the church cast her out.  Whereupon she grew worse; so as the magistrate caused her to be whipped.  Whereupon she was reformed for a time, and carried herself more dutifully to her husband, but soon after she was so possessed with Satan, that he persuaded her (by his delusions, which she listened to as revelations from God) to break the neck of her own child, that she might free it from future misery.  This she confessed upon her apprehension; yet, at her arraignment, she stood mute a good space, till the governour told her she should be pressed to death, and then she confessed the indictment.  When she was to receive judgment, she would not uncover her face, nor stand up, but as she was forced, nor give any testimony of her repentance, either then or at her execution.  The cloth which should have covered her face, she plucked off, and put between the rope and her neck.  She desired to have been beheaded, giving this reason, that it was less painful and less shameful.  Mr. Peter, her late pastor, and Mr. Wilson, went with her to the place of execution, but could do no good with her."[15]

VI.  Woman’s Comfort in Religion

Little gentleness and surely little of the overwhelming love that was Christ’s are apparent in a creed so stern and uncompromising.  But the age in which it flourished was not in itself a gentle and tolerant era.  It had not been so many years since men and women had been tortured and executed for their faith.  The Spanish Inquisition had scarcely ceased its labor of barbarism; and days were to follow both in England and on the continent when acts almost as savage would be allowed for the sake of religion.  In spite, moreover, of all that has been said above, in spite of the literalness, the belief in a personal devil, the fear of an arbitrary God, the religion of Puritanism was not without comfort to the New England woman.  Many are the references to the Creator’s comforting presence and help.  Note these lines from a letter written by Margaret Winthrop to her husband in 1637:  “Sure I am, that all shall work to the best to them that love God, or rather are loved of him.  I know he will bring light out of obscurity, and make his righteousness shine forth as clear as noonday.  Yet I find in myself an adverse spirit, and a trembling heart, not so willing to submit to the will of God as I desire.  There is a time to plant, and a time to pull up that which is planted, which I could desire might not be yet.  But the Lord knoweth what is best, and his will be done...”

Though woman might not speak or hold office in the Church, yet she was not by any means denied the ordinary privileges and comforts of religious worship, but rather was encouraged to gather with her sisters in informal seasons of prayer and meditation.  The good wives are commended in many of the writings of the day for general charity work connected with the church, and are mentioned frequently as being present at the evening assemblies similar to our modern prayer