BROWN1STS. a religious sect, which owed its origin to Robert Brown, an English divine of the six teenth century He was first a schoolmaster, and next a lecturer at Islington ; and soon distinguished himself by travelling through various parts .of. England, and inveighing against the discipline and ordinances of the established church. Being brought before the bishop of Norwich, he was, in the year 1580, committed to the custody of the sheriff of the county ; but, upon an acknowledgment of his offence, he was released. This salutary chastisement, however, soon lost its effect upon Brown's ardent and captious spirit ; he returned to his former ambulatory life ; preached and wrote against the church of England ; and suffered frequent imprison ments, as a punishment for his offences.. At length his followers assumed the name of Brownists ; separated from the church ; and formed themselves into a society, which refused to join with any other Christian society in the public offices of religion. Brown's restlesS and turbulent spirit soon made it necessary for him to quit the kingdom ; and having. settled at Middleburg], in Zealand, in 1582, he and his followers obtained leave of the States to worship God in their own way, and to form a church according to their own model. There he might have lived and died unmolested; but opposi tion seems to have been more congenial to his spirit. In a few years he returned to England, and brought with him all his former hostility to the church. Having been cited to appear before the bishop of Peterborough, he refused to comply ; and the sentence of excom munication was pronounced upon him, as a punishment for his contempt. It is said, that he was deeply affected with the solemnity of that censure ; and having sonic years afterwards renounced his principles of separation, and returned to the communion of the church, he was preferred to a rectory in Northamptonshire. There, according to Fuller, he lived an idle and dissolute life, neither beloved nor respected ; and having quarrelled with the constable of his parish about the payment of certain rates, he was, by order of a justice of the peace, thrown into gaol, where he died in the year 1630, in the 81st year of his age, after having boasted that he had been committed to no fewer than thirty-two prisons, in some of which he could not see his hand at noon-clay.
The followers of this extraordinary man differed, not in doctrine, but in discipline, from the church of Eng land ; yet they carried their hostility to her so far as to maintain, that her ministers were unlawfully ordained,, that her discipline was Popish, and that her sacraments and institutions were invalid. Nay, they not only renounced communion with her, but also with all other religious societies, whose constitution was different from their own. In the formation of their churches, it was required that the members should subscribe a comession of faith, and an obligation to conduct them selves according to certain specified rule.. When they
became too numerous to meet in one place, they divided into separate societies or congregations, each of which was accounted a complete church, and enjoyed all toe rights and privileges competent to an ecclesiastical community. The whole power of governing each con gregation, or admitting and excluding members, and of deeming all controversies, resided in the people ; and each member was allowed an equal share in the govern ment, and an equal right to order all matters for the good of the whole society. No one church was entitled to exercise jurisdiction over another ; but each might give toe other counsel or admonition, when at any time their conduct was deemed disorderly, or when they departed from the fundamental truths of religion ; and if the offending church did not receive the admonition, the others were commanded to withdraw from com munion with them, and publicly disown them as a church of Christ. It was the congregation, also, that elected the pastors, and other officebcarers of the church, for the ministry of the word, and for taking care of the poor ; to which they were appointed by fasting, and prayer, and imposition of hands ; but reserving always the power of dismissing them from those offices, when ever they should think such a change conducive to the spiritual benefit of the community. For these pastors assumed no authority over the congregation, nor differed in any respect from their Christian brethren, except in the privilege of discharging the duties of the minis terial office. Neither was that office peculiar to them alone; for any member of the congregation might pub licly teach and exhort ; and many availed themselves of that privilege, when the discourse of the ordinary pastor or teacher was finished. On the other hand, the powers of the church-officers were confined within the narrow bounds of their respective congregations. No pastor was permitted to preach, nor to administer the sacra ments, except in his own church ; and all set forms of prayer in public worship were strictly prohibited. In a word, every church, or society of Christians, meeting in one place, was, according to the Brownists, a body corporate, having full power within itself to regulate all matters for the good of the community. It would seem that Brown had wished to form his church upon the model of the infant church, in the days of the apostles, without considering the important changes, both civil and religious, which have taken place in the state of the world since that time, and the influence which these must nessarily have on all ecclesiastical establish ments.
After continuing for a period of nearly one hundred years, the Brownists gave birth to the Independents, who adopted the greater part of their discipline. Sec Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. i. p. 328 ; Mosheim, vol. iv. p. 400 ; and Biog. Brit. vol. ii.