A modell of Christian charity

(taken from: Edmund S. Morgan, ed., The Founding of Massachusetts:

Historians and the Sources (Indianapolis, 1964)

 

God Almightie in his most holy and wise prividence hath so 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 meane and in subjection.

THE REASON HEREOF.

1. Reas: First, to hold conformity with the rest of his works, being delighted to shewe forthe the glory of his wisdome in the variety and difference of the Creatures and the glory of his power, in ordering all these differences for the preservacion and good of the whole, and the glory of his greatnes that as it is the glory of princes to have many officers, soe this great King will have many Stewards counting himselfe more honored in dispenceing his guifts to man by man, than if he did it by his owne immediate hand.

2. Reas: Secondly, That he might have the more occasion to manifest the work of his Spirit: first, upon the wicked in moderateing and restraineing them; so that the riche and mighty should not eate upp the poore, mor the poore, and dispised rise up against their superiours, and shake off theire yoake; 2ly in the regenerate in exerciseing his graces in them, as in the greate ones, their love mercy, gentlenes, temperance etc., in the poore and inferior sorte, theire faithe patience, obedience, etc.

3. Reas: Thirdly, That every man might have need of other, and from thence they might all be knitt more nearly together in the Bond of brotherly affeccion…

The deffinition which the Scripture gives us of love is this Love is the bond of perfection. First, it is a bond, or ligament. 2ly, it makes the worke perfect. There is no body but consistes of partes and that which knitts these partes together gives the body its perfeccion, because it makes eache parte soe continguous to other as thereby doe mutually participate with eache other, both in strengthe and infirmity in pleasure and paine, to instance in the most perfect of all bodies, Christ and his church make one body: the severall partes of this body considered aparte before they were united were as disproportionate and as much disordering as so many contrary quallities or elements but when christ comes and by his spirit and love knitts all these partes to himselfe and each to other, it is become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world…

Herein are 4 things to be propounded: first the persons, 2ly, the worke, 3ly, the end, 4ly, the meanes.

1. For the persons, wee are a Company professiong our selves fellow members of Christ. In which respect onely though wee were absent from eache other many miles, and had our imploymentes as farre distant, yet wee ought to account ourselves knitt toether by this bond of love, and live in the excercise of it, if wee would have the comforte of our being in Christ…

2ly. for the worke wee have in hand, it is by mutuall consent through a speciall overruleing providence, and amore then an ordinary approbation of the Churches of Christ to seeke out a place of Cohabitation and Consorteshipp under a due forme of Government both civall and ecclesiasticall. In such cases as this the care of the publique must oversway all private respects, by which not onely conscience, but meare Civil pollicy doth binde us; for it is a true rule that perticuler estates cannott subsist in the ruine of the publique.

3ly. The end is to improve our lives to doe more service to the Lord the comforte and encrease of the body of christe whereof wee are members that our selves and posterity may be the better preserved from the Common corrupcions of this evill world to serve the Lord and worke out our Salvacion under the power and purity of his holy Ordinances.

4ly. for the meanes whereby this must be effected, they are 2fold, a Conformity with the worke and end we aim at, these wee see are extraordinary, therefore wee must not content our selves with usuall ordinary meanes whatsoever wee did or ought to have done when wee lived in England, the same must we doe and more allsoe where we goe…

…wee must be knitt together in this worke as one man, we must entertaine each other in brotherly Affeccion, we must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the suppy of others necessities, we must uphold a familiar Commerce together in meekenes, gentlenes, patience and liberallity, wee must delight in eache other, make others Condicions our owne rejoyce together, allwayes haveing before our eyes our Commission and Community in the worke. … for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a by-word through the world, we shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of god and all professours for Gods sake; wee shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into Curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whether we are going.

 

Edward Johnson