CONVENTICLE

(Lat., diminutive of convent us.) An a embly for the purpose of divine worship; first used in a contemptuous sense foi the meetings of the followers of Wicliffe (stat. 2H. 4. c. 1.5.), and^ince applied to the places of meeting of petty sects and of Di enters in general in the Conventicle Act, 16 Car. 2., repealed by 52 G. 3. c. 155. OriginaHy the word had no such peculiar application, but was used by the fathers and ancient writers for a church. [s. 291]