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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

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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
as many as received him even to them that believed on his Name Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved Secondly to affirm there must be Faith on mans part to receive Christ is not to undermine Christ but to exalt him according to these Scriptures Ioh. 3. 33. He that believeth hath put to his Seal that God is True and so honours Gods Truth which cannot undermine Christ Rom. 4. 20. But was strong in the Faith giving Glory to God c. Error 29. An Hypocrite may have these two witnesses 1 Ioh. 5. 5. that is to say the Water and Blood Confutation 29. No Hypocrite can have these two witnesses Water and Blood that is true Justification and Sanctification for then he should be saved according to these Scriptures Rom. 8. 30. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Acts 26 18. Error 30. If any thing may be concluded from the Water and Blood it is rather Damnation than Salvation Confutation 30. This is contrary to the Scripture last mentioned Error 31. Such as see any Grace of God in themselves before they have the assurance of Gods Love sealed to them are not to be received Members of Churches Confutation 31. This is contrary to Acts 8. 37 38. where the Eunuch saw his Faith only and yet was presently baptized and therefore by the same ground might be admitted Error 32. After the revelation of the Spirit neither Devil nor Sin can make the Soul to doubt Confutation 32. This position savours of Error else Asaph had not the revelation of the Spirit seeing he doubted Psal. 73. 13. whether he had not cleansed his heart in vain and that God had forgotten to be gracious then also Faith should be perfect which was never found no not in our Father Abraham Error 33. To act by vertue of or in obedience to a command is legal Confutation 33. So is it also Evangelical the Mystery of the Gospel is said to be revealed for the obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 25. Also the Lord Jesus is said to be the author of Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. If we love Christ we are to keep his Commandments Joh. 14. 29. Error 34. We are not to Pray against all sin because the old Man is in us and must be And why should we Pray against that which cannot be avoided Confutation 34. This is contrary to 1 Thess. 5. 23. 1 Cor. 13. 7. Error 35. The efficacy of Christ's death is to kill all activity of Graces in his Members that he might act all in all Confutation 35. This is contrary to Rom. 6. 4. Our old man is crucified wit●… him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should not serve sin contrary also to Heb. 4. 14. That he might through death destroy him c. and 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Whence we infer that if Christ came to destroy the body of sin to destroy the Devil to dissolve the Works of the Devil then not to kill his own graces which are the works of his own Spirit Error 36. All the activity of a Believer is to act to sin Confutation 36. Contrary to Rom. 7. 15. as also to Gal. 5. 17. The Spirit lusteth against the Flesh. Error 37. We are compleatly united to Christ before or without any Faith wrought in us by the Spirit Confutation 37. The term united being understood of that spiritual relation of men unto Christ whereby they come to have life and right to all other blessings in Christ 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life And the term compleatly implying a presence of all those bands and ligaments and means as are required in the Word or are any ways necessary to the making up of the union we now conceive this assertion to be erroneous contrary to Scripture that either expresly mentioneth Faith when it speaketh of this union Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Gal. 2. 20. Christ liveth in me by Faith or ever implyeth it in those phrases that do express union as coming to Christ Iohn 6. 35. and eating and drinking Christ vers 47. compared with v. 54. having the Son 1 Iohn 5. 12. and receiving Christ Iohn 1. 12. and Marriage unto Christ Ephes. 5. 32. if there be no dwelling of Christ in us no coming to him no receiving him no eating nor drinking him no being married to him before and without Faith but the former is true therefore also the latter Error 38. There can be no true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Confutation 38. This opinion we conceive erroneous contrary to Esay 55 1 2. Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Mat. 11. 28. Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Revel 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come Mark 1. 15. Repent and believe the Gospel if the word indefinitely be sanctified for the begetting of Faith if the Gospel it self be laid down in a conditional promise if the Apostles and Prophets and Christ himself have laid hold upon such Promisea to help to Union and closing with himself then there may be a true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Error 39. The due search and knowledge of the holy Scripture is not a safe and sure way of searching and finding Christ. Confutation 39. This is contrary to express words of Scripture Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Act. 10 43. To him give all the Prophets witness Rom. 3. 21. The righteousness of God witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony Act. 17. 11. The Bereans were more noble in that they searched the Scriptures daily If the Prophets give witness to Christ if his righteousness be witnessed by Law and Prophets and that they be noble that daily search the Scriptures and that Christ so far alloweth their Testimony of him that the Scripture saith there is no light but in and according to them then the due searching and knowledge of Scriptures is a safe way to search Christ but the former is true and therefore also the latter Error 40. There is a testimony of the Spirit and voice unto the Soul meerly immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the Word Confutation 40. This immediate revelation without concurrence with the word doth not onely countenance but confirm that opinion of Enthusiasme justly refused by all the Churches as being contrary to the perfection of the Scriptures and perfection of God's wisdom therein That which is not revealed in the Scripture which is objectum adaequatum fidei is not to be believed but that there is any such revelation without concurrence with the Word is no where revealed in the Scripture Ergo. 1 Cor. 4. 16. Presume not above that which is written Again if there be any immediate
