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A Model of Christian Charity

"A Model of Christian Charity" is a sermon of disputed authorship, historically attributed to Puritan leader John Winthrop and possibly written by John Wilson or George Phillips.[1] It is also known as "City upon a Hill" and denotes the notion of American exceptionalism.[2] The sermon was preserved by the New-York Historical Society, but it was not published until the 1830s.

"A Modell of Christian Charitie"
The page is browned. The text is in a serif font and is as follows (material in square brackets added by this Wikipedia editor): [line break] A MODEL OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY [line break] WRITTEN ON BOARD THE ARBELLA, ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN [line break] By the Hon. John Winthrop Esqr. In his passage (with a great company of Religious people, of which Christian tribes he was the Brave Leader and famous Governor;) from the Island of Great Brittaine to New-England in the North America. Anno 1630. [line break] [a horizontal line] CHRISTIAN CHARITIE [line break] A Modell hereof. [line break] God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath soe disposed of the condition of mankinde, as in all times some must be rich, some poore, some high and eminent in power and dignitie; others mean and in submission. [line break] The Reason hereof. [line break] 1. Reas: First to hold conformity with the rest of his world, being delighted to show forth the glory of his wisdom in the variety and difference of the creatures, and the glory of his power in ordering all these differences for the preservation and good of the whole; and the glory of his greatness, that as it is the glory of princes to have many officers, soe this great King will haue many stewards, counting himself more honoured in dispensing his gifts to man by man, than if he did it by his owne immediate hands. [line break] 2. Reas: Secondly, That he might haue the more occasion to manifest the work of his Spirit: first upon the wicked in [the page ends]
"A Model of Christian Charity" printed in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, third series, vol. 7 (1838), page 34
Date1630
Also known as"City upon a Hill"
The full text of the speech at the Winthrop Family Papers, of the Massachusetts Historical Society
Arbella in the Winthrop Fleet
A Model of Christian Charity authored by John Winthrop

Provenance

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Historically, "A Model of Christian Charity" has been attributed to Puritan leader John Winthrop.[3] Francis Bayard Winthrop donated a manuscript titled "A Modell of Christian Charity" to the New-York Historical Society in 1809.[4] According to a headnote written by Bayard Winthrop, the text was written "[o]n Boarde the Arrabella", "On the Attlantick ! Ocean!", and "[b]y the Honrble John Winthrop. Esqr."[5] However, the text includes a note from its scrivener describing the sermon as having been given "heere in England", rather than aboard the Arbella at sea.[6]

Textual scholar Jerome McGann reports that "all of the pertinent contextual evidence" corroborates the sermon as having been given in England and not aboard the Arbella.[6] McGann concludes that "perhaps Governor Winthrop did not write the work. He was a lawyer and an administrator, not a minister, and no lay sermons by Winthrop are extant".[7] McGann hypothesizes that John Wilson or George Phillips, two ministers who sailed with the Arbella, may have authored the sermon.[8] Literary scholar Abram Van Engen states it "is plausible" that Phillips wrote the sermon and calls "McGann's evidence compelling".[9] Historian Matthew Rowley writes that there "is considerable debate about when, where, and if Winthrop publicly delivered this famous discourse, and even if he was the author".[10] Michael Ditmore, a professor of English, summarizes, "its authorship is now disputed".[11]

Summary

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The sermon begins, "God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence, hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others mean and in subjection." The speaker then states three reasons why God made people have different positions from one another:

  • To show conformity with the differences in the natural world. He explains how God wants to give gifts to mankind by distributing them through mankind, "dispensing his gifts to man by man." Winthrop's view was that mankind was called upon to act as God's stewards, distributing God's gifts to others: "as it is the glory of princes to have many officers, so this great king will have many stewards".
  • To show the world the role played by the Spirit in the lives of mankind: 1) restraining evil, "so that the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor" and the downtrodden should not rise up against their oppressors; 2) showing God's grace to mankind through the lives of Christians ("the regenerate"), both "love, mercy, gentleness" in those who are wealthy and "faith, patience, obedience" in those who are poor.
  • To foster an inter-dependence among mankind, that "every man might have need of others, and from hence they might be all knit more nearly together in the bonds of brotherly affection." He explains that the rich are permitted wealth, not for their own benefit, but "for the glory of his Creator and the common good of the creature, Man." God permits one man to be wealthy so that the wealthy man may share his riches with the poor man, benefitting both.

The sermon then explains that there are two overriding "rules" which should govern all interactions within a community, "two rules whereby we are to walk one towards another: Justice and Mercy." He argues that justice and mercy should be exercised by both rich and poor, since both rich and poor have need of them. He summarizes these two rules with an overriding "law," that mankind "is commanded to love his neighbor as himself". He acknowledges that a person is responsible to make provision for one's family[12] and also for the future,[13] but the overriding principle is: "if thou lovest God thou must help [thy brother]."

So is it in all the labor of love among Christians. The party loving, reaps love again. [14]

Winthrop believes that having this "bond of love" for one another would unite the group as they travel to America "to seek out a place of cohabitation and consortship under a due form of government both civil and ecclesiastical"—that is, as they work together to establish a new society based upon this bond of love. To accomplish this, he calls upon his listeners:

...we must love brotherly without dissimulation; we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another’s burdens. We must not look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren.

However, he then adjures his listeners: "We are entered into covenant with Him for this work [of establishing a new colony]. We have taken out a commission." He warns them that "the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us" if they fail to fulfill that commission by putting the interests of others and of the colony above their own interests:

…if we shall neglect the observation of these articles which are the ends we have propounded, and … shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions, seeking great things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us, and be revenged of such a people, and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant.

