The Law Of The Six Articles
THE LAW OF THE SIX ARTICLES
In 1539, at the instigation of Henry VIII, Parliament passed the Six Articles upholding the Catholic doctrines of priestly celibacy and transubstantiation. The punishment for breaking this law was death, with no provision for recantation, although this was softened a bit by Parliament in 1544, which made provision for recantation and penance for the first two convictions and required death for the third offense.
At the same time, Parliament banned all of Tyndale’s books and all songs, plays, and books in English that violated the Six Articles. The text of the Bible was forbidden to all women, craftsmen, apprentices, journeymen, servants, yeomen, farmers, and laborers. Noblemen and their wives were allowed to read the Bible if they did so quietly and didn’t expound upon it.
Another provision of the law of the Six Articles allowed a person accused of heresy to bring forward witnesses on his behalf in equal or greater number of witnesses being called against him. This had never been allowed before in heresy trials.