Answer to Pamphlet Entitled A Letter to a Friend in the Country, Letter
AN ANSWER, &c.
Honoured SIR,
I Have not taken Notice of ſome Paragraphs, as if I affected Contention; but am wiling to ſet things in a true light, that you may know where we differ in Judgment.
You ſay, One great thing urged againſt this Practice is, that it is not lawful Sir, it is the great Scruple with me; and ſolve this with a Thus faith the Lord, and all other Objections will fall; which till you do, ſuffer me to diſſent from you in Judgment, tho' not in Affection.
You ſay, To make my ſelf ſick in ſuch a way as may probably ſerve my Health, and ſave my Life, and with ſuch a deſign, is certainly fitting and reaſonable, and therefore lawful.
Reply. I deny it to be fitting or reaſonable, becauſe 'tis a going out of God's Way, inaſmuch as 'tis not contained in the Law of Phyſick, either natural or divine▪ and therefore unlawful.
Again, you ſay, There is the Fuel of this Distemper in my Body, and it only wants the Spark to ſet this Fuel a burning; Why may I not let it in by Inciſion, when it may be eaſier, and of leſs Danger.
Reply. Becauſe its not God's way, but its a mixing of humane Inventions with the Rules of Phyſick. Lev. 10. 1. And Nadab and Abihu took either of them their Cenſers, and put Fire therein, and put Incenſe thereon, and offered ſtrange Fire before the Lord, which be commanded them not. Now an Action muſt be right with reſpect to the Method of doing it, as well as with reſpect to the end or event, or it correſponds not with the Sixth Commandment, but is a breaking of all the Law and Commandments. Now to propoſe to do ſomething in Obedience to one Commandment, which does Violence unto the reſt, cannot be allowed to be the keeping of that.
Again, you ſay, In this way we receive it in a natural way; (which I deny, for it is Anti-natural,) and if we receive it in either way, it is ſtill the Work of God.
Reply. I diſtinguiſh between the Works of God, as they are good or evil. Now the Work of God may be conſider'd good, as he wills it, and by his Power effects it; but as Actions may be conſider'd evil, ſo he willingly permits it.
Again, you ſay, What is there of the Hand or Power of Man in this Work after the Inciſion is made, and the Matter applyed. Anſwer. There is the dreſſing of the Inciſion Seven or Eight Days. And Sir, if you think the Patient is under the Hand of God after the Inciſion is made, why cannot you as well let him ſtay till God ſees meet to bring the Diſtemper upon him. You allow that the cutting the Inciſion, and putting the Matter in, is the Hand and Power of Man; which is as much as to ſay, (what I ſhould be loth to ſay) That you ſet your Maker to work, by making the Inciſion for Him; and ſo you make Inoculation partly in the Hand and Power of Man, and partly in the Hand and Power of God: But I tell you, Sir, the Action is entirely humane, as not agreeing with the Law of Phyſick, either natural or divine, and an Intruſion upon the incommunicable Attributes of God, who hath ſaid, I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal..
Again, you ſay, Should this Town be to ſuffer an Inundation, from a Righteous God for the Puniſhment of their Sins, would any think it to be a Criminal Evaſion to ſave their Lives by a Boat or a Plank?
Sir, the Simile I conceive reaches not the Caſe. I diſtinguiſh between a doing what is lawful to prevent any Sickneſs that is ſent as a Judgment upon a People, and a voluntary Act of our own in putting forth our Hands to reach the Judgment to our ſelves, that ſo by this Means we may avert the Stroke of Heaven, by turning of it out of the ordinary way of Providence. But now I ſhall ſtate the Caſe of this Similitude, and I think more adapted to the matter in hand. Suppoſe the Water ſhould be kept out of this Town by Floodgates, and upon the Approach of ſome very high Tide, which would overflow or break down the Gates, a Man ſhould open the Gates a little ſo as that the Water might come in gradually to prevent its breaking down the Gates, if notwithſtanding the Flood ſhould be greater than he expected (as ſometimes in the Caſe of Inoculation) and overflow the Town, if he can have neither Boat nor Plank to ſave his Life, will it not be juſt upon him for his preſumptuous Action? Now God hath as many ways to puniſh a People, ſave one (to wit, by the Small Pox, which you ſay is a Bleſſing when receiv'd by Inoculation) as he had before: Therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Zion, (in a way of Duty) and do not go into the Inventions of the Heathen, whom the Lord caſt our before thee.
Again, Is it unlawful to uſe Means for our Preſervation from a deſolating Judgment, eſpecially if at that time God ſhows us a way to eſcape the Severity of it?
I anſwer, I ſhall keep evermore the Diſtinction (which is laudable and good) between God's ſhewing us the way of Self-preſervation, and his permitting of Man to go into his own by-ways, which never entered into God's Heart.
