Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI Of the first sowers of the tares of Antinomianisme and Familisme in New England.
Of Mistris Hutchison and her tenets.THe first Authors of these wicked opinion… were N. Wheelright some adherents to M. Wheelright, and Mistris Hutchison. This woman is called the American Jesabel, she was the wife of M. William Hutchison of Boston, the daughter of M. Marbury, sometime preacher in London: She was hauty, bold, active in wit, eloquent, vaine, and selfe-conceited, would not stick to lye, and brought these opinions from old England and so was holden for a time out of Church communion, yet admitted, deceived many with extolling of Christ as working all in the soules of beleevers, as in dead and passive Organs and depressed sanctification and all qualifications of inherent graces as nothing held union with Christ and justifica…ion without faith, shee drew to her way many godly people and many loose and prophane by a weekly lecture she held in her house, under pretence of repeating sermons, tooke on her to sit in a chaire and to teach men. All these foresaid errours were condemned by a generall assembly of the Churches of New England, at New-towne August 30. 1637. They learned by sad experience of these seducers from that time, as I am informed to remove farther from M. Robinsons democracie and popular government, and come a little nearer to Presbyteriall Government, and while they imbrace that Apostolicke Government, they shall ever be infested with heresies, as now they are this day with new Bee-hives of Anabaptists, Seekers Enthusiasts, Familists, and Antinomians: they come, blessed bee the Lord, a little nearer to it then they did, M. Cotton in his Treatise of the keyes of the kingdome of heaven, set out by M. T. Goodwin and M. Philip Nye, is well sound in our way, if hee had given some more power to assemblies, as is clear Act. 15. and in some lesser points, Though Independents in England oppose that Godly and learned Divine, and as wee heare have suppressed his judgement touching constitution of visible Churches, and are not willing that Antinomians, Familists, Socinians, Anabaptists, or other abominable sectaries be brought to the tryall of a lawfull Church assembly, but plead for a toleration to them, which the Churches of New England deservedly abhor as Atheistical and distructive to the truth, peace and unity of the Church of Christ.
Mistris Hutchison ought to have beene convened before this Church-assembly,Of M. Wheelwright a preacher in N. England, a prime Familist. and M. Wheelright and others were convened before a civill court in Massachusset. Octo. 2. 1637. For disturbance of the publick peace, where in the month of March, M. Wheelright was convict of sedition: upon occasion whereof, a number of Familists gave in a Petition or Remonstrance complaining that their beloved M. Wheelright was condemned for no fault, whereas his doctrine was no other then the very expressions of the holy ghost himselfe, though he had said expressely, That Magistrates, Ministers, and most of the people were under a Covenant of workes, and therefore were enemies to Christ, such as Herod, Pilate, Scribes and Pharisees, and incouraged the people to rise up against them, as Philistims, and pronounced the curse of Meroz on them who would not joyne with them against the churches of the legallists. And made mention of Moses his killing the Egyptian. Much fals doctrine and debates and disputes raised he in the Church there, which were not knowen before his comming to the Country, where upon he was sentenced to be disfranchized and banished out of their jurisdiction and committed to safe custody till he should find surety to depart before the end of March, upon this he appealed to the Kings Majesty.
Others of his Disciples saying he held forth nothing but the truth of Christ, were censured, some banished, some fined, and imprisoned. Mistris Hutchison boldly justified her selfe, that she might teach as Priscilla did, reproached the Ministers as Legallists, told by revelation and many misapplyed Scriptures that shee was forewarned by God, in Old England that she should separate from all Ministers because legall men: except M. Cotton and M. Wheelright; that she should come to New England, suffer for the truth. She said she should be delivered as Daniell was from the Lyons. Such Prophets love to foretell things past and say they knew them before they came to passe.
She having received the sentence of banishment, though she had before dissembled and lyed, now stood to owne all these Articles layed against her.
1 The soules of men by generation, are mortall, as beasts. Eccl. 3.8▪ but made immortall in regard of Christs purchase who bought the soules of the wicked to eternall paine, and of the Elect to eternall peace.
2 The united to Christ have new bodies, and two bodies 1 Cor. 6.19. She knew not how Jesus could bee united to our fleshly bodies.
