 In Leiden , the congregation gained the freedom to worship as they chose , but Dutch society was unfamiliar to them . Scrooby had been an agricultural community , whereas Leiden was a thriving industrial center , and the pace of life was hard on the Separatists . The community remained close @-@ knit , but their children began adopting Dutch language and customs , and some were also going into the Dutch Army . The Separatists were also still not free from the persecutions of the English Crown . English authorities came to Leiden to arrest William Brewster in 1618 , after he published comments highly critical of the King of England and the Anglican Church . Brewster escaped arrest , but the events spurred the congregation to move even farther from England . 
