ord, in Rutlandshire,
whose father, a man of good position, had obtained the singular privilege
(granted only to others of noble birth) by a Charter of Henry VIII., of
wearing his cap in the presence of Royalty. Robert Brown was educated at
Cambridge, graduating from Corpus Christi College, and became a
Schoolmaster in Southwark. About 1580 he began to put forward opinions
condemnatory of the established church. He held, as opposed to the
uniformity of worship by law established, that each minister, with his
congregation, were "a law unto themselves;" that each such small
community had a right to be independent of all others; that it was not
ordination which gave a minister authority to preach, but the fact that
he was the nominee of a congregation; that councils or synods might be
useful in giving advice, but that they could not enforce their decisions,
and had no punitory power of censure, or excommunication, against any who
chose to adopt an independent course.

Such opinions, put forward in somewhat intemperate language, aroused much
opposition and bitter feeling, which Brown was too impetuous to avoid, or
to mitigate. He continued his teaching and presently formed a
congregation at Norwich, holding his views.

An Act of Parliament had been recently passed (23 Eliz., c. 2) which made
anyone guilty of felony who should write, or set forth, seditious matter;
and the Queen, as supreme head of the Church, regarded Brown's action as
an interference with the Royal prerogative. Severe measures were adopted
in order to restrain this new teaching. Two preachers, Elias Thacker and
John Copping, who embraced and proclaimed these tenet, were tried at the
Bury Assizes in 1583, condemned, and shortly afterwards hanged. Brown
was himself thrown into prison, but released through the intercession of
Lord Burghley, with whom he was connected.

He now left England, and, with a number of followers settled, by
permission of the state, at Middlebourg, in Zealand, where they formed a
congregation. There, however, freed from all restraint, their principles
of independence carried them so far that differences arose among
themselves, which broke up the community. Brown presently returned to
England, and for a time conformed to the Church, which he had so freely
abused, being allowed even to hold the Benefice of Thorpe Achurch, in
Northamptonshire. But again and again his independence asserted itself,
and it is said that he incurr