Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
spirit_n blood_n water_n witness_n 7,183 5 9.0325 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

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

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

another than he by his own experience hath come unto Confutation 54. This is contrary to Ephes. 4. 11 12. the weakest Minister may edifie the strongest Christian which hath more experience than himself Error 55. A man may have true Faith of dependance and yet not be justified Confutation 55. This is contrary to the Scripture Act. 13. 39. All believers are justified but they that have true Faith of dependance are believers therefore justified Error 56. A Man is not effectually converted till he hath full assurance Confutation 56. This is cross to the Scripture Esa. 5. 10. wherein we see that a Man may truly fear God therefore truly converted and yet walk in darkness without clear evidence or full assurance Error 57. To take delight in the holy service of God is to go a Whoring from God Confutation 57. No Scripture commands us to go a Whoring from God but first the Scripture commands us to delight in the Service of God Psal. 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness Esa. 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath thy delight Ergo. Secondly God loves not such as go a whoring from him Psal. 73. ult But God loves a chearful server of God 2 Cor. 8. Therefore such as serve him cheerfully do not thereby go a whoring from him Error 58. To help my Faith and comfort my Conscience in evil hours from former experience of God's Grace in me is not a way of Grace Confutation 58. What the Saints have done and found true comfort in that is a way of Grace but they did help their Faith and comfort their Conscience from former evidences of God's Grace in them Psal. 77. 5 6 11. I considered the days of old and called to Remembrance my Songs in the night and by this raised he up his Faith as the latter part of this Psalm sheweth and this was in evil hours ver 2 3. 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoicing that in simplicity and godly pureness we have had our conversation and this was in sad hours v. 4 5 8 9 10. Iob 35. 10. None saith Where is God that made me which giveth Songs in the night here the not attending to former consolation is counted a sinful neglect Error 59. A Man may not be exhorted to any duty because he hath no power to do it Confutation 59. This is contrary to Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation c. For it is God that worketh in you both the will and the d●…ed Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest so 1 Cor. 15. ult Error 60. A Man may not prove his Election by his Vocation but his Vocation by his Election Confutation 60. This is contrary to 1 Thess. 2. 4. Knowing your election because our Gospel came unto you not in word onely but in power 2 Thess. 2. 13 14. God hath elected you to life through Sanctification of the Spirit whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel Error 61. All Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must be tried by Christ the Word rather than by the Word of Christ. Confutation 61. This assertion of it extends to exclude the Word we conceive it contrary to Esa. 8. 20. Iohn 5. 39. Acts 17. 11. also to Iohn 4. 1 2. Try the spirits every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh c. where Spirits and Doctrines confessing that Christ is come in the Flesh are made distinct from Christ. Error 62. It is a dangerous thing to close with Christ in a Promise Confutation 62. This is contrary to Ioh. 3. 16. Act. 10. 43. Esa. 55. 1 2. Mat. 11. 28. Ioh. 7. 37. If Christ in these places invite Men to come unto him and bids them incline and hearken and tells them their Souls shall live and they shall drink and be refreshed by him and by these Promises incourageth them to close with him then it is no dangerous thing to close with him in a Promise it is no danger to obey a command of God but we are commanded to believe the Gospel Mark 1. 15. the Promise being a part of the Gospel Error 63. No better is the evidence from the two Witnesses of Water and Blood mentioned 1 Ioh. 5. 6 7 8. than Mount Calvary and the Souldiers that shed Christ's Blood and these might have drunk of it poor Evidences Confutation 63. Then what God hath ordained or made an Evidence is no better than what he hath not made then Christ loseth his end in coming by Water and Blood v. 6. then the Spirit should agree no better with the Witness of Water and Blood then it doth with Mount Calvary and the Souldiers but the spirit doth agree with the Water and the Blood and not with the other 1 Ioh. 5. 7. These three agree in one Error 64. A Man must take no notice of his sin nor of his repentance for his sin Confutation 64. This is contrary to David whose sin was ever before him Psal. 51. he considered his ways and the evil of them that he might turn his feet to God's Testimonies Psal. 119. 59. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just c. If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar 1 Joh. 1. 8 9. 10. Iob took notice of sin and of his Repentance I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 6. David seeth and saith I am sorry for my sins Psal. 28. 