ARTICLES OF US THE COMMONERS OF DEVONSHIRE AND CORNWALL IN DIVERS CAMPS BY EAST AND WEST OF EXETER

[On Pentecost Sunday, by law, the Traditional Latin Mass was abolished in England. It was the last in a series of anti-Catholic actions of the government, with almost no opposition from the bishops. From that date a New Order of Service was to be used, designed to please Protestants and to make those who attended it week after week become gradually Protestants themselves. For nearly all of england this was most unwelcome. For the faithful in Cornwall and Devon it was totally unacceptable. They took up arms. The year was 1549, two years after King Henry VIII had died.]

These are the requests made by these faithful Catholics, willing to die for their faith:

1. We will have the General Council and Holy Decrees of our forefathers observed, kept, and performed, and whosoever will gainsay them, we hold them as heretics.

2. (Restoration of Statute of Six Articles of Henry VIII against heresy.)

3. We will have the Mass in Latin as was before, and celebrated by the Priest without man or woman communicating with him.

4. We will have the Sacrament hang over the High Altar and there be worshipped as it was wont to be, and they, which will not thereto consent, we will have them die like heretics against the Holy Catholic Faith.

5. We will have the Sacrament of the Altar, but only at Easter delivered to the lay people and then only in one kind.

6. We will that our Curates shall minister the Sacrament of Baptism at all times as well in the week day as on the Holy Day.

7. We will have only bread and Holy Water made every Sunday, Palms and Ashes at times accustomed. Images to be set up in every church, and all other ancient ceremonies.

8. We will not receive the New Service because it is but like a Christmas game, but we will have our old service of Matins, Mass, Evensong [Vespers], and Procession in Latin as it was before. And so we the Cornish men (whereof certain of us understand no English) utterly refuse this new English.

9. We will have every preacher in his sermon and every Priest at at his Mass, pray especially by name for the Souls in purgatory as our forefathers did.

10. (Calling in of the English translation of the Scriptures, i.e., unauthorized translations.)

11. (Demanding the relase of Dr. Moreman and Dr. Crispin, two Canons of Exeter, who were imprisoned in the Tower.)

12. (Demanding the recall of Cardial Pole and his promotion to be of the King's Council.)

13. (Demanding the restriction of the number of servants a man might have.)

14. (Restoration of half the abbey and chantry lands and endowments, and foundation of two abbeys in every county.)

15. For the particular griefs of our Country, we will have them so ordered as Humphrey Arundell and Henry Bray, the King's Mayor of Bodmin, shall inform the King's Majesty, if they may have safe conduct under the King's Great Seal to pass and repass with a Herald of Arms.

By us: Humphrey Arundel, Johhn Berry, Thomas Underhill, John Sloeman, William Segar, Chief Captains; John Thompson, Priest; Henry Bray, Mayor of Bodwin; Henry Lee, Mayor of Torrington; Roger Barret, Priest; the Four Governors of the Camps.