notorious for familiarity with the Devil and now a prime Familist 3. This Monster was concealed by Three Persons above five Months 4. The occasion of concealing it was very strange for most of the Women who were present at the Womans Travail were suddenly taken with such a violent Vomiting and Purging without eating or drinking of any thing as they were forced to go home others had their Children taken with Convulsions which they had not before nor since and so were sent for home so as none were left at the time of the Birth but the Midwife and two other whereof one fell asleep 5. At such time as the Child died which was about two hours before the Birth the Bed wherein the Mother lay shook so violently as all which were in the Room perceived it 6. The After-birth wherein the Child was had Prickles on the inside like those on the Childs Brest 7. The Manner of the Discovery was very strange also for it was that very day Mistriss Hutchison was cast out of the Church for her Monstrous Errours and Notorious Falsehood for being Commanded to depart the Assembly Mistriss Dyer accompanied her which a Stranger observing asked another What Woman that was the other Answered It was the Women who had the Monster which one of the Church of Boston hearing enquired about it from one to another and at length came to Mistriss Hutchison with one of the Elders of the Church to whom she revealed the truth of the thing in general onely this coming to the Governours ear he called another of the Magistrates and sent for the Midwife and in the presence of the Elder to whom Mistriss Hutchison had revealed it they examined her who at first confessed it was a Monstrous Birth but concealed the Horns and Claws and some other parts till being straitly charged and told it should be taken up and viewed then she confessed all yet for farther assurance the Child was taken up and though it were much corrupted yet the Horns and Claws and holes in the Back and some Scales c. were found and seen of above a Hundred Persons 8. The Father of this Monster having been forth of the Town about a Month and coming home just at this time was upon the Lord's day by an unexpected occasion called before the Church for some of his Monstrous Opinions As that Christ and the Church together are the New Creature There is no Inherent Righteousness in Christians Adam was not made after God's Image c. which he openly maintained yet with such shuffling and equivocating as he came under Admonition c. A brief Apology in defence of the General Proceedings of the Court holden at Boston the Ninth day of the First Moneth 1636. against Mr. I. Wheelwright a Member there by occasion of a Sermon delivered there in the same Congregation FOrasmuch as some of the Members of the Court both of the Magistrates and Deputies did dissent from the major part in the judgement of the cause of Mr. Wheelwright and divers others have since censured the proceedings against him as unjust or at best over hasty for maintaining of which Censures many untruths are like to be spread abroad whereby the most equal Judges may be in danger of prejudice and so the honour not of the Court only but also of the trial and justice it self may be blemished It is thought needful to make this publick Declaration of all the proceedings with the reasons and grounds thereof so far as concerneth the clearing of the Justice of the Court. As for such passages as fell by occasion and are too large to be here inserted such as desire to know them may receive satisfaction from three or four of Boston being Mr. Wheelwright his special friends who took all by Characters we doubt not will give a true report thereof As for such as have taken offence that the cause was not first referred to the Church we desire them to consider these reasons 1. This case was not matter of Conscience but of a civil nature and therefore most proper for this Court to take Cognizance of and the rather for the special contempt which had been offered to the Court therein and which the Church could not judge of 2. In some cases of religious nature as manifest heresie notorious blasphemy c. the Civil power may proceed Ecclesia inconsulta and that by the judgment of all the Ministers 3. It had been a vain thing to refer a cause to the judgment of those who had openly declared their prejudice therein both in the Court and otherwise as by two Petitions under the hands of most of them delivered into the Court on his behalf did plainly appear 4. The heat of contention and uncharitable censures which began to overspread the Countrey and that chiefly by occasion of that Sermon and the like miscarriages did require that the Civil Power should speedily allay that heat and bear witness against all seditious courses tending to the overthrow of Truth and Peace amongst us and this only by way of entrance to the matter which now followeth In the beginning of the Court the Deputies upon the Fame of a Sermon delivered by Mr. Wheelwright upon the first day which was supposed to tend to sedition and disturbance of the publick Peace desired that he might be sent for which the Court assâ—…nting unto one of the Magistrates his special friend undertook to give him notice thereof and accordingly at the next meeting he was in the Town ready to appear when he should be called for which was not till two or three days after and then he was sent for not by the Marshal as the usual manner is but by one of the Deputies his intimate friend upon his appearance he was made acquainted with the cause why he was sent for viz. To