ed imprisonment no less than 32 times,
finally ending his days in Northampton jail. While at Middlebourg he had
published, in 1582, a book entitled _A Treatise of Reformation_, of which
he sent many copies to England, and it was for distributing these, and
other of his pamphlets, that the two above-named offenders were executed.
{78} (Collier's _Ecclesiastical History_.)

The movement which Brown originated did not die with himself, and in 1593
a congregation of Brownists was formed in London, which numbered some
20,000 members. A few years later their obnoxious tenets again provoked
persecution, and once more they had to take refuge on the continent.
Churches were established by them at Amsterdam and elsewhere, the
principal one being at Leyden, under the Rev. John Robinson, who
afterwards came to be regarded as the founder of Independency. He was a
man of considerable attainments; of more genuine piety than the impetuous
Brown; and while equally with him, holding that each congregation was in
itself a perfect and independent church, under Christ, he would avoid all
bitter invective against other communities, who, with different
regulations, might still be regarded equally as churches.

Although the Brownists had no regularly ordained ministry; as newly
constituted under Robinson, there were a number of ministers elected by
the congregations, and no one was allowed to teach publicly until, after
due examination, he had been pronounced qualified for the work. The
Independents differ chiefly from other religious societies, in that they
reject all creeds of fallible man, their test of orthodoxy being a
declaration that they accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and adhere to
the scriptures as the sole standard of faith and practice.

In 1616 a number of the society again returned to England under the
leadership of Henry Jacobs, who had served under Robinson, and once more
established a meeting house in London; while others, in charge of a Mr.
Brewster, who had been a lay Elder, also under Robinson, went out, in
1620, to North America, in the good ship Mayflower, and another vessel,
and founded a colony at Massachusetts.

Although, as has been already stated, under the influence of Robinson
sectarian bitterness was much modified, yet throughout the reigns of
James I. and Charles I., the Independents were in frequent conflict with
the Presbyterians; nor was there only sectarian strife, for both parties
had numerous sup