DISSENTERS. - This is the name given to those who are separated from the Catholic Church for disciplinary and doctrinal reasons. In particular, under this name are meant the Christians of the separated Churches of the East, improperly called Orthodox (v. SCISMA E SCISMATICI, ORIENTE CRISTIANO).
This name is given in England to all those who dissent from the doctrine or the discipline of the Church established (established) or recognized by the State, that is, the Anglican Church. They are also called nonconformists, although some wish to reserve this name only for those who did not accept the Act of uniformity of 1662; and recusants (recusants), although this name is more frequently found applied to Catholics and sometimes to the non-jurors or non-jurors.
Therefore generally included under the name of d. are Catholics, Independents, Congregationalists, Baptists, Puritans, the Presbyterians of England, the Quakers, the Methodists and some English sects of lesser importance.
In Scotland, those who separated from the established Presbyterian Church, such as the Cameronians, the Secessionists, the Burghers, the Anti-Burghers, the Relief Synod, the United presbyterian Church, the Free Church, etc., are also called d. or dissenters by some authors, but they reject this name and wish to be called simply "secessionists," because they say they never dissented from the doctrine of the established Church, that is, from the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland, but only from its discipline or ecclesiastical regime.
Bibliography
Camillo Crivelli