V. this divine sacrament, because by virtue of those words, he SESSION turneth the substance of bread into the substance of the body of Christ, and the whole substance of the wine into his blood, there remaining nothing of bread and wine after that, but only the accidents or species of them; and that after such a manner, that the whole of Christ's body and soul, and divinity, are contained under every particle of both, though never so small when separated; so that in every crumb of the host, though never so small, there is Christ entire, and in every drop of the species of wine that is separated there is Christ entire, so that in each of the species whole Christ, God and man is received, as also the true sacrament; for which reason holy mother church does not use to communicate the faithful but under one species, because in that they receive Christ entire. To this Divine sacrament the worship, veneration and adoration of Latria is due, or the same that is due to God who is contained therein, and is really present there. The effect that this sacrament worketh on the souls of those that receive it worthily, is the union of the man with Christ, and by it, through grace, the man is incorporated into Christ, and joined to his members moreover by this sacrament, grace is increased in all such as receive it worthily, so that whatever effects carnal eating and drinking work upon a man his corporal life, the same are wrought upon man by this divine sacrament as to a spiritual life. : as to DECREE I. WHEN THE EUCHARIST IS TO BE SPECIALLY CELEBRATED. : There being nothing so necessary for the faithful, as the acknowledgment of, and thankfulness for so profound a blessing, and so excellent a mercy as that which our Lord Christ did for us, in leaving himself under the sacramental species, to be the true food of our souls, and for the consolation, support, and remedy of the spiritual life of believers; we ought therefore wholly to occupy ourselves in the veneration of that divine mystery in order whereunto, holy mother church, besides the continual thanks and veneration which she always gives and shews, hath ordained a particular day in the year for the celebration of the memory of so great a blessing: which not being observed in this diocese, the Synod desiring that in all things this church may conform herself to the customs of the holy mother, the universal Church of Rome doth command the festivity of the most holy sacrament to be celebrated in all the churches of this diocese, on the Thursday V. SESSION after Trinity Sunday, according to the stile of these parts, and the said day to be kept by all sorts of people; and that thereon, either before or after mass, they make a procession through the town, or in some convenient place with all possible solemnity, in the same manner as they do upon Easter-day. DECREE II. ALL ABOVE THE AGE OF FOURTEEN TO TAKE THE SACRAMENT The Synod doth declare, That every faithful Christian so soon as he attains to the years of perfect discretion, that is to say, men at the age of fourteen, more or less, according as their confessors shall think fit, and women having a capacity to know what they do at the age of twelve, are obliged to receive the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, once a year in Lent, or at Easter, from the hands of their own vicar or curate of their church, and that whosoever does not receive it, being capable, betwixt the beginning of Lent, and the second Sunday after Easter, shall be declared excommunicate on the third Sunday, and be held as such until they have confessed themselves, and communicated. Nevertheless the Synod gives licence to such vicars as know their parishes to be of that nature, that it is not possible for the people to comply with this obligation in so short a time, to wait till Whitsuntide, and then to declare them; provided that before they declare those that live on the heaths, they shall first take care to admonish them, either by themselves, or by others of known fidelity, that so they may do their duty herein, letting them know if they fail, that they must be declared excommunicate. The curates must also be sure to observe who have complied with this obligation, putting their names in a roll as is ordered in confession. But notwithstanding the sacred canons do oblige the faithful only to confess and communicate once a year at the time aforesaid, nevertheless the vicars shall advise their parishioners to do it oftener, namely at Christmas and Whitsuntide, and the assumption of our lady, giving warning thereof on the Sunday before. DECREE III. NONE TO RECEIVE BEFORE CONFESSION. The Synod doth declare and teach, That no Christian, how V. contrite soever for his sins, may lawfully come to receive the SESSION divine sacrament of the altar, being guilty of any mortal sin, without having first confessed all his sins entirely, to some approved priest that has authority to receive his confession, that being the trial and examination that the Apostle speaks of, and saith a man ought to make of himself, and being so approved and confessed, let him eat of the divine bread, and drink of the divine cup; "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily," and with a conscience of sin, eateth and drinketh judgment" and condemnation "to himself; for which reason this divine sacrament must not be given to public sinners, without they have left their sins, as public witches, and common women, and such as keep concubines publicly, and such as are in open malice, before they are reconciled, and all other open sinners whatsoever. In which matter