fore they have complyed with this Obligation, concerning which they fhall make diligent Enquiry. The Synod doth furthermore command, That all Marriages be celebrated in the Church, and that the Parish-Prieft do not accommodate himself to the negligence of thofe who do not care to be feen to marry in the Church; but declaring withall that wherefoever Matrimony is celebrated, if it be done by a Parish-Priest, and in the prefence of two Witneffes, it is true and valid, tho' the Parish-Prieft ought not to Marry any out of the Church, but upon very urgent Reafons.

T

Decree VI.

Here have been always in the Church, even under the Old Law prohibited degrees of Kindred, within which Matrimony was not to be celebrated, and being celebrated, was null; and that not only as to fuch as were prohibited by a Divine Natural Law,as betwixt Perfons in the first degree, and betwixt Brothers and Sisters, but as to others alfo who are prohibited by a Divine pofi tive Law; wherefore the Synod doth declare, that the degrees at this time prohibited in the Church, without which Matrimony cannot be celebrated without a Difpenfation, and being celebrated, is void, are only to the fourth de gree inclufive of Confanguinity, and of Affinity only to the fecond degree, as first Coufins, fecond Coufins, third Coufins, fourth Coufins, by

Fa

Father and Mother, and the fame degrees are prohibited in the Kindred of Affinity, betwixt the Kinsfolk of the Husband and Wife, with whom either of the Parties have been Married ; and befides, that the Kindred in the first and fecond degree only with fuch, or of those with whom either of the Parties have at any time had unlawful Carnal Knowledge, beyond which degrees there are no other of Carnal Kindred that can hinder Matrimony, but in all these that have been mentioned, all Marriages that are made, are null, and of no force, and all thofe that have Married fo, do live in the Mortal Sin of foul Fornication: but if any upon juft and reasonable accounts shall defire to Marry within any of these degrees that are prohibited only by a positive Law, they must have recourfe to the Holy Apo

Recourfe. The Church of Rome feems to have multiplicd prohibitions in Matrimonial mat ters for no other end, but to get the more Money by Difpenfations. In Romana Curia, faith Di dacus Abulenfis, adeo frequentes difpenfationes ad Matrimonia contrabenda inter Confanguineos, HI Juris Canonici prohibitiones bac in parte nullis fint impedimento, nifi his qui pauperes funt, nec patrimonium habent unde poffint aliquam fummain pro obtinenda difpenfatione erogare. I have a rate by me of Matrimonial Difpenfations, which is too long to be here in ferted. I had it from a Proteftant Merchant, who upon re

ceiving the rated fumm in Portugal, had the Difpenfation difpatched at Rome, and fent to him by the Jews that live there, who by reafon of their general Correfpondence, have in a manner ingroffed the whole trade of Difpenfations, fo little is the honour of Chriftianity regarded by fome People, where it clasheth with conveniencies. Ema nuel King of Portugal, with a difpenfation Married two Sifters, notwithstanding his having had a Son by the firft; and I knew a Nobleman in a certain Popish Country that was both Uncle and firft Coufin co his Wife.

ftolick See for a Difpenfation, or to their Prelate, having power from the faid See to do it, declaring the degree of Kindred wherein they defire to be difpenfed, together with the Caufes why they do defire it, in which the Prelate fhall do what he fhall judge convenient in the Lord, and fo the Prelate being impowered by the Holy See to do it, fhall do it gratis, without taking any thing for the difpenfation, tho' the Parties. of their own accord fhould offer to pay him for it.

Efides the Carnal Kindred of Confanguinity and Affinity, which hinders Matrimony in certain degrees, there is also another fort of Kindred that does the fame, which is called Spiritual Kindred, and is contracted in Baptism betwixt the Godfather and Godmother, and the Child that is Baptized, and the Parents of the faid Child, and in Confirmation or Chrism betwixt those who offer and prefent the Perfon that is confirmed, as was ordered in the Decrees, of Baptifm and Confirmation; which Spiritual Kindred of Godfathers and Godmothers, and Goffips, does fo hinder the celebration of Matrimony, that without a Difpenfation from the Apoftolick See, or from fome authorized by the Pope to that purpose, the Matrimony is null, and of no force, all that live therein living in Fornication, and a state of Damnation; and if any that

are

are thus a kin have a mind to marry together, they fhall preferr a Petition, as they fhall be directed hereafter, but are to know that the Church does very feldom or never, but for weighty Caufes difpenfe in Cafes of Spiritual Affinity.

W

.

Decree VIII.

Hereas hitherto the prohibited degrees, and the reservation of dispensing with the fame to the Apoftolical See, has not been understood in this Diocess, the Prelates thereof having difpenfed in all degrees, prohibited only by a pofitive Law, without having had Authority for what they did, fo that great numbers by virtue of fuch Difpenfations, have lived many Years in a Married Estate, without any fcruple concerning what was granted by their Prelates; for which reafon the Synod for the greater fecurity of the Confciences of fuch People has thought fit that the moft Reverend Metropolitan fhould difpenfe with them in all the faid degrees, by virtue of the Apoftolick Authority granted to him in these parts to that effect, and particularly by the brief of Gregory the XIII. of glorious Memory, obtained at the inftance of the Jefuits, and confirmed by our Holy Father Clement the VIII, at this time prefiding in the Church of God; wherefore for the quieting of the Confciences of fuch as have been Married with the forementioned Difpenfations, the faid Lord with the approbation of the Fathers of the Society,

doth

doth by the Authority of the faid Brief, effectually difpenfe in all and every one of the faid degrees of Spiritual as well as Carnal Kindred and Affinity, which are prohibited only by a pofitive Law, and with all Persons who have Married within the fame with fuch difpenfations fo far as of right can or ought to be done, as much as if they were here particularly named; commanding them for the further fecurity of their Consciences to be Married again privately in their Houses, or elsewhere, as they fhall judge most convenient, by any Priest they please, there being two Witneffes prefent, according to the form of the Holy Council of Trent: And the Synod doth command that henceforward fuch Difpenfations be not granted any otherwise than in form of the Briefs of the Holy Apoftolick See in these parts to that effect, declaring all that fhall be granted otherwife to be null, and of no force; and the Marriages that are celebrated, by virtue of them, to be void, and the Parties not to be Married.