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1527 [1527]

K. Edvvard. 6. The Statute of the vj. Articles, & other bloudy Statutes repealed. Reformation.

Marginalia1547.the contrary, they should then incontinent, not onely inhibite that person so offendyng, but also punishe hym and reuoke their licence.

Now duryng the tyme that the Cōmissioners were occupyed abroad in their circuites about the spedye & diligent execution of these godly & zelous orders & decrees of the kyng and his Counsell, his Maiestie (with the aduise of the same) yet still desiryng a farther reformation aswell in this case of Religion, as also in some others of his Ciuill gouernement, Marginalia1547.
A Parlament called in the first yere of K. Edward.
appointed Parlamēt of the three estates of his Realme to be summoned agaynst the iiij. day of Nouember, in the first yeare of his raigne, and the yeare of our Lorde, 1547. which continued vnto the xxiiij. day of December then next folowyng. In the whiche Session, forasmuch as hys highnes mynded the gouernaūce and order of his people to bee in perfect vnitie and concorde in all thinges, and especially in the true fayth and Religion of God, and therewithall also duely wayed the great daunger that his louyng subiectes were in for professyng the Gospell of Christ, through many and diuers cruell statutes made by sondry his predecessours agaynst the the same (which beyng still left in force mought both cause the obstinate to contemne his grace godly procedyngs, and also the weake to be fearefull of theyr Christianlike profession) he therfore caused it among other things by the authoritie of the same Parlament to be enacted, MarginaliaStatut. an. 1. Reg. Edouardio. Cap. 12.
The Statute made An. 1. Reg. Rich. 2. An. 2. Reg. Henr. 5. An. 25. Reg. Henr. 8. Item An. 33. Henr. 8. An. 34. Henr. 8. An. 35. Henr. 8. repealed.
Item ntoe in the Statute An. 2. Reg. Henr. 4. cap. 15  

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De haeretico comburendo ('Concerning the heretic who is to be burned'), 1401. 2 Hen. IV, c. 15; Statutes, 2.125-28. This notorious legislation ordained that those who translated or owned translations of the Bible would be burnt at the stake.

because that statute was repealed by a statute made. 25. an. Henr. 8. therefore the same is here omitted.that all Actes of Parlament & Statutes, touchyng, mencionyng, or in any wise concernyng Religion or opinions, (that is to say, as well the Statute made in the first yeare of the reigne of kyng Richard the second  
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Possibly a mistaken reference to 5 Rich. II, stat. 2, c. 2 (1382); Statutes of the Realm, 9 vols. in 10 (London: George Ayre and Andrew Strahan, 1810-22), 2.25-26.

, and the Statute made in the second yeare of the reigne of kyng Henry the fift  
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2 Hen. V, stat. 1, c. 7 (1414). Statutes, 2.181-84.

, and the Statute made in the xxv. yeare of the reigne of K. Henry the viij. concernyng punishment and reformation of heretickes and Lollardes, and euery prouision therein conteined  
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Act for the Punishment of Heresy, 1534 (25 Hen. VIII, c.14; Statutes, 3.454-55.

, MarginaliaThe bloudy statute of the 6. Articles repealed.and the Statutes made for the abolishement of diuersitie of opinions in certaine Articles concernyng Christian Religion, commonly called the six Articles, made in the xxxi. yeare of the reigne of kyng Henry the eight  
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Act Abolishing Diversity in Opinions, also known as the Act of Six Articles, 1539 (31 Hen. VIII, c. 14); Statutes, 3.739-43. This notorious legislation ordained that individuals who denied the doctrine of transubstantiation were to be burnt alive. It also imposed stringent penalties for violation of official policy in favor of administration of communion in one kind, clerical celibacy, the binding nature of vows of chastity or widowhood, celebration of private Masses, and auricular confession.

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: and also the Statute made in the Parlament begon the xvj. day of Ianuary in the xxxiij. yeare of the reigne of the sayd kyng Henry the eight, and after proroged vnto the xxi. day of Ianuary in the xxxiiij. yeare of his sayd raigne, touchyng, mencionyng, or in any wise concerning bookes of the old and new Testament in Englishe, and the Printyng, vtteryng, sellyng, geuyng, or deliueryng of bookes or writynges, and retaynyng of Englishe bookes or writinges, and readyng, preachyng, teachyng, or expoundyng the Scriptures, or in any wise touchyng, mencionyng, or concernyng any of the sayd matters  
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Act for the Advancement of True Religion and for the Abolishment of the Contrary, 1543 (34 Hen. VIII, c. 1; Statutes, 3.894-97

: and also one other Statute made in the xxxv. yeare of the raigne of the sayd K. Henry the eight, concernyng the qualification of the Statute of the vj. Articles  
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A Bill Concerning the Six Articles, 1544 (35 Hen. VIII, c. 5; Statutes, 3.960-62).

, and all & euery other Acte or Actes of Parlament concernyng doctrine or matters of Religion, and all and euery braunch, Article, sentence, matter, paynes, or forfaitures conteyned, mencioned, or in anywise declared in any of the same Actes or Statutes) should from thenceforth bee vtterly repealed, made voyde, and of none effect  
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Act of Repeal, 1547 (1 Edw. VI, c. 12); Statutes, 4.i.18-22.

