Topic > John Winthrop's Speech Analysis: Model of Christian Charity

In the early 17th century, unprecedented numbers of Puritan migrants begin moving into the colonial New England region because, in England, the reigning King Charles pushes Anglican religious practices on the Puritans. This, then, leads them to experience intense religious persecution, leading to these individuals' ultimate desire to escape to the new world and start over. An important aspect of this new beginning with the intention of shaping Massachusetts Bay was John Winthrop's speech/sermon entitled “A Model of Christian Charity”. John Winthrop writes this speech with the intention of persuading those moving to the new colonies to live a very strict Puritan lifestyle and, therefore, to set an example of what an ideally run colony should look like. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The author of this paper, John Winthrop was born in Groton, England, where he would soon grow up to raise a family and become a barrister at the Court of Wards in London. Winthrop received his education primarily at Thetford Grammar School in Thetford, Norfolk, England. Winthrop, known as an active political philosopher and later as a political leader, was too early to become governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Being a very religious and strictly Puritan individual, Winthrop firmly believed in the idea that the Anglican Church and its Catholic-oriented beliefs were in strong opposition to God's wishes. He believed that for this reason God would soon punish the people of the Anglican Church in England and that the English Puritans were desperate to escape during this period. This, then, leads Winthrop, along with other English Puritans who firmly hold this belief, to band together and issue a charter for the New World. This leads directly to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, built firmly on the Puritan principles outlined in Winthrop's “A Pattern of Christian Charity” speech given to these New World settlers. This speech mainly serves as a reminder for those moving to this new colony. that it should be built primarily upon Puritan beliefs and influences, and that, if so established, the colony "shall be a city upon a hill." This document serves to demonstrate that to create a city that serves as a shining example to all others, citizens must not only be united in a political sense, but also socially and religiously. In this famous sermon, Winthrop states that people must “rejoice together, die together, work and suffer together, always having before our eyes our Commission and Community at work.” This shows that Winthrop believes in a strong, closely knit community and that this is the basis for a people united in all other senses of nationhood..