Canon

(1) A prebendary, or member of a chapter of the Church of England. All members of chapters except deans are now to be entitled "canons," in England. 3 Steph. Comm. 67, note; 1 Bl. Comm. 382. (2) A rule, maxim, or precept of law, as the "canons of construction," or the "'canons of descent." Most commonly a rule of ecclesiastical law. See "Canon Law." (3) In Spanish law. The annual charge or rent paid on recognition of the dominium utile by holder thereof. 15 Cal. 556.

In Ecclesiastical Law. A prebendary, or member of a chapter. All members of chapters except deans are now entitled canons, in England. 2 Steph. Com. 11th ed. 687, n.; 1 Bla. Com. 3S2.

1. A law, rule or ordinance in general, and of the church in particular. An ecclesiastical law or statute.

— Canon law. A body of ecclesiastical jurisprudence which, in countries where the Roman Catholic church is established, is composed of maxims and rules drawn from patristic sources, oniinances and decrees of general councils, and the decretals and bulls of the popes. In England, according to Blackstone, there is a kind of national canon law, composed of legatine and provincial constitutions enacted in England pnor to the reformation, and adapted to the exigencies of the English church and kingdom. 1 Bl. Comm. 82. The canon law consists partly of certain rules taken out of the Scripture, partly of the writings of the ancient fathers of the church, partly of the ordinances of general and provincial councils, and partly of the decrees of the popes in former ages; and it is contained in two principal parts,
—the decrees and the decretals. The decrees are ecclesiastical constitutions made by the popes and cardinals. The decretals are canonical epistles written by the pope, or by the pope and cardinals, at the suit of one or more persons, for the ordering and determining of some matter of controversy, and have the authority of a law. As the decrees set out the origin of the canon law, and the rights, dignities, and decrees of ecclesiastical persons, with their manner of election, ordination, etc., so the decretals contain the law to be used in the ecclesiastical courts. Jacob.

— Canon religiosorum. In ecclesiastical records. A book wherein the religious of every greater convent had a fair transcript of the rules of their order, frequentlv read among hem as their iocal statutes. Kennett, Gloss.; fowell.
2. A system or aggregation of correlated ules, whether of statutory origin or other-vise, relating to and governing a particuiar lepartment of legal science or a particular )ranch of the substantive law. -Canons of construction. The system of undamental rules and maxims which are rec-gnized as governing the construction or inter-iretation of written instruments.

— Canons of lescent. The legal rules by which inheritan-es are regulated, and according to which Bl. Comm. 208.
3. A dignitary of the English church, be-ig a prebendary or member of a cathedral hapten.
4. In the civil, Spanish, and Mexican law, n annual charge or rent; an emphyteutic jnt.
5. In old English records, a prestation, ension, or customary payment

A law, rule or ordinance in general, and ticular. Canon of inheritance: a legal rule mission of estates from ancestor to heir.

In English ecclesiastical law. A prebendary or a person possessing a revenue allotted for the service in a cathedral or collegiate church. land: a law composed of legatine and provincial acted in England prior to the Reformation, and statute 25 Henry VIII., c. 19, pending a review ute provided, but which was never completed.

In Roman ecclesiastical law. Canon law: a tical constitutions for the regulation of the the church of Rome, consisting of the ordinances decrees, decretal epistles and bulls of the popes.

1. A law. 2. A prebendary, member of a chapter. Canon law: the law of the Church of Rome as to matters in its jurisdiction; and partly preserved in English ecclesiastical law and admiralty.

[from Gr. xavdy.] A law, rule or ordinance in general, and of the church in particular. Jacob.

eccl. law. This word is taken from the Greek, and signifies a rule or law. In the ecclesiastical law, it is also applied to designate an order of religious person.