In 1539 the Act of Six Articles returned the Church to unambiguous Catholic orthodoxy apart from papal supremacy. Amongst other things, transubstantiation and auricular confession were reaffirmed. Clerical marriage, which had crept in, was condemned, and vows of chastity were now held to be unbreakable. This was an embarrassment to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, whose marriage was an open secret at the time.
Protestants were punished for violating the Six Articles, while papists were punished for denying the royal supremacy.
Until Henry's death in 1547, the Act of Six Articles remained the basis of the Church's faith.
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