satisfie the Court about some passages in his Sermon which seemed to be offensive and therewith a copy of it was produced and he was demanded whether he would own it whereupon he drew forth another copy which he delivered into the Court as a true copy for the substance of it so he was dismissed very gently and desired to be ready when he should be called for again The next day he was again sent for by the former Messenger About this time a Petition was delivered into the Court under the hands of above forty persons being most of the Church of Boston being none of the Petitions before mentioned which were delivered after to this effect that as free-men they might be admitted to be present in the Court in causes of Judicature and that the Court would declare whether they might proceed in cases of Conscience without referring them first to the Church To this the Court answered on the backside of the Petition that they did conceive the Petition was without just ground for the first part of it the Court had never used any privacy in judicial Proceedings but in preparation thereto by way of Examination
Court answer'd that it was apparent he was the Instrument of our Troubles he must prove them to be by such accident and till then the Blame must rest upon himself for we know Christ would not own them being out of his way After these and many other speeches had passed the Court declaring him guilty for troubling the Civil Peace both for his seditious Sermon and for his corrupt and dangerous Opinions and for his contemptuous Behaviour in divers Courts formerly and now obstinately maintaining and justifying his said Errors and Offences and for that he refused to depart voluntarily from us which the Court had now offered him and in a manner perswaded him unto Seeing it was apparent unto him from that of our Saviour Matth. that we could not continue together without the ruine of the whole he was sentenced to be disfranchised and banished our Jurisdiction and to be put in safe custody except he should give sufficient Security to depart before the end of March upon this he appealed to the King's Majesty but the Court told him an Appeal did not lie in this case for the King having given us an Authority by his Grant under his Great Seal of England to hear and determine all causes without any Reservation we were not to admit of any such Appeals for any such subordinate State either in Ireland or Scotland or other places and if an Appeal should lie in one case it might be challenged in all and then there would be no use of Government among us neither did an Appeal lie from any Court in any County or Corporation in England but if a party will remove his cause to any of the King 's higher Courts he must bring the King 's Writ for it neither did he tender any Appeal nor call any Witnesses nor desired any Act to be entred of it then he was demanded if he would give Security for his quiet departure which he refusing to do he was committed to the custody of the Marshal The next morning he bethought himself better and offered to give security alledging that he did not conceive the day before that a Sentence of Banishment was pronounced against him he also suffered to relinquish his Appeal and said he would accept of a simple Banishment The Court answer'd him that for his Appeal he might do as he pleased and for his departure he should have the liberty the Court had offered him provided he should not preach in the mean time but that he would not yield unto so in the end the Court gave him leave to go home upon his promise that if he were not departed out of this Jurisdiction within fourteen days he would render himself at the house of Mr. Stanton one of the Magistrates there to abide as a Prisoner till the Court should dispose of him Mr. Cogshall THe next who was called was Mr. Iohn Cogshall one of the Deacons of Boston upon his appearance the Court declared that the cause why they had sent for him was partly by occasion of his Speeches and Behaviour in this Court the other day and partly for some light miscarriages at other times and that they did look at him as one that had a principal Hand in all our late Disturbances of our publick Peace The first things we do charge you with is your justifying a Writing called a Remonstrance or Petition but indeed a seditious Libel and that when Mr. Asp. was questioned by the Court about it you stood up uncalled and justified the same saying to this effect that if the Court meant to dismiss him for that it was best to make but one work of all for though your self had not your Hand to the Petition yet you did approve thereof and your Hand was to the Protestation which was to the same effect whereupon you being also dismissed used clamorous and unbeseeming Speeches to the Court at your departure whereby we take you to be of the same mind with those who made the Petition and therefore liable to the same punishment upon this the Petition was openly read and liberty was granted to him to answer for himself His first answer was that what he then spake he spake as a Member of the Court to which it was answer'd again that 1. He was no Member of the Court standing upon Tryal whether to be allowed or rejected at such a time as he uttered most of those speeches 2. Admit he were yet it is no priviledge of a Member to reproach or affront the whole Court it is Licentiousness and no Liberty when a man may speak what he list for he was reminded of some words he uttered at his going forth of the Court to this effect that we had censured the Truth