Editing Simony (section)

==Church of England==
The [[Church of England]] struggled with the practice after its separation from Rome. For the purposes of [[English law]], simony is defined by [[William Blackstone]] as "obtain[ing] orders, or a licence to preach, by money or corrupt practices"<ref>{{cite book|last=Blackstone|first=William|title=Commentaries on the Laws of England vol I|date=1765|pages=376–7|place=Oxford|publisher=Clarendon Press|title-link=Commentaries on the Laws of England}}</ref> or, more narrowly, "the corrupt presentation of any one to an ecclesiastical [[benefice]] for gift or reward".<ref>{{cite book|last=Blackstone|first=William|title=Commentaries on the Laws of England vol IV|date=1769|page=62|place=Oxford|publisher=Clarendon Press|title-link=Commentaries on the Laws of England}}</ref> While English law recognized simony as an offence,<ref>'''3''' ''[[Edward Coke|Coke's Institutes]]'' 153–156</ref> it treated it as merely an ecclesiastical matter, rather than a crime, for which the punishment was forfeiture of the office or any advantage from the offence and severance of any patronage relationship with the person who bestowed the office. Both [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]] and [[Elizabeth I]] promulgated statutes against simony, in the latter case through the [[Simony Act 1588]] ([[31 Eliz. 1]]. c. 6) and [[Simony Act 1688]]. The cases of [[Bishop of St. David's]] [[Thomas Watson (Bishop of St David's)|Thomas Watson]] in 1699{{sfn|Handley|2004}} and of [[Dean of York]] [[Sir William Cockburn, 11th Baronet|William Cockburn]] in 1841 were particularly notable.<ref name="times410410">''[[The Times]]'', 10 April 1841, p. 6 col.b, reprinted from the ''Cambridge Advertiser''</ref>

By the [[Benefices Act 1892]],{{which|date=July 2024}} a person guilty of simony is guilty of an offence for which he may be proceeded against under the [[Clergy Discipline Act 1892]] ([[55 & 56 Vict.]] c. 32). An innocent clerk is under no disability, as he might be by the canon law. Simony may be committed in three ways – in promotion to orders, in presentation to a benefice, and in resignation of a benefice. The [[common law]] (with which the [[canon law]] is incorporated, as far as it is not contrary to the common or statute law or the prerogative of [[the Crown]]) has been considerably modified by statute. Where no statute applies to the case, the doctrines of the canon law may still be of authority.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=133}}

{{As of|2011}}, simony remains an offence.<ref>{{harvnb|''Halsbury''|2002|loc='''832''' & '''1359'''}}</ref>{{better source needed|"as of 2011" but the source is from 2002!|date=March 2025}} 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.<ref>[[Simony Act 1588]], s.4</ref> Clergy are no longer required to make a declaration as to simony on [[ordination]], but offences are now likely to be dealt with under the [[Clergy Discipline Measure 2003]] (No. 3).<ref>2003 No. 3</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=June 2020}}<ref>r.8.{{harvnb|''Halsbury''|2002|loc='''1359'''}}</ref>