38. Solomon's Penitent must know the Plague in his heart that is his sin and the punishment thereof 1 Kings 8. 38. Error 65. The Church in admitting Members is not to look to holiness of life or testimony of the same Confutation 65. This is contrary to Rom. 1. 7. and the Inscriptions of divers Epistles being directed to Saints and Saints by calling and 1 Cor. 14. 33. Churches of the Saints Acts 2. the Members there were said to repent before they were admitted and 1 Cor. 5. the incestuous person should not then have been cast out for want of Holiness and Paul could not be received into Communion without Testimony Act. 9. 26. Error 66. To lay the Brethren under a Covenant of Works hurts not but tends to much good to make Men look the better to their evidences Confutation 66. If that be done ungroundedly it is contrary to Esa. 5. 20. where woe is pronounced to such as call good evil c. and Ezek. 13. 22. that make such hearts sad as the Lord would not have sadded and it is against the rule of the Covenant 1 Cor. 13. besides it may trench upon the Devil's Office in accusing the Brethren and then it will be good to tell untruth good to break House and Church-Communion then good to break nearest Relations then good to bite one another and good to offend the little ones Mat. 18. Error 67. A Man cannot evidence his Iustification by his Sanctification but he must needs build upon his Sanctification and trust to it Confutation 67. First this is contrary to 1 Iohn 3. 18 19.
they were also dis-franchised likewise Rich. Gridly an honest poor Man but very apt to meddle in publick affairs beyond his calling or skill which indeed was the fault of them all and of many others in the Countrey mean condition and weak parts having nothing to say but that he could find no fault c. was dis-franchised Mrs. Hutchison ALL these except Mr. Wheelwright were but young branches sprung out of an old root the Court had now to do with the Head of all this Faction Dux faemina facti a Woman had been the breeder and nourisher of all these distempers one Mistriss Hutchison the Wife of Mr. William Hutchison of Boston a very honest and peaceable Man of good estate and the daughter of Mr. Marvary sometimes a Preacher in Lincolnshire after of London a Woman of a haughty and fierce carriage of a nimble wit and active spirit and a very voluble tongue more bold than a Man though in understanding and judgment 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 jealousie of her which gave occasion of some delay of her admission when she first desired fellowship with the Church of Boston but she cunningly dissembled and coloured her opinions as she soon got over that Block and was admitted into the Church then she began to go to work and being a Woman very helpful in the times of Child-birth and other occasions of ●…dily infirmities and well furnished with means for those purposes she easily insinuated her self into the affections of many and the rather because she was much inquisitive of them about their Spiritual Estates and in discovering to them the danger they were in by trusting to common Gifts and Graces without any such witness of the Spirit as the Scriptures holds out for a full evidence whereby many were convinced that they had gone on in a Covenant of Works and were much humbled thereby and brought to inquire more after the Lord Jesus Christ without whom all their gifts and graces all their contributions c. would prove but legal and would vanish all this was well and suited with the publick Ministery which went along in the same way and all the faithful imbraced it and blessed God for the good success that appeared from this discovery But when she had thus prepared the way by such wholsome truths then she begins to set forth her own stuff and taught that no Sanctification was any evidence of a good estate except their justification were first cleared up to them by the immediate witness of the Spirit and that to see any work of grace either faith or repentance c. before this immediate witness was a Covenant of works whereupon many good souls that had been of long approved godliness were brought to renounce all the Work of Grace in them and to wait for this immediate revelation then sprung up also that Opinion of the in-dwelling of the Person of the Holy Ghost and of Union with Christ and Justification before Faith and a denying of any gifts or graces or inherent qualifications and that Christ was all did all and that the Soul remained always as a dead O●…gan and other of those gross errours which were condemned in the late Assembly and whereof divers had been quashed by the publick Ministry but the main and bottom of all which tended to quench all endeavour and to bring to a dependance upon an immediate witness of the Spirit without sight of any gift or grace this stuck fast and prevailed so as it began to be opposed and she being questioned by some who marvelled that such Opinions should spread so fast she made Answer That where-ever she came they must and they should spread And indeed it was a wonder upon what a sudden the whole Church of Boston some few excepted were become her New-Converts and infected with her Opinions and many also out of the Church and of other Churches also yea many prophane persons became of her Opinion for it was a very easie and acceptable way to Heaven to see nothing to have nothing but wait