7-25-20 Cotton Mather Promotes A Vaccine

Cotton Mather Promotes A Vaccine  Cotton Mather on Science

In 1721 Cotton Mather promotes a vaccine for smallpox. Unlike the present death percentage for the Chicom Flu of 0.43% of the total population (141,677 dead/328,239,523 population) in the United States – the death rate caused by smallpox during the Colonial time was as high as 1 in 3 people. In her book, Pox Americana, Elizabeth Fenn “gives a conservative estimate of 130,658 deaths from smallpox during the years 1775-82. And not only were many lives lost, but schools, businesses, and governments all virtually shut down during smallpox epidemics. Life came to a complete and deathly halt during these Colonial epidemics.”

To Be Clear: I am not in favor of anything mandating masks or vaccines – nor was Cotton Mather in favor of mandating anything.

Now consider that the US population during those above mentioned years ranged from 2.1 million to 2.7 million. With the deaths mentioned, the percentage is about 4.8% of the Colonial population died from smallpox alone. The cumulative death rate from respiratory disease and infections was far great than smallpox during the colonial period. This has two points to it:

  • first – that smallpox is the topic at hand in respect to looking at inoculations for a virus and

  • second – that as statistically proven regarding the actual low death percentage of Chicom Flu to other illnesses, the Tully report concludes “Malaria took more lives than any other disease, mostly because it did not grant immunity like small pox and measles did. Dysentery was the number two killer of colonists. The next most fatal illnesses were the respiratory complaints: influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy, and colds. After that, the ranking would be small pox, yellow fever, diphtheria and scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough, mumps, typhus, and typhoid fever.”

Tully Area Historical Society News sums it up this way “Small pox is considered by many to be the most horrifying epidemic of colonial times because of the terrible suffering it inflicted, the high mortality rates, and disfigurement it left behind. However, when other diseases like malaria, dysentery, diphtheria, scarlet fever, yellow fever, and even the common cold are considered, small pox may seem less ominous. Indeed, John Duffy claims, in his book Epidemics in Colonial America, that respiratory diseases weakened and eventually killed more colonists than small pox. Also, the endemic diseases of malaria and dysentery were continually present in colonial times. These diseases did not always kill people; often they were weakened enough that a mild outbreak of influenza or measles would finish them off. Children and older adults were often the first victims in any epidemic. Along with age, poor diet and hygiene also contributed to the high mortality rates in colonial North America.”

But what about fact that Cotton Mather promotes a vaccine? First, I wanted you to grasp that the criticality of the deaths to population of our present Chicom Flu is 10 times less in criticality as it was for the smallpox epidemic during the nations Foundation. Cotton Mather promotes an inoculation in the midst of this most critical time of the 1721 crisis. With that, it was never made mandatory.

The Great Smallpox Debate

The debilitating effects of smallpox in all aspects of society and the new facts that became know regarding an inoculation method to reduce a full blown epidemic is what prompted Cotton Mather to promote a vaccine. Well, in reality it was not a vaccine but an inoculation.

This set a great debate in the media of the day. For a deep read on this see “Dissecting the Pamphlet Literature of the Boston Smallpox Inoculation Controversy.” In short, Cotton Mather was accused of not holding to his Calvinistic Puritan roots by seemingly neglecting that God is Sovereign and if He wanted to bring on the illness and death than that was God’s prerogative.

In fact, because Cotton Mather clearly understood Reformation Biblical truth and the Sovereignty of God, that he was able to balance “natural (God designed) science” with his Puritan Calvinistic theology. To me, Cotton Mather understood what I have called for years, the extensibility of the Gospel. He promoted God’s Sovereignty in all aspects of humanity and nature.

Therefore, from a clear form of preaching Biblical truth, Cotton Mather Promotes A Vaccine (inoculation.) With that, he never ever indicated that it should be mandatory.

George Washington Requires Inoculation

I read an article from Rand Paul where he mentioned that George Washington mandated smallpox inoculations. Well, I’ll discuss this because at first, Washington was opposed. In fact he made it a severe penalty to get a smallpox inoculation or self inoculate. The turn of events on this is interesting.

Sam Adams Wisdom

To Mrs. Adams

PHILADELPHIA Sept 19 1780

MY DEAR BETSY

In a Letter to Mr Appleton of the 17th, I desired him to inform you that I was well. I thank God I continue so, tho I am very sollicitous to know how it fares with you and my dear Connections in Boston. Our Friends at that Distance may be in their Graves before one may even hear of their previous Sickness. You cannot wonder then that I am in Anxiety every Moment. Upon this Consideration alone, the pub-lick Service so far from one’s Family, must be conceivd to be a Sacrifice of no small Value. The Man who has devoted himself to the Service of God and his Country will chearfully make every Sacrifice. I will not fail daily to commend you to the Care and Protection of Heaven, in Hopes of seeing you the next Spring.

