Puritanism in John Winthrop "A model of Christian Charity" (0)

FLRG.01.193
Heidi Järvpõld
01.01.2015
Puritanism in A model of Christian Charity
A modell of Christian charity, also known as A City on a Hill, is the kind of Puritan
literature example that can fade the suspicious reader’s doubts in the Puritan main ideology
and beliefs. At least, this is how it seemed to me. This sermon can be seen as a gateway to the
Puritan society’s attitude and mindset as it is one of the most classical examples of the Puritan
era literature. Although John Winthrop was the leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony which
was filled with corrupted chiefs, he vigorously emphasizes in his writings the unity of
community, love of others and morals of equality. This sermon also represents the hope of the
colony in God after repudiating the Church of England.
In his sermon A modell of Christian charity, reliance to the Bible is the key element which
reveals in the interpretation of God itself and morals of the Bible. He begins by offering
explanation to the inequality of the human kind and why God wants such inequality to exist at
all. Simple reciprocity is indicated by collating the rich and the poor as it follows: „soe that
the riche and mighty should not eate upp the poore nor the poore and dispised rise upp against
and shake off theire yoake” (Winthrop, 1996). These differences give humans the opportunity
to manifest the work of the Spirit within them. The poor are recommended be loyal and
honest in their worship to their betters and to authorities. The rich and powerful should
honestly and loyally share justice and mercy to the poor. Because of that God’s ignition is to
have these different types of people come together as one religious community that serves
both God and one another through their different strengths.
The element “love” is subjected through the Bible again, referencing to the sin of Adam’s.
Another way of defining this element is expressed as following:“might be all knitt more
nearly together in the Bonds of brotherly affection.”(Winthrop, 1996) Also, this can be looked
as the love of the community and the attempt of bringing the society more closer to each
other. Individuals are as one part of a body, serving God and having love as following:”his
love among Christians is a real thing, not imaginary. Secondly: This love is as absolutely
necessary to the being of the body of Christ, as the sinews and other ligaments of a natural
body are to the being of that body.” (Winthrop, 1996) This kind of spiritual love needed to
result in the great influence on the world in the positive manner where community’s needs are
the priority and the individual’s desires are in the background. Thus, Winthrop believed that
God would bless a nation that lived in obedience to Him and His covenant, likewise God
acted with Israel in the Old Testament. This previous principle was highly honored among the
Puritans – they believed that every nation had to fulfill the covenant, otherwise they will fall
in the eyes of God (“So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have
undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw”)( Winthrop, 1996) Thinking they were the elected
spirits for the God, they needed to prevent future settlers of Massachusetts to be as same
gracious, charitable and religious as them.
One thing worth mentioning is the notice that Winthrop doesn’t talk about private institutions
at all. This is something very similar to other Puritans – they negated this concept because of
Stuart corruption. Charity had to be maintained amongst people not institutes.
A lot of plain style characteristic to the Puritan theme can be brought out from his sermon.
Many principles and virtues are expressed with ordinary words which together combine a
thoughtful notion. One of the many examples sounds like this:”in all times some must be rich,
some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, others mean and in subjection.”
(Winthrop, 1996) Nothing is exaggerated and the common reader can understand the
simplicity clearly. All this plain style together has the effect of elegant style. Of course, there
are some exceptions as the example of many layered words – use of the metaphor of the
‘body’ to describe the community of Christians united in love.
Preaching was based on everyday, daily experiences and figures from the scripture. Intention
of this kind of choice of topics was to raise moral theology for the sake of previously
mentioned covenant. “There is a time when a christian must sell all and give to the poor, as
they did in the Apostles times” (Winthrop, 1996) is an example of preaching a lesson to this
generation with a link to past. However, most of the images from the sermon are connected
with the scripture, an example of this is “Secondly that he might haue the more occasion to
manifest the work of his Spirit” (Winthrop, 1996) referring to the spiritual love of Christians.
Linking scripture to the sermon had heavy influence on the society since people truly believed
that the Bible was God’s guide for them on how to live accurately and follow his word. God’s
authority was the only and the best authority. Because of this belief, a lot of images and
figures of God has been put into the sermon – to determine the idea even more.
Another aspect very characteristic to the Puritanism era is the choice of messages from the
Bible. It was common to choose a clear message to the audience rather to choose a topic and
preach that concrete passage to them. As mentioned before, they made the message very
simple and plain for the audience to understand and follow. Messages in Winthrop sermon are
also chosen with a deep but simple meaning, such as if you serve God well and follow him,
success will come to you; working hard was for the honor of God; God knows your fate
already since your birth, etc. All these messages were broadly about predestination and its
importance. The first message I brought out about serving God and receiving success is
mentioned in the sermon with the phrase ‘shipwreck’ as it follows:”Now the onely way to
avoyde this shipwracke, and to provide for our posterity, is to followe the counsell of Micah,
to doe justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God.” (Winthrop, 1996) ‘Shipwreck’
clearly represents failing the God and the consequences that accompany these kind of
behavior. Doctrine for avoiding this relies on simple and plain teaching – follow, love and
worship God.
The central idea itself focuses in the end of the poem where Winthrop compares their new
Massachusetts Bay colony to "a city upon a hill". This another metaphorical phrase is used to
express the success of this revolutionary city which rises above, shining over everyone else.
This “City upon a hill” after succeeding its power is referred as an example for the rest of the
human kind. This phrase is also often used as reference to the American exceptionalism.
Closing part of the sermon is very meaningful. Once again, Winthrop emphasizes on the
importance of obeying God and threats that surround people if they don’t follow Him (“but if
our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other
Gods, our pleasures, and profits, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, we shall
surely perish out of the good Land whither we pass over this vast Sea to possess it”)
(Winthrop, 1996) The ending is all about repetition of the most important messages. Focusing
on the word of God and letting people to choose because religion is Puritan era was not forced
on but rather naturally created. “Therefore let us choose life, that we, and our Seed, may live;
by obeying his voice, and cleaving to him, for he is our life, and our prosperity” (Winthrop,
1996) The last paragraph is an excellent example of creating choices for people not limiting
them. Believing that God is the ultimate life, virtue of living a full meaning life is carried out
by showing the side of positive aspects.
After researching and analyzing the sermon alone, I can see why and how the ideology
created. The world needed a revolutionary system and people needed a new meaning for life,
accompanied with new values and views for life. All this was for the intent of creating a new
revolutionary community, a community, where success is achieved by loving and caring for
each other and the word of God. Winthrop used his simple but deep writing style wisely in
order to input hope in other people for them to rise and aim higher in their daily life.
Reflecting the true spirit of a human kind through religious values and underlying idea is what
makes puritanism in this sermon worth the reading.
References
Winthrop,John. 1996. The Journal of John Winthrop, 1630-1649.
https://books.google.ee/books?
id=6gD6e7OkDcsC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=john+winthrop+a+model+of+christian+charity
&source=bl&ots=rb7SomgEi1&sig=H8buStYb-
aE2gIcVmYWUt7WNhnI&hl=et&sa=X&ei=TN-
qVJnLPMuvafPqgugO&ved=0CFwQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=john%20winthrop%20a
%20model%20of%20christian%20charity&f=false, accessed on January 1st, 2015.