Bloody Statute

But the step taken by the king was not to be retraced with the absence of the motive which had prompted it, and Catholics and Protestants alike had continued to suffer at the hands of an autocrat who chastised at will those who wandered from the path he pointed out and refused to model their creed upon the prescribed pattern.

In 1546, the Act to Abolish Diversity of Opinion, called more familiarly the Bloody Statute, and designed to conform the faith of the nation to that of the king, had been in force for seven years, a standing menace to those persons in high or low place who, encouraged by the king's defiance of Rome, had been emboldened to adopt the tenets of the German Protestants.

Henry had opened the floodgates.

He desired to keep out the flood.

On July 28th, he was executed on Tower Hill.

If Cromwell, in spite of his services to the crown, in spite of the need Henry had of men of his ability, was not secure, who could call themselves safe? Even Cranmer, the king's special friend though he was, must have felt misgivings.

A married man with children, he was implicitly condemned by one of the six articles of the bloody statute, enjoining celibacy on the clergy, and was besides well known to hold Protestant views.

His embittered enemy, Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, vehement in his Catholicism though pandering to the king on the subject of the royal supremacy, was minister, and his fickle master might throw the archbishop at any moment to the wolves.

But forasmuch as the place where they be, the name thereof, and kinds of pains there also be to us uncertain by Scripture, therefore this with all other things we remit to Almighty God, unto whose mercy it is meet and convenient for us to commend them, trusting that God accepteth our prayers for them, referring the rest wholly to God, to whom is known their estate and condition.

Wherefore it is much necessary that such abuses be clearly put away, which under the name of purgatory hath been advanced, as to make men believe that through the Bishop of Rome's pardons souls might be delivered out of purgatory and all the pains of it, or that masses said at Scala Coeli or elsewhere or in any place or before any image might likewise deliver them from all their pain and send them straight to heaven and other like abuses end of the ten articles fifteen thirty six by henry the eighth the six articles fifteen thirty nine by henry the eighth this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox dot org where the king's most excellent majesty is by god's law supreme head immediately under him of this whole church and congregation of england intending the conservation of the same church and congregation in a true sincere and uniform doctrine of christ's religion calling also to his blessed and most gracious remembrance as well the great and quiet assurance prosperous increase and other innumerable commodities which have ever ensued come and followed of concord agreement and unity in opinions and also the manifold perils dangers and inconveniences which have heretofore in many places and regions grown sprung and arisen of the diversity of minds and opinions especially of matters of christian religion and therefore desiring that such an unity might and should be charitably established in all things touching and concerning the same as the same so being established might chiefly be to the honour of almighty god the very author and fountain of all true unity and sincere concord and consequently redound to the commonwealth of this his highness's most noble realm and of all his loving subjects and other residents and inhabitants of or in the same hath therefore caused and commanded this his most high court of parliament for sundry and many urgent causes and considerations to be at this time summoned and also a synod and convocation of all the archbishops bishops and other learned men of the clergy of this his realm to be in like manner assembled and forasmuch as in the said parliament synod and convocation there were certain articles matters and questions proponed and set forth touching christian religion that is to say first whether in the most blessed sacrament of the altar remaineth after the consecration the substance of bread and wine or no secondly whether it be necessary by god's law that all men should be communicant with both kinds or no thirdly whether priests that is to say men dedicate to god by priesthood made by the law of god marry after or no fourthly whether vow of chastity or widowed made to god advisedly by man or woman be by the law of god to be observed or no fifthly whether private masses stand with the law of god and be to be used and continued in the church and congregation of england as things whereby good christian people may and do receive both godly consolation and wholesome benefits or no sixthly whether oracular confession is necessary to be retained continued used and frequented in the church or no the king's most loyal majesty most prudently pondering and considering that by occasion of variable and sundry opinions and judgments of the said articles great discord and variance hath arisen as well amongst the clergy of this his realm as amongst a great number of the vulgar people his loving subjects of the same and being in a full hope and trust that a full and perfect resolution of the said articles should make a perfect concord and unity generally among all his loving and obedient subjects of his most excellent goodness not only commanded that the said articles should deliberately and advisedly by his said archbishops bishops and other learned men of his clergy be debated argued and reasoned and their opinions therein to be understand declared and known but also most graciously vouchsafed in his own princely person to descend and come into his said high court of parliament and council and there like a prince of most high prudence and no less learning opened and declared many things of high learning and great knowledge touching the said articles matters and questions for an unity to be had in the same whereupon after a great and long deliberate and advised disputation and consultation had and made concerning the said articles as well by the consent of the king's highness as by the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and other learned men of his clergy in their convocation and by the consent of the commons in this present parliament assembled it was and is finally resolved accorded and agreed in manner and form following that is to say first that in the most blessed sacrament of the altar by the strength and efficacy of christ's mighty word it being spoken by the priest is present really under the form of bread and wine the natural body and blood of our saviour jesus christ conceived of the virgin mary and that after the consecration there remaineth no substance of bread or wine nor any other substance but the substance of christ god and man secondly that communion in both kinds is not necessary ad salutem by the law of god to all persons and that it is to be believed and not doubted of but that in the flesh under form of bread is the very blood and with the blood under form of wine is the very flesh as well apart as though they were both together thirdly that priests after the order of priesthood received as afore may not marry by the law of god fourthly that vows of chastity or widowhood by man or woman made to god advisedly ought to be observed by the law of god and that it exempteth them from other liberties of christian people which without that they might enjoy fifthly that it is meet and necessary that private masses be continued and admitted in this the king's english church and congregation as whereby good christian people ordering themselves accordingly do receive both godly and goodly consolations and benefits and it is agreeable also to god's law Sixthly, that oracular confession is expedient and necessary to be retained and continued, used and frequented in the Church of God.

