Refusal to take the oath led to the arrests of Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher for treason in 1534. They refused to take the oath because it included the abjuration of the pope and claimed the marriage between King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was annulled and it went against their Roman Catholic beliefs.he Act required all those asked to take the oath to recognise Anne Boleyn as King Henry VIII 's lawful wife and their children legitimate heirs to the throne. Anyone refusing to take the oath was guilty of treason. The Oath of Succession itself went further than the original Act in several ways.