Anne Hutchinson

Causes of Her Action...

 

Anne's spiritual beliefs and her willingness to challenge the church broke the mold of women at the time and went against traditional beliefs of church authority.

 

Anne grew up in a home surrounded with theology and used her knowledge to help to influence people. Like many others, Anne and her family left England to practice Puritanism freely in New England, following their inspiring role model, reverend John Cotton. When Anne came to Boston, she began to hold bi-weekly meetings with many attendants, both men and women. Hutchinson was a woman of extraordinary intelligence and energy, gifted with a captivating personality that attracted followers. As the meetings continued, Hutchinson began offering her own religious views, According to Anne's understanding of the covenant; a person's actions were not necessarily an indication of their salvation. Anne believed that once a person received grace they acquired an inner holiness which guided their actions, and they were no longer subject to human laws and officials. For a woman to engage theological discussions, it posed a subtle challenge to the government of the Bay Colony. John Winthrop realized her power of influence and became worried. Anne challenged the words of Puritan minister and accused them of making salvation dependent on an individual's good works rather than on divine grace, which was contrary to Puritan teaching. Anne believed in free grace and she claimed that God had communicated to her by direct revelations and declared that she was capable of interpreting the Scriptures on her own. She also challenged the Puritan belief of the Bible interpretation. For Puritans, the source of authority is Bible interpreted by ministers, while she claimed she had the authority to interpret it on her own. Anne's antinomianism beliefs led her to court.

 

In November 1637 Hutchinson was brought to trial, presided over by Governor John Winthrop, on charges of sedition. Winthrop could not find her guilty and so Dudley took over. Anne continued to criticize the ministers and the next day Hutchinson changed her position and freely acknowledged that God spoke to her directly. This claim constituted blasphemy and the court had grounds to punish her. Hutchinson was called an instrument of the devil, and was condemned to banishment by the Court "as being a woman not fit for our society." After the trial, a church trial was held which banished her from the church. A group of Anne's followers left with her when she was banished and they fled to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.