John Winthrop's A Model Of Christian Charity

As the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony, John Winthrop eagerly established his position through his writings, both in “A Model of Christian Charity” in his attempt to induce the colonists to accept their position working for the good of the whole colony and in his journals. Winthrop simply desires that the colonists will work and live in amity, however any opposition to his authority poses a threat he cannot effortlessly overlook. Mary Dyer, the woman addressed by Winthrop in his journals, is such a threat as she openly expressed her “antinomian” religious beliefs that did not coincide perfectly with the Puritan colony and governor. Winthrop’s readiness to eradicate these antinomian concepts is demonstrated through the graphic account relating the birth of Mary Dyer’s “monster” baby. The preposterous …show more content…
Not every child is born under perfect conditions even in contemporary times, as even the large advancements in medical capabilities and knowledge enjoyed during the 20th and 21st centuries are not enough to eliminate all child birth defects. Therefore, it farfetched that Mary Dyer going into labor only seven months into a stressful pregnancy, living in the “new world” in a still young colony under religious pressure as an antinomian in a Puritan colony, would result in a stillborn baby. This is likely the truth to Mary Dyer’s labor rather than the implausible tale recorded in Winthrop’s journal, a story that although it is filled with impossible elements he attempts to relate as actual fact.