Excerpt From the Trial of Anne Hutchinson

Reprinted in Major Problems in American Colonial History

Published in 1993

Edited by Karen Ordahl Kupperman

"It is said, I will pour by Spirit upon your Daughters, and they shall prophesie. . . If god give me a gift of Prophecy, I may use it."

In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was founded as an ideal Puritan community, religious disputes often became legal problems. Although religion and government were supposedly separate, only men who were members of the Puritan church could vote or hold office. The Puritans expected some political debates, but they would not tolerate views that threatened the religious harmony of the colony. A few years after the initial settlement of Massachusetts Bay, several dissidents (those who question or oppose the laws of the church) engaged in activities that undermined Puritan society. One of the most prominent was Puritan minister Roger Williams (c.1603–1683), who advocated the complete separation of church and state. He argued that religion was corrupted by any government interference in spiritual affairs. In his view, magistrates (officials who administer laws) should have no power to use laws to enforce church doctrine (system of belief).

Williams went even further by challenging the legal basis of the colony itself. He claimed that the English king, Charles I (1600–1649), had had no right to grant a charter (legal agreement) for the founding of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1629 because the land belonged to the Native Americans. After a prolonged struggle with Puritan officials, Williams was banished from (forced to leave) Massachusetts Bay. He then founded and governed Rhode Island, the first American colony to be based on separation of church and state. Williams also left the Puritan church and started the first Baptist church in the American colonies. (Baptist is a shortened form of Anabaptists, a Christian group who believed that infants should not be baptized, or inducted into the Christian faith through immersion in water).

Another famous dissident was Anne Marbury Hutchinson (1591–1643), who moved to Massachusetts Bay in 1636. Hutchinson was born in Alford, England, the oldest of thirteen children of Anglican (also known as the Church of England; the official state religion) clergyman Francis Marbury and his second wife, Bridget Dryden Marbury. Before Anne's birth Francis Marbury was imprisoned twice for rejecting church dogma (established opinion). Anne was baptized in the Anglican faith and received an education far superior to that provided to most young women in the seventeenth century. From an early age she was exposed to religious discussions in the family home, and she became familiar with church doctrine and Scripture (passages from the Bible). She was also influenced by her father's rebellious spirit and contempt for authority. In 1605 the family moved from Alford to London. Anne lived in London until 1612, when she married William Hutchinson, an affluent businessman. While living in Alford, Anne began attending services at St. Botolph's, a church headed by Puritan theologian John Cotton (1585–1652) in Boston, Lincolnshire. The Hutchinsons then moved to Alford, where they lived for the next twenty-two years.

At the time Hutchinson began attending St. Botolph's, Cotton was attempting to modify Puritan doctrine. One of the central doctrines of Puritanism was the belief that salvation (being saved from sin) could be earned only through good works (moral behavior). This was known to many as the covenant of works. Hutchinson was inspired by Cotton's emphasis upon the covenant of grace rather than the covenant of works. According to the covenant of grace, a Christian believer could gain salvation through revelation (direct communication with God). This doctrine became popular because it freed people from having to do good works in order to be saved from sin. Cotton insisted, however, that his followers continue doing good works whether or not they had received revelation from God. Hutchinson took the idea much further.

Hutchinson believed that Christians who had achieved grace actually became the spirit of God. Therefore, according to Hutchinson, the covenant of grace made the covenant of works unnecessary. That is, if people had this special connection with God, then they did not have to do good works to show that they had been saved. Hutchinson embraced the covenant of grace after the deaths of two of her daughters in 1630 and the later death of her father. She claimed to have received revelations from God during these experiences. Therefore, according to the covenant of grace, she was still saved despite the tragedies in her life. (Puritans believed that if they suffered misfortune they had done something to offend God and had to gain his forgiveness by doing good works. Hutchinson believed that if they had already been saved, however, they could not be held responsible for misfortunes.)

