In his journal, A History of New England, John Winthrop recorded the details of Anne Hutchinson's dissent, trial, and ultimately her banishment and excommunication. As you may remember, Winthrop did not write his journal for publication as a piece of literature. Instead, as Governor, he seemed to feel compelled to document the major events of Puritan life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, especially those involving justice.
As you read these excerpts from A History of New England, try to identify the principles that seem most important to John Winthrop. Also, think about Winthrop's representation of Anne Hutchinson and what his tone and writing style communicate to readers.
Winthrop outlines Anne Hutchinson's "two dangerous errors": her belief that the Holy Ghost physically lives inside a saved or "justified" person and her belief that good works (also known as "sanctification") are not evidence that a person is saved by God. Who are the "hypocrites" Winthrop mentions when he describes Hutchinson's idea that "a Christian remains dead to every spiritual action, and hath no gifts nor graces, other than such as are in hypocrites, nor any other sanctification but the Holy Ghost himself"?
- The hypocrites are people who do good works but who are not saved.
- The hypocrites are people who are saved and do not follow laws.
- The hypocrites are all ministers and government officials.
- The hypocrites are people who have a ready wit and bold spirit.
Hutchinson thought the "saved" were controlled by the Holy Spirit; they were not the do-gooders who thought their adherence to religious laws proved they were saved.
Hutchinson thought the "saved" were controlled by the Holy Spirit; they were not the do-gooders who thought their adherence to religious laws proved they were saved.
Hutchinson thought the "saved" were controlled by the Holy Spirit; they were not the do-gooders who thought their adherence to religious laws proved they were saved.
Hutchinson thought the "saved" were controlled by the Holy Spirit; they were not the do-gooders who thought their adherence to religious laws proved they were saved.
Anne Hutchinson and her family came to New England to follow a minister she greatly admired, John Cotton. Except for John Cotton and her husband's brother-in-law, John Wheelwright, she later accused all the ministers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony of preaching a "covenant of works" instead of a "covenant of grace." (A covenant of works is based on the idea that people can prove they are saved simply by doing good deeds). What did both John Cotton and John Wheelwright say to the other ministers of the Bay during a private conference regarding Anne's beliefs?
- They agreed with Anne, not the ministers, that good works were not evidence one was saved.
- They agreed with the ministers, not Anne, that good works could be evidence one was saved.
- They agreed with the ministers that the saved had a personal union with the Holy Ghost.
- They agreed with Anne that the saved had a personal union with the Holy Ghost.
The two men did not stand by Anne on this matter in the general court.
The two men did not stand by Anne on this matter in the general court.
The two men did not stand by Anne on this matter in the general court.
The two men did not stand by Anne on this matter in the general court.
According to the charges Winthrop mentions, how was Anne able to spread her beliefs to so many others in Boston?
- She preached regularly at church with John Cotton.
- She gave speeches about God's revelations to her.
- She held two public lectures every week in her house.
- She spread her ideas through pamphlets her brother-in-law printed.
Sixty to eighty persons attended these gatherings.
Sixty to eighty persons attended these gatherings.
Sixty to eighty persons attended these gatherings.
Sixty to eighty persons attended these gatherings.
After the claims "were clearly proved against her," what revelation did Anne vent to the court?
- God revealed to her that the Bay ministers did not have the "seal of the spirit."
- God revealed to her that he would punish the colony for persecuting her.
- God revealed to her that because it was winter, they wouldn't banish her.
- God revealed to her that she was not supposed to come to New England.
The court's response to this revelation was banishment.
The court's response to this revelation was banishment.
The court's response to this revelation was banishment.
The court's response to this revelation was banishment.
According to Winthrop, why were the proceedings of Anne's trial recorded and sent to England?
- The colony did not want Puritans in England to think Hutchinson was innocent.
- The colony did not want Anne Hutchinson to send misinformation to England.
- The colony did not want the king to think they couldn't conduct trials properly.
- The colony did not want other Puritans to be discouraged from coming to New England.
During the Great Migration, thousands of English Puritans settled in New England.
During the Great Migration, thousands of English Puritans settled in New England.
During the Great Migration, thousands of English Puritans settled in New England.
During the Great Migration, thousands of English Puritans settled in New England.
What word BEST describes Winthrop's tone in this statement: "Indeed, it was a happy day to the churches of Christ here, and to many poor souls, who had been seduced by her, who by what they heard and saw that day, were (through the grace of God) brought off quite from her errors, and settled again in the truth"?
- sarcastic
- threatening
- solemn
- compassionate
When Anne Hutchinson claims she is happy to be excommunicated, Winthrop agrees it is a happy day to be rid of her.
When Anne Hutchinson claims she is happy to be excommunicated, Winthrop agrees it is a happy day to be rid of her.
When Anne Hutchinson claims she is happy to be excommunicated, Winthrop agrees it is a happy day to be rid of her.
When Anne Hutchinson claims she is happy to be excommunicated, Winthrop agrees it is a happy day to be rid of her.
After her banishment, Anne and her family settled in Narragansett Bay, where she experienced a "monstrous birth." What reason did John Cotton give for Anne's misfortune?
- It was punishment for disagreeing with church teachings.
- It was caused by the extreme stress of her public trial.
- It was proof she was not one of God's saved "elect."
- It was evidence that she was a wicked and sinful woman.
