258 Readings in Etiropean History Next, Parliament, in 1664, declared all religious meet- ings, except those in accordance with the rules of the Church of England, to be illegal. Any meeting for reli- gious worship at which five were present besides the family was declared a "conventicle," and every person above sixteen there present was to lie three months in prison or pay £$ for the first offense; six months or ,£20 fine for the second offense ; for the third offense he was to be banished to any plantation, except New England or Virginia, or pay .£100. Burnet thus speaks of the repassing of this act in 1670 : 328. Harsh act against dissenters. (From Burnet.) Bold opposi- tion of the Quakers. When [after the great London fire of 1666] the city was pretty well rebuilt, they began to take care of the churches, which had lain in ashes some years ; and in that time con- venticles abounded in all parts of the city. It was thought hard to hinder men from worshiping God any way as they could, when there were no churches, nor ministers to look after them. But now they began to raise churches of boards, till the public allowance should be raised towards the building of churches. These they called tabernacles, and they fitted them up with pews and galleries as churches. So now an act was proposed reviving the former act against conventicles. . . . This act was executed in the city very severely in Starling's mayoralty, and put things in such disorder that many of the trading men of the city began to talk of removing with their stock over to Holland ; but the king ordered a stop be put to further severities. Many of the sects either discontinued their meetings or held them very secretly, with small numbers, and not in the hours of public worship ; yet informers were encour- aged and were everywhere at work. The behavior of the Quakers was more particular, and had something in it that looked bold. They met at the same place and at the same hour as before ; and when they were seized, none of them would go out of the way : they went all together to