Winthrop calls upon his listeners to commit themselves to brotherly love and unity, setting the needs of others and of the community above one's own needs.

Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck, and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, we must be knit together, in this work, as one man. We must entertain each other in brotherly affection.

If the people can commit together to these things, Winthrop concludes, then they can indeed establish a new community that will become a role model for others to follow.

We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when He shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, "may the Lord make it like that of New England." For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.

Structure of sermon

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Text: The structure of this sermon is directed toward the Puritans so that they can understand the overall message of serving God as a community.

Doctrine: Laying a foundation of principles drawn from scripture, on which the reasoning is built.

Reason: Puritan listeners are familiar with the question and answer technique used throughout the sermon. This technique enables them to understand and interpret the meaning of the scriptures, and gives an explanation of the sermon's purpose.

Application: Applying the sermon to the Puritans' personal lives and to the "divine world" mentioned in his text, meaning the community which they are going to build in America.

Themes

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  • Exceptionalism: The sermon explains how God chose the few people on the boats to go to America in order to carry out their mission and also mentions how the rest of the world will watch them.
  • Charity: Giving to others who need help—not only the poor, but also the community.
  • Communalism: Communalism, according to the sermon, reflects the Puritan ideals of “love, unity, and charity.” He mentions that people have different things to offer each other, and this induces a need for each other, helping the community.
  • Unity: Different types of people were on the ship during the sermon but had the same goal of serving God. This was also represented with people being different parts of one body.[15] Through his use of language connected to women's work, such as "knit", Winthrop suggests the importance of women in holding the community together.

Impact

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“A Model of Christian Charity” conveys the optimistic, confident, community-focused mindset in which the New England colonies were founded. Perry Miller, a historian considered one of the founders of American Studies, writes that the sermon “stands at the beginning of [the] consciousness” of the American mind.[16] Several figures in U.S. politics—beginning as early as John Adams[17]—have referenced this text in public speeches when conveying themes of unity and idealism, most often citing the symbol of “a city upon a hill.”

In his 1980 election eve speech, Ronald Reagan asserted his belief that “Americans…are every bit as committed to that vision of a shining city on a hill, as were those long ago settlers.”[18] More recently, public figures have utilized the sermon to argue how far the United States has strayed from its values. In his critique of presidential candidate Donald Trump, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney posited that “[Trump’s] personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.”[19]

Citations

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  1. ^ McGann (2019, pp. 43–44).
  2. ^ Hacht 2007, pp. 359–370
  3. ^ Miller 2023, p. 78.
  4. ^ McGann 2019, pp. 31, 38.
  5. ^ McGann 2019, p. 28.
  6. ^ a b McGann 2019, p. 31.
  7. ^ McGann 2019, p. 43.
  8. ^ McGann 2019, p. 44.
  9. ^ Van Engen 2020, p. 296.
  10. ^ Rowley 2021, p. 215.
  11. ^ Ditmore 2022, p. 239.
  12. ^ "...he is worse than an infidel who through his own sloth and voluptuousness shall neglect to provide for his family."
  13. ^ "...it is not only lawful but necessary to lay up [for the future] as Joseph did..."
  14. ^ All quotations from Winthrop in this section are from: http://winthropsociety.com/doc_charity.php Archived 2017-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Hacht 2007, pp. 359–370
  16. ^ Miller, Perry. “The Shaping of the American Character.” The New England Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 4, 1955, pp. 435–454.
  17. ^ Holland, Matthew Scott. Bonds of Affection : Civic Charity and the Making of America – Winthrop, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Georgetown University Press, 2007.
  18. ^ “Election Eve Address ‘A Vision for America.’” The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara, [1].
  19. ^ Beckwith, Ryan Teague. “Read Mitt Romney's Speech About Donald Trump.” Time, [2]. Accessed 21 May 2021.

References

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  • Hacht, Anne, ed. (2007). Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream. Gale.
  • Baldwin, Neil (2005). The American Revelation. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 7–21.
  • Baym, N. (2012). The Norton Anthology American Literature, Beginnings to 1820. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
  • Bremer, Francis J. (2005). John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195179811.
  • Carpenter, John B. "Puritan Missions as Globalization." Fides et Historia. 31:2, 1999.
  • Ditmore, Michael (2022). "That Early New England, This Early New England, and Some of the Next". Early American Literature (review). 57 (1): 237–258. doi:10.1353/eal.2022.0009.
  • McGann, Jerome (Spring 2019). "'Christian Charity,' A Sacred American Text: Fact, Truth, Method". Textual Cultures. 12 (1): 27–52. doi:10.14434/textual.v12i1.27151. JSTOR 26662803.
  • Miller, Jay David (2023). "Environmental Aesthetics and Environmental Justice in Jonathan Edwards's Personal Narrative and John Woolman's Journal". Early American Literature. 58 (1): 71–96. doi:10.1353/eal.2023.0005.
  • Rowley, Matthew C. (2021). "Reverse-engineering the Covenant: Moses, Massachusetts Bay and the Construction of a City on a Hill". Journal of the Bible and Its Reception. 8 (2): 209–227. doi:10.1515/jbr-2021-0012.
  • Savage, James; Dunn, Richard S.; Yeandle, Laetitia, eds. (1996). The Journal of John Winthrop, 1630–1649. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674484252.
  • Van Engen, Abram C. (2020). City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300252316.
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