What about BLM and Antifa?

To John Adams

BOSTON Octr 4th 1790

DEAR SIR

in Town, I have requested of him a second favour. You ask what the World is about to become? and, Is the Millenium commencing? I have not studied the Prophesies, and cannot even conjecture. The Golden Age so finely pictured by Poets, I believe has never yet existed; but in their own imaginations. In the earliest periods, when for the honor of human nature, one should have thought, that man had not learnt to be cruel; what Scenes of horror have been exhibited in families of some of the best instructors in Piety and morals! Even the heart of our first father was grievously wounded at the sight of the murder of one of his Sons, perpetrated by the hand of the other. Has Mankind since seen the happy Age? No, my friend. The same Tragedys have been acted on the Theatre of the World, the same Arts of tormenting have been studied, and practiced to this day; and true religion, and reason united have never succeeded to establish the permanent foundations of political freedom, and happiness in the most enlightened Countries on the Earth. After a compliment to Boston Town meetings, and our Harvard College as having “set the universe in Motion”; you tell me Every Thing will be pulled down; I think with you, “So much seems certain,” but what say you, will be built up? Hay, wood and stubble, may probably be the materials, till Men shall be yet more enlightened, and more friendly to each other. “Are there any Principles of Political Architecture?” Undoubtedly. “What are they?” Philosophers ancient, and modern, have laid down different plans, and all have thought themselves, masters of the true Principles. Their Disciples have followed them, probably with a blind prejudice, which is always an Enemy to truth, and have thereby added fresh fuel to the fire of Contention, and increased the political disorder. Kings have been deposed by aspiring Nobles, whose pride could not brook restraint. These have waged everlasting War, against the common rights of Men. The Love of Liberty is interwoven in the soul of Man, and can never be totally extinguished; and there are certain periods when human patience can no longer endure indignity, and oppression. The spark of liberty then kindles into a flame; when the injured people attentive to the feelings of their just rights magnanimously contend for their compleat restoration. But such contests have too often ended in nothing more than “a change of Impostures, and impositions”. The Patriots of Rome put an End to the Life of Caesar; and Rome submitted to a Race of Tyrants in his stead. Were the People of England free, after they had obliged King John to concede to them their ancient rights, and Libertys, and promise to govern them according to the Old Law of the Land? Were they free, after they had wantonly deposed their Henrys, Edwards, and Richards to gratify family pride? Or, after they had brought their first Charles to the block, and banished his family? They were not. The Nation was then governed by Kings, Lords, and Commons, and its Libertys were lost by a strife among three Powers, soberly intended to check each other, and keep the scales even. But while we daily see the violence of the human passions controuling the Laws of Reason and religion, and stifling the very feelings of humanity; can we wonder, that in such tumults little or no regard is had to Political Checks and Ballances? And such tumults have always happened within as well as without doors. The best formed constitutions that have yet been contrived by the wit of Man have, and will come to an End—because “the Kingdoms of the Earth have not been governed by Reason.” The Pride of Kings, of Nobles, and leaders of the People who have all governed in their turns, have disadjusted the delicate frame, and thrown all into confusion. What then is to be done?—Let Divines, and Philosophers, Statesmen and Patriots unite their endeavours to renovate the Age, by impressing the Minds of Men with the importance of educating their little boys, and girls—of inculcating in the Minds of youth the fear, and Love of the Deity, and universal Phylanthropy; and in subordination to these great principles, the Love of their Country—of instructing them in the Art of self government, without which they never can act a wise part in the Government of Societys great, or small—in short of leading them in the Study, and Practice of the exalted Virtues of the Christian system, which will happily tend to subdue the turbulent passions of Men, and introduce that Golden Age beautifully described in figurative language; when the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard lie down with the Kid—the Cow, and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox—none shall then hurt, or destroy; for the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord. When this Millenium shall commence, if there shall be any need of Civil Government, indulge me in the fancy that it will be in the republican form, or something better.

And because you keep asking!

References:

The video of the program is at the SamuelAdamsReturns YouTube channel.

1. A Deadly Scourge: Smallpox During the Revolutionary War

2. Demographic History of the United States

3. Getting the pox off all their houses: cotton mather and the rhetoric of puritan science by Robert Tindol

4. Biography: Cotton Mather (1662/3-1727/8)

5. Cotton Mather’s Relationship to Science

6. Dissecting the Pamphlet Literature of the Boston Smallpox Inoculation Controversy

United States COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by State

7. Texas Case Counts Covid-19

8. A mortality perspective on COVID-19: Time, location, and age

9. Fauci Files: Celebrated doc’s career dotted with ethics, safety controversies inside NIH

10. Disease in colonial America

11. Tully Area Historical Society News & Databases

12. US Census – quick facts

13. Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population

14. Rand Paul: Persuasion Is the Hallmark of a Free Society

 

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