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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65392	A short story of the rise, reign, and ruin of the Antinomians, Familists, and libertines that infected the churches of New-England and how they were confuted by the assembly of ministers there as also of the magistrates proceedings in court against them : together with God's strange remarkable judgements from heaven upon some of the chief fomenters of these opinions : and the lamentable death of Mrs. Hutchison : very fit for these times, here being the same errors amongst us, and acted by the same spirit : published at the instant request of sundry, by one that was an eye and ear-witness of the carriage of matters there.	Winthrop, John, 1588-1649.; Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662.	1692 (1692)	Wing W1270; ESTC R6157	84,225	86

but you cannot bear them now and there is a great light to break forth if Men do not resist it and you shall see the bottom hereafter and one of them reproved the rest telling them that they had spoiled their cause by being over hasty and too open c. And now it began to appear what their meaning were for after Mistriss Hutchison had discovered the Secret by her Speech in the Court then others opened their Minds and professedly maintained these Enthusiasms as the Oracles of God And that such revelations as Abraham had to kill his Son and as Paul had in the Ship and when he was caught up into the third heaven c. were ordinary so that Mr. Cotton took notice of the danger of them and publickly confuted them in diverse Sermons Among other like passages there was one that fell out at Mr. Wheelw his farewel to those whom he used to Preach unto at the Mount One of his own Scholars told him openly That he had Preached Antichristianism and had set up a Christ against a Christ the same party maintained immediate Revelations without any word at all saying that the free Promises were onely for those under the Law but we are to look for all our assurance by immediate Revelation and that in the New Testament there are no signs no not our Baptism for the Baptism of Water is of no use to us when once we are Baptized with the Holy Ghost he said also That a Man might be adopted and not justified and that every New Creature is as a dead lump not acting at all but as Christ acts in him and denyed all Inherent Righteousness and that the Commandments were a dead Letter These things were so gross as Mr. Wheelwright could not but contradict him yet he did it so Tenderly as might well discover his near agreement in the Points though his wisdom served him to be more reserved till a fitter season for that poor Man being newly come on to the profession of Religion must needs learn those Points of M●… Wheelw or draw them as necessary consequents from some of his Tenents And it is frequently found to be an effect of all unsound and unsafe doctrines that still the Scholar goes a step farther than his Teacher So it hath proved in former times Luther and no doubt many of those who did imbrace his Errors in the first Edition of them yet lived and died in the true Faith of Christ but the succeeding Generations inheriting those erroneous Tenents which they had drawn from their Godly Forefathers but not their godliness proved Hereticks and Schismaticks to this day So it hath been in the Churches of Rome and others and so we may justly fear in these Churches in New-England howsoever that many that now adhere to these Familistical Opinions are indeed truly godly and no doubt shall persevere so to the end yet the next generation which shall be trained up under such Doctrines will be in great danger to prove plain Familists and Schismaticks This discovery of a new rule of practice by immediate Revelations and the consideration of such dangerous consequences which have and might follow thereof occasioned the Court to disarm all such of that Party as had their hands to the Petition and some others who had openly defended the same except they should give satisfaction to the Magistrates therein which some presently did others made a great question about it for bringing in their arms but they were too weak to stand it out Thus it pleased the Lord to hear the Prayers of his afflicted People whose Souls had wept in secret for the reproach that was cast upon the Churches of the Lord Jesus in this Countrey by occasion of the Divisions which were grown amongst us through the vanity of some weak minds which cannot seriously affect any thing long except it be offered them under some renewed shape and by the care and endeavour of the wise and faithful Ministers of the Churches assisted by the Civil Authority to discover this Master-piece of the old-Serpent and to break the brood by scattering the Leaders under whose conduct he had prepared such Ambushment as in all reason would soon have driven Christ and Gospel out of New-England though to the ruine of the instruments themselves as well as others and to the re-possessing of Satan in his ancient Kingdom It is the Lord's Work and it is marvellous in our eyes Mr. Wheel is now gone to Pascal Mistriss Hutchison is confined in a