In 1633 Cotton was forced to resign his ministry because of his views. He then fled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America and took a position at the Puritan church in Boston. Soon afterward Hutchinson announced to her family that God had instructed her to follow Cotton to Massachusetts. William was a devoted husband who always supported her religious beliefs, so a year later the Hutchinsons left England on board the ship Griffin. In September 1634 they arrived in Boston, where William Hutchinson entered into the textile (fabric) trade. He eventually became quite successful and the Hutchinson family occupied a prominent position in the community. Anne Hutchinson's kind manner and her skills as a midwife (a person who assists women in childbirth) made her popular with affluent Boston women. During this time she became aware of the Massachusetts Puritans' belief in the covenant of works.

Determined to promote the covenant of grace, Hutchinson held private meetings for both men and women in her home. These gatherings usually began with a calm discussion of Cotton's sermons. Then, because Hutchinson possessed an intense intellect, people asked her to explain some of the more confusing aspects of Puritan doctrine. Finally, her religious fervor would take over, and she often became careless in advancing her own ideas and labeling them as Cotton's. Before long, Hutchinson had many followers who believed in her version of the covenant of grace.

Hutchinson conducted her meetings without interruption until 1635, when the prominent Puritan clergyman John Wilson returned to Boston from England. Hutchinson became increasingly troubled by Wilson's sermons, so she informed her followers that he was simply preaching another version of the covenant of works. In fact, she contended, most Massachusetts clergymen were promoting this doctrine. The only exceptions, she said, were Cotton and her brother-in-law, John Wheel-wright (1592–1679), who both preached the covenant of grace. Not surprisingly, with these charges Hutchinson created a division between her followers and traditional Puritans, who charged that she was committing a form of heresy (a religious opinion contrary to church teachings) called antinomianism. Antinomianism was the belief that God had predetermined who would be saved from sin, so all people—including ministers—were powerless to change the situation by doing good works. Puritan leaders were especially angry because she challenged their authority to decide who was worthy of salvation. The rift rapidly spread through the entire colony, becoming a serious threat in 1637, when her male followers refused to fight in the Pequot War. (The Pequot War broke out when the Puritans, in retaliation for the murder of two English traders by Native Americans, nearly exterminated the Pequot tribe.) Puritan officials immediately charged Hutchinson with heresy.

Although Hutchinson was the principal agitator (one who stirs up public feeling) in the Puritan conflict, she was not the first to be punished. In March 1637 Wheelwright was brought before the Massachusetts General Court and charged with sedition (resistance against lawful authority). It was not until September 1637 that a church synod (advisory council) finally condemned Hutchinson for her religious beliefs. By this time, she had lost much of her support. After John Winthrop (1588–1649; see "John Winthrop's Christian Experience"), was reelected governor, several of Hutchinson's followers were removed from public office. Cotton even sided with church officials after making sure he would not get into trouble for teaching the covenant of grace. Wheelwright, Hutchinson's only remaining ally, was banished from the colony in November 1637.

Soon after Wheelwright was banished, Hutchinson was brought before the General Court and accused of defying the teachings of Puritan ministers. She was also charged with violating laws that forbade her, as a woman, to speak in public and to teach men or people older than herself.

Things to Remember While Reading excerpt From the Trial of Anne Hutchinson:

• The following excerpts were taken from a transcript of Hutchinson's trial in 1637. Puritan officials published the transcript in order to gain public support for their decision to banish her. Various officials, including Winthrop, questioned Hutchinson; all are referred to as "Court."

Excerpt From the Trial of Anne Hutchinson

. . . [A] woman had been the breeder and nourisher of all thesedistempers, one Mistress Hutchi[n]son, the wife of Mr. William Hutchi[n]son of Boston (a very honest and peaceable man of goodestate ) and the daughter of Mr. Marbury, sometimes a Preacher in Lincolnshire, after of London, a woman of a veryhaughty and fiercecarriage of animble wit and active spirit, and a veryvoluble tongue, more bold than a man, though in understanding and judgement, inferiour to many women. This woman had learned her skill in England, and had discovered some of her opinions in the Ship, as she came over, which had caused some jealousy of her, which gave occasion of some delay of her admission, when she first desired fellowship with the Church of Boston, but shecunningly dissembled and coloured her opinions, as she soon got over the block, and was admitted into the Church, then she began to go to work, and being a woman very helpful in the times of childbirth, and other occasions of bodily infirmities, and well furnished with means for those purposes, she easilyinsinuated herself into the affections of many, and the rather, because she was muchinquisitive of them about their spiritual estates, and in discovering to them the danger they were in, by trusting to common gifts and graces. . . . [I]ndeed it was a wonder upon what a sudden the whole Church of Boston (some few excepted) were become her newconverts, andinfected with her opinions, and many also out of the Church, and of other Churches also, yea, manyprofane persons became of her opinion, for it was a very easy, and acceptable way to heaven, to see nothing, to have nothing, but wait for Christ to do all; . . . then she kept open house for all comers, and set up two Lecture days in the week, when they usually met at her

