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Primary sourceDocument1539

The Act of Six Articles

1539

A 1539 draft of the law defining core Catholic doctrines for the Church of England, amended personally by Henry VIII.

Henry personally amended this draft, showing his direct control over official Church doctrine.

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Two facing pages of a handwritten 16th-century manuscript draft, with the heading '1539. ββ Articles' at top left. Lines of cursive text contain strikethroughs and interlineal corrections, with marginal notes on the right page.
Draft of the Act of Six Articles, 1539, amended in Henry VIII's own hand.

About this source

What it is

This is one of the final drafts of the Act of Six Articles of 1539, a document setting out conservative Church doctrine. The surviving pages carry corrections and marginal notes written in King Henry VIII's own hand.

Why it matters

Henry had broken from the Pope but still wanted to control exactly what the English Church believed. This draft shows him personally editing doctrine, proving he saw religious belief as something the king himself could shape and enforce.

Look closer

  • What do the crossed-out words and corrections tell you about how the law was being argued over?
  • Why might a king want to write directly on a legal and religious document instead of leaving it to bishops?
  • What does this say about the relationship between church and state in Henry's England?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry VIII on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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