A Sermon against Inoculation

The Silence of Scripture hath given Interpreters Occasion of guessing at the Distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job: But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an Opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken Notice of: It is this, That the Devil by some venemous Infusion into the Body of Job, might raise his Blood to such a Ferment, as threw out a Confluence of inflammatory Pustules all over him from Head to Foot: That is, his Distemper might be what is now incident to most Men, and perhaps conveyed to him by some such Way as that of Inoculation.

The silence of Scripture hath given interpreters occasion of guessing at the distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job.1 But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken notice of. It is this: that the Devil, by some venomous infusion into the body of Job, might raise his blood to such a ferment as threw out a confluence of inflammatory pustules all over him from head to foot. That is, his distemper might be what is now incident to most men,2 and perhaps conveyed to him by some such way as that of inoculation.3

1. Massey’s text is Job 2:7. In the Book of Job, God allows Satan to test the faithful Job by taking his wealth and children and then covering him with sores.
2. Massey means smallpox. It was so common that in the towns of Europe and Asia it caused on average about one death in ten.
3. Here inoculation means what historians call variolation: putting matter from a smallpox sore into a small cut, to bring on a milder case. Jenner’s vaccination, with cowpox, came only in 1796.

I chuse to Instance in the Infliction of Diseases, which I will attempt to prove are utterly unlawful to be inflicted by any who profess themselves Christians. Indeed where the Doctrines of Salvation are not known, and a regular Dependance upon Providence is postponed to the absurd belief of a Fatality; there it is no wonder to see Men give into impious or unreasonable Practices: But in a Country where better Principles are established, where God's Government of the World is for the most Part undisputed, and slavish implicit Belief happily superseded by rational Enquiries; in such a Place, methinks, Men cannot easily be reconciled to a Practice, which abuses their Understanding, as well as insults their Religion; and if the received Notions of God's Providence be just, has its Foundation in Ignorance, and must be maintained (if at all) by Presumption.

I choose to instance in the infliction of diseases, which I will attempt to prove are utterly unlawful to be inflicted by any who profess themselves Christians. Indeed where the doctrines of salvation are not known, and a regular dependence upon Providence4 is postponed to the absurd belief of a fatality,5 there it is no wonder to see men give into impious or unreasonable practices. But in a country where better principles are established, where God’s government of the world is for the most part undisputed, and slavish implicit belief happily superseded by rational inquiries, in such a place, methinks, men cannot easily be reconciled to a practice which abuses their understanding, as well as insults their religion. And if the received notions of God’s Providence be just, [the practice] has its foundation in ignorance, and must be maintained (if at all) by presumption.

4. God’s care for the world and plan for what happens in it.
5. Belief in fate: that everything that happens is fixed in advance. Massey probably has in mind the Turks, from whom the English learned of inoculation.

Remembring then our Text, I shall not scruple to call that a Diabolical Operation, which usurps an Authority founded neither in the Laws of Nature or Religion, which tends in this Case to anticipate and banish Providence out of the World, and promotes the encrease of Vice and Immorality.

Remembering then our text, I shall not scruple to call that a diabolical operation which usurps an authority founded neither in the laws of nature or religion, which tends in this case to anticipate and banish Providence out of the world, and promotes the increase of vice and immorality.

2. The Good of Mankind, the seeking whereof is one of the Fundamental Laws of Nature, is, I know, pleaded in Defence of the Practice I contend against: But I must profess my self at a Loss, to find or understand, how that has been, or can be promoted hereby: For if by Good be meant the Preservation of Life, it is in the first Place a Question, Whether Life be a Good, or not? But if it be, the Preservation of it will be found as little beholden to this Practice, as any other Invention whatsoever. The confessed Miscarriages in this new Method, are more than have happened in the ordinary Way: And if this be our Case now, how much worse must it needs prove, if God for our Presumption, and contemptuous distrust of his good Providence, should suffer this Delusion to gain Ground, and these Physicians of no Value, these forgers of Lies, (as Job expresses it ) to obtain and grow into Credit among us: Such I fear they may be accounted, who so confidently tell us, what is impossible for them to know; namely, that they who undergo their Experiment, are for ever thereby secured from any future Danger and Infection: This is a bold Assertion indeed, and if such Experiment were lawful, and consistent with the Rules of Christian Practice, I could wish to God it were true also: But if neither of these be the Case, if the two Requisites, Prevention, and Lawfulness be wanting; I believe I may venture to affirm, that the most learned and judicious among the Professors of Physick will never give into so destructive a Scheme. And I hope the Time is coming, that these Venefici, these Spreaders of Infection, will be distinguished from those of the Faculty, who deserve Honour, and not permitted to mingle with them, as the Devil among the Sons of God, lest like the Disease-Giving Practitioner, the Harlot whom Solomon describes, they entice us, till a Dart strike through our Liver, and we haste to their Snare, not knowing that it is for our Life. Besides, I cannot apprehend how it conduces to the Preservation of Mankind, to force a dangerous Distemper upon them, which possibly may never happen unto them, and if it should, may probably be attended with very little, if any Inconvenience; and as before has been hinted, is no Sucurity against future Contagion. This is unequally to stake a Substance against a Shadow, to make Men run into a real Danger, lest they should happen to fall into an accidental One, and contributes no more to the Preservation of Mankind, than it would redound to the Honour of a well provided City, to invite the Enemy and surrender now, for fear lest sometime hence, they should possibly be surpris'd and taken.

