5 - The assertions of Ralph Lever, touching the canon law, 1563

Summary

The assertions of Ralph Lever touching the canon law, the English papists and the ecclesiastical officers of this realm, with his most humble petition to her majesty for redress.

1. The canon law in these ages devised and made by the church of Rome is in exceeding many points contrary to the written Word of God and repugnant to the positive laws of this realm.

2. And whereas the canon law doth chiefly and principally establish the bishop of Rome his usurped and general authority over all Christendom and breedeth in men superstition and a certain security that there is no further increase of faith required but to believe as the church of Rome believeth, it is rightly termed ‘the pope's laws'.

3. But the rules, ordinances and decrees which are printed in the books of the canon law and yet have warrant by the Holy Scriptures and by the law of nature, and thereupon are in force here at this day, being established by act of parliament to this end, that justice may be ministered to all her majesty's subjects with indifferency, ought not to be named, reputed or taken by any of her majesty's subjects for foreign or popish laws, but for good and wholesome English laws.

4. He that in open show defendeth or putteth in ure the said canon law, being repugnant to God s Word and to the laws of this realm, doth maintain foreign power and doth open himself to the world to be one of that church whose laws he doth best approve and like of.

5. He that believeth the church of Rome which now is to be the true church of God, and that the same church of Rome doth not err, nor hath not erred in making of canons, laws and decrees, and in commanding the same to be generally kept of all Christian nations, is a papist, and if he do openly profess the same then he is a disloyal person and not to be taken or used as a subject in the church and commonwealth of England.