receive Pay from the faid Kings as the Natives do, whereby they are obliged to take the Field as Souldiers, and Fight when commanded, which is exprefly contrary to the Holy Canons and Ecclefiaftical Laws: Therefore the Synod doth command in virtue of obedience, and upon pain of Excommunication to be ipfo facto incurred, That no Caffanar nor Chamaz do from henceforward prefume to receive pay from any King as a Souldier; and that whofoever fhall tranfgrefs herein, shall be immediately declared Excommunicate,and shall not be Abfolved before they have renounced the faid pay, and all the obligations thereof, and have undergone condign punishment for their fault.

Decree XVI.

T 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 tho' in the beginning of the Church, as well for the want of Priests, as for the making use of feveral Learned Men who were Married when they turned Chriftians, but not having been twice Married, feveral who were Married were not only confecrated Priests but Bishops alfo; which custom still remains both in the Greek Church, and in fome that are fubject to the Apoftolical See, by which it is tolerated for just Reasons: Nevertheless the Church Catholick did never consent that Priests should Marry after

they are in Orders, but was much rather for having fuch as were Married to leave their Wives, that that they might ferve the better in the Holy Ministry: And whereas in this Diocess (which the Synod has taken notice of with great forrow) through their vile ignorance of the Law, and the abounding iniquity of the Times, and their having been governed by Schifmatical 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 fome have Married three or four times, making no account of the impediment of Bigamy, fo ftrictly observed in the Church from the beginning, but did, notwithstanding that, go on ftill exercifing their Function, fome few excepted, who after they had been twice Married, gave over celebrating and performing all other Exercifes and Ministeries of Priefts; all which they thought they might do lawfully by virtue of a Licence granted by their Prelates, who notwithstanding they prohibited them to Marry upon pain of Excommunication, and had declared them Excommunicate, did nevertheless Abfolve them for a fum of Money, or upon fome Simonaical contract; fo that notwithstanding that Excommunication, they did all Marry and continued in Wedlock, reckoning themselves fafe in Confcience upon their having obtained a Licence after fuch a manner: All which being detefted by the Synod as the inventions of the Devil, and deviled by the covet

oufnefs

oufnefs of Schifmaticks, and defiring to reftore this Church to its due purity, and the ufage of the Roman Church, doth command, in virtue of obede and upon pain of Excommunication late Sententia, that henceforward no Clerk in Holy Orders prefume to Marry, nor fhall any Caffanar Marry any fuch, nor shall any prefume to be prefent at any fuch Marriage, nor give Council, Favour, or Affiftance thereunto: And whoever shall offend in any of these particulars, must know that they are Excommunicate and Curfed, and are to be declared as fuch by the Church; and as to those who are already Married, the Synod fufpends them all, whether Married once or oftner, from the Miniftery of their Orders; and all Sacerdotal Acts, until fuch 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 publickly difhoneft, the Synod doth command all fuch as being Bigamifts, and having Married contrary to their confciences, as it appears feveral of them have done, by their giving over thereupon to Celebrate, notwithstanding their having obtained a Licence from their Bishop, in virtue of obedience and upon pain of being declared Excommunicate, fo foon as this Decree fhall come to their knowledge, to turn off the faid Women, not only as to Bed and Board, but fo as not to dwell in the fame House with them; declaring, that until they

have done it they are in Mortal Sin, and do live in Concubinate, fuch 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 fuch cafes, having no Authority to do it, by reafon of its being contrary to the Rules of the Church, that have been always punctually obferved, and contrary to the Holy general Councils received all over the World; and as to thofe who have been but once Married, the Synod will confult 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 fame, may teach and command what ought to be done therein, and whatsoever his Holinefs fhall ordain, shall be punctually observed.

THe

Decree XVII.

He Synod doth declare, That those Priests who as obedient Sons fhall follow the advice of the Synod in turning away their Wives, may, after they have fo done, continue in the exercise of their Functions; and if not otherwife hit.dered, may Celebrate, notwithstanding they have been twice Married, or may have Married Widows, fince by fuch Weddings not being true Marriages, they did not incurr the irregularity of Bigamy: All which the Synod grants out of pure Grace, being extreamly defirous to have them turn away fuch Women, and

out

out of refpect 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 Priefts that Marry are Irregular, according to the Holy Canons, the most Illuftrious Metropolitan by the Ordinary, as well as the Apoftolical Authority, that he has in this Church by reafon of the See's being vacant, doth difpenfe with the Priefts and all the other Clergy-men in Holy Orders that fhall. yield obedience to the Synod, in turning away their Wives, and shall defire to continue to officiate, as to the faid irregularity which they have incurred, granting them Licence as to this freely and without fcruple, to exercise their Orders.

W

Decree XVIII.

Hereas the Wives of Pricfts who are cal

led Catatiaras or Caffaneiras, have not only the most Honourable place in the Church for their being fuch, and are the more reverenced, but do moreover partake of the profits of the Churches wherein their Husbands miniftred equally with the furviving Priefts, and have fometimes a greater fhare of them than any of the Priests, by reafon of the Seniority and Preheminence that their Husbands had in the Church; therefore the Synod doth ordain, That fuch of them as do not from henceforward depart from their Husbands, fhall receive no fuch benefit : but if obeying the admonition of the Synod they

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