MarginaliaThe fourth article of the Bohemians, with the declaration from the councell.As concernyng the last Article expressed vnder these woordes: it is not lawfull for the Christen clergy, in the tyme of the law of grace, to haue dominion ouer temporall goodes: wee remember that in the solemne disputation holden in the sacred Councell, hee whiche was appoynted by the Councel to dispute, propounded two cōclusions in this sort.

MarginaliaTemporall possessions in the Clergye mens handes.First, that such of the clergy as were not religious, and had not bound thē selues therunto by a vow, might lawfully haue and possesse any temporall goodes, as the inheritaunce of his father or any other, if it be left vnto him, or any other goods iustly gotten by meanes of any gift or other lawful contract, or els some lawfull arte.

MarginaliaThe papistes stand hard for their temporall lordships.The second conclusion: the Churche may lawfully haue and possesse temporall goods moueable and vnmouable, houses, landes, townes, and villages, castles and Cities, and in them haue a priuate and ciuill dominion. Your Ambassadour which disputed agaynst hym graūted those conclusions, saying that they did not impugne the sense of his Article beyng well vnderstande, for so much as he vnderstandeth hys Article, of ciuill dominion formally ment. Wherby, and also by other things, it may be vnderstand, that those words, to haue secular dominion expressed in the foresayd Article, semeth to be referred to some special maner or kinde of dominion. But for somuch as, the doctrine of the churche is not to be intreated vpon by any ambiguous or doubtfull woordes, but fully and plainely: therefore we haue thought good more playnly to expresse that, whiche accordyng to the law of God, & the doctrine of the holy doctours, is vniuersally to be beleued: that is to say, the two aforesayd conclusions to be true. And also that the clergy ought faithfully to distribute the goods of the Church, whose administratours they are, accordyng to the decrees of the holy fathers: and that the vsurpation of the administratiō of the Church goodes, done by any other then by them, vnto whom the administration is Canonically committed, can not be without gilt of sacrilege.

Thus the sacred Councell (sayd they) hath diligently gone about accordyng to the veritie of the Gospell, all ambiguitie set a part, to expounde the true sense of the thre foresaid Articles. Wherfore, if there do yet remain any doubt according to the informatiō whiche we haue receiued in the sacred Councell, wee are ready by Gods helpe (who is the principall veritie) to declare the truth vnto you. If ye do receyue and embrace the declaration of the sayd three Articles, whiche is grounded vpon the veritie of the holy Scripture, as you are boūd, and will effectually haue a pure, simple, and perfecte vnitie, touchyng the libertie of the cōmunion vnder bothe kyndes, whiche you desire and require, whiche also you can not lawfully haue wythout the licence of holye churche: we haue authoritie from the generall Councell, by certeine meanes, to intreat and conclud with you, trustyng that you will shewe your selues as you will continue.

MarginaliaThe Bohemiās take a deliberation of the fourth article.These thynges thus declared, after the Bohemians had taken deliberation, they sayd that they would gyue no aunswere vnto the premisses, before they vnderstood what should be offred them as touchyng the communion. Wherefore it shalbe necessary to declare the mater, as it was written in forme folowyng.