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
Light 4. That his party might not fear lest he should break the rule of Meekness c. he bringeth in the Example of Stephen Act. 7. 58. and the Example of Christ Ioh. 8. 44. and Mat. 23. 23. 5. To those who might fear lest this strife should cause a combustion in Church and Common-wealth he answers and tells them plainly it will do so but yet to uphold their hearts he arms them with the Prediction of Christ Luk. 12. 49. and tells them that it is the desire of the Saints that that fire were kindled and with that in Esa. 9. 5. which he interprets of Michael and the Angels and with that in Mal. 4. 2. and by that in the Revelation the Whore must be burnt 6. He arms them against persecution by exhorting them not to love their lives unto the death but be willing to be killed like sheep seeing it is impossible to hold forth the Truth of God with external peace and quietness This he inforceth by the Example of Sampson who slew more at his death than in his life These passages of his Sermon being openly read Master Wheelwright did acknowledge and justifie the same and being demanded either then or before whether by those under a Covenant of works he did mean any of the Ministers and other Christians in those Churches he answer'd that if he were shewed any that walked in such a way as he had described to be a Covenant of Works them he did mean Here divers speeches passed up and down whereof there was no special notice taken as not material to the purpose in hand The Court proceeded also to examine some witnesses about another Sermon of his whereat much offence had also been taken and not without cause as appeared to the Court for in that he seemed to scare men not only from legal Righteousness but even from Faith and Repentance as if that also were a way of the Covenant of works but this being matter of doctrine the Court passed it by for the present only they and the Ministers present divers of them declared their grief to see such Opinions risen in the Countrey of so dangerous Consequence and so directly crossing the Scope of the Gospel as was conceived and it was retorted upon him which he in his Sermon chargeth his adverse party with tho' uncharitably and untruly when he saith they would take away the True Christ that to make good such a Doctrine as he held forth to common intendment must needs call for a new Christ and a new Gospel for sure the old would not own or justifie it Then the Court propounded a question to the Ministers which because they desired time of consideration to make answer unto was given them in writing upon the outside of Master Wheelwrights Sermon in these words Whether by that which you have heard concerning Mr. Wheelwrights Sermon and that which was witnessed concerning him ye do conceive that the Ministers in this Country do walk in and teach such a way of Salvation and evidencing thereof as he describeth and accounteth to be a Covenant of works To this question being again called for into the Court the next morning they returned an affirmative answer in the very words of the question adding withal that they would not be understood that their doctrine and Master VVheelwrights about Justification and Salvation and evidencing thereof did differ in all things but only in the point presented and debated now in Court and that of this their answer they were ready to give reasons when the Court should demand them and that to this they consented except their Brother the Teacher of Boston After this by leave of the Court the Ministers all spake one by one in order some more largely laying open by solid Arguments and notorious Examples the great dangers that the Churches and Civil State were fallen into by the differences which were grown amongst us in matters of Religion offering themselves withal to imploy all their studies to effect a Reconciliation shewing also their desires that Mr. VVheelwright would be with them when they should meet for this purpose and blaming his former strangeness as a possible occasion of these differences of Judgment Others spake more briefly but consented with the former and all of them as they had occasion to speak to Mr. VVheelw or to make mention of him used him with all humanity and respect what his carriage was towards them again those who were present may judge as they saw cause The matters objected against Mr. VVheel being recollected and put to the vote the opinion of the Court was that he had run into Sedition and Contempt of the Civil Authority which accordingly was recorded to the same effect and he was injoyned to appear at the next general Court to abide their further Sentence herein And whereas motion was made of injoyning him silence in the mean time the Ministers were desired to deliver their Advice what the Court might do in such a case Their Answer was that they could not give a clear resolution of the question at the present but for Mr. VVheel they desired that the Court would rather refer him to the Church of B. to deal with him for that matter which accordingly was done and so he was dismissed Such of the Magistrates and Deputies as had not concurred with the major part in the Vote some of them moved that the dissent might be recorded but it was denyed as a course never used in this or any such Court. Afterward they tendered a Protestation which was also refused because therein they had justifi'd Mr. VVheel as a faithful Minister of the Lord Jesus and condemned the Court for undue proceeding but this was offered them that if they would write down the words of the record and subscribe their dissent without laying such Aspersion upon the Court it should be received Although the simple Narration of these Proceedings might be sufficient to justifie the Court in what they have done especially with these of this Jurisdiction who have taken notice of the passages in the general Court in Decem. last yet for satisfaction of others to whom this case may be otherwise presented by Fame or Misreport we will set down some Grounds and Reasons thereof some whereof were expressed in the Court and others tho' not publickly insisted upon yet well conceived by some as further motives to lead their judgments to do as they did And 1. It is to be observed that the noted differences in point of Religion in the Churches here are about the Covenant of Works in opposition to the Covenant of Grace in clearing whereof much dispute hath been whether Sanctification be any evidence of Justification 2. That before Mr. VVheel came into this Country which is not yet two years since there was no strife at least in publick observation about that point 3. That he did know as himself confessed that divers of the Ministers here were not of his Judgment in those points and