3 Those who have union with Christ shall not rise with these fleshly bodies. 1 Cor. 15.44.
4 The Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. and John 5.28. is not of the body but of our union with Christ in this life. so said Hymeneus, Phyletus, the Libertines, the Georgians, Henry Nicholas, and his.
5 There be no created graces in the Saints, Christ takes them out of their owne hands into his.
6 There was no created graces in the human nature of Christ, he was only acted by the God-head.
7 The Image of God in Adam was not in holinesse, but in being like to Christs manhood.
8 No scripture warranteth Christs manhood to be now in heaven, but the body of Christ is his Church; So Saltm. Sparkles of glory, as before observed.
9 We are united to Christ with the same union that Christs humanitie on earth was with his Godhead, Joh. 17.21. that is right downe, Christ and every Saint is one person▪ then were the saints personally and really crucified, dyed, buryed, rose again, and ascended to Heaven with Christ.
10 No evidence of our good estate, is either from absolute or conditionall promises.
11 The Disciples were not converted before Christs death, Matth. 18.3.
12 The Law is no rule of life to a Christian.
13 There is no Kingdome of heaven but onelyonly Christ.
14 There is a first ingraffing in Christ by union, from which a man might fall.
15 The first thing God reveales, is to assure us of election.
16 Abraham, till he offered his son, and saw the firmenesse and certainty of his election, was not in the state of grace.
17 Vnion to Christ is not by faith.
18 All commands even of faith, kill, as the Law doeth, Rom. 3.17. Contrary to the Gospel that gives life, and commands faith in Christ also.
19 There is no faith of dependance, but onelyonly that of assurance.
20 A hypocrite may have Adams righteousnesse, and perish, and is obliged to keep the Law.
21 There is no inherent righteousnesse in us.
22 We are dead to all spirituall acts, and onelyonly acted by Christ.
23 Not being bound to the Law, it is no transgression against the Law, to sin, for our sins are inward, spirituall, exceeding sinfull, and onelyonly against Christ.
24 Her own revelations about future events, are as infallible as Scripture, the Holy Ghost is author of both, she is obliged with certainty of faith to beleeve the one as well as the other.
25 So farre as a man is in union with Christ, he can doe no duties perfectly, and without the communion of the unregenerate part with the regenerate,
26 Exhortations to worke out our salvation, to make sure our calling and election by good works, are given onelyonly to those that are under a covenant of works.
M. Weld sheweth, when preaching could not prevaile to gain Familists, though thereby many were gained to the truth, many doubting ones confirmed, an assembly was appointed at Cambridge, then called New-Towne: M. Hooker, and M. Bulkley were chosen Moderators. The Magistrates sitting by as hearers, and speakers when they saw fit, Liberty being given to the people, to hear, that they especially might be satisfied in conscience, touching the truth then controverted by wicked wits, A place was appointed for all the Opinionists to come in and speak, due order being observed. Which if done by citation and the Ministeriall power of Jurisdiction, as may be gathered from Matth. 18.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. 1 Tim. 5.19. And they accused upon the Testimony of witnesses, and publickly rebuked, and not onelyonly the Heresies condemned, but the holders of such opinions, ministerially, and by authority and power given of Christ for edification, 2 Cor. 10.8. declared publickly to be such as trouble the Churches, and pervert soules, Act. 15.24. and that the people of God beleeve no such lying opinions, nor follow such wicked practices, Act. 21.25. and if the Opinionists should refuse to heare the Church or Churches offended, they should be excommunicated and holden for Heathen and Publicans, as Matth. 18.15, 16, 17, 18. 1 Cor. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. that they leven not the whole lumpe of many Churches, Gal. 5.9, 10. compared with Gal. 1. v. 2. if, I say, so they had been dealt with, it had been right. But though this Synod did much work upon many, the chiefe leaders remained obstinate.
When foure Elders were sent to Mistris Hutchison, she with a fiery countenance, asking whence they came, received this answer,
We come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the Church of Boston, to labour to convince you, Answered, with disdaine, from the Church of Boston? I know no such Church; call it the whore and strumpet of Boston, no Church of Christ.
