John Winthrop
(1630)
A Model of Christian Charity
Redacted and introduced by John Beardsley, Editor in Chief, the Winthrop Society
Quarterly
This is Winthrop's most famous thesis, written on board the Arbella, 1630. We
love to imagine the occasion when he personally spoke this oration to some large
portion of the Winthrop fleet passengers during or just before their passage.
In an age not long past, when the Puritan founders were still respected by the
educational establishment, this was required reading in many courses of American
history and literature. However, it was often abridged to just the first and
last few paragraphs. This left the overture of the piece sounding unkind and
fatalistic, and the finale rather sternly zealous. A common misrepresentation of
the Puritan character.
Winthrop's genius was logical reasoning combined with a sympathetic nature. To
remove this work's central arguments about love and relationships is to
completely lose the sense of the whole. Therefore we present it here in its
well-balanced entirety. The biblical quotations are as Winthrop wrote them, and
remain sometimes at slight variance from the King James version. This editor has
corrected the chapter and verse citations to correspond to the King James text,
assuming that the modern reader will wish to conveniently refer to that most
popular English version of the Bible, as the Governor lays out his argument for
charity and decent human behavior in the community.
Winthrop's intent was to prepare the people for planting a new society in a
perilous environment, but his practical wisdom is timeless.
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 submission.
The Reason hereof:
1st Reason. 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, so this great king will have many
stewards, counting himself more honored in dispensing his gifts to man by man,
than if he did it by his own immediate hands.
2nd Reason. Secondly, that He might have the more occasion to manifest the work
of his Spirit: first upon the wicked in moderating and restraining them, so that
the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor, nor the poor and despised rise
up against and shake off their yoke. Secondly, in the regenerate, in exercising
His graces in them, as in the great ones, their love, mercy, gentleness,
temperance etc., and in the poor and inferior sort, their faith, patience,
obedience etc.
3rd Reason. Thirdly, 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.
From hence it appears plainly that no man is made more honorable than another or
more wealthy etc., out of any particular and singular respect to himself, but
for the glory of his Creator and the common good of the creature, man. Therefore
God still reserves the property of these gifts to Himself as Ezek. 16:17, He
there calls wealth, His gold and His silver, and Prov. 3:9, He claims their
service as His due, "Honor the Lord with thy riches," etc. --- All men being
thus (by divine providence) ranked into two sorts, rich and poor; under the
first are comprehended all such as are able to live comfortably by their own
means duly improved; and all others are poor according to the former
distribution.
There are two rules whereby we are to walk one towards another: Justice and
Mercy. These are always distinguished in their act and in their object, yet may
they both concur in the same subject in each respect; as sometimes there may be
an occasion of showing mercy to a rich man in some sudden danger or distress,
and also doing of mere justice to a poor man in regard of some particular
contract, etc.
There is likewise a double Law by which we are regulated in our conversation
towards another. In both the former respects, the Law of Nature and the Law of
Grace (that is, the moral law or the law of the gospel) to omit the rule of
justice as not properly belonging to this purpose otherwise than it may fall
into consideration in some particular cases. By the first of these laws, man as
he was enabled so withal is commanded to love his neighbor as himself. Upon this
ground stands all the precepts of the moral law, which concerns our dealings
with men. To apply this to the works of mercy, this law requires two things.
First, that every man afford his help to another in every want or distress.
Secondly, that he perform this out of the same affection which makes him careful
of his own goods, according to the words of our Savior (from Matthew 7:12),
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you. This was practiced by Abraham and
Lot in entertaining the angels and the old man of Gibea. The law of Grace or of
the Gospel hath some difference from the former (the law of nature), as in these
respects: First, the law of nature was given to man in the estate of innocence.
This of the Gospel in the estate of regeneracy. Secondly, the former propounds
one man to another, as the same flesh and image of God. This as a brother in
Christ also, and in the communion of the same Spirit, and so teacheth to put a
difference between Christians and others. Do good to all, especially to the
household of faith. Upon this ground the Israelites were to put a difference
between the brethren of such as were strangers, though not of the Canaanites.
Thirdly, the Law of Nature would give no rules for dealing with enemies, for all
are to be considered as friends in the state of innocence, but the Gospel
commands love to an enemy. Proof: If thine enemy hunger, feed him; "Love your
enemies... Do good to them that hate you" (Matt. 5:44).
This law of the Gospel propounds likewise a difference of seasons and occasions.
There is a time when a Christian must sell all and give to the poor, as they did
in the Apostles' times. There is a time also when Christians (though they give
not all yet) must give beyond their ability, as they of Macedonia (2 Cor. 8).
Likewise, community of perils calls for extraordinary liberality, and so doth
community in some special service for the church.
Lastly, when there is no other means whereby our Christian brother may be
relieved in his distress, we must help him beyond our ability rather than tempt
God in putting him upon help by miraculous or extraordinary means. This duty of
mercy is exercised in the kinds: giving, lending and forgiving (of a debt).
Question: What rule shall a man observe in giving in respect of the measure?
Answer: If the time and occasion be ordinary he is to give out of his abundance.
Let him lay aside as God hath blessed him. If the time and occasion be
extraordinary, he must be ruled by them; taking this withal, that then a man
cannot likely do too much, especially if he may leave himself and his family
under probable means of comfortable subsistence.
Objection: A man must lay up for posterity, the fathers lay up for posterity and
children, and he is worse than an infidel that provideth not for his own.
Answer: For the first, it is plain that it being spoken by way of comparison, it
must be meant of the ordinary and usual course of fathers, and cannot extend to
times and occasions extraordinary. For the other place the Apostle speaks
against such as walked inordinately, and it is without question, that he is
worse than an infidel who through his own sloth and voluptuousness shall neglect
to provide for his family.
Objection: "The wise man's eyes are in his head," saith Solomon, "and foreseeth
the plague;" therefore he must forecast and lay up against evil times when he or
his may stand in need of all he can gather.
Answer: This very Argument Solomon useth to persuade to liberality (Eccle. 11),
"Cast thy bread upon the waters...for thou knowest not what evil may come upon
the land." Luke 16:9, "Make you friends of the riches of iniquity..." You will
ask how this shall be? Very well. For first he that gives to the poor, lends to
the Lord and He will repay him even in this life an hundredfold to ...
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