The Trial of Anne Hutchinson

(Excerpts from the examination of Anne Hutchinson, in the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony)

John Winthrop, Governor: Mrs. Hutchinson, you are called here as one of those that have troubled the peace of the commonwealth and the churches here; you are known to be a woman that hath had a great share in the promoting and divulging of those opinions that are the cause of this trouble, and to be nearly joined not only in affinity and affection with some of those the court had taken notice of and passed censure upon, but you have spoken divers things, as we have been informed, very prejudicial to the honor of the churches and ministers thereof, and you have maintained a meeting and an assembly in your house that hath been condemned by the general assembly as a thing not tolerable nor comely in the sight of God nor fitting for your sex, and notwithstanding that was cried down you have continued the same. Therefore we have thought good to send for you to understand how things are, that if you be in an erroneous way we may reduce you that so you may become a profitable member here among us. Otherwise if you be obstinate in your course that then the court may take such course that you may trouble us no further.

Mrs. Anne Hutchinson: I am called here to answer before you but I hear no things laid to my charge.

Governor: I have told you some already and more I can tell you.

Hutchinson: Name one, Sir.

Governor: Have I not named some already?

Hutchinson: What have I said or done?

Governor: Why for your doings, this you did harbor and countenance those that are parties in this faction that you have heard of.

Hutchinson: That's matter of conscience, Sir.

Governor: Your conscience you must keep, or it must be kept for you.

Hutchinson: What law [has been] transgress[ed]?

Governor: The law of God and of the state.

Hutchinson: In what particular?

Governor: Why in this among the rest, whereas the Lord doth say honor thy father and thy mother.

Hutchinson: What law have I broken?

Governor: Why the fifth commandment.

Hutchinson: I deny that….

Governor: If they be … of another religion, if you entertain them then you dishonor your parents and are justly punishable.

We do not mean to discourse with those of your sex but only this: you so adhere unto them and do endeavor to set forward this faction and so you do dishonor us.

Hutchinson: I do acknowledge no such thing. Neither do I think that I ever put any dishonor upon you.

Governor: Why do you keep such a meeting at your house as you do every week upon a set day?

Hutchinson: It is lawful for me to do so….

Governor: By what warrant do you continue such a course?

Hutchinson: I conceive there lies a clear rule in Titus that the elder women should instruct the younger and then I must have a time wherein I must do it.

Governor: All this I grant you, I grant you a time for it, but what is this to the purpose that you Mrs. Hutchinson must call a company together from their callings to come to be taught of you?

Hutchinson: If you look upon the rule in Titus it is a rule to me. If you convince me that it is no rule I shall yield.

Governor: You know that there is no rule that crosses another, but this rule crosses that in the Corinthians. But you must take it in this sense that elder women must instruct the younger about their business and to love their husbands and not to make them to clash....

Hutchinson: Will it please you to answer me this and to give me a rule for then I will willingly submit to any truth. If any come to my house to be instructed in the ways of God what rule have I to put them away? Do you think it not lawful for me to teach women and why do you call me to teach the court?

Governor: We do not call you to teach the court but to lay open yourself....

Your course is not to be suffered for. Besides that we find such a course as this to be greatly prejudicial to the state. Besides the occasion that it is to seduce many honest persons that are called to those meetings and your opinions and your opinions being known to be different from the word of God may seduce many simple souls that resort unto you. Besides that the occasion which hath come of late hath come from none but such as have frequented your meetings, so that now they are flown off from magistrates and ministers and since they have come to you. And besides that it will not well stand with the commonwealth that families should be neglected for so many neighbors and dames and so much time spent. We see no rule of God for this. We see not that any should have authority to set up any other exercises besides what authority hath already set up and so what hurt comes of this you will be guilty of and we for suffering you.

Hutchinson: Sir, I do not believe that to be so.

Governor: Well, we see how it is. We must therefore put it away from you or restrain you from maintaining this course.

Hutchinson: If you have a rule for it from God's word you may.

Governor: We are your judges, and not you ours and we must compel you to it.

Hutchinson: If it please you by authority to put it down I will freely let you for I am subject to your authority....
 
Thomas Dudley, Deputy Governor: I would go a little higher with Mrs. Hutchinson. About three years ago we were all in peace. Mrs Hutchinson, from that time she came hath made a disturbance….

