April 17, 1666: Thomas Goold and his associates were fined by a Massachusetts court for holding illegal religious meetings. There have been many posts on our page about the conflicts between the Baptists in Boston and the Massachusetts officials. Laws did not allow for the freedom to start new churches, or to not baptize infants. Church attendance was compulsory. Baptists have had a long history of fighting for the separation of Church and State. ABHS has the record of this long fight, including writings of early Baptists and resolutions of official bodies.