. By occasion wherof, as well all such his godly subiectes as were then still abyding within this Realme, had free libertie publickly to professe the Gospell: as also many learned and zealous preachers (before banished) were now both licenced freely to returne home agayne  
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Exiled preachers who now returned included John Hooper and William Turner, both of whom received appointment as chaplains to Protector Somerset, Miles Coverdale, and others.

, and also encouraged boldly & faithfully to trauell in their function and callyng, so that God was much glorified, and the people in many places greatly edified.

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Moreouer in the same Session his Maiestye with the Lordes spirituall and temporall, and the commons in the same Parlament assembled, throughly vnderstandyng by the iudgement of the best learned, that it was more agreable vnto the first institution of the Sacrament of the most precious body and blood of our Sauiour Christ, & also more conformable to the common vse and practise both of the Apostles, and of the primatiue Church by the space of fyue hundreth yeres and more after Christes Ascension, that the sayd holy sacrament should be ministred vnto all Christen people vnder both the kindes of bread and wyne  

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Protestants rejected the practice of denying wine to members of the laity on the ground that it was a non-biblical practice that did not come into general use until the twelfth century.

, then vnder the fourme of bread onely, & also that it was more agreable vnto the sayd first institution of Christ and the vsage of the Apostles and primatiue Church, that the people beyng present should receaue the same with the Priest, then that the Priest should receaue it alone: MarginaliaThe Communion vnder both kindes.dyd by their authority moreouer enacte, that the sayd holy sacramēt should be frō thenceforth cōmonly deliuered and ministred vnto the people throughout the churches of England and Ireland & other the kinges dominions, vnder both the kindes of bread & of wine, except necessitye otherwyse required: and also, that the Priest that should minister the same, shoulde at the least one day before, exhorte all persons which should be present, likewyse to resorte & prepare them selues to receaue the same. And at the day prefixed, after some godly exhortation made by the minister (wherin should be farther expressed the benefit and comfort promised to them whych worthely receaue thys holy sacrament, and the daunger and indignation of God threatned to them whych presume to receaue the same vnworthely, to the ende that euery man myght try and examyne hys own conscience before he should come thereunto) the sayd Minister should not wythout a lawfull cause deny the same to any person that woulde deuoutly and humbly desire it: any law, statute, ordinaunce, or custome, contrary therunto in any wyse notwtstanding.

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After whych most godly consent of the Parlament, the king beyng no lesse desirous to haue the fourme of the administration of the sacrament truely reduced to the ryght rule of the scriptures and fyrst vse of the primitiue church, then he was to establishe the same by the authority of hys own regall lawes, MarginaliaThe assembly of Byshops and others, at Windsore.appoynted certaine of the most graue and best learned Bishops and others of hys Realme, to assemble together at hys Castell of Windsore, there to argue and entreate vpon this matter, and so to conclude vpon and set forth one perfect & vniforme order according to the rule & vse aforesayd.

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And in the meane whyle that the learned were thus occupied about theyr conferences, the Lord Protector and the rest of the kings Counsell farther remēbring that the tyme of the yeare dyd then approch, wherein were practised many superstitious abuses and blasphemous ceremonies agaynst the glory of God, and truth of hys worde (determining the vtter abolishing therof) directed theyr letters vnto the godly and reuerend father Thomas Cranmer, then Archbishop of Canterbury, and Metrapolitane of England, requyring hym, that vpon the receite therof he shoulde wyll euery bishop wythin hys Prouince, forthwith to geue in charge vnto all the Curates of theyr Diocesses, MarginaliaCandles not to be borne on Candlemas day.
Ashes forbidden on Ashe Wedensday.
that neither candels should be anymore borne vpō Candlemas day, neyther yet ashes vsed in Lent, nor Palmes vpō Palme Sonday  

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In conjunction with the endorsement of iconoclastic destruction of 'abused' religious images, the systematic abolition of ecclesiastical ceremonies on appropriate feast days eradicated the highly affective experience of late medieval worship. King, English Reformation Literature, pp. 150-51.

. Wherupon þe Archbishop zelouslye fauoring the good and christianlike purpose of the kyng and his Counsel, did immediately in that behalfe wryte vnto all the rest of the Bishops of his Prouince, and amongest them vnto Edmund Boner then byshop of London. MarginaliaEdm. Boner.Of whose rebellions and obstinate contumacie, for that we haue hereafter more to saye, I thought not to stande longe hereupon, but onely by the waye somewhat to note hys former dissimulation and cloked hipocrisie  
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Foxe's attack on Bonner for dissimulation is typical.

in that hee outwardly at the first consented as well vnto thys, as also vnto all other the kinges proceedings (but whether of feare or of anye other subtile fetch, I knowe not, howbeit most like, rather for one of thē or both, thē for any true loue.) And therfore receiuing þe Archbishops letters, as one then seeming to allow þe cōtentes therof, he did presently write vnto the bishop of Westminster, & others,

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to
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