2. The good of mankind, the seeking whereof is one of the fundamental laws of nature, is, I know, pleaded in defense of the practice I contend against. But I must profess myself at a loss to find or understand how that has been, or can be, promoted hereby. For if by good be meant the preservation of life, it is in the first place a question whether life be a good, or not. But if it be, the preservation of it will be found as little beholden to this practice as any other invention whatsoever. The confessed miscarriages in this new method are more than have happened in the ordinary way.6 And if this be our case now, how much worse must it needs prove, if God, for our presumption and contemptuous distrust of his good Providence, should suffer this delusion to gain ground, and these physicians of no value, these forgers of lies (as Job expresses it),7 to obtain and grow into credit among us! Such I fear they may be accounted who so confidently tell us what is impossible for them to know: namely, that they who undergo their experiment are forever thereby secured from any future danger and infection. This is a bold assertion indeed, and if such experiment were lawful, and consistent with the rules of Christian practice, I could wish to God it were true also. But if neither of these be the case, if the two requisites, prevention and lawfulness, be wanting, I believe I may venture to affirm that the most learned and judicious among the professors of physic will never give into so destructive a scheme. And I hope the time is coming that these venefici,8 these spreaders of infection, will be distinguished from those of the faculty9 who deserve honor, and not permitted to mingle with them, as the Devil among the sons of God, lest, like the disease-giving practitioner, the harlot whom Solomon describes,10 they entice us, till a dart strike through our liver, and we haste to their snare, not knowing that it is for our life. Besides, I cannot apprehend how it conduces to the preservation of mankind to force a dangerous distemper upon them which possibly may never happen unto them, and if it should, may probably be attended with very little, if any, inconvenience, and, as before has been hinted, is no security against future contagion. This is unequally to stake a substance against a shadow, to make men run into a real danger lest they should happen to fall into an accidental one, and contributes no more to the preservation of mankind than it would redound to the honor of a well-provided city to invite the enemy and surrender now, for fear lest sometime hence they should possibly be surprised and taken.

6. Some people did die after inoculation, and critics pointed to each case. Figures gathered by James Jurin from 1722 on showed about 1 death in 48 to 60 inoculations, against about 1 in 6 cases of natural smallpox.
7. Job 13:4, where Job tells his friends, “ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.”
8. Latin: poisoners. The word could also mean sorcerers.
9. The medical profession; here, the established physicians.
10. In Proverbs 7:23, a book traditionally credited to King Solomon, a harlot leads a young man to ruin “till a dart strike through his liver.”

It remains now in the last Place, to speak of this modern Practice, as it tends to promote Vice and Immorality; I believe it will be readily granted me, that there is no one Thing so universally dreaded, as the Disease, which this strange Method of Practice pretends to elude. But there is this of Good attending, that the Fear of it is an happy Restraint upon many People, who seem not so sensible of superiour Obligations, to keep themselves in Temperance and Sobriety, and want no other Encouragement to give a Loose to their Inclinations, than to be free from Apprehensions of this uncertain Visitor. Most Mens Acquaintance, I am apt to think, will furnish them with Instances of Persons who would gladly give into the Extravagance of these licentious Cities, to the apparent hazard of Reputation and Fortune; did not this providential Obstruction, like the Angel of the Lord to Balaam, stop them in the Way, or keep them at a safe Distance, in Health, Wealth, and Innocence.

It remains now in the last place to speak of this modern practice, as it tends to promote vice and immorality. I believe it will be readily granted me that there is no one thing so universally dreaded as the disease which this strange method of practice pretends to elude. But there is this of good attending: that the fear of it is a happy restraint upon many people who seem not so sensible of superior obligations to keep themselves in temperance and sobriety, and want no other encouragement to give a loose to their inclinations11 than to be free from apprehensions of this uncertain visitor. Most men’s acquaintance, I am apt to think, will furnish them with instances of persons who would gladly give into the extravagance of these licentious cities, to the apparent hazard of reputation and fortune, did not this providential obstruction, like the angel of the Lord to Balaam,12 stop them in the way, or keep them at a safe distance, in health, wealth, and innocence.

11. Give free rein to their desires.
12. In Numbers 22:31, an angel stands in the road to stop the prophet Balaam on a journey God disapproves of.

Could then these bold Practitioners lessen the Severity of this Disease; could they entirely secure Men from Danger under it, could they say to the Distemper, as Almighty God does to the proud Waves of the Sea, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther; could they, I say, do all this, I do not see what Good Mankind would get in the main; they would, 'tis true, have one Danger less to fear, but that would be no real Kindness; forasmuch as it would be the Occasion of their running into a great many more, and if they should happen to be more healthy, 'tis a great Chance but they would be less Righteous.

Could then these bold practitioners lessen the severity of this disease, could they entirely secure men from danger under it, could they say to the distemper, as Almighty God does to the proud waves of the sea, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther”;13 could they, I say, do all this, I do not see what good mankind would get in the main. They would, ’tis true, have one danger less to fear, but that would be no real kindness, forasmuch as it would be the occasion of their running into a great many more. And if they should happen to be more healthy, ’tis a great chance but they would be less righteous.

13. God’s words to the sea in Job 38:11.

Let the Atheist then, and the Scoffer, the Heathen and Unbeliever, disclaim a Dependance upon Providence, dispute the Wisdom of God's Government, and deny Obedience to his Laws: Let them Inoculate, and be Inoculated, whose Hope is only in, and for this Life!

Let the atheist then, and the scoffer, the heathen and unbeliever, disclaim a dependence upon Providence, dispute the wisdom of God’s government, and deny obedience to his laws. Let them inoculate, and be inoculated, whose hope is only in, and for this life!