: Sub Utraque (1916), by
Alphonse Mucha,
The Slav Epic Utraquism was a
Christian dogma first proposed by
Jacob of Mies, professor of philosophy at the
University of Prague, in 1414. It maintained that the
Eucharist should be administered "under both kinds" – as both
sacred host and
precious blood – to all the congregation, including the
laity. The practice among
Roman Catholics at the time was for only the priests to partake of the consecrated wine, the Precious Blood. Jacob taught that communion should be provided and taken under both kinds, which as a precept of Christ could not be changed by the church. Only those who received the utraquist (both kinds) communion belong to the church of Christ. There is disagreement in sources about whether he, or early Utraquists, taught this was necessary for salvation (as claimed by Catholic detractors such as Andrew of Brod), or necessary to receive the salvific effect of the eucharist The 15th century Utraquists were a moderate faction of the
Hussites with strong respect for the sacrament and, generally, endorsed
transubstantiation and Catholicity (in contrast to the more radical
Taborites,
Orebites and
Orphans who were closer to the beliefs of
John Wycliffe). They were also known as the
Prague Party or the Calixtines – from
calix, Latin for their "emblem", the
chalice. The Utraquists eventually allied themselves with the Catholic forces (following the
Council of Basel) and defeated the more radical Taborites and Orphans at the
Battle of Lipany in 1434. After that battle, nearly all forms of Hussite revival were Utraquist, as seen with
George of Poděbrady, who even managed to cause the town of
Tábor, the famous Taborite stronghold, to convert to Utraquism. An agreement of mutual accommodation was agreed in 1485 between Catholics and Utraquists: the
religious peace of Kutná Hora ended the Hussite wars. Following the victory of allied Utraquist and Catholic forces in the
Hussite Wars, Utraquists constituted a majority of the
Bohemian lands. ==Further development==