Again, you ſay, Some object and ſay, Tis originaly from the Devil▪ (which is too true to make a Jeſt of.) You anſwer, If it is a Method of Safety, and a Benefit to Mankind, as hitherto it appears to be, how came the Devil to be the Author of it, who is a Murderer from the beginning. I anſwer, the Devil hath many ways to advance his own Ends, for he is an old Sophiſter, we know. And now, Sir, if I may be ſuffered to ſpeak my own digeſted Thoughts; with grief of Heart I do ſeriouſly believe its a Deluſion of the Devil; and that there was never the like Deluſion in New-England, ſince the Time of the Witchcraft at Salem, when ſo many innocent Perſons loſt their Lives, and afterwards ſome of them that were inſtrumental in taking their Lives away, made a Recantation. And that this People may ſee their Error and recant, is the ſole Reaſon of my putting of Pen to Paper and Prayer to the God of Truth, that this People may ſee their Error. Now I will ſhow you how Satan may advance his Intereſt and that in his own old Way, Gen. 3. 1. And he ſaid unto the Woman. Yea, hath God ſaid, ye ſhall not eat of every Tree in the Garden? Verſe 4, 5. And the Serpent ſaid, ye ſhall not ſurely die, (in this new way.) For God doth know, that in the Day ye eat thereof, then your Eyes ſhall be opened. Now Satan had a double end in this; as firſt, The breaking of God's righteous Law; and ſecondly, the eternal Ruin of Mankind; but the Temptation was the Fruit of the Garden, which no queſtion was alluring unto the Senſes, when the Exerciſe of Grace was ſuſpended. Now, Sir, as I humbly conceive, Inoculation is the thing propoſed, the brave alluring yellow Apple, which is ſo ſucceſsful in the Event, even Life, as ſeveral of your Order have ſet forth. But Satan may have another end in it, to wit, the making the Means of Grace unſucceſsful, in bringing the firſt Venders and Abettors, and Promoters of Inoculation, which every Body knows were certain Miniſters of this Town) into Contempt; tho' now ſome of our Country Miniſters have imbib'd this Doctrine too; one of them, laſt Sabbath Day was Two Weeks, in his Prayer uſed this Phraſe▪ Some of our People are gone out to meet the Rod, and to kiſs it. Out! Whether are they gone out! Out ſure enough! Not out of God's Bleſſing into a warm Sun; No, no: They are gone out of God's way of waiting upon him all the Days of their appointed Time, until their Change ſhall come. But as for Five of them (within this Three Weeks) they are gone out indeed; out of the World! And now the Devil and-all the Promoters and Admirers of of Inoculation cannot deceive us; for we have followed them to their Graves, and they will not return, until the Heavens be no more. 2dly, You ſay, to meet the Rod. Sir, where did you meet with this indigeſted Phraſe for your People that have put themſelves into a way to have the Small Pox, and to preſcribe both the Diſeaſe and the Time when. I wiſh you would make your Bible more the Rule of Prayer as well as of Practice. 3dly, You ſay, and to kiſs it. Ay, ſo you might, had not God lately made you to know, that it is dangerous medling with Ege Tools, and ſhow'd you that you are Fools that will be medling. May you ſport it with the Holy one of Iſrael? May you not ſee your ſelves pourtrayed in Hoſ. 5. 5. The Pride of Iſrael doth teſtify unto his face; therefore ſhall Iſrael and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity; Judah alſo ſhall fall with them. Hath not God ſpit in your Faces? and will you not be aſhamed? Mal 2. 3. Behold, I will corrupt your ſeed, and ſpread Dung upon your Faces, even the Dung of your …, and one ſhall take you away with it. Verſe 7. For the Priests Lips ſhould keep Knowledge, and they ſhould ſeek the Law at his Mouth; for he is the Meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts. Verſe 8. But ye are departed out of the way: ye have cauſed many to ſtumble at the Law: ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi, faith the Lord of Hoſts. Verſe 9. Therefore have I made you contemptible and baſe before all the People, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the Law.
But to return and ſhow how Satan may be carrying on his old Work by this new way. The Town daily reſents your Abuſes, and many blacken your Character, which you ought to preſerve as ſacred; and they ſay, If you are ſo defective in your Morals, how ſhall we believe you, when you ſpeak of divine Things? And ſo you have accrued unto your ſelves an odious Character in the Minds and Mouths of too many, ay very many, of your Hearers and Contributers. They are prejudiced againſt your Perſons, & conſequently againſt whatever you teach. I have many times to my Grief heard People ſay, that if you underſtand your own Trade no better than you do Morals, we are in a bad Condition. And they allude unto Gal. 3. 4. Have ye ſuffered ſo many things in vain, (to withdraw from the Principles and Practice of the Church of England, and now to bring in the Practice of the Heathen?) And Verſe 3. Are ye ſo fooliſh, having begun in the Spirit, are ye made perfect in the Fleſh? They ſay, as in Verſe 1. O fooliſh Miniſters, who hath bewitched you, that you ſhould not obey the Truth? And with Jer. 5. 26. For among my People are found wicked Men: They lay in wait, as he that ſetteth Snares to catch Men, (that is, by Inoculation, with which they infect their Neighbours.) They ſet a Trap; they catch men. I ſhall conclude with Job. 5. 20. They were confounded becauſe they had hoped; they came together and were ….
And now, Sir, with a real deſire that Satan may not take any Advantage againſt you, to hinder the Succeſs of your Miniſtry, by raiſing Prejudices againſt your Perſon, and alſo againſt your Doctrine. (which I have reaſon to fear, ſince you have imbib'd this new Doctrine, as ſome call it,) I reſt with real Reſpects,
Your unworthy Servant, JOHN WILLIAMS.