 Cotton had not yet given up on his parishioner. With the permission of the court, Hutchinson was allowed to spend the week at his home, where the recently arrived Reverend John Davenport was also staying. All week the two ministers worked with her and, under their supervision, she had written out a formal recantation of her unsound opinions that had formerly brought objection. Hutchinson stood at the next meeting, on Thursday, 22 March, and read her recantation in a subdued voice to the congregation. She admitted to having been wrong about the soul and spirit, wrong about the resurrection of the body, wrong in prophesying the destruction of the colony, wrong in her demeanour toward the ministers, and, most remarkably, agreed that sanctification could be evidence of justification (a covenant of works) "as it flowes from Christ and is witnessed to us by the Spirit". Had the trial ended there, she would have likely remained in good standing with the Boston church, and had the possibility of returning some day.
