Though occupied with these rather numerous domestic infelicities,
Henry was not idle in other directions. By an act known as the Six
Articles, or, as the Protestants called it, the "Bloody Act," or the
"Whip with Six Lashes" (1539), the King established a new and peculiar
form of religion. In words, at least, it seemed to be practically the
same as that upheld by the Pope, but with the Pope left out.[1]
[1] The Six Articles: The chief article ordered that all persons who
denied the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation should be burned at
the stake as heretics and that all their possessions should be
forfeited to the Crown. The remaining five articles affirmed the
obligation of all persons to accept and obey certain other Catholic
doctrines under pain of punishment for felony, if they refused.
Geographically, the country was about equally divided between
Catholicism and Protestantism. The northwestern half clung to the
ancient faith; the southeastern half, including most of the large
cities where Wycliffe's doctrines had formerly prevailed was favorable
to the Reformation.
On the one hand, Henry prohibited the Lutheran or Protestant doctrine
(S340); on the other, he caused the Bible to be translated (SS254,
339), and ordered a copy to be chained to a desk in every parish
church in England (1538); but though all persons might now freely read
the Scriptures, no one but the clergy was allowed to interpret them.
Later in his reign, the King became alarmed at the spread of
discussion about religious subjects, and prohibited the reading of the
Bible by the "lower sort of people."