Assembly Proceedings, June 29-July 22, 1699. 523

An Act for Punishment of Blasphemy Fornication Adultery
Prophane Swearing and Cursing

Be it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Ma^ty by and with
the Advice and Consent of this Present Generall Assembly
and the Authority of the Same That from and after the publi-
cation hereof if any Person or Persons whatsoever Inhabiting
or being within this Province shall Blasphem God (That is to
say) Curse him or deny our Saviour Jesus Christ to be the Son
of God or shall Deny the Holy Trinity the father Son and holy
Ghost or the God head of any of the said Three persons or
the Unity of the Godhead or shall utter any reproachfull
Speeches words or Language Concerning the holy Trinity or
any of the three Persons thereof for his her or their first Offence
Shall be bored through the Tongue and fined the Sume of
Twenty pounds Sterling to his Sacred Ma^ty towards the de-
fraying the County Charge where the said Offence shall be
Comitted to be leavied upon his or her Goods and Chattells
Lands and Tenements (if any they have) but if Such Offender
or Offenders have not goods and Chattells Lands and Tene-
ments to the Value aforesaid then Such Offender or Offenders
shall Suffer Six months Imprisonment without Baile or Main-
prize and for every Second Offence whereof every such Offen-
der or Offenders shall be Legally Convict he she or they so
offending as aforesaid shall be stigmatized in the forehead
with the Letter B: and to be fined fourty Pounds Sterling to
the uses aforesaid and in Case he she or they so Offending as
aforesaid shall not have goods & Chattells Lands and Tene-
ments to the Value aforesaid every such Offend^r or Offenders
shall Suffer Imprisonment for the Space of one whole Year
without Baile or Mainprize as aforesaid and for every third
offence whereof any Such Offender or Offenders Legally Con-
victed as aforesaid he she or they so Offending shall Suffer
Death with Confiscation of all his her or their Goods & Chat-
tells to his Maty his heires and Successors And be it further
Enacted by the Authority advice and Consent aforesaid That

Lib. L. L.
p. 279

Every person or persons Comitting fornication and being
thereof Convicted shall for every time so Offending be fined
(by the Court before whom such Matter shall be brought) to
his Sacred Ma^ty in the Sume of Twenty Shillings Sterl or four
hundred pounds of Tobbacco to be leavied &c. for and Towards
the defraying the County leavy where Such fact shall be
Comitted or receive Corporall punishment by whipping att the
discretion of the said Court not Exceeding thirty nine lashes
and that every Person or Persons Comitting Adultery and
being thereof Legally Convict shall be fined as aforesaid for
the uses af^d in the Sume of fourty Shillings Sterl or Eight

p. 280