Anne Hutchinson Challenges

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It was once said that change is either a challenge or a threat, but at times it can present itself as both; a threat with countless challenges. Anne Hutchinson, for example, was a threat to Puritan belief and laid before them many headache inducing challenges. These presented challenges soon resulted in the dispute of two covenants; the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace. Anne Hutchinson was a strong, opinionated women who shortly after arriving in Boston began classifying its residents into two classifications; the saved which practiced under the Covenant of Grace and the damned who practiced under the Covenant of Works. Firstly, the Covenant of Works depended solely on the actions of man. Under this covenant man must do what is commanded of him in order to remain in a state of blessedness. If man were to fail, then the curse, which would result in man losing the blessings of life, knowledge, righteousness, and communion with God, would fall. If man were to succeed then blessings would rain upon him and his offspring. Since the Puritans believed solely in external actions as the only means to salvation, Anne Hutchinson concluded that their teachings fell under this covenant. In fact, in The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton. 1637 …show more content…
Both believed their way of teaching was the correct one and since the number of Mrs. Hutchinson’s followers increased this posed many challenges upon the Puritans. However, since the majority believed what had already been set up by authority was truth under the eyes of God the accusations made by Anne Hutchinson were inferior and eventually led to her downfall. Whether the Covenant of Grace is more righteous than the Covenant of Works is up to the individual to