John Winthrop's A Model Of Christian Charity

Upon examining the Book of Micah, there are many similar themes which Winthrop draws from in his speech. In the Book of Micah, God punishes the Israelites for breaking their religious covenant with their “lack of justice and honesty”. Micah then speaks with God to find out how they may gain God’s trust and love again to which God demands “to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” which Winthrop quotes directly. Winthrop is acknowledging the failures of previous Christians suggesting that they themselves are vulnerable to God’s wrath if they behave inappropriately, evidence that Winthrop does not believe his Puritans are perfect.

During the time of English colonization and settlement, John Winthrop wrote many pieces related to the importance of religion in society. These writings include A Model of Christian Charity which focused mainly on Puritan ideas on how to treat one another in order for the colony to survive.Winthrop, a very influential Puritan founder, proposed a society in the new colony of Massachusetts centered around religion and the idea that Puritan beliefs were the only sure way to ensure God’s blessings. Winthrop discusses that it is a civil duty amongst colonists to involve the Puritan religion in everyday life in order to preserve the colony as well as Puritan values. In the piece Winthrop writes that if the colony “ ...shall neglect the observation of these

Adapting a Puritan lifestyle drastically affected Winthrop’s perspective on the world and his role in it. He knew that he could not completely disconnect himself from it “as monks and hermits do” (Morgan 6) so he had to adapt to the struggle of finding a balance of his role of worshiping God and “lending his hand to shape [the world]” (Morgan 14).

In the Puritan religion, one cannot love anything more than one loves God. In the case of John Winthrop, this edict became an issue. He did not want to abandon the Church of England as the separatists did, a decision which eventually led to the pilgrims starting their own new church. Winthrop wanted to purify the church; however, the government in England made this particularly hard and eventually this is what led to Winthrop leaving England for the New World to solve the Puritan Dilemma. The Puritan Dilemma was a figurative battle between the Church of England and the Puritan religion. It was also a real threat with opposing religions that would come and threaten the Puritans way of life. John Winthrop recognized these problems and sought to remedy them.

One reason for the Colonial Americans’ growth in faith is the fact the era was abundant with religious figures who strove to lead people to God and created guidelines for them to live by. The people of Colonial America were blessed to abide in an “enchanted world of wonders.” These wonders were no doubt brought on by the hand of God, and the recognition of this fact caused new religious leaders to rise up and help people focus on living Godly lives despite the secular distractions that they were presented with. One Puritan leader, John Winthrop, stated, “That which the most in their Churches maintain as a truth in profession only, we must bring into familiar and constant practice, as in this duty of love we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently we must bear one another’s burdens…” Winthrop not only wanted each individual person to maintain a stronger focus on faith in daily life, he also wanted them to use their faith to unite together, and his Model of Christian Charity showed the people how to accomplish that. Many people tried to abide by these teachings and pass them onto their children before they made their own way in the changing, confusing world because many parents feared their children would “Fall un’wares in Fowler’s snare.”

Throughout the story, “The Puritan Dilemma,” The author, Edmund Morgan focuses directly towards his view on the Puritan Dilemma and how it affected John Winthrop in both his personal life along with his professional life. Morgan also talks about how the government is treated by the puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. According to Morgan, the Puritan Dilemma meant finding balance between personal life along with spiritual. Morgan explains how John copes with this and how his views on Puritanism affected his life entirely. Morgan believes that the Puritan Dilemma should be praised. He shows this praise through the main figurine of the story, John Winthrop. Puritanism is viewed with strict religious laws where life should only be lived through the bible.

The poems, journals, and sermons by William Bradford, John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards displayed these characteristics: the love of something, the courage to do something, the belief in something, and the ability to stand strong and stable in their beliefs. In “Of Plymouth Plantation” the people traveling to find the people on the ship had the love and desire to seek God in everything they did. They believed in God so much they were putting not only their health but lives in jeopardy by traveling so far. “Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.” Even though they under came harsh conditions they were determined to find a safe

John Winthrop speaks of how people should devote themselves to God and disregard all that interferes with that endeavor in A Model of Christian Charity. This was most likely written for the people in the Massachusetts Bay Colony because that area was settled primarily by Puritans. He suggests that the only way in which this is possible is to join into a brotherhood of sorts. This shows his Puritanism and that of others because Puritans were very determined people in becoming closer to God. Puritans did not even allow art, dancing, or music to be in churches. This is so that no distractions can be in place between the worshipper and God.

