John Winthrop's Puritan Beliefs

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His realistic view is intended for generations to understand the true huddles their ancestors had to overcome and for generations to learn from the mistakes of the first colonists arriving on the new land. Bradford was not the only author which documented influences of Puritan beliefs when writing the experiences of life on the new land.
John Winthrop documented his views of the new land and his influences of Puritan beliefs in his journal. Just like Bradford, Winthrop felt the persecution from the Church of England and took a voyage to the new land on a ship called Arbella. Even though Winthrop held strong Puritan beliefs just like Bradford, Winthrop believed once he arrived at the new land, he would be able to establish a new city built on Puritan examples. While on the voyage on the Arbella, Winthrop gave a sermon which included the quote, “For we must consider that we shall be a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world” (Winthrop 177). Winthrop refers to the city to be built in the new land similar to a Utopian society. Winthrop preached about the importance of the colonists working together for the good of all. The quote, “We must delight in each other, make other’s conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body” (Winthrop 176), shows Winthrop’s ideal community of everyone working together and helping everyone out in the community is a peaceful setting. Also, Winthrop believed it was important to live in harmony with each other in a civilized society. In the quote, “We must love brotherly without dissimulation; we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another’s burthens. We must not look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren, neither must we think that the Lord will bear with such failings at our hands as he doth from those among whom we have lived; and that for three reasons” (176), Winthrop writes about his ideal community and his beliefs and a society with no conflicts between people or their families. After his arrival on Massachusetts Bay, Winthrop continued his writings recording life experiences and what was important to the colonists
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He wrote about storms, ships, animals, church and politics. In Winthrop’s Journal, he wrote, “It is a liberty to that which only is good, just, and honest. This liberty you are to stand for, with the hazard not only of your goods but of your lives, if need be” (185), which showed his beliefs on liberty and how a government should be conducted. Winthrop was very involved in political activities in his colony. He believed government ran by the people could not last. In the quote, “It is liberty to evil as well as to good. This liberty is incompatible and inconsistent with authority, and cannot endure the least restraint of the most authority [sic]” (185), he expressed his deep beliefs on how a country should run their government. In other words, he did not support democracy or religious

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