If she took
the bolder course, she could explain her revelations as monitions coming
to her through texts in Scripture, and here she was certain of Cotton's
support. Before that tribunal she could hardly have hoped for an
acquittal; but if anything could have saved her it would have been the
sanction given to her doctrines by the approval of John Cotton. At all
events, she saw the danger, for she closed her little speech in these
touching words: "Now if you do condemn me for speaking what in my
conscience I know to be truth, I must commit myself unto the Lord."
_Mr. Nowell._ How do you know that that was the Spirit?
_Mrs. H._ How did Abraham know that it was God?...
_Dep. Gov._ By an immediate voice.
_Mrs. H._ So to me by an immediate revelation.
* * * * *
Then she proceeded to state how, through various texts which she cited,
the Lord showed her what He would do; and she particularly dwelt on one
from Daniel. So far all was well; she had planted herself on ground upon
which orthodox opinion was at least divided; but she now committed the one
grave error of her long and able defence. As she went on her excitement
gained upon her, and she ended by something like a defiance and
denunciation: "You have power over my body, but the Lord Jesus hath power
over my body and soul; and assure yourselves thus much, you do as much as
in you lies to put the Lord Jesus Christ from you, and if you go on in
this course you begin, you will bring a curse upon you and your posterity,
and the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
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