This week in Christian history: Anne Hutchinson trial begins, Ben-Hur first published

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, November 06, 2022

Anne Hutchinson trial begins – Nov. 7, 1637

Puritan leader Anne Hutchinson, shown on trial for heresy in this early 20th century picture. Hutchinson was eventually banished from Massachusetts colony for her beliefs. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of the civil trial for Anne Hutchinson, the notable Massachusetts Bay Colony dissenter who would be labeled a heretic and banished.

Hutchinson, a midwife from England, regularly held religious meetings at her home with scores of people, which sparked suspicion and concerns over her teachings.

Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop personally questioned her, accusing her of sedition and unbiblical teaching, with Hutchinson adamantly claiming the opposite.

“She defended herself in biblical terms, quoting Titus that it was up to the older women to teach the younger,” noted Biography.

“Then Hutchinson made a statement that sealed her fate: she claimed that her revelations came directly from God, which was a clear case of heresy in Puritan Massachusetts. The magistrates seized on the moment and quickly banished her from the community.”