for Christ to do all so that after she had thus prevailed and had drawn some of eminent place and parts to her party whereof some profited so well as in a few Months they out-went their Teacher then she kept Open-House for all comers and set up Two Lecture-days in the Week when they usually met at her house Threescore or Fourscore 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 so as whatsoever the Letter held forth for this was one of her Tenents That the whole Scripture in the Letter of it held forth nothing but a Covenant of Works she would be sure to make it serve her turn for the confirming of her main Principles whereof this was another That the darker our Sanctification is the clearer is our Iustification And indeed most of her New Tenents tended to slothfulness and quench all endeavour in the Creature And now was there no speech so much in use as of vilifying Sanc●…ification and all for advancing Christ and Free-grace and the whole Pedegree of the Covenant of Works was set forth with all its Complements beginning at Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Then it is explained and ratified at Mount Sinai and delivered in the Two Tables and after sprinkled with the Blood of Christ Exod. 24. and so carryed on in the Letter of the Scripture till it be compleat as the Covenant of Grace by the Spirit seals Forgiveness of Sins one of the venters whereon Christ begets Children c. and in the end Wherefore is all this adoe but that having a more cleanly way to lay all that opposed her being near all the Elders and most of the faithful Christians in this Countrey under a Covenant of Works she might with the more credit disclose and advance her Master-piece of immediate revela●…ons under the fair pretence of the Covenant of Free-Grace wherein she had not failed of her aim to the utter subversion both of Churches and Civil state if the most wise and merciful providence of the Lord had not prevented it by keeping so many of the Magistrates and Elders free from the infection for upon the countenance which it took from some eminent persons her opinions began to hold up their heads in Church Assemblies and in the Court of Justice so as it was held a matter of offence to speak any thing against them in either Assembly thence sprang all that trouble to the Pastour of Boston for his free and faithful Speech in the Court though required and approved thence took Mr. Wheelwright courage to inveigh in his Sermon against Men in a Covenant of Work as he placed them and to proclaim them all enemies to
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 Ephes. 4. 14. Be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Beware lest ye being led away with the error of the Wicked re fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3. 17. London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercer's Chappel 1692 To the Reader I Meeting with this Book newly come forth of the Press and being earnestly pressed by divers to perfect it by laying down the Order and Sense of this Story which in the Book is omitted Though for mine own part I was more slow unto it not as if I think it contains any thing but Truth but because the Names of some parties that acted in our Troubles that have since that time I hope repented and so God having pardoned their Sins in Heaven I should have been loth to have revived them on Earth But considering that their Names are already in Print without any act of mine and that the necessity of the times call for it and it 's requisite that Gods great Works should be made known I therefore in a strait of time not having had many hours have drawn up this following Preface and prefixed hereunto with some Additions to the Conclusion of the Book I commend thy self and this to the Blessing of God T. W. The PREFACE AFter we had escaped the cruel hands of persecuting Prelates and the dangers at Sea and had pretty well out-grown our Wilderness Troubles in our first Plantings in New-England And when our Common-wealth began to be founded and our Churches sweetly setled in Peace God abounding to us in more happy enjoyments then we could have expected Lest we should now grow secure our wise God who seldom suffers his own in this their wearisome Pilgrimage to be long without trouble sent a new Storm after us which proved the forest trial that ever befel us since we left our Native Soil Which was this that some going thither from hence full fraught with many unsound and loose Opinions after a time began to open their Packs and freely vent their Wares to any that would be their Customers Multitudes of Men and Women Church-members and others having tasted of their Commodities were eager after them and were streight infected before they were aware and some being tainted conveyed the Infection to others and thus that Plague first began amongst us that had not the wisdom and faithfulness of him that watcheth over his Vineyard night and day by the beams of his Light and Grace cleared and purged the Air certainly we had not been able to have breathed there comfortably much longer Our discourse of them shall tend to shew 1. What these Opinions were 2. How they spread so fast and prevailed so suddenly 3. How they did rage and reign when they had once gotten head 4. How they fell and were ruined when they were at highest The Opinions some of them were such as these I say some of them to give but a tast for afterwards you shall see a litter of Fourscore and eleven of their brats hung up against the Sun besides many new ones of Mistriss Hutchinsons all which they hatched and dandled As 1. That the Law and the Preaching of it is of no use at all to drive a Man to Christ. 