The Wordy Shipmates Page 152-248

The Wordy Shipmates Page 72-152

"The Massachusetts Bay Colony becomes a sort of republic-the most severely limited, totalitarian, close-minded, vindictive, hardass republic possible." (P. 76) Now there's something that Google wont find many document matches for.

Vowell later speaks of Winthrop's personal diary after attempting to read the original thing. Appearently, due to poor handwriting and hundreds of years of being worn out, it isn't too easy to understand or even read the diary.

The voyage was a crazy, dangerous one which claimed the lives of most of those onboard. Ironic, according to Winthrop, it was God's will that this journey be made, and yet it doesn't seem like He wants them to reach land at all. Though, eventually the ships did find land, and whatever was left of the settlers settled. Ironically, once again, many more of them died that following Winter. But hey, they did make it! God....1, Settlers....-80%.

The misery the settlers went through is constantly described in Winthrop's journal. His first entry actually states that, "'a house at Dorchester was burnt down...' and a Mr. Freeman's house in Watertown burned down." (P. 97)

Later, Roger Williams comes along, and pretty much tells the newcoming nonseperatists to "make a public declaration of their repentance for having communnion with the churches of England...back in England...as they haven't done enough for their God." (P. 100) Many times a year do I see this man's statue in Rhode Island (often with a banana in hand), and never again will I view this man the same way.

The reward for surviving the trip to America, surviving the first Winter, not going insane/losing faith is doing it all over again, AFTER declaring repentence in England. There is really only one logical explanation for this thinking: Roger Williams is a genius that all should have listened too. Not.

Remaining on the topic of Roger Williams, he has at this point in time (1635) just recovered from an ilness. By continuing to be Roger Williams, John Cotton basically states that "when God takes away one's voice one should take the hint and shut the hell up," as Vowell puts it. (P. 142)

Williams doesn't stop, and is eventually banished. After a tough time of poverty and a cold winter, "Rhode was purchased by love" by Williams. (P. 148) The settlers that followed Williams would then sign the Providence Agreement, which states that all shall admit only civil things into their lives. No word of being religious is mentioned.

The Wordy Shipmates Page 1-72

Author Sarah Vowell opens her book by stating that a belief is more dangerous than an idea, (and ideas are bulletproof). SinceVowell goes into detail and gives many examples of why this is, I find it hard to disagree with this statement, but also find it difficult to fully agree with. Beliefs and Ideas can also generate one another, making it hard to think one is more dangerous than the other. A belief just seems too similar to an idea to be considered more dangerous.

Some might argue that followers of a certain belief are attached to it, where ideas can be altered in many ways. This is not fully true, as it is possible to abandon one's beliefs. To some, it would be as easy as forgetting an idea.

Vowell (somewhat sarcastically) describes John Cotton views on the immigration that was occuring. His reference of bees having to eventually leave their hive could still be used to describe immigration in the modern world. Without a doubt, immigration has transformed. Back then, the crazy Europeans would risk their lives traveling the sea, only to arrive in a land of no familiar colonization. Today, people in already settled areas, like the Mexicans, come to America due to poverty and whatnot.

Constantly, Vowell is making references to things that the average American can understand or relate to. A bit unusual, but the the blend of comedy and history work surprisingly well. She says, "as a child I learned almost everything I knew about American history...from watching television situation comedies." (P. 17) She references The Brady Bunch, The Simpsons, and Happy Days, only to bring us to her opinion that "Maybe the people who founded this country were kind of crazy." (P. 19)

Equality, or lack of it, plays a big role when discussing John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity," and "The Declaration of Independence." As mentioned in the previous blog, Winthrop makes it clear that God created men unequal, "some must be rich, some poor, some high..." (P. 37) This is only contradicted over a century later in the Declaration of Independence, where we state "all men are created equal." (P.37) Vowell even describes Winthrop's speech as a declaration of dependence.

The expression a city up a hill is continued to be a topic of mention. Vowell seems obligated to mention Ronald Reagan, as he took advantage of the saying in his politcal career. He made it so well known, "Winthrop's city on a hill became the national metaphor,"in the 1980s. (P. 59) Odd how much the nation seemed to love the slogan that initially came around before we were even a nation, back in 1630.

John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity"

John Winthrop's general goal when traveling to the New World was a simple one. He wanted this new society to prosper religiously, economically, and politically. All of those aboard the Arbella would have to be willing to cooperate and show sufficient knowledge of Winthrop's words in order to thrive as a new society. After all, the plan was to have the city be a model to the rest of the world.

His reasoning is very similar to that of Communism. However, in today's world, people percieve communism to be completely different than the laws Winthrop gives.

Winthrop's speech starts off as an understanding to why it's essential to form and be apart of a fully functioning economy. He makes it clear that there will be people who are rich, and there will be many who are poor, and that their fate has been determined by God. His reasoning behind this is split into three sections.

His first reason is to express the power of his wisdom, and ability to vary in his subjects.

The second reason he presents shows God's power to moderate and control the wicked, and that He can show the "love, mercy, gentleness, temperance" of the rich, and also the "faith, patience, and obedience" of the poor.

In Winthrop's third reason, he states "that every man might have need of others." The rich need and therefore honor the poor's work, which allow the poor to feel respected.

There's an interesting aspect in Winthrop's reasoning that tends to stick out in the text: He goes on about how no man is more honorable and how both the rich and the poor are needed, but still describes the poor as"the inferior sort." It seems odd how Winthrop can simply classify those who are poor as inferior.

He states that in their Puritan Society, all are "commanded to love his neighbor as himself." This is part of the Law of Nature (moral law), which goes over the need for Puritans to give and recieve aid when it's needed.

There is also the second part of this "double law," the Law of Grace (the gospel). This law generally states that it is one of innocence/regeneracy, that man should do good to all, and that man must love his enemy (unlike in the Law of Nature, which gives no rules for dealing with enemies).

To conclude this "double law," Winthrop gives a statement that it's best to give much aid to those who have no other means of getting help, as opposed to tempting God for a miracle.

Afterwards, he lists several questions, answers, and objections regarding how the community should cooperate with each other. Basically, he states that unless the time and occasion are extraordinary, man is free to be what he wants. When speaking of posterity and children, he states that man must not leave alone his children, but must make way for the new generation.

In regards to generosity (lending and forgiving debt), he states that man should not oppose lending to each other. In a situation where it is not likely that you can be paid back, you should still be willing to lend; only expect to be repaid if you know ahead of time that it's possible. Forgiving debt is also essential if you “didst lend by way of commerce or in mercy.”

He goes on about how all Christians are a part of the same body in Christ, and therefore they all must unite. (Note: Winthrop's first and fourth reasons for this subject are the same). He describes the Christians as ligaments of the body, which are bound by a love.
He mentions how if the Puritans fail to go by these rules, which are the will of God, He “will surely break out in wrath against us...and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant.”

Winthrop is very determined to make sure his fellow colonists follow these laws, as to avoid angering God. Failing to do so would defeat the purpose of the whole venture, as the “city upon a hill” would not set the example they wished it would.