Distempers

Distempers: Disorders

Estate

Estate: Position, situation

Haughty

Haughty: Proud

Carriage

Carriage: Attitude

Nimble

Nimble: Quick

Voluble

Voluble: Talkative

Cunningly dissembled

Cunningly dissembled: Cleverly disguised

Insinuated

Insinuated: Manipulated

Inquisitive

Inquisitive: Questioning

Converts

Converts: People persuaded to adopt a religion or belief

Infected

Infected: Affect people with an idea of belief

Profane

Profane: Irreligious

Threescore

Threescore: Thirty

Fourscore

Fourscore: Forty

Hither

Hither: To this place

Broached

Broached: Addressed

Divulged

Divulged: Revealed

house,threescore orfourscore persons, the pretence was to repeat Sermons, but when that was done, she would comment upon the Doctrines, and interpret all passages at her pleasure, and expound dark places of Scripture. . . .

When she appeared, the Court spoke to her to this effect.

Mistris Hutchi[n]son. You are calledhither as one of those who have had a great share in the causes of our public disturbances, partly by those erroneous opinions which you havebroached anddivulged amongst us, and maintaining them, partly bycountenancing and encouraging such as have sowedseditions amongst us, partly by castingreproach upon the faithful. Ministers of this Country, and upon their Ministry, and so weakening their hands in the work of the Lord, and raising prejudice against them, in the hearts of their people, and partly by maintaining weekly and public meetings in your house, to the offence of all the Country, and thedetriment of many families, and still upholding the same, since such meetings were clearly condemned in the late general Assembly.

Now the end of your sending for [sending for you], is, that either upon sight of your errors, and other offences, you may be brought to acknowledge, and reform the same, or otherwise that we may take such course with you as you may trouble us no further. . . .

Court: Have you countenanced, or will you justify those seditious practises which have beencensured here in this Court?

Hutchinson: Do you ask me upon point of conscience?

Court: No, your conscience you may keep to yourself, but if in this cause you shall countenance and encourage those that thustransgress the Law, you must be called in question for it, and that is not for your conscience, but for your practise.

Hutchinson: What Law have they transgressed? the Law of God?

Countenancing

Countenancing: Acknowledging

Seditions

Seditions: Acts inciting rebellion against authority

Reproach

Reproach: Criticism

Detriment

Detriment: Disadvantage

Censured

Censured: Forbidden

Transgress

Transgress: Violate

Court: Yes, the fifth Commandement, which commands us to honour Father and Mother, which includes all in authority, but theseseditious practices of theirs, have cast reproach and dishonour upon the Fathers of the Commonwealth [Massachusetts]. . . .

Court: . . . what say you to your weekly public meetings? can you show a warrant for them?

Hutchinson: I will show you how I took it up, there were such meetings in use before I came, and because I went to none of them, this was the special reason of my taking up this course, we began it but with five or six, and though it grew to more in future time, yet being tolerated at the first, I knew not why it might not continue.

Court: There were private meetings indeed, and are still in many places, of some few neighbours, but not so public and frequent as yours, and are of use for increase of love, and mutualedification, but yours are of another nature, if they had been such as yours they had been evil, and therefore no goodwarrant to justify yours; but answer by what authority, or rule, you uphold them.

Hutchinson: . . . where the elder women are to teach the younger.

Court: So we allow you to do . . . privately, and upon occasion, but that gives no warrant of such set meetings for that purpose; and besides, you take upon you to teach many that are elder than yourself, neither do you teach them that which theApostle commands [namely] to keep at home.

