n
a member of any of several strict religious groups in the 16th century, during the Reformation . They believed in following the Bible’s teachings exactly, separating the Church from the State, and shared ownership of goods. They also believed that only adults should be baptized Their views were considered extreme by both Protestants and Catholics . They were strongest in Germany and the Netherlands, but later the movement spread to the US. They influenced the beliefs of the later Baptist movement and of other groups such as the Hutterites and the Mennonites .