[1584/5/8]¹

²An act confirming the king's majesty's royal power over all states and subjects within this realm

Forasmuch as sundry persons being lately called before the king's majesty and his secret council to answer upon certain points to have been enquired of them, concerning some treasonable, seditious and contemptuous speeches uttered by them in pulpit, schools and otherwise, to the disdain and reproach of his highness, his progenitors and present council, contemptuously declined the judgement of his highness and his said council in that behalf, to the evil example of others to do the like if timely remedy be not provided, therefore our sovereign lord and his three estates assembled in this present parliament ratify and approve and perpetually confirm the royal power and authority over all states, both spiritual as temporal, within this realm in the person of the king's majesty, our sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, and also statute and ordain that his highness, his said heirs and successors, by themselves and their councils, are and in time to come shall be judges competent to all persons, his highness's subjects of whatsoever estate, degree, function or condition that ever they be, spiritual or temporal, in all matters wherein they or any of them shall be apprehended, summoned or charged to answer to such things as shall be enquired of them by our said sovereign lord and his council, and that none of them who shall happen to be apprehended, called or summoned to the effect aforesaid presume or take upon hand to decline the judgement of his highness, his heirs or successors or their council in the premises, under the pain of treason.