Hutchinson: Will you please to give me a rule against it, and I will yield?

Court: You must have a rule for it, or else you cannot do it in faith, yet you have a plain rule against it; I permit not a woman to teach.

Hutchinson: That is meant of teaching men.

Court: If a man in distress of conscience or other temptation . . . should come and ask your counsel in private, might you not teach him?

Hutchinson: Yes.

Court: Then it is clear, that it is not meant of teaching men, but of teaching in public.

Hutchinson: It is said, I will pour my Spirit upon your Daughters, and they shallprophesie . . . If God give me a gift of Prophecy, I may use it.

Edification

Edification: Intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement

Warrant

Warrant: Evidence; proof

Apostle

Apostle: One of the twelve followers Christ chose to preach the gospel

Prophesie

Prophesie: Prophesy; predict on the basis of mystical knowledge

What happened next . . .

At one point during the trial, Hutchinson was nearly cleared of all charges. Then she announced that she had received a direct revelation from God. This was clearly a heretical claim (a violation of church teachings) because Puritan leaders believed that God spoke to humans only through the Bible. The frightened judges immediately ruled that Hutchinson was to be banished from the colony. She would be allowed to remain through the winter, but she was to be placed in the custody of Joseph Weld of Roxbury. Despite Weld's attempts to persuade her to repent, (expressed regret for her behavior) Hutchinson continued to speak out against the church.

When Hutchinson was brought to trial again in March 1638, she failed to convince the judges that she had genuinely repented. She was therefore formally excommunicated (banished) from the church. Hutchinson left Massachusetts with her family and joined her husband at a settlement on the island of Aquidneck in Narragansett Bay, off the coast of Roger Williams' Rhode Island colony. She was followed by more than eighty families of supporters who had also been excommunicated. After William Hutchinson died in 1642, Anne Hutchinson moved with her six youngest children to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (now New York). They settled in Pelham Bay Park (now the Bronx section of New York City, near the Hutchinson River, which was named for Anne Hutchinson). The following year Hutchinson and five of her children were attacked and killed by Native Americans.

Did you know . . .

• Hutchinson gave birth to twelve children during her lifetime. Three of the children died. She also suffered an extremely difficult miscarriage (delivery of a dead fetus before the end of a nine-month term) after she and her family moved to Rhode Island. In a biographical sketch in Notable American Women, scholar Emery Battis wrote that the Puritan clergy and magistrates (a civil officer with the power to administer the law) ". . . solemnly pronounced a conclusive evidence" that the miscarriage was God's way of punishing Hutchinson for committing heresy. They therefore felt justified in banning her from the colony.
• One of Hutchinson's followers was Mary Dyer (?–1660), who also left the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. Returning to England with her husband in 1652, Dyer became a Quaker (member of the Society of Friends, a Puritan group that believed in direct communication with God through an "inner light"). When she went back to New England five years later she was imprisoned because a recent law had imposed the death penalty on practicing Quakers. Although Dyer had been banished from Massachusetts Bay, she returned there twice in defiance (disobedience) of the law. After her second visit, in 1660, she was executed. Today Dyer is considered a symbol of religious freedom.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), the great nineteenth-century American writer—and a harsh critic of Puritan society—used Hutchinson as the model for the character Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter (1850). Now a classic in American literature, The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Prynne, a woman who has a child out of wedlock (outside marriage) and is forced to wear the red letter "A" at all times as a sign of her sin of adultery.

For more information

Crawford, Deborah. Four Women in a Violent Time: Anne Hutchinson(1591–1643), Mary Dyer (1591?–1660), Lady Deborah Moody (1660–1659), Penelope Stout (1622–1732). New York: Crown Publishers, 1970.

Faber, Doris. Anne Hutchinson. Champaign, Ill.: Garrard Publishing Co., 1970.

Kupperman, Karen Ordahl, ed. Major Problems in American Colonial History. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath and Company, 1993, pp. 159–61.

Williams, Selma R. Divine Rebel: The Life of Anne Marbury Hutchinson. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981.