For the which most godly study, pain and travail of his majesty and determination and resolution of the premises, his most humble and obedient subjects, the Lord's spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present parliament assembled, not only render and give unto his highness their most high and hearty thanks, and think themselves most bonden to pray for the long continuance of his grace's most royal estate, but also being desirous that his most godly enterprise may be well accomplished and brought to a full end and perfection and so established, that the same might be to the honour of God and after to the common quiet unity and concord to be had in the whole body of this realm forever.

Most humbly beseech in his royal majesty that the resolution and determination above written of the said articles may be established and perpetually perfited by authority of this present parliament.

And because disputations and doubts might perhaps rise hereafter upon these words in the act, that is to say, advisedly made to God, be it therefore provided and enacted by authority aforesaid that these words in the act, that is to say, advisedly made to God for vows of chastity or widowhood, shall be all only taken, expounded, and interpreted to bind such person or persons and none other, saving priests, to and by the same, which at the time of any of their so vowing, being thereto admitted, were or shall be in the age of twenty-one years or above, and then did or do consent, submit themselves, or condescend to the same, and continue or continued in observation of it any while after, unless any such person or persons do or can duly prove any unlawful coercion or compulsion done to them or any of them for making of any such vow.

God save the King.

End of the Six Articles, 1539, by Henry VIII.

King Edward VI.

But he still believes in the Mass, in confession and in the celibacy of priests.

And in 1539, he forced through the Act of Six Articles, which upheld those traditional doctrines.

Reformers who go too far are arrested and sometimes burned.

Only last year, a Lincolnshire gentlewoman named Anne Askew was examined for heresy because she denied that the bread and wine of the Mass became the body and blood of Christ.

End of the Ten Articles, 1536, by Henry VIII.

The Six Articles, 1539, by Henry VIII.

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And because disputations and doubts might perhaps rise hereafter upon these words in the act, that is to say, advisedly made to God, be it therefore provided and enacted by authority aforesaid that these words in the act, that is to say, advisedly made to God, for vows of chastity or widowhood, shall be all only taken, expounded, and interpreted to bind such person or persons, and none other, saving priests, to and by the same, which at the time of any of their so vowing, being thereto admitted, were or shall be in the age of twenty-one years or above, and then did or do consent, submit themselves, or condescend to the same, and continue or continued in observation of it any while after, unless any such person or persons do or can duly prove any unlawful coercion or compulsion done to them or any of them for making of any such vow.

God save the King.

End of the Six Articles, 1539, by Henry VIII.

King Edward VI.