In the trial of Anne Hutchinson, we meet a well intentioned yet lost people described and labelled as the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company. These self governing Puritans, once a people who sought God to set them on their way, settled only to be found as a people who simply lost their way. This journey to lost began when first motivated by a desire for religious reform and separation from the liturgy, ceremonies and practices of the Church of England. Once they banned together, they set on their way and traveled in groups to the New World. With the Word of God as their ultimate authority and the desire for a personal relationship with God, these people landed in Boston in 1630 united to self govern the newly founded Massachussets Bay Colony. Unfortunatly, this self rule resulted in a government of intolerance, fear and a liturgy not much different from what was once found in the Church of England. A system designed to set apart outward morality, or sanctification, to strengthen the authority of the Church only worked to neglect the place of true piety purposed to strengthen the spiritual lives of the people it served.

In 1630, Puritan leader John Winthrop led the great migration to the New World. On board the ship Arbella, John Winthrop delivered a sermon titled "A Model of Christian Charity." His speech outlined the objectives he hoped to achieve in the New World. His ideals slightly influenced the Puritans judgments and philosophy however not as much as he had initially hoped for. It seems the judgments of the Suffolk County Court were not influenced by the Arbella sermon. Similarly, it doesn't appear that Winthrop's sermon influenced the testimony against Bridget Bishop either. However, the Suffolk County Court cases do differ from the case against Bridget Bishop. The paradox between the two illustrates both Puritan successes and failures.

Within the colony of Massachusetts, religion played an important role in shaping the community’s people and interests. The reason for the Puritans move to North America was to escape the convictions the Christians of England were placing on them (Divine, 89). Winthrop and his followers believed that in this new land they must create a place where they could come together as a people and build the perfect religious society (Divine, 90). In a speech about his vision for the land, John Winthrop said, “We must delight in each

When starting a new colony, John Winthrop had a perfect utopia set up in his mind. Everyone would get along with each other, everyone would be compassionate and helpful to everyone in the community, and most of all, they would be a society based on relations and not God. Winthrop realizes the various social classes people fit into, but he hopes that his ‘city upon a hill’ will unite everyone and make them all equal, regardless of social status. He hopes that the people who are in the colony are good people, who will help anyone who needs it, when they need it. Last of all, he hopes that the colony will ‘keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace’ in order to become the ‘city upon a hill’ that he wants to be.

John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity” is one of the first examples of early “American exceptionalism”. (Noll, 2012) In his sermon, Winthrop (1630) talks about how the citizens in colonial America should set a good example for others, and obey God, as they are looked up to by non-Americans. This concept of America being chosen, or somehow unique in a divine manner was the fundamental meaning of American exceptionalism to Puritan society.

Dependent upon the clemency of God, the Puritans use their faith to ensure success in a new, foreign land. Ultimately, Winthrop implies that if the colonists genuinely dedicate themselves to Christ, their lives will be improved, in that God will help them in their endeavors: "The end is to improve our lives to do more service to the Lord...that ourselves and posterity may be the better preserved from the common corruptions of this evil world, to serve the Lord and work out our salvation under the power and purity of His holy ordinances" (215). By using the phrase "corruption of this evil world," Winthrop suggests that the only way to attain a virtuous and upright character is through spirituality and trust in God, who can help His followers to lead moral, meaningful lives. Winthrop insinuates that the Puritans have an obligation to God; they must leave their native land and establish a community abroad where God's people can live freely, strengthening their spiritual lives. If this is accomplished, then God too will aid the Puritans and bring mercy upon them: "When God gives a special commission He looks to have it strictly observed in the every article. When he gave Saul a commission to destroy Amaleck, He indented with him upon certain articles, and because he failed in one of the least, and that upon a fair pretense, it lost him the kingdom which should have been his reward if he had observed his commission"

Winthrop talks about the law of nature, which tells them to always to love their neighbor. No enemies, just friends. He says this because in order to work together and be a better society you must be able to get along with everyone. He states that love is the bond that will keeps the society together and as one. He says to always love with a pure heart. He talks about the law of grace, which is a moral law. This love and these rules united the Puritans. Lastly, when Christians need are in need of God, they must help him instead of just receiving. By giving, lending and forgiving. He says that no one is perfect, and that if one Christian suffers, they all suffer. Christians are held together. They are together by love; they walk with each other through strength and weaknesses.