of Christ and that it was the greatest stroak that ever was given to Free-Grace To which he answer'd That his words were mistaken for he said that he would pray that our Eyes might be opened to see what we did for he thought it the greatest stroak that ever was given to N. E. for he did believe that Mr. Wheelwright did hold forth the Truth He was further charged that at the Court after the day of Elections he complained of Injury that the Petition which was tendered was not presently read before they went to Election To which being answer'd That it was not then seasonable and against the Order of that day but the Court were then ready to hear it if it were tendered whereupon he turned his back upon the Court and used menacing speeches to this effect That since they could not be heard then they would take another course To which he answer'd confessing he spake over hastily at that time that his words were only these Then we must do what God shall direct us He was further charged that he should say that half the people that were in Church-Covenant in N. E. were under a Covenant of Works this he did not deny but said he proved it by the Parable of the ten Virgins Mat. 15. After these and many other Speeches had passed between the Court and himself by which it plainly appeared that he had been a very busie instrument in occasioning of our publick Disturbances and his justifying of Mr. Wheelwrights Sermon and the Petition or Remonstrance being seditious Writings a Motion was made for his Banishment but he pretended that there was nothing could be laid to his Charge but matter of different opinion and that he knew not one Example in Scripture that a man was banished for his Judgment It was answer'd that if he had kept his Judgment to himself so as the publick Peace had not been troubled or endangered by it we should have left him to himself for we do not challenge power over mens Consciences but when seditious Speeches and Practices discover such a corrupt Conscience it is our duty to use Authority to reform both But though a great part of the Court did encline to a motion for his Banishment yet because his Speech
Christ Scribes and Pharisees c. whereas before he was wont to teach in a plain and gentle stile and though he would sometimes glaunce upon these Opinions yet it was modestly and reservedly not in such a peremptory and censorious manner as he did then and after for they made full account the day had been theirs But blessed be the Lord the snare is broken and we are delivered and this Woman who was the Root of all these Troubles stands now before the seat of Justice to be rooted out of her station by the hand of Authority guided by the Finger of Divine Providence as the Sequel will shew When she appeared the Court spake to her to this effect Mrs. Hutchinson You are called hither as one of those who have had a great share in the causes of our publick disturbances partly by those Erroneous Opinions which you have broached and divulged amongst us and maintaining them partly by countenancing and incouraging such as have sowed Seditions amongst us partly by casting reproach upon the faithful Ministers of this Countrey and upon their Ministry and so weaken 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 Publick Meetings in your House to the offence of all the Countrey and the detriment 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 is that either upon sight of your Errours 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 farther We do desire therefore to know of you whether you will justifie and maintain what is laid to your charge or not Mistriss Hutchinson I am called here to answer to such things as are laid to my charge name one of them Court Have you countenanced or will you justifie those Seditious practises which have been censured here in this Court Hutch Do you ask me upon point of Conscience Court No your conscience you may keep to your self but if in this cause you shall countenance and incourage these that thus transgress the Law you must be called in question for it and that is not for your Conscience but for your practice Hutch What Law have they transgressed the Law of God Court Yes the Fifth Commandment which commands us to honour Father and Mother which includes all in authority but these seditious practices of theirs have cast reproach and dishonour upon the Fathers of the Common-wealth Hutch Do I entertain or maintain them in their actions wherein they stand against any thing that God hath appointed Court Yes you have justified Mr. Wheelwright his Sermon for which you know he was convict of Sedition and you have likewise countenanced and encouraged those that had their hands to the Petition Hutch I deny it I am to obey you onely in the Lord. Court You cannot deny but you had your hand in the Petition Hutch Put case I do fear the Lord and my Parent do not May not I entertain one that fears the Lord because my Father will not let me I may put honour upon him as a Child of God Court That is nothing to the purpose but we cannot stand to dispute causes with you now What say you to your weekly publick Meetings Can you show a warrant for them Hutch I will shew 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 publick and frequent as yours and are of use for increase of love and mutual edification but yours are of another nature if they had been such as yours they had been evil and therefore no good warrant to justifie yours but answer by what authority or rule you uphold them Hutch By Tit. 2. where the elder women are