Robert Browne (died 1623)

Robert Browne (c. 1550 – 1623) was an English Separatist clergyman, generally regarded as the founder of the Brownists, a Separatist movement within Puritanism in the late 16th century. His followers were among the early proponents of religious congregationalism.

Browne was born in Tolethorpe, near Little Casterton, Rutland. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, beginning in 1572, and graduated in 1579. He initially worked as a schoolmaster and preacher, but became increasingly critical of the Church of England, viewing it as still too aligned with Catholic practices and hierarchical structure.

Browne argued for independent congregations, each covenanting together under Christ's authority and free from external control by bishops or the state. He believed that true Christian fellowship could only be achieved through a voluntary association of believers. In 1581, he formed a separatist church in Norwich.

His views were considered radical and subversive, and he faced persecution for them. In 1582, Browne and his followers emigrated to Middelburg in the Netherlands to escape arrest and prosecution. There, he wrote extensively about his theological beliefs, publishing works such as Reformation Without Tarrying for Anie and A Booke Which Sheweth the Life and Manners of All True Christians.

However, Browne's personality and leadership style proved difficult, and his congregation in Middelburg soon dissolved due to internal disputes. He returned to England in 1585 and, remarkably, reconciled with the Church of England. He served as a schoolmaster and later as rector of Achurch cum Thorpe in Northamptonshire from 1591 until his death in 1623. Despite his later conformity, his earlier radical writings and actions had a significant influence on the development of Separatist thought and the eventual founding of Congregational churches in both England and New England. He died in Northampton jail, reportedly following an altercation. His legacy is complex, encompassing both radical dissent and eventual conformity within the established Church.