John Winthop's "A Model of Christian Charity"

--lay sermon delivered on board the Arbella, the flagship vessel of a fleet carrying some 700 passengers during the "Great Migration" in 1629-1630. Some 20 thousand settlers journeyed to New England during the "Great Migration"

--sermon deals with ideals of Christian charity that must be realized if colony was to succeed in its divine errand--and also to survive the harsh conditions

--Winthrop argued that the settlers had to form a commonwealth for the mutual benefit of all and that their society had to be able to withstand the scrutiny of a hostile world--social cohesion and social commitment were required.

From the Text:

--God Almightie in his most holy and wise providence hath soe disposed of the Condicion of mankinde, as in all times some must be rich[,] some poore, some high and eminent in power and dignitie; others mean and in subjection.

--wee are a Company professing our selves fellow members of Christ

--for the worke wee have in hand, it is by mutuall consent through a speciall overruling providence, and a more then an ordinary approbation of the Churches of Christ to seeke out a place of Cohabitation and Consortship under a due form of government both civill and ecclesiastical. . . . The end is to improve our lives to doe more service to the Lord

--That which the most in their Churches maintain as a truth in profession only, wee must bring into familiar and constant practise, as in this duty of love wee must love brotherly without dissimulation, wee must love one another with a pure hearte fervently, wee must beare one anothers burthens

--Thus stands the cause betweene God and us, wee are entered into Covenant with him for this worke, wee have taken out a Commission, the Lord hath given us leave to drawe our owne Articles . . . Now if the Lord shall please to heare us, and bring us in peace to the place wee desire, then hath hee ratified this Covenant and sealed our Commission, and will expect a strickt performance of the Articles contained in it, but if wee shall neglect the observation of these Articles which are the ends wee have propounded, and dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnall intencions, seeking greater things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us[,] be revenged of such a perjured people[,] and make us know the price of the breach of such a Covenant

--we must be knit together as one man

--for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are uppon us [reference to Matthew 5: 14-15, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."]

--But if our heartes shall turne away soe that wee will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods our pleasures, and proffitts, and serve them; it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good Land whither wee passe over this vast Sea to possess it