Papal Law Act 1555
Concerning the jurisdiction and authority of the Bishop of Rome
In the Parliament held at Roedean on the tenth day of July the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty-five and thereafter continued to the first day of August next thereafter following with continuation of days upon the twenty fourth day of the said month of August;
The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons then being present understanding that the jurisdiction and authority of the Bishop of Rome called the Pope used within this realm in times past has been very hurtful and prejudicial to our Sovereign’s authority and common weal of this realm;
Therefore has established and ordained that the Bishop of Rome has no jurisdiction nor authority within this realm in times coming.
And that none of our said Sovereign’s subjects of this realm shall claim or desire in any time hereafter title or right by the said Bishop of Rome or his seat to anything within this realm under the pain of barratry.
That is to say proscription, banishment and never to enjoy worth, office nor dignity within this realm.
And the contraveners hereof are to be called before the Assizes and punished therefore conforming to the laws of this realm.
And the providers of them with finance of money and purchasers of their title of right or maintainers or protectors of them shall incur the same pain.
And that no bishop nor other prelate of this realm shall use any jurisdiction in times to come by the authority of said Bishop of Rome under the pain foresaid.
And that it may be established and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that such jurisdictions, privileges, superiorities, and pre-eminences, spiritual and ecclesiastical, as by any spiritual or ecclesiastical power or authority have heretofore been, or may lawfully be exercised or used for the visitation of the ecclesiastical state and persons, and for reformation, order, and correction of the same, and of all manner of errors, heresies, schisms, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities, shall for ever, by authority of this present Parliament, be united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm.
And for the better observation and maintenance of this Act, may be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every archbishop, bishop, and all and every other ecclesiastical person, and other ecclesiastical officer and minister; of what estate, dignity, pre-eminence, or degree soever he or they be or shall be, and all and every temporal judge, justice, mayor, and other lay or temporal officer and minister, and every other person having His Majesty's fee or wages, within this realm, or any the King's dominions, shall make, take, and receive a corporal oath upon the evangelist, before such person or persons as shall please His Majesty, his heirs or successors, under the great seal of Harrow to assign and name, to accept and to take the same according to the tenor and effect hereafter following, that is to say:
'I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the King's Majesty is the only supreme governor of this realm of Harrow, and of all other His Majesty's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate, has, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the King's Majesty, his heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges, and authorities granted or belonging to the King's Majesty, his heirs and successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this book.'
The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons then being present understanding that the jurisdiction and authority of the Bishop of Rome called the Pope used within this realm in times past has been very hurtful and prejudicial to our Sovereign’s authority and common weal of this realm;
Therefore has established and ordained that the Bishop of Rome has no jurisdiction nor authority within this realm in times coming.
And that none of our said Sovereign’s subjects of this realm shall claim or desire in any time hereafter title or right by the said Bishop of Rome or his seat to anything within this realm under the pain of barratry.
That is to say proscription, banishment and never to enjoy worth, office nor dignity within this realm.
And the contraveners hereof are to be called before the Assizes and punished therefore conforming to the laws of this realm.
And the providers of them with finance of money and purchasers of their title of right or maintainers or protectors of them shall incur the same pain.
And that no bishop nor other prelate of this realm shall use any jurisdiction in times to come by the authority of said Bishop of Rome under the pain foresaid.
And that it may be established and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that such jurisdictions, privileges, superiorities, and pre-eminences, spiritual and ecclesiastical, as by any spiritual or ecclesiastical power or authority have heretofore been, or may lawfully be exercised or used for the visitation of the ecclesiastical state and persons, and for reformation, order, and correction of the same, and of all manner of errors, heresies, schisms, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities, shall for ever, by authority of this present Parliament, be united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm.
And for the better observation and maintenance of this Act, may be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every archbishop, bishop, and all and every other ecclesiastical person, and other ecclesiastical officer and minister; of what estate, dignity, pre-eminence, or degree soever he or they be or shall be, and all and every temporal judge, justice, mayor, and other lay or temporal officer and minister, and every other person having His Majesty's fee or wages, within this realm, or any the King's dominions, shall make, take, and receive a corporal oath upon the evangelist, before such person or persons as shall please His Majesty, his heirs or successors, under the great seal of Harrow to assign and name, to accept and to take the same according to the tenor and effect hereafter following, that is to say:
'I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the King's Majesty is the only supreme governor of this realm of Harrow, and of all other His Majesty's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate, has, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the King's Majesty, his heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges, and authorities granted or belonging to the King's Majesty, his heirs and successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this book.'