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Gov. John Winthrop:
Mr. Coggeshall was not present.
Mr. Coggeshall: Yes, but I was. Only I desired to be silent till
I should be called.
Gov. John Winthrop:
Will you, Mr. Coggeshall, say that she did not say so?
Mr. Coggeshall: Yes, I dare say that she did not say all that
which they lay against her.
Mr. Peters: How dare you look into the court to say such a word?
Mr. Coggeshall: Mr. Peters takes upon him to forbid me. I shall
be silent.
Mr. Stoughton (assistant of the Court): Ey, but she
intended this that they say.
Gov. John Winthrop:
Well, Mr. Leveret, what were the words? I pray, speak.
Mr. Leveret: To my best remembrance when the elders did send for
her, Mr. Peters did with much vehemency and intreaty urge her to tell
what difference there was between Mr. Cotton and them, and upon his
urging of her she said "The fear of man is a snare, but they that
trust upon the Lord shall be safe." And being asked wherein the
difference was, she answered that they did not preach a covenant of
grace so clearly as Mr. Cotton did, and she gave this reason of it:
because that as the apostles were for a time without the spirit so until
they had received the witness of the spirit they could not preach a
covenant of grace so clearly.
Gov. John Winthrop:
Don't you remember that she said they were not able ministers of the New
Testament?
Mrs. Anne Hutchinson: Mr.
Weld and I had an hour's discourse at the window and then I spake that,
if I spake it...
Gov. John Winthrop:
Mr. Cotton, the court desires that you declare what you do remember of
the conference which was at the time and is now in question.
Mr. Cotton: I did not think I should be called to bear witness in
this cause and therefore did not labor to call to remembrance what was
done; but the greatest passage that took impression upon me was to this
purpose. The elders spake that they had heard that she had spoken some
condemning words of their ministry, and among other things they did
first pray her to answer wherein she thought their ministry did differ
from mine. How the comparison sprang I am ignorant, but sorry I was that
any comparison should be between me and my brethren and uncomfortable it
was. She told them to this purpose that they did not hold forth a
covenant of grace as I did. But wherein did we differ? Why she said that
they did not hold forth the seal of the spirit as he doth. Where is the
difference there? Say they, why saith she, speaking to one or other of
them, I know not to whom.
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