Mrs. Hutchinson regarded as a Puritan born in the reign of James 1, 1620. She wrote 2 books called “On the Principles of the Christian Religion” and “of Theology”. The 1st of these was written specifically for her daughter, and for a most practical purpose. She gave instruction that women should take particular care lest they be led away into errors.
Mrs. Hutchinson wrote her book, rather than simply recommending others to her daughter, because she wanted it to stand as a personal witness of all she regarded as of vital importance if her daughter was to lay a foundation of “sound knowledge for the building of a holy practice.”
While ever seeking to direct her daughter’s gaze upward to dwell on the majesty of God and the glory of Christ, Mrs. Hutchinson is equally concerned that she shall always do this through Scripture, the authority of which is unequivocally stated; and the book contains a solemn warning that “Christ is, in the Gospel, held forth to men to be received as their life and salvation, and they that seek a Christ anywhere but where God exhibits Him, that is, His own authorised Word, may find Christ of their own inventions, but shall never find the Christ of God, the alone Saviour of men.”
The book includes a number of warnings, and among these are admonitions against people who would reject the Old Testament as of no use to believers, or who would preach that anyone once justified can fall into an unjustified state. In the controversy over the order of justification and sanctification, we are told neither can be without the other though “justification is perfect and complete, being by faith received and given us in Christ; but sanctification, being derived from Christ to us, and wrought in our souls, is perfected in the body by degrees, and admits of growth and remissions and intentions.” Mrs. Hutchinson disputes with ministers who deny the preparatory work of convincing men they are sinners and who preach only the love of Christ, the grounds of her objection being that Scripture shows “that Christ and His apostles used the other method.” Consideration of the biblical meaning of faith also leads to a further warning that “he that receives Christ by a true saving faith, receives whole Christ in all His offices, and as well submit to Him as a King, as embraces Him as a Saviour. . . .”
Love is the last vital truth which the book presents, and it is declared that none truly love God but those who love God only; and constantly; and for Himself more than for His blessings. He that loves God loves all things that are His, all those that love Him, and all His ordinances and His word. But although this consideration of “love” concludes the “foundation truths” of the book, Mrs. Hutchinson goes on at once to enumerate what she regards as the most essential principles for Christian living since, as she reminds her daughter, “to know all the truths and mysteries of Godliness, without living in and according to that knowledge, will be less excusable than ignorance.”
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She accuses the Greek poets in particular of mingling traditions with their own fables, and vestiges of truth concerning God with the worship of false gods, until it was impossible for men with blinded minds to pick out one from another, and they were led into all sorts of pernicious errors and abominations, and to worship a multitude of gods.
By these means, therefore, Mrs. Hutchinson maintains that all men’s efforts to arrive at true knowledge of God not only proved hopeless, but led them to catastrophe. But, she declares at last, “God, from the foundation of the world, determined that, in His appointed time, a light should break forth to the Gentiles that sat in darkness. . . .”
Her work in this book also explains clearly how natural theology gives the knowledge of creator in 1st place (that they are without excuse Rom 1) and how it deviates them to create and worship multitude of gods. She stressed the importance of written Word of God (The Bible) through which only we can come to the knowledge of God.
Puritan Papers (Vol 1) - J.I. Packer (Pp 82-95)
