Characteristic of Puritans - Essay Example

It is from such a basis that the female gender was prohibited from leading a public crowd in matters concerning theology in the presence of men. In the court proceedings of Mrs. Hutchinson’s case, the governor expressed that, “Mrs. Hutchinson…to the honors of the church...not fitting for your sex” (“The Examination of Mrs. Anne”, Constitution.org).

It clearly shows that they had restricted responsibility for religious matters. Women fellowship meetings were not restricted; the only place one could believe they exercised their voices over religious issues. The other option left for them was around family and economic well-being as implied; “elder women must instruct the younger about their business and love their husbands” (“The Examination of Mrs. Anne”, Constitution.org). Even with a healthy background in education, the women were still subject to men’s orders. Massachusetts was a land of men's dominion; though the women could read the Bible, their voices were belittled in the church and governance. Even in the court, there is no occurrence of female involvement in the judicial panel of judgment. The women lacked freedom of expression let alone the voice of Biblical interpretation in the church.

Influence of women's role on Anne Hutchinson's trial: Anne’s expression of her religious belief seems to date back to old England. She was an individual of unique character and had a strong driving motive besides the visible nature of humans. The view that only men could teach or lead was not her perception. On the contrary, she practiced democracy out of the bondage of strict rule enforced at the Massachusetts Bay colony. It was stated as a fact that her action of leading a conference was not right concerning her sex status; this gave weight to her punishment. It appeared as ridicule on ministers of the word when men started showing up in her conference. More so, her teaching other women, and giving opinions to honest persons that would resort to her, was viewed to alienate women from their responsibility and from following the church ministers’ teachings.

The ministers felt displaced from their tasks by Mrs. Hutchinson, who further criticizes them in their ministry works. As she freely expressed her faith and ideals in religious matters, the court had already established the opinion of un-holiness in her. Perhaps they questioned how an inherent sinner rather than an individual of inferiority could be in a position to offer counsel and criticize the holy settlers of puritans. In court, the governor states that “you are banished from out of our jurisdiction as being a woman not fit for our society” (“The Examination of Mrs. Anne”, Constitution.org). Despite her three existing witnesses in court and proportional argument concerning revelation, the court was already convinced that her role in the ministry was not in line with her sex.

Mrs. Hutchinson believes that there is deliverance; concerning Daniel in the Bible, she hoped and expected the same from her God. She was persuaded that her faith was confident to do the impossible even if it was not so in the sight of men. Her argument is clear that worship and religious concerns are issues of self-conscience and not by strict enforcement of the law, on the people. In her conclusion, salvation was for everyone regardless of one was clean or dirty. Going to hell was one thing and receiving salvation was another case, but both the “Glorious Hypocrite” and the non-hypocrite scripture readers are not exempted from entering hell (“The Examination of Mrs. Anne”, Constitution.org). Mrs. Anne never let off her faith and right to express herself, she courageously informed the court of her vision concerning Abraham’s life that she prophesied, and had come to pass after twelve months in the day of her hearing. This revelation was not taken lightly by the people, and the governor, Mr. John Winthrop felt that it endangered the society. For them, there was no way she could communicate with God’s spirit in her soul but rather her revelations were probably a hallucination.