private House till the season of the year shall be fit for her departure some of those whom God hath left to be most strongly deluded are preparing to follow them and we hope the Lord will open the eyes of the rest and perswade them to joyn again with their sometime dear and most beloved brethren that Peace and Truth may again flourish in New-England Amen After the Court had thus proceeded some of the Churches dealt with such of their Members as were found guilty of these erroneous and seditious practices the Church at Roxbury after much pains and patience to reduce them Excommunicated five or six and the Church of Boston by the sollicitation of some of the Elders of the other Churches proceeded against Mistriss Hutchison the manner and issue whereof is set down in the next AT Boston in New-England upon the 17th day of Octob. 1637. the wife of one William Dyer sometimes a Citizen and Millener of London a very proper and comely young Woman was delivered of a large Woman Child it was still-born about two Months before her time the Child having life a few hours before the delivery but so Monstrous and Mis-shapen as the like hath scarce been heard of it had no Head but a Face which stood so low upon the Breast as the Ears which were like an Apes grew upon the Shoulders The Eyes stood far out so did the Mouth the Nose was hooking upward the Breast and Back was full of sharp prickles like a Thornback the Navel and all the Belly with the distinction of the Sex were where the lower part of the Back and Hips should have been and those back-parts were on the side the Face stood The Arms and Hands with the Thighs and Legs were as other Childrens but instead of Toes it had upon each Foot Three Claws with Talons like a young Fowl Upon the Back above the Belly it had two great Holes like Mouths and in each of them stuck out a piece of Flesh. It had no Forehead but in the place thereof above the Eyes Four Horns whereof two were above an Inch long hard and sharp the other two were somewhat shorter Many things were observable in the Birth and Discovery of this Monster 1. The Father and Mother were of the highest form of our refined Familists and very active in maintaining their party and in reproaching some of the Elders and others who did oppose those Errors 2. The Midwife one Hawkins Wife of St. Ives was

where the Holy Ghost saith That by unfeigned and hearty love we may have assurance and yet neither there nor any where else would have us trust to our Sanctification so vers 7. He that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous Secondly If poverty of spirit which emptieth us of all confidence in our selves may evidence a Man's Iustification without trusting to it then may Sanctification without trusting to it but the former is true therefore also the latter Thirdly If it be an ordinance of God to evidence our Iustification by our Sanctification then we may do this without trusting to it but that is apparent from 2 Pet. 1. 10. Ergo. Error 68. Faith justifies an Unbeliever that is that Faith that is in Christ justifieth me that have no Faith in my self Confutation 68. This is contrary to Hab. 2. 4. For if the Just shall live by his Faith then that Faith that justifies is not in Christ. So Iohn 3. ult He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him It is not another's Faith will save me Error 69. Though a Man can prove a gracious work in himself and Christ to be the Author of it if thereby he will prove Christ to be his this is but a sandy foundation Confutation 69. This is contrary to these Scriptures Iohn 14. 21. and 28. He that keepeth my Commandments is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will shew my self unto him 1 John 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren And 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life therefore he that can prove that he hath spiritual life may assure himself that he hath Christ. Error 70. Frequency or Length of Holy Duties or trouble of Conscience for neglect thereof are all signs of one under a Covenant of Works Confutation 70. This is contrary to these Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be abundant always in the work of the Lord If the Faithful in Christ Jesus be commanded to abound always in the work of the Lord that is Holy Duties then frequency in Holy Duties is no sign of one under a Covenant of Works but the former is true therefore also the latter as also 1 Thess. 4. 17 18. Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and noon will I pray and make a noise and he will hear me and elsewhere Seven times a day do I praise thee Psalm 119. 146. Psal. 1. 2. So also contrary is the third branch to these Scriptures 2 Cor. 7. 8. 11. the Corinthians were troubled in Conscience and sorrowed that they had neglected the holy duties of Church-Censure towards the incestuous person and Esa. 64. 7. and 8. Cant. 5. 2. Rom. 7. 19. I do not the good I would which he lamenteth and complaineth of Error 71. The immediate revelation of my good estate without any respect to the Scriptures is as clear to me as the voice of God from heaven to Paul Confutation 71. This is contrary to Iohn 14. 26. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance c. Whence we reason thus If the Spirit reveal nothing without concurrence of the Word then this revelation of the Spirit without respect to the Word is not clear nor to be trusted but the Spirit doth reveal nothing but with respect to the Word for Iohn 14. 26. If the office of the Spirit be to Teach and to bring to remembrance the things that Christ hath Taught us Esay 8. 20. Whatever Spirit speaks not according to this Word there is no light there Error 72. It is a Fundamental and Soul-damning Error to make Sanctification an evidence of Justification Confutation 72. This is contrary to these Scriptures Rom. 8. 1. They that walk after the Spirit are freed from condemnation and are in Christ and so Justified So 1 Iohn 3. 10. in this are the children of God known c. Error 73. Christ's work of Grace can no more distinguish between an Hypocrite and a Saint then the Rain that falls from Heaven between the Just and the Unjust Confutation 73. This proposition being general includes all gracious Works and being so taken is contradicted in the Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. 20 21 22. where the good ground is distinguished from the stony by this that it brings forth fruit with patience so Hebr. 6. 9. there is something better in the Saints than those common gifts which are found in Hypocrites Error 74. All verbal Covenants or Covenants expressed in words as Church Covenants Vows c. are Covenants of Works and such as strike Men off from Christ. Confutation 74 First This is contrary to Scripture Esay 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord 's and another shall call himself by the name of the God of Iacob Rom. 10. 10. With the mouth confession is made to salvation Secondly Contrary to Reason for then the Covenant of Grace is made a Covenant of Works by the Writing Reading and Preaching of the same for they are verbal expressions of the Covenant on God's part as Church-Covenants verbally express our closing herewith Error 75. The Spirit giveth such full and clear evidence of my good estate that I have no need to be tried by the fruits of Sanctification this were to light a Candle to the Sun Confutation 75. This opinion taken in this sense that after the Spirit hath testified a Man's good estate the person need not to be tried by the fruit of sanctification is contrary to the scope of the whole first Epistle of Saint Iohn where variety of arguments are propounded to all Believers in common 1 Iohn 5. 13. to distinguish the persons of Believers from Unbelievers the water is annexed to the Spirit and blood 1 Iohn 5. 8. Error 76. The Devil and Nature may be cause of a gracious Work Confutation 76. The words are unsavoury and the position unsound for taking gracious according to the language of the Scripture gracious words Luke 4. 22. Let your speech be gracious gracious words are such as issue from the saving Grace of Christ's Spirit in-dwelling in the Soul which neither the Devil nor Nature is able to produce for Christ professeth John 15. 3 4. Without me ye can do nothing nothing truly gracious John 3. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh And Rom. 7. 18. In my flesh dwells no good truly spiritual and gracious Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thoughts of a Man's heart is evil and that continually Besides the Devil is that evil and wicked one onely wickedness an adversary to God's grace and glory that which is contrary to corrupt nature and the hellish nature of Satan and above the power of both they cannot be the causes of gracious works Error 77. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good estate that it darkens it rather and a Man may more clearly see Christ when he seeth no

of the party c. they might and would use their liberty as they should see cause and for the other part of the Petition when any matter of Conscience should come before them they would advise what were fit to be done in it When Mr Wheelwright came in the Court was private and then they told him they had considered of his Sermon and were desirous to ask him some questions which might ●…nd to clear his meaning about such passages therein as seemed offensive he demanded whether he were sent for as an innocent person or as guilty It was answered neither but as suspected only Then he demanded who were his Accusers It was answered his Sermon which was there in Court being acknowledged by himself they might thereupon proceed ex officio at this word great exception was taken as if the Court intended the course of the High Commission c. It was answered that the word ex Officio was very safe and proper signifying no more but the Authority or Duty of the Court and that there was no cause of Offence seeing th●… Court did not examine him by any compulsory means as by Oath Imprisonment or the like but only desired him for better satisfaction to answer some questions but he still refused yet at last through perswasion of some of his friends he seemed content The question then put to him was whether before his Sermon he did not know that most of the Ministers in this Jurisdiction did teach that