2. That a Man is united to Christ and justified without faith yea from eternity 3. That Faith is not a receiving of Christ but a Man's discerning that he hath received him already 4. That a Man is united to Christ onely by the work of the Spirit upon him without any act of his 5. That a Man is never effectually Christ's till he hath assurance 6. This assurance is onely from the witness of the Spirit 7. This witness of the Spirit is meerly immediate without any respect to the word or any concurrence with it 8. When a Man hath once this witness he never doubts more 9. To question my assurance though I fall into Murther or Adultery proves that I never had true assurance 10. Sanctification can be no evidence of a Mans good Estate 11. No comfort can he had from any conditional Promise 12. Poverty in Spirit to which Christ pronounceth blessedness Mat. 5. 3. is onely this to see I have no grace at all 13. To see I have no grace in me will give me comfort but to take comfort from sight of grace is legal 14. An hypocrite may have Adam's graces that he had in Innocency 15. The graces of Saints and Hypocrites differ not 16. All graces are in Christ as in the Subject and none in us so that Christ believes Christ loves c. 17. Christ is the New Creature 18. God loves a Man never the better for any holiness in him and nevertheless be he never so unholy 19. Sin in a Child of God must never trouble him 20. Trouble in Conscience for sins of Commission or for neglect of duties shews a Man to be under a Covenant of VVorks 21. All Covenants to God expressed in works are legal works 22. A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule of his conversation 23. A Christian is not bound to Pray except the Spirit moves him 24. A Minister that hath not this new light is not able to edifie others that have it 25. The whole letter of the Scripture is a Covenant of works 26. No Christian must be prest to duties of holiness 27. No Christian must be exhorted to faith love and prayer c. except we know he hath the Spirit 28. A Man may have all graces and yet want Christ. 29. All a Believer's activity is onely to act sin Now these most of them being so gross one would wonder how they should spread so fast and suddenly amongst a people so religious and well taught For declaring of this be pleased to attend two things 1. The nature of the Opinions themselves which open such a fair and easie way to Heaven that men may pass without difficulty For if a man need not be troubled by the Law before Faith but may step to Christ so easily and then if his faith be no going out of himself to take Christ but only a discerning that Christ is his own already and is only an act of the Spirit upon
Revelation without concurrence of the Word then it cannot be tried by the Word but we are bid to try the Spirits To the Law and Testimony Esa. 8. 20. To try all things 1 Thes. 5. 21. So the Bereans Acts 17. 11. and the Rule of Trial is the Word Ioh. 5. 39. Error 41. There be distinct seasons of the workings of the several persons so the Soul may be said to be so long under the Fathers and not the Sons and so long under the Sons Work and not the Spirits Confutation 41. This expression is not according to the pattern of wholsome words which teacheth a joint-concurrence of all the persons working in every work that is wrought so that we cannot say the Father works so long and the Son works not because the same work at the same time is common to them both and to all the Three Persons as the Father draws Ioh. 6. 44. so the Son sends his Spirit to convince and thereby draws Ioh. 16. 7 8. Error 42. There is no assurance true or right unless it be without fear and doubting Confutation 42. This is contrary to Scripture the Penman of Psal. 77. had true assurance v. 6. And yet he had doubts and fears of God's eternal mercy ver 7 8 9. The best Faith is imperfect and admits infirmity v. 10. 1 Cor. 13. 10 11 12. Where there is flesh that doth fight against every Grace and act thereof and is contrary to it there can be no Grace perfect Ergo doubting may stand with assurance Gal. 5. 17. Error 43. The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least Confutation 43. Reserving the special seasons of God's preventing Grace to his own pleasure In the ordinary constant course of his dispensation the more we endeavour the more assistance and help we find from him Prov. 2. 3 4 5. He that seeks and digs for wisdom as for treasure shall find it Hos. 6. 3. 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him If by endeavour be meant the use of lawful means and ordinances commanded by God to seek and find him in then is it contrary to Mat. 7. 