to teach the younger Court So we allow you to do as the Apostle there means 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 your self neither do you teach them that which the Apostle commands viz. to keep at home Hutch 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 Hutch That is meant of teaching Men. Court If a Man in distress of Conscience or other temptation c. should come and ask your counsel in private might you not teach him Hutch Yes Court Then it is clear that it is not meant of teaching Men but of teaching in publick Hutch It is said I will pour out my spirit upon your Daughters and they shall Prophesie c. If God give me a gift of Prophesie I may use it Court First The Apostle applies that Prophesie unto those extraordinary times and the gifts of Miracles and Tongues were common to many as well as the gift of Prophesie Secondly In teaching your children you exercise your gift of Prophesie and that within your calling Hutch I teach not in a publick Congregation the Men of Berea are commended for examining Paul's Doctrine we do no more but Read the Notes of our Teachers Sermons and then reason of them by searching the Scriptures Court You are gone from the nature of your Meeting to the kind of exercise we will follow you in this and shew you your offence in them for you do not as the Bereans search the Scriptures for their confirming in the truths delivered but you open your Teachers Points and declare his meaning and Correct wherein you think he hath failed c. and by this means you abase the Honour and Authority of the Publick Ministery and advance your own Gifts as if he could not deliver his Matter so clearly to the hearers capacity as your self Hutch Prove that that any body doth that Court Yes you are the Woman of most note and of best abilities and if some other take upon them the like it is by your teaching and example but you shew not in all this by what authority you take upon you to be such a publick instructer after she had stood a short time the Court gave her leave to sit down for her countenance discovered some bodily infirmity Hutch Here is my authority Aquila and Priscilla took upon them to instruct Apollo more perfectly yet he was a Man of good parts but they being better
Testament nor sealed by the Spirit for the servants of God who are come over into New England do not think themselves more spiritual than other of their brethren whom they have left behind nor that they can or do hold forth the Lord Jesus Christ in their Ministry more truly than he was held forth in England and seeing their Ministery was a most precious sweet savour to all the Saints before she came hither it is easie to discern from what sink that ill vapour hath risen which hath made so many of her seduced party to loath now the smell of those flowers which they were wont to find sweetness in yet this is not all though it be too too vile she can fetch a Revelation that shall reach the Magistrates and the whole Court and the succeeding Generations and she hath Scripture for it also Daniel must be a Type of Mistriss Hutchison the Lions Den of the Court of Justice and the Presidents and Princes of the reverend Elders here and all must sort to this conclusion she must be delivered by Miracle and all we must be ruined See the Impudent boldness of a Proud Dame that Athaliah-like makes havock of all that stand in the way of her ambitious spirit she had boasted before that her Opinions must prevail neither could she endure a stop in her way as appeared once upon a slight occasion when her reputation being a little touched upon mistake yet so carried as she could not get the party upon that advantage which she expected she vented her Impatience with so fierce Speech and Countenance as one would hardly have guessed her to have been an Antitype of Daniel but rather of the Lions after they were let loose The like appeared in her when she could not have her will against her faithful Pastor for his opposing her Opinions as she apprehended so as neither Reason nor Scripture nor the Judgment and Example of such as she reverenced could appease her displeasure So that the Court did clearly discern where the Fountain was of all our Distempers and the Tragedy of Munster to such as had read it gave just occasion to fear the danger we were in seeing by the judgment of Luther writing of those troublous times we had not to do with so simple a Devil as managed that business and therefore he had the less fear of him but Satan seemed to have Commission now to use his utmost cunning to undermine the Kingdom of Christ here as the same Luther foretold he would do when he should enterprize any such innovation under the clear light of the Gospel so as the like hath not been known in former ages that ever so many wise sober and well grounded Christians should so suddenly be seduced by the means of a Woman to stick so fast to her even in some things wherein the whole current of Scripture goeth against them and that notwithstanding that her Opinions and Practice have been so gross in some Particulars as their knowledge and sincerity would not suffer them to approve yet such interest hath she gotten in their hearts as they seek Cloaks to cover the nakedness of such deformities as in the mean time they are ashamed to behold The Court saw now an inevitable necessity to rid her away except we would be guilty not onely of our own ruine but also of the Gospel so in the end the Sentence of Banishment was pronounced against her and she was committed to the Marshal till the Court