Canon Law

[Lat. Jus canonicum, or Corpus juris canonici.] A collection of ecclesiastical constitutions for the regulation of the polity and disciptine of the church of Rome, consisting for the most part of ordinances of general and provincial councils, decrees promulgated by the popes with the sanction of the cardinals, and decretal epistles and bulls of the popes.

1 BL Com. 82.

P. Cyclopcedia. The Corpus Juris Canonici consists, in particular, of the collections called Gratian's decree, (Decretum Oratiani, q. v.); Gregory's decretals, {Decretalia Chegorii Noni, q. V.); the sixth decretal, or Sext, {Sezttis Decretalium, q. v.); the Clementine constitutions, (Clem>entincB,(\^Y.); and the Extravagants of John, {Extravagantes Joannis,) and his successors, {Extravagantes communes, qq. v.) 1 BL Com. 82. It was at first only a private collection, and was confirmed by Pqpe Gregory XIII. in the year 1680.

1 Mackeld. Civ. Law, 81, § 93, Kaufmar Cs note.

Canon Law of England. A kind of national canon law, composed of legatine and provincial constitutions enacted in England prior to the reformation, and adapted to the exigencies of the English church and kingdom.* 1 Bl. Com. 82. See Lega Hne constitutions y Provincial constitutions. At the time of the Reformation it was provided bjr statute 25 Henry VIII. c. 19, that a review should be had of the canon law; and till such review should be made, all canons, constitutions, ordinances and synodals provincial, being then already made, and not repugnant to the law of the land, or the kuig's prerogative, should still be used and executed. As no such review, however, was ever perfected, the authority of the canon law in England now depends upon this statute.

1 BL Com, 83. See 4 Reeves' Hist. Eng. Law, ch. xxiv. xxv. 6 Co. Caudrey's case. Lord Thurlow, C, 2 Dick. 716. 1 Story's Eq. Jur. § 279, note.