the vicars must be extremely careful, being sensible, that as it is a grievous sin in such to receive the divine sacrament, before they have forsaken their sins; so it is likewise a grievous offence in them to give the sacrament to such public sinners, and who are known by all to live in such sins, and not to have forsaken them, notwithstanding they should have been confessed by others, and should bring a note of their being absolved. This matter ought to be laid home to the consciences of the vicars by reason of the great dissoluteness that there is in this bisopric in giving the communion to public sinners, and especially to those that keep concubines, and are married, but will not live with their wives, and to others who live in open malice, without any body to hinder them, of all which the vicars must give a strict account to God; but at the point of death they may give the divine sacrament even to such as have been public sinners, if they are not finally impenitent. DECREE IV. TO BE RECEIVED FASTING. The Synod teacheth, That this divine sacrament ought to be received fasting, as holy mother church commands, and that upon the day on which people are to communicate, they are neither to eat nor drink any thing from midnight until after they have received the communion, not to do so being a most grievous sacrilege, such only excepted as are under any great infirmity, or much spent with sickness, who may take electuaries, and other light things to strengthen them, of which the confessor must be judge. SESSION SACRAMENT TO BE DECREE V. ADMINISTERED AS A VIATICUM WHEN IN DANGER OF DEATH. Christians are not only bound to receive the most holy sacrament of the altar once a year, at Easter, but as often as they are in probable danger of death, and especially in any great sickness, for which reason this divine sacrament is called the viaticum, that is to say the support in the way from a mortal to an eternal life, wherefore the Synod doth command all sick people, whose distempers are any thing dangerous, to receive it with much devotion; and as they that look after the sick ought to give the vicars timely notice, so the vicars themselves must be diligent to enquire what persons are sick in their parishes, that so before they come to be too weak, at a time when it will do them no prejudice, they may be brought in a palanquin, or in something else that covers them, to the church, there to receive the holy sacrament; for which use there shall be a palanquin, or net, made commodious with carpets, in every church, in which the sick shall be carried with due care, which shall be bought within a month after the publication hereof out of the fabric money of the church, all which the Synod doth recommend earnestly to the vicars, this being truly the chief duty of their office; and if it shall any time happen that a parishioner shall die without having received the communion, through the vicars default, the said vicar shall be suspended for six months from his office and benefice, and if it happen through the vicars not having been advised thereof, then those that attended the sick person, shall be severely punished by the prelate. DECREE VI. WOMEN BEFORE CHILDBIRTH, AND TRAVELLERS BEFORE A VOY- Whereas women are many times in danger of death in child-bed, a great many dying therein, the Synod doth therefore declare, That all women with child ought about the time when they reckon they are to be delivered, to confess themselves and receive the holy sacrament, but especially before the birth of their first child, in which the danger is greatest, recommending it to them to be careful to do it in time, that they may not be prevented by their labour from going to V. church. Such also as design to undertake any long and dan- SESSION gerous voyage, ought to do the same, to whom the Synod recommends it much, and requires it of them. DECREE VII. PRIESTS TO COMMUNICATE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. Forasmuch as there are several priests and cattanars of this diocese that do never celebrate, some by reason of their having been ordained when they were but boys, and so do wait till they come to be of a due age, and others through other impediments, therefore the Synod doth command all such to receive the holy sacrament upon all the solemn festivities, and at least once a month, wishing they would do it every Sunday with a due preparation and reverence; and as often as any priest doth communicate, he shall be in a surplice and stole, with a cross on his breast to distinguish him from other people, by reason of the reverence and respect that is due to the sacerdotal office which he bears. DECREE VIII. PRIESTS NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT CONFESSION IF THEY Seeing as is aforesaid, it is not lawful for any person to come to the most holy sacrament of the altar, having the least scruple of any mortal sin about him, without having been sacramentally confessed, the Synod doth declare, That even to priests it is not lawful, and that none finding in themselves the least scruple of mortal sin, and having an opportunity of a confessor, shall say mass, though under an obligation to do it, without having first confessed themselves: but besides, that such when under any scruple are obliged to confess, for the greater purity of their souls, though under no scruple the Synod commands all priests to confess at least once a week. DECREE IX. WHEN DEACONS AND SUB-DEACONS ARE TO COMMUNICATE. The Synod doth furthermore command all deacons and subdeacons, that minister solemnly in the solemn masses on Sun |