7. Ask seek knock c. Error 44. No created work can be a manifest sign of God's love Confutation 44. If created works flowing from union with Christ be included it is against Iohn's Epistles and many Scriptures which make keeping the Commandments love to the Brethren c. evidences of a good estate so consequently of God's love Error 45. Nothing but Christ is an evidence of my good estate Confutation 45. If here Christ manifesting himself in works of holiness be excluded and nothing but Christ nakedly revealing himself to Faith be made an evidence it is against the former Scriptures Error 46. It is no sin in a Believer not to see his Grace except he be wilfully blind Confutation 46. This is contrary to the Scripture which makes every transgression of the Law sin though wilfulness be not annexed and this crosseth the work of the Spirit which sheweth us the things that are given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. and crosseth also that command 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove your Faith and therefore we ought to see it Error 47. The seal of the Spirit is limited onely to the immediate witness of the Spirit and doth never witness to any work of Grace or to any conclusion by a Syllogism Confutation 47. This is contrary to Rom. 8. 16. to that which our Spirit bears witness to that the Spirit of God bears witness for they bear a joint witness as the words will have it but our spirits bear witness to a work of grace namely that Believers are the children of God Ergo. Error 48. That conditional Promises are legal Confutation 48. Contrary to Ioh. 3. 16. Mat. 5. 3 c. Error 49. We are not bound to keep a constant course of Prayer in our Families or privately unless the Spirit stir us up thereunto Confutation 49. This is contrary to Ephes. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 17. Error 50. It is poverty of spirit when we have grace yet to see we have no grace in our selves Confutation 50. The weak Believer Mark 9. 24. was poor in spirit yet saw his own Faith weak though it were Peter when he was brought to poverty of spirit by the bitter experience of his pride he saw the true love he had unto Christ and appealed to him therein Iohn 21. 15. Paul was less than the least of all Saints in his own eyes therefore poor in spirit yet saw the grace of God by which he was that he was and did what he did and was truly nothing in his own eyes when he had spoken of the best things he had received and done Ephes. 3. 18. If it be poverty of the spirit to see no grace in our selves then should poverty of spirit cross the office of the Spirit which is to reveal unto us and make us to see what God gives us 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. then it should make us sin or cross the will of God which is that we should not be ignorant of the gracious workings of Christ in us from the power of his Death and Resurrection Rom. 6. 3. Know ye not c. then would it destroy a great duty of Christian thankfulness in and for all the good things which God vouchsafeth us 1 Thess. 5. 18. Error 51. The Soul need not to go out to Christ for fresh supply but it is acted by the spirit inhabiting Confutation 51. Though we have the spirit acting and inhabiting us this hinders not but I may and need go out to Christ for fresh supply of grace John 1. 16. Of whose fulness we have all received and grace for grace 2 Cor. 12. 8. Paul sought thrice to Christ for fresh supply Heb. 12. 2. Look unto Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith We must look up to the Hills from whence cometh our help Ephes. 4. 16. By whom all the Body receiveth increase and to the edifying of it self Error 52. It is legal to say we act in the strength of Christ. Confutation 52. This is contrary to the Scriptures the Gospel bids us be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephes. 6. 10. and be strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 2. 1. and Paul saith I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. 13. and that was not legal strength Error 53. No Minister can teach one that is anointed by the Spirit of Christ more than he knows already unless it be in some circumstances Confutation 53. This is also contrary to Scripture 2 Cor. 1. It is God that establisheth us with you c. Ephes. 1. 13. and 4. 12 14. The Corinthians and Ephesians were anointed and sealed and yet were taught more of Paul in his Epistles than onely in some circumstances Error 54. No Minister can be an instrument to convey more of Christ unto
instructed might teach him Court See how your argument stan●… Priscilla with her husband took Apollo home to instruct him privately therefore Mistriss Hutchison without her Husband might teach sixty or eighty Hutch I call them not but if they come to me I may instruct them Court Yet you shew us not a rule Hutch I have given you two places of Scripture Court But neither of them will suit y●…ur practice Hutch Must I shew my Name written therein Court You must shew that which must be equivalent seeing your Ministery is publick you would have them receive your instruction as coming from such an Ordinance Hutch They must not take it as it comes from me but as it comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and if I took upon me a publick Ministery I should break a rule but not in exercising a gift of Prophesie and I would see a rule to turn away them that come to me Court It is your exercise which draws them and by occasion thereof many Families are neglected and much time lost and a great damage comes to the Common-wealth thereby which we that are betrusted with as the Fathers of the Common-wealth are not to suffer Divers other Speeches passed to and fro about this