should dispose of her Another day Captain Iohn Underhill was sent for and being charged with joyning in the said Petition acknowledged the same professing that he could see no fault in it being demanded a Rule by which he might take so much upon him as publickly to contradict the Sentence of the Court c. he alledged the example of Ioab his rough Speech to David when he retired himself for Absalom's death and that David did not reprove him for it To this the Court answered First That Ioab was then in the matters of his own Calling and being General of the Army had liberty by his Place to give advice to the King in causes of that nature but when he failed in the manner of his Speech therein he is not to be excused and therefore not to be followed Secondly Ioab did not contradict or reprove any Judicial Sentence of the King but onely an inordinate Passion Thirdly He was occasioned by an urgent necessity of the safety of the King and State Fourthly That which he spake was in private for the King had withdrawn himself Fifthly It appears that David did take it as a great miscarriage for he presently displaced him Again in our cause the Captain was but a private Man and had no calling to deal in the Affairs of the Court therefore no warrant from hence He insisted much upon the liberty which all States do allow to Military Officers for free Speech c. and that himself had spoken sometimes as freely to Count Nassaw But it was answered We are not to look at what some do tolerate but what is lawful and there may be a reason of State to connive at that disorder at some season which may not with honour and safety be permitted at another Being farther demanded how they came so many of them to be so suddenly agreed in so weighty and doubtful a case He Answered That many of them being present when Mr. Wheelwright was convict of Sedition they were sore grieved at it and suddenly rushing out of the Court a strange motion came into all their Minds so as they said in a manner altogether Come let us Petition and for his part from that time to this his Conscience which then led him to it will not suffer him to retract it The Court pittied him much and were grieved at his obstinacy that when all his Arguments were taken away he had no defence left he would yet maintain a bad cause by the light of a deluded Conscience and withal they took notice how these ungrounded revelations began to work and what dangerous consequences were like to follow of them when so many persons upon such a sudden motion had no scruple to enterprize such a Seditious action nor can be brought by any light of Reason or Scripture to see their errour so the Court when they saw no other remedy dis-franchised him and discharged him of his place but allowed him his Quarters Means There were divers who were not present when that sudden Motion or Revelation first set the Petition on foot but were drawn in after who soon found their error and did as freely acknowledge it and desired to have their names put out of it which was easily granted and their offence with a Loving Admonition remitted It had been observed a good time since that some of the Leaders of this Faction by occasion of new Disciples being inquisitive about their Tenents would let fall these Answers I have many things to tell you
and Behaviour at present were more modest and submiss than formerly they had been and for that he excused his former Intemperances by his much employment and publick businesses it was thought fit to deliver him from that Temptation so he was only sentenced to be disfranchised with admonition no more to occasion any disturbance of the publick Peace either by speech or otherwise upon pain of Banishment and further censure Mr. Aspin THE next who was called was Mr. William Aspin to whom the Court said that his case was in a manner the same with Master Cogshals his Hand was to the Petition he had justified Master Wheelwright's Sermon and had condemned the Court and therefore what could he say why the Court should not proceed to Sentence For he had been present and heard what was said to Master Cogshall to have convinced him of his fault and therefore it would be needless to repeat any thing To this he answer'd and confessed the Petition and that his Heart was to it as well as his Hand and that that for which Mr. Wheelwright was censured was for nothing but the Truth of Christ and desired to know what we could lay to his Charge therein The Court told him that he being a Member of this Civil Body and going contrary to his Relation and Oath to stop the course of Justice in countenancing seditious Persons and Practices against the Face of Authority this made him to be a seditious Person He answered he did but prefer an Humble Petition which he could not do but he must intimate some cause why and that Mephibosheth in his Petition did imply as much of Davids unjust Sentence against him as was in this Petition The Court replyed that he was ill advised to bring that Example for his Justification which makes clearly against him for Mephibosheth doth not charge David with any injustice not so much as by Implication but excuseth himself and layeth all the blame upon his Servant Then he alledged the Petition of Esther to Abasuerus but neither would that serve his turn for she petitioned for her life c. without charging the King with Injustice He still fled to this Plea that it is lawful for Subjects to petition the Court answered that this was no Petition but a seditious Libel the mis-naming of a thing doth not alter the nature of it