with the prudence and industry of sundry principal ones amongst them, both in church and state at other times, a right understanding of some few things, in difference amongst the sincere and godly, was procured.17
The questions were about the order of things in our union with our Lord Jesus Christ: about the influence of our faith in the application of his righteousness: etc. Gov. Hutchinson says, the town and country was distracted with these subtleties, and every man and woman who had brains enough to form some imperfect conception, inferred and maintained some other point, such as these, “A man is justified before he believes;” “faith is no immediate cause of justification.” The fear of God and love of our neighbour seemed to be laid by and out of the question. The whole church at Boston, with few exceptions, was under the influence of Mrs. Hutchinson. The account of her trial discovers nothing but what might be expected from a high degree of enthusiasm. Mr. Cotton seems to have been in danger when she was on trial. Not long after, in a sermon at a fast, he confessed and bewailed the churches, and his own security and credulity, by means of which so many dangerous errors had spread, and showed how he came to be deceived. (See Hutchinson, 59-74.) Many of the church were disfranchised and banished. Mrs. Hutchinson with others went to Rhode Island. The greater part were permitted to return, and filled places of honour and trust in church and state. Mrs. Hutchinson and her numerous family removed to some part of New York, where they, all but one, were slain by the Indians. Gov. Hutchinson says, “It is evident not only by her trial, but by many other public proceedings, that inquisition was made into men’s private judgments, as well as into their declarations and practice.”—Vol. i. p. 75. See also Winth. Jour., Mather’s Mag., Cal. Hist., and Dr. Elliot’s Eccl. Hist.
The ringleaders of the faction being thus detected were censured, not only by the church, but by the civil power, and were also condemned to exile; who, not knowing where they might sit down safely, made requests unto the government of Plimouth, that they might be at an island, that they had not hitherto improved, called by the Indians Aquetnet, and, by the English inhabiting it, Rhode Island, which the government of Plimouth, aforesaid, considering they were their countrymen and fellow-subjects that were thus distressed and destitute of habitation, although they had their errors in as great dislike as those from whence they came, yet pitying them in their present straits, granted their request; so these, having there seated themselves, and finding that it was a very fruitful and pleasant place, such indeed as that colony or jurisdiction hath not any the like left within their patent, they soon drew many more unto them, not only to fill up that island, but have also seated two more towns on the main;18 therein, as is judged, encroaching upon the rights of the aforesaid colony of Plimouth, and have of late through misinformation obtained a patent, not only for the places forementioned, but have also extended it into the heart and bowels of the known and possessed rights of the said colony, endeavouring to requite their kindness, as sometimes it is said the hedgehog did by the friendly coney. But it is our great happiness, that as God takes notice from on high of the unrighteousness and oppression of the sons of men, so he hath given us a gracious Prince, who minds the peace of his meanest subjects, from whose justice and prudence we do confidently expect relief, and on that assurance, do resolve, by God’s help, to contain ourselves from seeking to vindicate our wrongs in such a way as their injurious dealings might provoke unto.This year there was a hideous monster born at Boston, in New England, of one Mrs. Mary Dyer, a copartner with the said Mrs. Hutchinson, in the aforesaid heresies; the said monster, as it was related to me, was without head, but horns like a beast, scales or a rough skin like the fish, called the thornback; it had legs and claws like a fowl, and in other respects as a woman child; the Lord declaring his detestation of their monstrous errors, as was then thought by some, by this prodigious birth.
Not long before these troubles, there arrived at Boston, one Samuel Gorton, who from thence came to Plimouth; and upon his first coming thither, gave some hopes that he would have proved an useful instrument, but soon after, by little and little, discovered himself to be a proud and pestilent seducer, and deeply leavened with blasphemous and familistical opinions; and observing such fictions to be spread by some of his spirit already in the country, he takes his opportunity to begin to sow such seed at Plimouth, whereby some were seduced, in special one John Weeks and his wife, who in some short time became very atheists, looking for no more happiness than this world affords, not only in practice such, but also in opinion. But the said Gorton falling into some controversy with one Mr. Ralph Smith, was summoned to the court held at Plimouth, the fourth of December, 1638, to answer the said Mr. Smith’s complaint; and
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