Jonathan Mayhew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jonathan Mayhew |
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| Born | October 8, 1720 in Martha's Vineyard |
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| Died | July 9, 1766 (aged 45) in |
| Nationality | American |
| Church | Old West Church, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Education | Harvard College |
| Writings | Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission |
| Parents | Experience Mayhew Thankful Hinckley, daughter of Thomas Hinckley |
Jonathan Mayhew (born October 8, 1720 – died July 9, 1766) was an important American minister. He was a Congregational minister at the Old West Church, Boston, Massachusetts. He was known for his strong ideas about religion and freedom.
Early Life and Education
Jonathan Mayhew was born on Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. His family had lived there for a long time. His ancestor, Thomas Mayhew, was an early settler who received land on Martha's Vineyard in 1641.
Several men in Jonathan's family, including his great-grandfather John and his grandfather Experience Mayhew, worked as missionaries. They helped teach the Native Americans on Martha's Vineyard.
Jonathan Mayhew studied at Harvard College and graduated in 1744. Later, in 1749, he received a special degree called a D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Religious Beliefs
Mayhew had very open-minded religious ideas for his time. When he was going to become the minister of the West Church in Boston in 1747, it was hard to get enough ministers to agree to ordain him. They had to try twice!
His sermons made his church almost like the first Unitarian Congregational church in New England. A Unitarian church believes in the strict unity of God and that Christ is important but not equal to God. Mayhew also believed that people could find salvation (a way to heaven) by living a good life.
Like other Unitarians, Mayhew thought God might punish whole communities if people were not good enough. For example, after a big fire in Boston in 1760, Mayhew preached that God had caused the fire to warn the people. He said God "caused his wind to blow" to spread the flames. Mayhew warned that if people didn't change their ways, an even worse punishment might come.
Views on Politics and Freedom
Jonathan Mayhew was also very active in politics. He strongly disagreed with the Stamp Act, which was a new tax from Britain that angered the American colonists. He believed the colonies needed to work together to protect their freedoms.
He became famous for his sermons about American rights. He spoke about the importance of liberty and the right to stand up against unfair rulers. His speeches and writings greatly influenced the movement for American independence.
One of his most famous sermons was called Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission. He gave this sermon in 1750, exactly 100 years after King Charles I was executed in England. Mayhew argued that the English constitution (their system of government) was always meant to be free. He said that kings originally ruled because the people agreed to it. His main point was that it was right to execute a king if he took away the people's freedoms too much.
This sermon was very powerful. It was published in Boston and London and was widely read. Many people later said that this sermon was one of the first important steps toward the American Revolution. It gave people reasons to believe they had the right to rebel against the British Crown.
In 1763, Mayhew also criticized the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. This was a group from the Church of England that sent priests and teachers to America. Mayhew wrote a book about them, which caused a lot of debate in both England and America.
In 1765, after the Stamp Act made colonists even angrier, Mayhew gave another strong sermon. He spoke about the value of liberty and how bad tyranny (unfair rule) was. He said that being a slave meant being controlled by others, no matter how many people were doing the controlling. The day after his sermon, a crowd in Boston attacked the home of Chief Justice Thomas Hutchinson. Many people thought Mayhew's sermon had encouraged the mob.
Jonathan Mayhew died in July 1766. Years later, at a Harvard graduation ceremony in 1792, lines were spoken about him. They said that when Britain tried to control American rights and beliefs, Mayhew was one of the first to bravely stand up for religious freedom. He taught the important idea that every person has the right to make their own judgments.
Writings
