John Winthrop

John Winthrop

-born on the 22nd of January 1588 in Suffolk, England.
-died on April 5th 1649 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony
- he was part of the gentry, the dominant force in English society between 1540-1640.
-he studied law, served as justice of the peace and obtained a government office.
-from 1627 to 1629 he worked as an attorney at the Court of Wards and Liveries.
-for more than 20 years he was a country squire at Groton having no interest in overseas colonization.
-he was a very religious person who during his studies at Cambridge became a fully-fledged Puritan who „was convinced that God had elected him to sainthood”
-his purpose was to to remake the wicked world as he saw it.

“the life which is most exercised with tryalls and temptations is the sweetest, and will prove the safeste.”

-in 1629, The Massachusetts Bay Company obtained a royal charter used to plant a colony in New England.Winthrop joined the company pledging to sell his estate and take his family to Massachusetts if the company government and charter were also transfered to America, thus being elected governor.
-during his trip on the Arabella, Winthrop preached „A Model of Christian Charity” leading the Puritan emigration to Massachusetts.
-he kept a very informative journal of the Bay Colony’s early years from which one can notice that Winthrop was a man of „great compassion who believed in the pervasive aristocratic social system constantly forced to change by foolish leveling principles”. As he was deeply religious he attempted to read the will of God in every action.He hoped America would be a „beacon upon hill”for other people which basically meant that he thought New England Puritans would be a model for other colonists by establishing a religious way of life . Later American attitudes were also characterised by solipsistic idealism.
-he believed that New England would be a community of love where they would „rejoyce, mourn, labor and suffer together” as long as God would approve of the Covenant and they would strictly follow what the Covenant preached.
-his artistocratic social beliefs were based on the great chain of being.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/645737/John-Winthrop http://www.biography.com/people/john-winthrop-9534864#synopsis „American Reader”

A Modell of Christian Charity

Christian Charitie.
A Model Hereo

According to Winthrop, God classified mankind in the rich, the poor, those „highe and eminent in power and dignitie” and others „meane and in subjection”

The Reason Hereof

Firstly, through the glory of His wisdom God has made his „Creatures” different and the purpose of these differences is the preservation and good of the whole”.
Secondly, God manfiests his power over the wicked, the rich by controlling them so that they would not „eate upp” the poor and so that the poor would not riot against their superiors.Winthrop also talks about how God balanced everything by gracing the rich with love, mercy, gentleness and temperance while giving the poor faith, patience and obedience.
Thirdly, God made humans need each other thus having to live together on the bonds of brotherly affection.No man is more honourable than the other.
Justice and Mercy are the two rules that must be followed.One should show mercy to a rich man when in danger and also one should do justice to a poor man when needed.
Likewise there is a double law concerning the way men should treat each other : the law of nature and the moral law.
God commanded man to love his neighbour as himself which is the precept on which the moral law is based on.To apply this commandement to the rule of mercy man should always help another man (in every want or distress) and also man should take care of things as one should for his own benefit.
The law of nature was given to man in the state of innocence while the Gospell Law, also know as the law of Grace, was given when man was in the state of regeneration(rebirth).Man is thaught to put a difference between Christians and others.Man should do what is good for everyone, especially for those who believe. („Do good to all, especially to the household of faith. ” Ga. 6:10). Even though the Law of Nature doesn’t say anything about enemies, the Law of Gospell „commands love to an enemy”. ( „If thine Enemie hunger, feed him; Love your Enemies, doe good to them that hate you” Math: 5.44). Moreover, the law of Grace talks about how a Christian should give and help the Church and its people.There is a time when a Christian must give beyond his ability, this way offering a special service for the Church.Also, lastly, one should help a Chrstins brother be relieved in his distress even beyond ones ability so as to not tempt God in having to use his miraculous powers. The duty of mercy is exercised by giving, lending and forgiving.

Glossary

Beacon= a light which warns or guides people, ships, vehicles, or aircrafts.
Brethren= brothers
Canaan=an ancient region made up of Palestine or the part of it between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. In the Bible it is thePromised Land of the Israelites.
Canaanites= inhabitants of Canaan who were conquered by the Israelites around1000 B.C.
Covenant= a legal agreement
Distress= a feeling of extreme unhappiness
Flagship= the most important ship in a group of ships
Great chain of being= the Divine order; a hierarchical order of all entities; everything in the universe has a specific place and rank in oder of their perceived importance and „spiritual” nature.
Idealism= the belief that you should live your life according to high standars and principles, even when they are very difficult to achieve.
Pervasive= existing everywhere
Precepts= rules on which a way of thinking or behaving are based
Providence
Puritan = a member of a protestant group in England and New England on the 16th and the 17th century that opposed many customs of the Church of England.
Regeneracy= rebirth
Sermon= a talk given as part of the Christian church service, usually on a religious or moral subject
Solipsistic= interested only in yourself and the things that affect you
Solipsism = the idea in philosophy that only the SELF exists or can be known
Stoutly= in a very determined way
Temperance = moderation
Whereof= of what/ of which

http://es.thefreedictionary.com/ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5