Act Against Conventicles

1670. Legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament against field preaching* and illegal house services conducted generally by Presbyterian ministers who had been ejected for nonconformity after the Restoration of Charles II. The punishment for infringing the act was death and confiscation of goods. It was required of everyone on oath to give information regarding conventicles, and those who had had their children baptized by the nonconforming ministers could be punished with exile. Gilbert Burnet* claims Charles himself said that bloody laws did no good and that he would not have sanctioned the act if he had known of it beforehand, but despite this disclaimer the repressive policy was maintained.