matter the issue was that not being able to bring any rule to justifie this her disordered course she said she walked by the rule of the Apostle Gal. which she called the rule of the New Creature but what rule that was she would not or she could not tell neither would she consent to lay down her Meetings except Authority did put them down and then she might be subject to Authority Then the Court laid to her charge the reproach she had cast upon the Ministers and Ministry in this Country saying That none of them did Preach the Covenant of Free Grace but Mr. Cotton and that they have not the Seal of the Spirit and so were not able Ministers of the New Testament She denied the words but they were affirmed by divers of the Ministers being desired by the Court to be present for that end The matter was thus It being reported abroad That Mistriss Hutchison did flight them and their Ministery in their common talk as if they did Preach nothing but a Covenant of Works because they pressed much for faith and love c. without holding forth such an immediate witness of the Spirit as she pretended they advised with Master Cotton about it and a Meeting was appointed at his House and she being sent for and demanded the reason why she had used such Speeches at first she would not acknowledge them but being told that they could prove them by witnesses and perswaded to deal freely and truly therein She said That the fear of Man was a Snare and therefore she was glad she had this opportunity to open her Mind and thereupon she told them that there was a wide difference betwixt Master Cotton ' s Ministery and theirs and that they could not hold forth a Covenant of Free Grace because they had not the Seal of the Spirit and that they were not able Ministers of the New Testament It was near night so the Court brake up and she was injoyned to appear again the next Morning When she appeared the next day she objected that the Ministers had spoken in their own cause and that they ought not to be Informers and Witnesses both and required that they might be Sworn to what they had spoken To which the Court answered That if it were needful an Oath should be given them but because the whole Court in a manner Man by Man did declare themselves to be fully satisfied of the truth of their testimonies they being 6 or 7 Men of long approved Godliness and Sincerity in their course and for that it was also generally observed that those of her party did look at their Ministery for the most part as a way of the Covenant of Works and one had been punished about half a year before for reporting the like of them The Court did pause a while at it whereupon she said That she had Mr. Wilson ' s Notes of that Conference which were otherwise than they had related the Court wi●…led her to shew them but her Answer was She had left them at home whereupon Mr. Wilson with the leave of the Court said That if she brought forth his Notes they should find written at the foot of them That he had not written down all that was spoken but being ofen interrupted he had omitted divers passages then she appealed to Mr. Cotton who being called and desired to declare what he remembred of her Speeches said That he remembred onely that which took impression on him for he was much grieved that she should make such comparison between him and his Brethren but yet he took her meaning to be onely of a gradual difference when she said that they did not hold forth a Covenant of Free Grace as he did for she likened them to Christ's Disciples and their Ministery before his Ascension and before the Holy Ghost was come down upon them and when she was asked by some of them Why they could not Preach a Covenant of Free-grace She made Answer Because they had not the Seal of the Spirit Upon this the Court wished her to consider that Mr. Cotton did in a manner agree with the testimony of the rest of the Elders and as he remembred onely so much as at present took most impression on him so the rest of the Elders had reason to remember some other passages which he might not hear or not so much observe as they whom it so nearly and properly concerned All this would not satisfie Mistriss Hutchison but she still called to have them Sworn whereupon the Court being weary of the clamour and that all mouths might be stopped required three of the Ministers to take an Oath and thereupon they confirmed their former testimony Upon this she began to speak her mind and to tell of the manner of God's dealing with her and how he revealed himself to her and made her know what she had to do The Governour perceiving whereabout she went interrupted her and would have kept her to the matter in hand but seeing her very unwilling to be taken off he permitted her to proceed Her Speech was to this effect Mistriss Hutchison When I was in Old England I was much troubled at the Constitution of the Churches there so far as I was ready to have joyned to the Separation whereupon I set apart a day for humiliation by my self to se●…k direction from God and then did God discover unto me the unfaithfulness of the Churches and the danger of them and that none of those Ministers could Preach the Lord Jesus aright for he had brought to my mind that in 1 Iohn 4. 3. Every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is the Spirit of Antichrist I marvelled what this should mean for I