besides they called it in the first place a Remonstrance which implies that they pretended Interest and is in the nature of it a Plea which challengeth a right of a party besides they give peremptory Judgment in the cause and that directly opposite to the Judgment of the Court the Court declared Mr. Wheelwright guilty they proclaim him innocent the Court judged his Speech to be false and seditious they affirmed it to be the Truth of Christ and the very words of the Holy Ghost which is apparently untrue if not blasphemous Further in pretending their moderation they put Arguments in the peoples minds to invite them to violence by bringing the Example of Peter drawing his Sword wherein they blame not his Fact but his Rashness And that of the People rescuing Ionathan which to make the more effectual they say that it was not seditious Lastly It was great arrogance of any private man thus openly to advance his own Judgment of the Court therefore it will appear to their Posterity as a Brand of Infamy upon these erroneous Opinions that those who maintained them were not censured for their Judgment but for seditious Practices He further pleaded that no Petition can be made in such a case but something may be mistaken through misprision as trenching upon Authority the Court answer'd that if they had only petitioned the Court to remit this Censure or had desired respite for further considerations or leave to propound their doubts there could have been no danger of being mistaken Besides there was no need of such haste in petitioning seeing the Sentence was not given but deferring to the next Court Master VVheelwright â—â—jâ—…yned only to appear there The Court then being about to give Sâ—…ntence Mastâ—… Aspin desired the Court to shew a Rule in Scripture for Banishment the court answered as before that Hagar and Ishmael were banished for disturbance he replied that if a Father give a Châ—… a Portion and sent him forth it was not Bâ—…nishment but it was answered the Scripture calls it a casting out not a sending forth and one said further that he was a Child worthy of such a Portion Then the Sentence of the Court was for his dis-franchisemnnt and banishment and time given him to the last of March upon Security for his departure then which he presently tendered and so was dismissed The Court intended only to have dis-franchised him as they had done Mr. Cogshall but his Behaviour was so contemptuous and his Speeches so peremptory that occasioned a further aggravation and it appeared afterward to be by an over-ruling Hand of God for the next day it was discovered that he was the man that did frame the Petition and drew many to subscribe to it and some had their names put to it without their knowledge and in his first draught there were other passages so foul as he was forced to put them out and yet many had not subscribed but upon his promise that it should not be delivered without advice of Mr. Cotton which was never done VVilliam Baulston and Ed. Hutchison AFter these two of the Serjeants of Boston were called VVilliam Baulston and Ed Hutchison these both had their Hands to the Petition and justâ—…fied the same VVill. Baulston told the Court that he knew that if such a Petition had been made in any other place in the world there would have been no fault found with it The other told the Court turning himself in a scornful manner that if they took away his Estate they must keep his Wiâ—…e and Children for which he was presently committed to the Offiâ—…r The Court reasoned a good while with them both but they were peremptory and would acknowledge no failing and because of their contemptuous Spâ—…eches and for that they wâ—…re known to be very busie persons and such as had offered Contempt to the Magistrates for that they were not of their Opinion they were dis-franchised and fined VVill Baulston Twenty Pounds Ed. Hâ—…tchison Fourty Pounds The next morning Ed. Hutchison acknowledged his fault in his misbehaviour in the face of the Court and so was released of his Imprisonment but both were disabled from bearing any publick Office Tho. Marshal Dynely and Dier Rich. Gridly ANother day were called four more of the Principal stirring Men who had subscribed to the Petition Thomas Marshal the Ferry-man who justified the Petition so far that he would not acknowledge any fault yet he answered more modestly thâ—…n the former therefore he was not sined but dis-franchised and put out of his place Dynely and Dyer had little to say for themselves but persisting in their justification
for redress c. was by authority and counsel of the Nobles Ezr. 10. 8. 2. That this course of Mr. Wheelw did tend directly to the great hinderance of publick utility for when Brethren shall look one at another as enemies and persecutors c. and when people shall look at their Rulers and Ministers as such and as those who go about to take Christ and Salvation from them How shall they join together in any publick Service How shall they cohabit and trade together How hardly will they submit to such Over-seers How will it hinder all affairs in Courts in Towns in Families in Vessels at Sea c. and what can more threaten the dissolution and ruine of Church and Common-wealth Lastly if it be alledged that such warlike terms are used by Christ and his Apostles in a Spiritual sense we deny it not but we desire that the usual manner of their applying them may also be considered for Paul saith 1 Cor. 9. So fight I c. I beat down my body c. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternal life and 1 Pet. 2. 