MarginaliaA declaration of the councell touching the fourth article, of the communion.In the name of God and our sauiour Iesus Christ, vpon the Sacrament of whose moste blessed last supper we shall intreate, that he whiche hath institute this most blessed Sacrament of vnitie and peace, will vouchesafe to worke this effect in vs, to make vs that we may be one in the said Lord Iesu our head, and that he will subuert all the subtilties of the deuill, whiche thorowe hys enuious craftynes, hath made the Sacrament of peace and vnitie, an occasion of warre and discorde, that whilest Christians do contende touchyng the maner of communicatyng, they bee not depriued of the fruite of the communion. Wherupon S. Augustin in his sermon vpō in-fantes, in þ^e decrees De cons. distinct 2. Quia passus, saith thus: MarginaliaConsecrat. dist. 2. quia passus.So the Lord Iesu Christ certified vs and wylled, that we should apperteine vnto hym, and cōsecrated the mistery of our peace and vnitie vpon the table. He that receiueth the misterie of vnitie, & doth not kepe the bond of peace, dothe not receiue a misterie for him selfe, but a testimonie agaynst him selfe. This wee thought good aboue all thynges to bee premised, that the generall custome of the Churche, whiche your fathers and you also in tymes past haue obserued, hath a long tyme had & stil vseth, that they whiche do not consecrate, communicate onely vnder the kinde of bread. Whiche custome beyng lawfully brought in by the Churche and holy fathers, & nowe a long tyme obserued, it is not lawfull to reiect, or to chaunge at your will and pleasure, without the authoritie of the churche. MarginaliaThis is to set vp the churche aboue the scripture.Therefore to chaunge the custome of the Churche, and to take in hand to communicate vnto the people vnder both kyndes, without the authority of holy church, is altogether vnlauful. For holy church vpon reasonable occasions, may graunt libertie to communicate vnto the people vnder both kyndes. And euery cōmunion which, being attempted without the authoritie & licence of þ^e church, should be vnlawfull, when it is done w^t the authoritie of holy church, shalbe lawfull, if other thinges let it not, we say if other things let it not: because (as þ^e Apostle saith) he þ^t eateth & drincketh vnworthely, eateth & drinketh his own dampnatiō. Whereupon saint Isidore in the second Distinct. vppon the consecration writeth thus: MarginaliaThe holy communiō requireth amendmēt of lyfe.They whiche lyue wickedly and cease not dayly to cōmunicate in the churche, thinkyng thereby to be clensed, let them learne, þ^t it doth nothyng at all profite them to the clēsing of their sinnes. And Saint Augustine in the same distinction sayth, holy thinges may hurt the euill, for vnto the good they are saluation, but vnto the euill damnation. There are beside this, manye other authorities. MarginaliaHoly things nothing profite the wicked.The Apostle Iudas was amongest them whiche did first communicate, but for somuch as he receyued vnworthely, hauyng þ^e sinne of treason in his hart, it did profite him nothyng, but the deuil by & by exercised more þ^e power and authority ouer hym. This is declared by a great reasō: MarginaliaThe reuerent receauing of the sacrament.Which of you is it, þ^t if you should receiue your Lorde into your house, would not with all diligence and care, studye to make cleane and adorne his house, that hee may receaue hys Lord honestly? much more he that shall receaue his Lord and Sauiour into the house of his soule, ought diligently to make cleane and decke his soule, to clense it by the Sacrament of penaunce, with sorrowe and contricion of harte, humbly, purely & truely confessyng his sinnes, and receuyng dew satisfaction and penaunce, to adorne and decke the same with the purple or riche aray of deuotion, that the harte beyng so purged and adorned with feruent desire, he may come to that most holy Sacrament, wherby God reconcileth all þ^e world vnto him.

Wherfore, the most sacred Synode admonisheth, exhorteth, and commaundeth, that all Priests should diligently exhorte and admonishe the people, and that they should vse all their care and indeuour, that no mā come to that most blessed Sacrament, except he be duely prepared with great reuerence & deuotion, lest that which is receaued for the saluation of the soule, redound to the condempnation, thorow the vnworthy receuing therof.

MarginaliaReceyuing vnder one kynd, for auoyding two perils.Moreouer, doctours do say that the custome of communicatyng vnto the people, onely vnder the kynde of bread, was reasonably introduced by the Churche and holy fathers, for reasonable causes, specially for the auoydyng of. ij. perils: of errour and vnreuerence. Of errour, as to thinke that the one part of Christes body wer in the bread, and the other part in the cup, whiche were a great errour. Of vnreuerence, for so much as many thynges may happen, as wel on the part of the minister, as on the part of the receauer: MarginaliaErrour grounded vpō errour.As it is sayd that it happened when as a certaine priest, cariyng the Sacramēt of