"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, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We must be knit together in this work as one man." — John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity," 1630
Considering the author's role and audience, this passage was most likely intended to do which of the following?
- A
Petition Parliament for additional funds to expand the Massachusetts Bay charter
- B
Defend separatist Pilgrim leaders against Anglican ecclesiastical courts
- C
Negotiate a trade agreement with Wampanoag leaders along the coast
- Dcheck_circle
Exhort fellow migrants to maintain communal discipline under divine scrutiny
Explanation
Winthrop, governor-elect of Massachusetts Bay, addressed Puritan colonists aboard the Arbella, urging communal discipline. He was not petitioning Parliament, negotiating with the Wampanoag, or defending the separatist Plymouth Pilgrims (a distinct group). Sourcing the speaker and audience clarifies the rhetorical purpose.