Mammillarians

Mammillarians

the name of a branch of the Anabaptists which arose in Haarlem, Holland. Its origin is as follows. A young man having taken undue liberties with a young woman whom he intended to marry, was accused of it before the Church; the Church authorities, however, did not agree on the subject, some desiring to expel the offender from their society, and others opposing so severe a measure. This caused a separation, and those who were on the young man's side were visited by their opponents with the reproachful name of Mammillarians (from the French word Mammelle, a woman's breast). See Bayle, Dict. Historique, s.v.; Microelius, Syntag. Hist. Eccl. (ed. 1679) p. 1012. — Herzog, Real-Encyklopidie, 8:774.