[W]ithin half a year after, she had vented divers of her strange opinions and had made parties in the country….

Mrs. Hutchinson hath so forestalled the minds of many by their resort to her meeting that now she hath a potent party in the country. Now if all these things have endangered us as from that foundation and if she in particular hath disparaged all our ministers in the land … she that hath depraved all the ministers and hath been the cause of what is fallen out, why we must take away the foundation and the building will fall.

You say they preached a covenant of works and that they were not able ministers of the New Testament [and] that those that were under a covenant of works cannot be saved.

Hutchinson: I acknowledge using the words of the apostle to the Corinthians unto him, that they that were ministers of the letter and not the spirit did preach a covenant of works.

Governor: Mrs. Hutchinson, the court you see hath labored to bring you to acknowledge the error of your way that so you might be reduced….

There were divers things laid to her charge: her ordinary meetings about religious exercises, her speeches in derogation of the ministers among us, and the weakening of the hands and hearts of the people towards them. Here was sufficient proof made of that which she was accused of, in that point concerning the ministers and their ministry, as that they did preach a covenant of works when others did preach a covenant of grace, and that they were not able ministers of the New Testament, and that they had not the seal of the spirit, and this was spoken not as was pretended out of private conference, but out of conscience and warrant from scripture alleged the fear of man is a snare and seeing God had given her a calling to it she would freely speak. Some other speeches she used, as that the letter of the scripture held forth a covenant of works, and this is offered to be proved by probable grounds....

Let us state the case, and then we may know what to do. That which is laid to Mrs. Hutchinson charge is that, that she hath traduced the magistrates and ministers of this jurisdiction, that she hath said the ministers preached a covenant of works and … that they were not able ministers of the gospel, and she excuses it that she made it a private conference and with a promise of secrecy, &c. Now this is charged upon her, and they therefore sent for her seeing she made it her table talk, and then she said the fear of man was a snare and therefore she would not be affeared of them....

Hutchinson: If you please to give me leave I shall give you the ground of what I know to be true. Being much troubled to see the falseness of the constitution of the Church of England, I had like to have turned Separatist. Whereupon I kept a day of solemn humiliation and pondering of the thing; this scripture was brought unto me--he that denies Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh is antichrist. This I considered of and in considering found that the papists did not deny him to be come in the flesh, nor we did not deny him--who then was antichrist? Was the Turk antichrist only? The Lord knows that I could not open scripture; he must by his prophetical office open it unto me. So after that being unsatisfied in the thing, the Lord was pleased to bring this scripture out of the Hebrews. he that denies the testament denies the testator, and in this did open unto me and give me to see that those which did not teach the new covenant had the spirit of antichrist, and upon this he did discover the ministry unto me; and ever since, I bless the Lord, he hath let me see which was the clear ministry and which the wrong. Since that time I confess I have been more choice and he hath left me to distinguish between the voice of my beloved and the voice of Moses, the voice of John the Baptist and the voice of antichrist, for all those voices are spoken of in scripture. Now if you do condemn me for speaking what in my conscience I know to be truth I must commit myself unto the Lord.

Mr. Nowel, of the Court: How do you know that was the spirit?

Hutchinson: How did Abraham know that it was God that bid him offer his son, being a breach of the sixth commandment?

Deputy Governor: By an immediate voice.

Hutchinson: So to me by an immediate revelation.

Deputy Governor: How! An immediate revelation.

Hutchinson: By the voice of his own spirit to my soul.

Governor: I am persuaded that the revelation she brings forth is delusion.

The court hath already declared themselves satisfied concerning the things you hear, and concerning the troublesomeness of her spirit and the danger of her course amongst us, which is not to be suffered.

Governor [after the court voted]: Mrs. Hutchinson, the sentence of the court you hear is that you are banished from out of our jurisdiction as being a woman not fit for our society, and are to be imprisoned till the court shall send you away.

Hutchinson: I desire to know wherefore I am banished?

Governor: Say no more. The court knows wherefore and is satisfied.
 

(Excerpts from the record of the examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, in the General Court, for Massachusetts Bay Colony, at Newton, Massachusetts, 1637)