As men turn to these abominable opinions, God gives them up to vilde affections, for divers of them became unclean, M. Weld saith, they had no prayer in their family, no Sabbath, insufferable pride, hideous lying, some of them convicted of five, some of ten lies, one smitten of God, in the act of lying, fell in a deep swoune, and being recovered, said: Oh God, thou mightst have struck me dead, as Annanias and Saphira, for I have maintained a lye.
Mistris Hutchison and others were excommunicated for lies, others for other foule scandals. Mistris Hutchison defended her twenty and nine errors in the Church of Boston openly, with ly…ng, knowne to many that heard her, she brought forth deformed Monsters, to the number of thirty.
Omnipotency of Divine Justice further interposeth a revenging hand from heaven, for at Boston, 1637. October 17. When God was beginning to take vengeance on persecuting Prelates and their adherents in Scotland, (for the Assembly of Glascow was convened the end of the next year, Anno 1638.) in which the Prelates of Scotland were excommunicated, and the morning of Britans Reformation was dawning, at this time the Wife of William Dyer, a proper comely yong woman, was delivered of a large woman childe, (as the Story saith, Rise, Reigne, p. 43▪ 44) it was still-born, about two moneths before the time, the child lived a few houres. The child was a fearfull and rarely prodigious Monster: It had no head, but a face which stood so low on the brest, as the eares, most like an Apes eares, grew on the shoulders, the eyes and mouth stood farre out, the nose was hooking upward, the brest and back was full of sharpe prickles like a Thornback, the Navell and all the belly, with the distinction of the sex, were where the lower part of the back and hips should have been, and those back-parts were on the side the face stood, the armes and hands were as other childrens, but instead of toes, it had upon each foot three claws, with talons like a young foule, upon the back above the belly, it had two great holes like mouths, and in each of them stuck out a piece of flesh, it had no forehead, but in the place thereof above the eyes foure hornes, whereof two were above an inch long, hard and sharpe, the other two shorter.
The Father and Mother were the grossest and most active Familists, malicious opposers of the godly, the father of the Monster, after a Moneths absence came to Boston, the Lords day the just time when it was borne, and the same day was convented before the Church, for making Christ, and the Saints a monster, he maintained that Christ and the Church together are the new creature, that there is no inherent righteousnesse in beleevers, that Adam was not made after Gods Image, and other monstrous lies he held, which doe make the first and second Adam, in divinity, Monsters.
2 The Midwife, one Hawkins Wife of St. Ives, was notorious for familiarity with the Devill, and now an active Familist.
3 The Monster was concealed five moneths, yet in the day Mistris Hutchison was excommunicated, she revealed the Monster, the Magistrate caused to digge up the grave, and it was seen in the hornes, claws, holes in the back, and some scales, and that by an hundred persons.
4 When the childe dyed, being two houres after the birth, the bed violently shook, that all in the house conceived it to be an earth-quake.
5 The manner of concealing it was strange, all present with the travelling woman were taken with violent purging and vomiting, some fetched home to their children in a new convulsion, none left but the Mid-wife with two other, of which one fell asleepe.
Mistris Hutchison, who defended her opinions with lies, and equivocations, and pretended she was still of Mr. Cottons judgement, and that she was by revelation in England, that she durst heare none, by M. Wheelright, and M. Cotton, all the rest being Sathans Ministers, still spake of the things of the Kingdome of God, and professed Repentance, and yet kept her wicked opinions. M. Cotton, and M. Davenport, convinced her of her errors all to the last, and she confessed in the Congregation, her Errors, her contempt of the Magistrates, that she was deserted of God, deluded in her revelations, desired the Congregation to pray for her, afterward she was found to be a lyer, gave no satisfaction in her answers, but lying circumlocutions, and denyed she held any such opinions as were imputed to her, the contrary whereof was known to many godly persons: she was banished to the Isle called the Road-Island, from thence removed to the Dutch-plantation, near a place called in the Mappe Hell-gate, where the Indians, beside their custome, slew her and her daughter, and husbands daughter, some say the Indians burnt her house, and all she had.