The Six Articles
Preserved but no longer current.
An Act of Parliament passed in 1539 (repealed 1547) enjoining belief in (1) the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; (2) the sufficiency of communion in one kind; (3) the celibacy of the priests; (4) the obligation of vows of chastity; (5) the expediency of private masses; and (6) the necessity of auricular confession, and decreeing death on those who denied the doctrine of
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Six Articles” mean?
An Act of Parliament passed in 1539 (repealed 1547) enjoining belief in (1) the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; (2) the sufficiency of communion in one kind; (3) the celibacy of the priests; (4) the obligation of vows of chastity; (5) the expediency of private masses; and (6) the necessity of auricular confession, and decreeing death on those who denied the doctrine of
Is “The Six Articles” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.