11. and Iam. 4. 1. there is speech of the fight of our lusts and Ephes. 6. 11. he bids them put on Armour but it is to resist the Devil not flesh and blood not to fight against their Brethren toward whom he forbids all bitterness and clamour c. Ephes. 4. And when he speaks of Spiritual Weapons 2 Cor. 10. he doth not draw them out against the persons of brethren but against high thoughts and imaginations c. And if Mr. Wheelwright had found out any such among us and planted his battery against them by sound Arguments he had followed our Apostolick rule Christ indeed threatneth to fight against the Nicholaitans with the Sword of his Mouth and if Mr. Wheelwright had known any such here as certainly as Christ knew those he might have been justified by the example otherwise not Therefore to conclude seeing there be of those who dissent from Mr. Wheelwright his Doctrines who have denied themselves for the love of Christ as far as he hath done and will be ready by God's grace to do and suffer for the sake of Christ and the honour of free-Grace as much as himself for such to be publickly defamed and held forth as Enemies to the Lord Jesus and persecutors like Herod and Pilate and the uncircumcised Heathen c. cannot proceed from a charitable Mind nor doth it savour of an Apostolick Gospel-like Brotherly Spirit Mistriss Hutchison being banished and confined till the season of the year might be fit and safe for her departure she thought it now needless to conceal her self any longer neither would Satan lose the opportunity of making choice of so fit an instrument so long as any hope remained to attain his mischievous end in darkening the saving truth of the Lord Jesus and disturbing the peace of his Churches Therefore she began now to discover all her mind to such as came to her so that her opinions came abroad and began to take place among her old disciples and now some of them raised up questions about the Immortality of the Soul about the Resurrection about the Morality of the Sabbath and divers others which the Elders finding to begin to appear in some of their Churches they took much pains both in publick and private to suppress and following the scent from one to another the root of all was found to be in Mistriss Hutchison whereupon they resorted to her many times labouring to convince her but in vain yet they resorted to her still to the end they might either reclaim her from her errors or that they might bear witness against them if occasion were For in a Meeting of the Magistrates and Elders about suppressing these new-sprung errors the Elders of Boston had declared their readiness to deal with Mistriss Hutchison in a Church-way if they had sufficient testimony for though she had maintained some of them sometimes before them yet they thought it not so orderly to come in as Witnesses whereupon other of the Elders and others collecting what they had heard from her own Mouth at several times drew them into several heads and sent them to the Church of Boston whereupon the Church with leave of the Magistrates because she was a prisoner sent for her to appear upon a Lecture-day being the 15th of the first Moneth and though she were at her own house in the Town yet she came not into the Assembly till the Sermon and Prayer were ended pretending Bodily infirmity when she was come one of the Ruling Elders called her forth before the Assembly which was very great from all the parts of the Country and telling her the cause why the Church had called her read the several heads which were as followeth 1. That the Souls of all Men in regard of generation are mortal like the Beasts Eccles. 3. 18. 2. That in regard of Christ's purchase they are immortal so that Christ hath purchased the Souls of the wicked to eternal pain and the Souls of the elect to eternal peace 3. Those who are united to Christ have in this life new bodies and Two bodies 1 Cor. 6. 19. she knows not how Jesus Christ should be united to these our fleshly Bodies 4. Those who have union with Christ shall not rise with the same fleshly bodies 1 Cor. 15. 44. 5. And that the resurrection mentioned there and in Ioh. 5 28. is not meant of the resurrection of the body but of our union here and after this life 6. That there are no created graces in the Saints after their union with Christ but before there are for Christ takes them out of their hands into his own 7. There are no created graces in the humane nature of Christ but he was only acted by the power of the God-head 8. The Image of God wherein Adam was made she could see no Scripture to warrant that it consisted in holiness but conceived it to be in that he was made like to Christ's Manhood 9. She had no Scripture to warrant that Christ's Manhood is now in Heaven but the body of Christ is his Church 10. We are united to Christ with the same union that his humanity on earth was with the Deity Ioh. 17. 21. 11. She conceived the Disciples before Christ his death were not converted Matth. 18. 3. 12. There is no evidence to be had of our good estate either from absolute or conditional promises 13. The Law is no rule of life to a Christian. 14. There is no Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture but only Christ. 15. There is first engraffing into Christ before union from which a Man might fall away 16. The first thing God reveals to assure us is our election 17. That Abraham was not in a saving estate till the 22 oh of Gen. when he offered Isaac and saving the firmness of God's election he might have perished notwithstanding any work