Declaration of Indulgence

E37793

The Declaration of Indulgence was a royal proclamation by James II of England in 1687–1688 that suspended penal laws against Catholics and Protestant dissenters in an attempt to promote religious toleration and expand royal prerogative.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf legal instrument
royal proclamation
alsoKnownAs Declaration for Liberty of Conscience
challengedBy Parliament of England
consequence contributed to the Glorious Revolution
heightened distrust of James II
constitutionalIssue conflict with parliamentary sovereignty
use of royal dispensing power
country Kingdom of England
dateIssued 1687
1688
extendedTo Scotland
geographicalScope England
Wales
historicalPeriod Stuart England
inspiredBy James II’s pro-Catholic policies
issuedBy James II of England
language English
legalDomain constitutional law
religious law
legalEffect dispensed with statutory requirements enforcing religious uniformity
suspended penal laws for religious nonconformity
legalStatus royal proclamation
locationIssued England
monarch James II of England
opposedBy Anglican clergy
Church of England bishops
Tories
partOf English constitutional history
politicalContext reign of James II
tensions between Crown and Parliament
precededBy Clarendon Code
Test Acts
purpose expand royal prerogative
promote religious toleration
suspend penal laws against Catholics
suspend penal laws against Protestant dissenters
relatedEvent Glorious Revolution
Trial of the Seven Bishops
religiousPolicy toleration of Protestant Nonconformists
toleration of Roman Catholics
repealedBy Act of Parliament after the Glorious Revolution
Bill of Rights 1689
subjectMatter religious toleration in England
supportedBy English Catholics
many Protestant dissenters
year 1687
1688

Referenced by (5)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Charles II of England
issued
James II of England
legalActAssociated
trial of the Seven Bishops (1688)
mainSubject
Seven Bishops ("James II's Declaration of Indulgence")
opposed
William Sancroft ("Declaration of Indulgence (1687–1688)")
opposedTo

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