if they shall not renounce that office within a month, shall not be suffered to enter the church, and shall be suspended from their office and benefice, until such time as they have effectually abandoned it. DECREE XIV. THE CLERGY ALWAYS TO APPEAR IN THEIR CLERICAL HABITS. Whereas several priests in this diocese not having the fear of God or of the church, or of their prelates, before their eyes, and without having a due regard to the high station and dignity they are in, do occupy themselves in secular business and in public merchandise, and that they may do it the more securely, do neither wear the sacerdotal habit, nor the tonsure, nor any manner of crown, but do wear their hair long like the laity therefore the Synod doth command in virtue of obedience, and upon pain of excommunication, that all clerks in holy orders, do wear the habit tonsure and shaved crown, and not long hair after the fashion of the laity; and that whosoever shall transgress herein, shall be declared excommunicate, until they have put on the said habit and tonsure, and shall have their crown shaved as other ecclesiastics. : DECREE XV. NO ECCLESIASTIC TO RECEIVE PAY FOR MILITARY SERVICE. Whereas there are several ecclesiastics, as well cattanars as chamazes, who being unmindful of their obligations, to free themselves from some vexations of infidel kings; or, which is yet more scandalous, to be favoured and protected by such princes against their prelates, that they may not punish them for their faults, do receive pay from the said kings as the natives do, whereby they are obliged to take the field as soldiers, and fight when commanded, which is expressly contrary to the holy canons and ecclesiastical laws: therefore the Synod doth command in virtue of obedience, and upon pain of excommunication to be ipso facto incurred, that no cattanar nor chamaz do from henceforward presume to receive pay from any king as a soldier; and that whosoever shall trans VII. SESSION gress herein, shall be immediately declared excommunicate, and shall not be absolved before they have renounced the said pay, and all the obligations thereof, and have undergone condign punishment for their fault. DECREE XVI. ECCLESIASTICS FORBIDDEN TO MARRY. It having been the universal custom from the beginning of the church, for all that are in holy orders, and especially priests, to keep chastity and continency, as is evident from all the ancient councils, Eastern and Western; and though in the beginning of the Church, as well for the want of priests, as for the making use of several learned men who were married when they turned Christians, but not having been twice married, several who were married were not only consecrated priests, but bishops also; which custom still remains both in the Greek church, and in some that are subject to the apostolical see, by which it is tolerated for just reasons: nevertheless, the church catholic did never consent that priests should marry after they are in orders, but was much rather for having such as were married to leave their wives, that they might serve the better in the holy ministry and whereas in this diocese (which the Synod has taken notice of with great sorrow) through their vile ignorance of the law, and the abounding iniquity of the times, and their having been governed by schismatical prelates, priests have married after they were in orders, nay have taken orders on purpose that they might marry the better, and have frequently married widows, and some have married three or four times, making no account of the impediment of bigamy, so strictly observed in the church from the beginning, but did, notwithstanding that, go on still exercising their function, some few excepted, who after they had been twice married, gave over celebrating and performing all other exercises and ministeries of priests; all which they thought they might do lawfully by virtue of a license granted by their prelates, who notwithstanding they prohibited them to marry upon pain of excommunication, and had declared them excommunicate, did nevertheless absolve them for a sum of money, or upon some Simonaical contract; so that notwithstanding that excommunication, they did all marry and continued in wedlock, reckoning themselves safe in conscience upon their having obtained a license after such 2 Another proof of the ignorance of Menezes and his Jesuits of the Council of Gangres, and of the account given of the Council of Nice, and several others. La Croze, p. 25. : VII. a manner all which being detested by the Synod as the SESSION inventions of the devil, and devised by the covetousness of schismatics, and desiring to restore this church to its due purity, and the usage of the Roman Church, doth command, in virtue of obedience and upon pain of excommunication latæ Sententiæ, that henceforward no clerk in holy orders presume to marry, nor shall any cattanar marry any such, nor shall any presume to be present at any such marriage, nor give council, favour, or assistance thereunto: and whoever shall offend in any of these particulars, must know that they are excommunicate and cursed, and are to be declared as such by the church; and as to those who are already married, the Synod suspends them all, whether married once or oftener, from the ministry of their orders, and all sacerdotal acts, until such time as they have put away their wives effectually, which is what the Synod intreats them in the Lord to do and to those who have been twice married, or have married widows, or women that were publicly dishonest, the Synod doth command all such as being bigamists, and having married contrary to their consciences, as it appears several of them have done, by their giving over thereupon to celebrate, notwithstanding their having obtained a license from their bishop, in virtue of obedience and upon pain of being declared excommunicate, so soon as this decree shall come to their knowledge, to turn off the said women, not only as to bed and board, but so as not to dwell in the same house with them; declaring, that until they have done it they are in mortal sin, and do live in concubinage, such marriages having never been true or valid; but on the contrary, void and of no force neither can any prelate or bishop grant licences in such cases, having no authority to do it, by reason of its being contrary to the rules of the church, that have been always punctually observed, and contrary to the holy general councils received all over the world; and as to those who have been but once married, the Synod will consult the most holy pope and bishop of Rome, that he as prelate and head of the whole Church of God, and master and doctor of the same, may teach and command what ought to be done therein, and whatsoever his holiness shall ordain, shall be punctually observed. DECREE XVII. THOSE WHO PUT AWAY THEIR WIVES ARE ΤΟ BE RESTORED The Synod doth declare, That those priests who as obedient SESSION sons shall follow the advice of the Synod in turning away VII. their wives, may, after they have so done, continue in the exercise of their functions; and if not otherwise hindered, may celebrate, notwithstanding they have been twice married, or may have married widows, since by such weddings not being true marriages, they did not incur the irregularity of bigamy all which the Synod grants out of pure grace, being extremely desirous to have them turn away such women, and out of respect to their ignorance, and the cheat that was put upon them by their prelates, who instead of instructing them better, granted them licences: and whereas all priests that marry are irregular, according to the holy canons, the most illustrious Metropolitan by the ordinary, as well as the apostolical authority, that he has in this church by reason of the see's being vacant, doth dispense with the priests and all the other clergymen in holy orders that shall yield obedience to the Synod, in turning away their wives, and shall desire to continue to officiate, as to the said irregularity which they have incurred, granting them license as to this freely and without scruple, to exercise their orders. DECREE XVIII. WIVES WHO REFUSE TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS TO BE Whereas the wives of priests who are called catatiaras or cattaneiras, have not only the most honourable place in the church for their being such, and are the more reverenced, but do moreover partake of the profits of the churches wherein their husbands ministered equally with the surviving priests, and have sometimes a greater share of them than any of the priests, by reason of the seniority and preeminence that their husbands had in the church; therefore the Synod doth ordain, That such of them as do not from henceforward depart from their husbands, shall receive no such benefit: but if obeying the admonition of the Synod they shall leave their husbands, they shall then immediately receive their proportion as an alms to help to sustain them and their families, and shall enjoy the same place and honour in the church, and every where else which they did before. DECREE XIX. THAT SONS OF ECCLESIASTICS BORN BEFORE THIS SYNOD, be ELIGIBLE AFTER. The Synod doth declare, That notwithstanding it has re |