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John Winthrop's A Model Of Christian Charity

663 Words3 Pages

Many people have ideas about the right kind of government or the perfect society. The Puritans were no different. In A Model of Christian Charity, John Winthrop presents his plan for a new settlement in biblical terms and models. This sermon based the government and lifestyle of the Massachusetts Bay Colony not on strict rules, but on love. Winthrop had the best of intentions. He wanted a community of like-minded people living together unselfishly. While starting from a different framework in a different culture than we do today, the Puritans worked toward a goal similar to what we labor for today. Namely, to create the best possible world for our children. The Puritans instituted all the strict rules as an outward reflection of this desire. …show more content…

Under all the Puritan rules lay a desire that God’s love would flourish and spread. The noble Puritan dream might work in a perfect world, but even the unsettled, free America was not perfect. Striving for this dream, however, produced much good. The Puritan settlements emerged as the most educated and economically successful English colonies. Those who were true Puritans enjoyed a life in harmony with their beliefs. Nevertheless, the Puritans were humans that could not create a perfectly righteous culture. I found it interesting that Winthrop felt this mission involved a covenant between the Puritans and God much like the Israelites of the Old Testament. Success would come from God blessing their faithfulness—both parts must be present. They saw themselves as an example to the world of a truly Christian society. I wonder how John Winthrop would rate their

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