King Charles JI. 1670- \.../-V"V Chap. VIJI. The HISTORY of-the PuRITANS. venticle aCt, which having expired fame time fince, was now revived by the parliament which met OClober 19. The court went into it with, a view of reducing the prefbyterians to the neceffity of petitionin~ for a general toleration. " If we would have opened the door to let 10 po– ,, pery (G1ys Mr. Baxter), that their toleration might· have been charged Part III. " upon us, as done for our fakes, and by our procurement, we might P· 3 6 · '' in all likelihood have had our part in it ; but I lhall never be one of " them who by any new pre!fures, lhall confent to petition for the pa- " pifis liberty; no craft of jefuits or prelates lhall make me believe, " that it is neceffary for the non-conformifts to take this odium upon " tbemfelves." The court bilhops were for the bill, but the moderate Burnet. P· clergy were againfi it, Biihop Wilkins fpoke againfi it in the houfe; 2 72' and when the king defired him in private to be quiet, he replied, that he thought it an ill thing both in confcience and policy, therefore as he was an englijh-man, and a bifhop, he was bound to oppofe it; and fince by the laws and confl:itution of England, and by his majefl:y's favour, he had a right to debate and vote, he was neither afraid nor alhamed to own his opinion in that matter. However the bill pafs'd both houfes, and Stat. 22; received the royal affent April I 1, I 67o. It was to the following ef- ~~'- II. feet ; " that if any perfons upwards of fixteen years, lhall ~be prefent at Ra;f~ 1 ' " any affembly, conventicle or meeting, under colour or pretence of p. 42~. " any exercife of religion, in any other manner than according to the " liturgy and praCtice of the church of England, where there are five " perfons or more prefent, befides thofe of the (aid houfhold, in fuch " cafes the offender fhall pay five fhillings for the firft oftence; and ten " {billings for the fecond. And the preachers or teachers in any fuch « meetings lhall forfeit twenty pounds for the firfl:, and forty for the · " fecond offence. And lafl:ly, thofe who knowingly fuffer any fuch con- " venticles in their houfes, barns, yards, &c. lhall forfeit twenty pounds. " Any jufl:ice of peace on the oath of two witneffes, or any other fuf- " ficient proof, may record the offence under his hand and feal, which '' record lhall be taken in law for a full and perfeCt conviCtion, and " fhall be certified at the next quarter feffions. The fines above- " mentioned, may be levied by difl:refs and fale of the offender's goods " and chattels, and in cafe of the poverty of fuch offender, upon the " goods and chattels of any other perfon or perfons, that lhall be con- " vicred of having been prefent at the faid conventicle, at the difcretion " of the juftice of peace, fo as the fum to be levied on any one perfon, " in cafe of the poverty of others, do not amount to above ten pounds " for any one meeting: the conftables, headboroughs, &c. are to levy " the fame by warrant from the jufl:ice, and to be divided, one third " for the ufe of the king, another third for the poor, and the other third · · .. · '' to
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