[1] [2] In this parlement the act of the six articles was established.

The statute of the six ar|ticles,

An inquest of inquirie.

Of some it was named the bloodie sta|tute, as it prooued indéed to manie. And euen shortlie after the making thereof, when the first inquest for inquirie of the offendors of the same statute sat in London at the mercers chappell, those that were of that inquest were so chosen foorth for the purpose, as there was not one amongst them that wished not to haue the said statute put in execution to the vtter|most, insomuch that they were not contented onelie to inquire of those that offended in the six articles conteined in that statute, but also they deuised to in|quire of certeine branches (as they tooke the matter) belonging to the same, as of those that came seldome to heare masse, that held not vp their hands at the sacring time, who tooke no holie bread nor holie wa|ter, who vsed to read the bible in churches, or in com|munication séemed to despise preests, or images in the churches, &c. To conclude, they inquired so dili|gentlie of them that had so offended in anie of those articles or the branches, that they indicted & presen|ted to the number of fiue hundred persons and a|boue, so that if the king had not granted his pardon, for that he was informed by the lord Audleie then lord chancellor that they were indicted of malice, a great manie of them which alreadie were in pri|son, had died for it in Smithfield, in frieng a faggot. But although the king at that present granted his gratious pardon, and forgaue all those offenses:The extreme procéeding in execution of the six arti|cles. yet afterwards, during the time that this statute stood in force, which was for the space of eight years insuing, they brought manie an honest and simple person to death. For such was the rigor of that law, that if two witnesses, true or false, had accused anie, and ad|uouched that they had spoken against the sacrament, there was no waie but death; for it booted him not to confesse that his faith was contrarie, or that he said not as the accusers reported, for the witnesses (for the most part) were beléeued.