Analysis Of John Winthrop's A Modell Of Christian Charity

[This is an introduction sentence, wow amazing, I can’t believe I made it to the third page.] I believe that if John Winthrop were to suddenly come back to life in order to witness the Salem witch trials, he would first consider it the work of the devil, then later disapprove of the actions taken by Parris and his supporters. In order to break down this argument, one must draw upon Winthrop’s sermon, A Modell of Christian Charity, and his traditional Puritan values.

John Winthrop’s initial reaction to the trials at Salem would be disdain. He might look upon the village and believe that they are dealing with the wrath of God, and are no longer His chosen people. In his sermon, a Modell of Christian Charity, Winthrop states, “So that if we shall

For example, the anti-Parris movement in Salem Village was significantly smaller than the pro-Parris movement; however, the anti-Parris movement owned at least 68% of the wealth in Salem Village. The wealth and power distribution allowed for the anti-Parris section of the village to gain momentum and even take control of Salem Village for a while. It is also true that the wealthy population failed to follow the proper Puritan values that Winthrop desired to see, that many of the newly wealthy folks had opted for personal gain instead of brotherly companionship. Perhaps if anything, he would see this as proof of God’s possible abandonment. However I do not think he would actually encourage the witch trials. After all, he has said before, “We must be all knit more nearly together in the bonds of brotherly affection.” And “The Law of Nature would give no rules for dealing with enemies, for all to be considered as friends in the state of innocent, but the Gospel commands love to an enemy.” Meaning that the petty arguments between the Putnams and Porters, the Pro and Anti Parris, and the Towne and Village were not an excuse to condemn those they dislike to death, especially due to the fact that these accusations completely spiraled out of control and ended up killing 20 Puritan