Compare Winthrop\'s definitions of “civil liberty” and “natural liberty” PDF

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Compare Winthrop's definitions of “civil liberty” and “natural liberty” from his “Speech to the General Court.” In what ways does his "Speech" exemplify the ideals of a theonomic society grounded on biblical law and mores? In what ways could his definitions of liberty have affected his attitude towa...

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Compare Winthrop's definitions of “civil liberty” and “natural liberty” from his “Speech to the General Court.” In what ways does his "Speech" exemplify the ideals of a theonomic society grounded on biblical law and mores? In what ways could his definitions of liberty have affected his attitude toward Anne Hutchinson? John Winthrop’s “Speech” illustrated a theonomic society based on biblical law and mores using examples and references to obeying God. John Winthrop said in his “Speech to the General Court”, “that we shall govern you and judge your causes by the rules of God’s laws and our own, according to our best skill.” Winthrop said this because the citizens elected him and other magistrates to hold up this oath with God and with society. He and most others believed God was the source of their submission, and the law and government were based off the commands and authority from God. John Winthrop holds these predetermined laws and mores that were set in place by God to be holy, and they should be followed exactly. This obedience and discipline to these set practices demonstrates the ideals of a theonomic society. His “Speech” also shows the ideals of a God-oriented society through examples such as a woman and her husband. He illustrated that women submit to their husbands “yet in a way of liberty, not of bondage” because of the preexisting norms of societal and biblical history . The Bible says in Ephesians 5:22-24, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Winthrop spoke about women submitting to their husbands because it provided a good representative case in which the community could empathize. The people could understand that example because at this time women were not the leaders of the house or community, and they were taught to submit and stay quiet. This example just helped him accentuate his point as it was common ground everyone knew. As John Winthrop was making his “Speech to the General Court”, he mentioned two liberties: “civil” and “natural”. One person, who followed the definition of “civil liberty”, was a saint, and the other, who followed the definition of “natural liberty”, was a rebellious beast. Winthrop believed “natural liberty” was “common to man with beasts and other creatures … This liberty was incompatible and inconsistent with authority.” “Natural liberty” defines a liberty where people want to have power to themselves and do as they please, and sequentially, this will lead them to anarchy. This liberty led to sinful tendencies, and Winthrop said, “this liberty makes men grow more evil and in time to be worse than brute beasts.” On the opposite side, John Winthrop also coined “civil liberty” as moral or moral law. This liberty is “to that only which is good, just, and honest.” Winthrop believed in “civil liberty”, which was the God ordained way, and he said, “This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” He believed people must follow some sort of authority; society cannot function without a higher power like the government. These two definitions conveyed his perspective of man and his beliefs. Winthrop’s beliefs might have affected his attitude towards Anne Hutchinson because she was following her own jurisdiction, and she was a woman. As a believer of the Covenant of Grace, her beliefs were against the Covenant of Works that John Winthrop and other magistrates believed. When people would preach the Covenant of Works, they would be using

the law and "good deeds" to prove salvation. Anne Hutchinson did not believe that is what God wanted. She believed the ministers preaching this were "legalists", and Hutchinson did not feel that the true role of the spirit was being expressed. She began expressing herself and “natural liberty” within her meetings, and Winthrop believed it should not be tolerable. Natural liberty would lead to anarchy and rebellion, so the government must intervene. He believed strongly in only following the appointed authority and not leading yourself. Anne Hutchinson also believed the Holy Spirit lied within each individual, and it does not just "come upon" the person. Many officials and ministers did not believe this, and she wanted to get this across. This is when she began having meetings going against many of the Covenant of Works beliefs, like the "precise" biblical law. Many people followed Anne Hutchinson, and the officials and magistrates feared they would soon begin to take over the colony. This is when John Winthrop and other officials began making points and drawing up charges against her to stop this from happening. John Winthrop’s definitions of liberty could’ve caused his perspective of Anne Hutchinson to suffer because her liberty fell under “natural liberty”, and that was evil in his eyes. John Winthrop’s perspective about women submitting might have also affected his opinion because Anne Hutchinson was not a normal submissive women. She fought for what she believed in, and she was very self-expressive. Many of Anne Hutchinson’s characteristics put her up against John Winthrop’s beliefs. In turn, these reasons probably affected his attitude tremendously towards her....