Storia do Mogor 366.4.6

366.4.6

Although the Lord Bishop of San Thomé knew exceedingly well that lying is prohibited — ' Mendacium fugies ' — that robbery is not allowed — ' Non furtum facies ' — and that before God we are under an obligation to do justice to those seeking it — ' Facite justitiam coram Deo' — instead of casting forth the reverend Jesuit fathers from our mission which they had robbed us of, and that by a lie they told in alleging the order of His Most Christian Majesty, a thing that had never entered that monarch's thoughts, his Lordship gives them new authority and walks in their footsteps. He declares we have published the decrees without his order, after he had given it us by word of mouth and in writing. He informs many secular persons that his word may be relied on, yet he afterwards goes from it. First he wrote to the Reverend Father Michel Ange that he had given our mission to the reverend Jesuit fathers solely at the instance of the [Director-] General Martin, who had assured him that such was the intention of his Majesty. Now he writes that he has no recollection of ever having said this, we having demonstrated to him that the order of his Majesty had been falsely alleged. Again he wrote to the said father [Michel Ange] that he could prosecute his rights wherever he liked, that he (the Bishop) could not complain of that. Then, when his Holiness and the Sacred Congregation have given judgment in our favour, he writes that he does not remember having ever said the above words.