Paul Revere Mall

Among the many plaques commemorating great Americans, we find:

John Winthrop 1588 – 1649
In the early autumn of 1630, Winthrop and his company landed at the foot of Prince Street from Charlestown. Thus was begun the settlement of Boston. The spirit of Winthrop is forever a challenge to America:
“To avoid shipwreck and provide for our posterity, we must do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. For this end we must be knit together as one man. We must make others’ condition our own, rejoice together, labor and suffer together, always as members of the same body”

Oddly, this isn’t a quote but a paraphrase that skips quite a few words. The actual quote is from “A Model of Christian Charity,” also known as the “City on a Hill” speech. Let’s look at the full quote and see what words were omitted:

Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke, and to provide for our posterity, is to followe the counsell of Micah, to doejustly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, wee must be knitt together, in this worke, as one man. Wee must entertaine each other in brotherly affection. Wee must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of other’s necessities. Wee must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekeness, gentlenes, patience and liberality. Wee must delight in eache other; make other’s conditions our oune; rejoice together, mourne together, labour and suffer together, allwayes haueving before our eyes our commission and community in the worke, as members of the same body. Soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as his oune people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our wayes. Soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome, power, goodness and truthe, than formerly wee haue been acquainted with. Wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when hee shall make us a prayse and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “the Lord make it likely that of New England.” For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are uppon us. Soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our God in this worke wee haue undertaken, and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. Wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of God, and all professors for God’s sake. Wee shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into curses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whither wee are a goeing.

Winthrop was quoting Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” and yet this plaque omits his citation of Micah!

Also you will find this marker:

ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH

THE FIRST BUILDING ON THIS SITE WAS

THE NEW NORTH MEETING HOUSE

ERECTED IN 1714 AND ENLARGED IN 1730

AT THE REQUEST OF GENERAL WASHINGTON, MARCH 28, 1776,

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EVACUATION OF BOSTON BY THE BRITISH,

THE REVEREND ANDREW ELIOT, THEN MINISTER,

PREACHED A SERMON OF THANKSGIVING

“IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS EXCELLENCY AND A RESPECTABLE AUDIENCE”