Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1SS6. 113
Parsous cases. He had not been elected assistant as in former
years, because a cloud huug over his head touching liis theology.
Mary Parsons lay in jail awaiting lier execution ;
her husband had
not yet had his trial. Mr. Pynchon was also oppressed by the
"present troubles of his family." Some of the brightest minds of
Boston were set at work to win ]Mr. Pynchon back to an orthodox
belief. It was his hour of humiliation, and unless one can realize
the terrible weight of a despotic popular sentiment, it will be useless
to attempt an explanation of Mr. Pynclion's almost heroic retreat
from settled theological convictions. The solemn court had just con-
firmed the sentence of death upon Mary Parsons when Mr. Pynclion's
retraction was presented and considered. Here it is, as set forth in
the records of the Massachusetts Bay colony —
:
According to the Court's advice. I have conferred with the Eev. M''. Cotton,
M'' Norrice and M'' Norton about some poynts of the greatest consequence in my
l)ooke, and I hope have so exphiyned my meaniuge to them as to take off the
worst construction ; and it hatli pleased God to let me see that I have not spoken
in my booke so full}' of the jirice and merrit of Christ's sufferings as I should
have done, for in my booke 1 call them l)ut trialls of his obedience, yet intend-
inge thereby to amplyfy and exalt the mediatoriall obedyence of Christ as the only
meritorious price of man's redemption ; but now at present, I am much inclined
to thinke that his sufferings were appoynted by God for a further end. namely,
as the due jjunishment of our sins b_y way of satisfaction to divine justice for
man's redemption.
This document was signed, "Yo*^ humble servant, in all dutyfull
respects, William Pinchon." It will be out of the limits set for this
history to follow the steps of this fierce theological controversy, ex-
cept so far as it affected the Springfield plantation. Mr. Pynchon
had found tune to discuss somewhat philosophically and intuitively
the doctrine of atonement, and he had gradually come to the con-
clusion that Christ's mediatorial obedience was a more important
element in the agency that secured man's redemption than His suf-