Simony Act 1588
Act of the Parliament of England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Simony Act 1588 (31 Eliz. 1. c. 6) is an act of the Parliament of England that stipulates penalties for simony (the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things), an offence under the ecclesiastical law of the Church of England.
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| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Acte against Abuses in Election of Scollers and presentacions to Benefices.[b] |
|---|---|
| Citation | 31 Eliz. 1. c. 6 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 March 1589 |
| Commencement | 29 March 1589[c] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
|
| Relates to | Simony Act 1688 |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
As of 2025[update], the act remains largely in force in England and Wales.
Under section 4 of the act, an unlawfully bestowed office can be declared void by the Crown, and the offender can be disabled from making future appointments and fined up to £1,000.[1] Clergy are no longer required to make a declaration as to simony on ordination but offences are now likely to be dealt with as "misconduct" under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 (2003 No. 3), r.8.[2]
Penalty by reference to the value of an ecclesiastical living was abolished by Statute Law (Repeals) Measure 2018 (2018 No. 1).
See also
Notes
- The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 5 of, and the second schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948. Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- These words are printed against this act in the second column of the second schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1948, which is headed "Title".
