This is Winthrop’s slang for “to hoard.” The language would have been well known to readers of the Book of Matthew: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth […]” (6:19). Though Winthrop admits that saving has its virtues, this term is often a derogatory one for him. Misers, those who worry about “layeing up for time to come,” inadvertently keep their neighbors in need, which is a social crime in Winthrop’s philosophy of brotherly love.
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To lay upp Term Timeline in A Model of Christian Charity
The timeline below shows where the term To lay upp appears in A Model of Christian Charity. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
A Model of Christian Charity
...Christ’s Sermon again (“Lay not upp for yourselves treasures upon earth”), Winthrop advises against “ layeing upp ,” or stockpiling wealth, because such hoarding neglects the present needs of others.
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