Doctrine which he in his Sermon called a Covenant of Works to this he said he did not desire to answer and thereupon some cryed out that the Court went about to ensnare him and to make him to accuse himself and that this question was not about the matter of his Sermon c. Upon this he refused to answer any further so he was dismissed till the afternoon the reason why the Court demanded that question of him was not to draw matter from himself whereupon to proceed against him neither was there any need for upon a conference of the Ministers not long before there had been a large dispute between some of them and himself about that point of evidencing Justification by Sanctification so as the Court might soon have convinced him by Witnesses if they had intended to proceed against him upon that ground In the afternoon he was sent for again in the same manner as before and the Ministers also being in the Town and come hither to confer together for further discovery of the ground of the differences which were in the Countrey about the Covenant of Grace c. they were desired to be present also at the Court to bear witness of the Proceedings in the case and to give their Advice as the Court upon occasion should require so the doors being set open for all that would to come in and there was a great Assembly and Mr. Wheelwright being willed to sit down by the Ministers his Sermon was produced and many passages thereof were read to him which for the better understanding we have digested into this order following He therein describeth two Covenants the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works the Covenant of Grace he described to be when in the point of Justification and the knowledge of this our Justification by Faith there is nothing revealed but Christ Jesus but if men think to be saved because they see some works of Sanctification in themselves as hungring and thirsting c. this is a Covenant of works if men have revealed to them some work of Righteousness as love to the brethren c. and hereupon come to be assured that they are in a good Estate this is not the assurance of Faith for Faith hath Christ revealed for the object therefore if the assurance of a mans Justification be by Faith as a Work it is not Gospel Having thus described those who go under a Covenant of Works he pronounceth them to be Enemies to Christ to be Antichrists to be flesh opposed to spirit such as will certainly persecute those who hold forth the Truth and the ways of Grace he resembleth them to the Philistines who stop up with the earth of their own Inventions the Wells of true Believers he resembleth them also to Herod who would have killed Christ so soon as he was born and to Herod and Pilate who did kill Christ when he came once to shew forth himself and would have kept him eternally in the Grave he further describeth them out of the second Psalm to be the people of God as the Iews were and such as would take away the true Christ and put in false Christs to deceive if it were possible the very Elect he also describeth them by that in Cant. 10. 6. they make the Children of Grace keepers of the Vineyard they make them travel under the burden of the Covenant of Works which doth cause Christ many times from them He cometh after to an use of Exhortation wherein he stirreth up all those of his side to a spiritual Combat to prepare for battle and come out and fight against the Enemies of the Lord those under a Covenant of works he shews whom he meaneth thus to excite alluding to David's valiant Men to Baruch Deborah Iael and all the men of Israel and bind them hereunto under the curse of Meroz He further exhorteth them to stand upon their guard c. by alluding to the 600 valiant Men who kept watch about the Bed of Solomon a type of Christ then he incourageth those of his side against such difficulties as might be objected as 1. If the Enemies shall oppose the way of God they must lay the more load upon them and kill them with the word of the Lord and there he alludeth to those places which speak of giving the Saints power over Nations binding Kings in Chains and of threshing Instruments with Teeth and foretels their flight by that in Esa. 21. 15. They shall flee from the Sword c. 2. Though the Enemies under a Covenant of Works be many and strong as he confesseth they are yet they ought not to fear for the battle is the Lords this he inforceth by that in Iosh. 23. 10. One of you shall chase a thousand and that of Ionathan and his Armour bearer 3. Against tenderness of heart which they might have towards such under a Covenant of works as are exceeding holy and strict in their way he animateth his party by perswading them that such are the greatest Enemies to Christ this he seeks to illustrate by resembling such in their zeal to Paul when he was a Persecutor and in their Devotion to those who expelled Paul and Barnabas out of Antioch He taketh it for granted that these Holy Men trust in their Righteousness and that it thrusteth out the Righteousness of Christ and so concludes and foretels from Ezek. 33. They shall die and their Righteousness is accursed yet they transform themselves saith he into Angels of