Blasphemy Act 1697
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for the more effectual suppressing of Blasphemy and Profaneness. |
|---|---|
| Citation |
|
| Territorial extent | England and Wales, British Colonies |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 5 July 1698 |
| Commencement | 3 December 1697 |
| Repealed | 1 January 1968 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Criminal Code Act 1893, New Zealand; Criminal Code Act 1899, Queensland; Criminal Law Act 1967 England |
Status: Unknown | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Blasphemy Act 1697 (9 Will. 3. c. 35) was an act of the Parliament of England. It made it an offence for any person, educated in or having made profession of the Christian religion, by writing, preaching, teaching or advised speaking, to deny the Holy Trinity, to claim there is more than one god, to deny the truth of Christianity and to deny the Bible as divine authority.
The first offence resulted in being rendered incapable of holding any office or place of trust. The second offence resulted in being rendered incapable of bringing any action, of being guardian or executor, or of taking a legacy or deed of gift, and three years imprisonment without bail.
The act was directed against apostates at the beginning of the deist movement in England, particularly after the 1696 publication of John Toland's book Christianity not Mysterious.
The Trinitarian provision was amended by the Doctrine of the Trinity Act 1813 to remove the penalties from Unitarians.