City upon a hill is phrase often used to refer to John Winthrop's famous sermon, "A Model of Christian Charity,", of 1630, based on the one of the metaphors of Salt and Light in the Sermon on the Mount ("You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid."), in which he warned the Puritan colonists of New England who were to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony that their new community would be a "city on a hill," watched by the world: John Winthrop John Winthrop (12 January 1587/8–26 March 1649) led a group of Puritans to the New World and joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... Salt and Light was a metaphor that was frequently used in classical times by Jews to describe the Mosaic law. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew 5-7, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd. ... For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... A map of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ...

For we must consider that we shall be as 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 ... we shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God ... We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us til we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

It was long believed that the speech was given aboard the Arbella not long before landing; recent research^{[citation needed]} has shown, however, that it was almost certainly given in England prior to departure. In any case, it inspired the Puritans with a sense of holy duty that would be crucial if they wanted to increase their chances of survival in the New World. The Arbella was the flagship of the Winthrop Fleet on which, between April 8 and June 12, 1630, Governor John Winthrop, other members of the Company and Puritan emigrants transported themselves and the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company from England to Salem, thereby giving legal birth to the Commonwealth...

Winthrop believed that all nations had a covenant with God, and that because England had violated its religious covenant, the Puritans must leave the country. This was an expression of the Puritan belief that the Anglican Church had fallen from grace by accepting Catholic rituals. John Winthrop claimed that the Puritans forge a new, special agreement with God, like that between God and the people of Israel. However, unlike the Separatists (such as the Pilgrims), the Puritans remained nominally a part of the Anglican church in hopes that it could be purified from within. Winthrop believed that by purifying Christianity in the New World, his followers would serve as an example to the Old World for building a model Protestant community. The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. ... Pilgrims is the name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony, MA. Their leadership came from a religious congregation who had fled religious persecution in the East Midlands of England for the relative calm of Holland in the Netherlands. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

The idea that their community was specially ordained by God had a powerful effect on the Puritan society of New England. Of course, breaking a covenant with God has dire results (as Noah's fellow men learned the hard way). In order to avoid incurring God's wrath by breaking their promise, the Puritans sought to maintain perfect order in their society. Even the smallest sins were punished harshly by the courts; no one was allowed to live alone for fear that they would succumb to the temptation to sin; parents were to instruct their children and servants diligently in the Word of God; church attendance was mandatory; marriage was required. These conventions and institutions molded an extremely stable and well-structured society in New England, a stark contrast with the unstable and loosely-bound society of the early British colonies in the Chesapeake Bay region, such as Jamestown. Noahs Ark, Französischer Meister (The French Master), Magyar Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay where the Susquehanna River empties into it. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

John F. Kennedy quoted Winthrop in his famous "city upon a hill" speech at the Massachusetts State House in Boston just 11 days before his inauguration. In the speech Kennedy laid out the four essential qualities that he hoped would characterize his government; Courage, judgment, integrity and dedication. This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... The Massachusetts State House Full view of the south side The Massachusetts State House is the state capitol of Massachusetts. ...

Winthrop's speech was famously quoted in the 1989 Farewell Address of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, although he emphasized his own interpretation of the phrase. President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981 – 1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967 – 1975). ...

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City upon a Hill

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External links

• Text of Winthrop's speech