John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity [Love]
This is a lay sermon delivered by its author, John Winthrop, to the Puritans sailing under his leadership to America aboard the ship Arbella.
- What is Winthrop's vision of society? What is the starting point of his analysis? What would he think of the proposition "All men are created equal"?
- How does Winthop's description of society reflect life in 17th-century Britain?
- How should rich and poor act towards one another?
- What "objections" are raised? How are they "answered"?
- "Love is a ligament." Explain.
- What opportunity does America afford to apply this analysis?
- What will God do to those who break the covenant? What will he do for those who respect and fulfill it?
- What does Winthrop mean when he says "we shall be as a City upon a Hill"?