separatists

separatists in religion, those bodies of Christians who withdrew from the Church of England. They desired freedom from church and civil authority, control of each congregation by its membership, and changes in ritual. In the 16th cent. a group of early separatists were known as Brownists after their leader, Robert Browne . The name Independents came into use in the 17th cent. Among other separatist groups were the Pilgrims, the Quakers, and the Baptists. See Congregationalism .

Separatists. A title applied to the followers of R. Browne and later to the Congregationalists and others who separated from the C of E.

Separatists, name applied to those who split from the Established Church of England in the 17th century, organizing independent congregations. They had much in common with the Puritan party within the State Church, but went beyond them in desiring not merely a purification in ceremonial but also complete independence. Frequently they had no stated ministry, emphasizing only the bare letter of Scripture, believing in voluntary church membership, and a relatively democratic organization within the local church. The Pilgrims were Separatists, but most of the other New England settlers, such as those of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were Puritans. In America the two groups tended to merge, but extreme Separatists, such as Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, were persecuted. Certain ministers, such as Thomas Hooker and John Wise, opposed the dominant oligarchy of New England ministers on essentially Separatist principles.