Puritans did not take conflicts with church doctrine lightly.
Puritans did not take conflicts with church doctrine lightly.
Puritans did not take conflicts with church doctrine lightly.
Puritans did not take conflicts with church doctrine lightly.
In general, what do these excerpts show about "mainstream" Puritan beliefs regarding salvation and holiness?
- A person's spiritual worthiness is mostly unrelated to that person's actions toward others.
- A person's spiritual worthiness is expressed by outward actions, events, and appearances.
- Religious laws are unnecessary for maintaining order and compliance in a community.
- Religious laws are required to prevent people in power from treating others harshly.
The views of Winthrop and most of New England's other leaders represented the beliefs of most Puritans in New England, at least before Anne Hutchinson arrived.
The views of Winthrop and most of New England's other leaders represented the beliefs of most Puritans in New England, at least before Anne Hutchinson arrived.
The views of Winthrop and most of New England's other leaders represented the beliefs of most Puritans in New England, at least before Anne Hutchinson arrived.
The views of Winthrop and most of New England's other leaders represented the beliefs of most Puritans in New England, at least before Anne Hutchinson arrived.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
One Mrs. Hutchinson, a member of the church of Boston, a woman of a ready wit and bold spirit, brought over with her two dangerous errors: 1. That the person of the Holy Ghost dwells in a justified person. 2. That no sanctification can help to evidence to us our justification. — From these two grew many branches, such as our union with the Holy Ghost, so that a Christian remains dead to every spiritual action, and hath no gifts nor graces, other than such as are in hypocrites, nor any other sanctification but the Holy Ghost himself. . . .
There joined with her in these opinions a brother of hers, one Mr. Wheelwright, a sometimes silenced minister in England. The other ministers in the Bay, hearing of these things, came to Boston at the time of a general court, and entered conference in private with them, to the end they might know the certainty of these things; that if need were, they might write to the church of Boston about them, to prevent (if it were possible) the dangers, which seemed hereby to hang over that and the rest of the churches. At this conference, Mr. Cotton was present, and gave satisfaction to them, in that he agreed with them all on the point of sanctification, and so did Mr. Wheelwright; so as they all did hold, that sanctification did help to evidence justification. The same he had delivered plainly in public, diverse times; but, for the indwelling of the person of the Holy Ghost, he held that still, as some others of the ministers did, but not union with the person of the Holy Ghost, (as Mrs. Hutchinson and others did,) so as to amount to a personal union.
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The court also sent for Mrs. Hutchinson, and charged her with diverse matters, such as her keeping two public lectures every week in her house, whereto sixty or eighty persons did usually resort, and for reproaching most of the ministers (all except Mr. Cotton) for not preaching a covenant of free grace, and that they had not the seal of the spirit, nor were able ministers of the New Testament; [these claims] were clearly proved against her, though she sought to shift off. And, after many speeches to and fro, at last she was so full as she could not contain herself, but vented her revelations; amongst which this was one, that she had it revealed to her, that she should come into New England, and should here be persecuted, and that God would ruin us and our posterity, and the whole state, for the same. So the court proceeded and banished her; but, because it was winter, they committed her to a private house, where she was well provided, and her own friends and the elders permitted to go to her, but none else.
The court also ordered that the rest who had subscribed the petition (and would not acknowledge their fault as near twenty of them did) and some others, who had been chief stirrers in these contentions, should be disarmed. This troubled some of them very much, especially because they were to bring them in themselves; but at last, when they saw no remedy, they obeyed.
All the proceedings of this court against these persons were set down at large, with the reasons and other observations, and were sent into England to be published there, to the end that all our godly friends might not be discouraged from coming to us, etc.
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After she was excommunicated, her spirits, which seemed before to be somewhat dejected, revived again, and she gloried in her sufferings, saying that it was the greatest happiness, next to Christ, that ever befell her. Indeed, it was a happy day to the churches of Christ here, and to many poor souls, who had been seduced by her, who by what they heard and saw that day, were (through the grace of God) brought off quite from her errors, and settled again in the truth.
At this time the good providence of God so disposed, divers of the congregation (being the chief men of the party, her husband being one) were gone to Narragansett to seek out a new place for plantation, and taking liking of one in Plymouth patent, they went thither to have it granted them; but the magistrates there, knowing their spirit, gave them a denial, but consented they might buy of the Indians an island in the Narragansett Bay.
After two or three days, the governor sent a warrant to Mrs. Hutchinson to depart this jurisdiction before the last of this month, according to the order of court, and for that end set her at liberty from her former constraint, so as she was not to go forth of her own house till her departure; and upon the 28th she went by water to her farm at the Mount, where she was to take water, with Mr. Wheelwright's wife and family, to go to Pascataquack; but she changed her mind, and went by land to Providence, and so to the island in the Narragansett Bay, which her husband and the rest of that sect had purchased of the Indians, and prepared with all speed to remove unto. . .
Mrs. Hutchinson, being removed to the Isle of Aquiday in the Narragansett Bay after her time was fulfilled and expecting deliverance of a child, was delivered of a monstrous birth. This being diversely related in the country (and, in the open assembly at Boston, upon a lecture day, declared by Mr. Cotton to . . . signify her error in denying inherent righteousness. . ., etc.) the governor wrote to Mr. Clarke, a physician and a preacher to those of the island, to know the certainty thereof.
