A Vindication of the ministers of Boston, from the abuses & scandals, lately cast…

We never enjoy their Company, but their Savoury & Entertaining Discourse evidently discovers an Internal Source of Goodness in them; and the Blame centres upon ourselves, if we grow not better & wiser by it. Some of them have great names in distant Lands; and foreign Countries have a great Veneration for them. But to conclude their Praises, they are more precious than the fine gold; than the golden wedge of Ophir.

We never enjoy their Company, but their Savoury & Entertaining Discourse evidently discovers an Internal Source of Goodness in them; and the Blame centers upon ourselves, if we grow not better & wiser by it. Some of them have great names in distant Lands; and foreign Countries have a great Veneration for them. But to conclude their Praises, they are more precious than the fine gold; than the golden wedge of Ophir.

§ 6. BUT now, what is there can justify the virulent and unwearied Endeavours of these Wicked Men to make them Odious? The only pretext they have is, That the MINISTERS have intermeddled with Civil Affairs, and gone out of their Line; and the only Instance they can give of this, (for the others are only groundless Surmises, or open Calumnies) is this, When the Small-Pox was first breaking into the Town, and every one foresaw and feared a dreadful Mortality; these good Men were apprised of a safe Method, which they by the ordinary Blessing of GOD, hoped might be an Instrument of saving many Lives. This Method came to them with very authentic Recommendations; nor was ever, any Remedy attended with a more uninterrupted, & remarkable Success than this. This they communicated to the PHYSICIANS; urging them, (not to put it into practice, as the News-Letter declares, but) to meet together, ⟨p. 7⟩and consult how far, or whether at all, it might be practised; and desiring they would proceed with mutual Assistances, each to t'other, as GOD should direct them. And to do some justice by the way to that eminent Person, the Learned Dr. COTTON MATHER, Fellow of the Royal Society (who to his honour) was the principal Instrument, in promoving this Method among us: (and who now disdains to draw his generous Pen for his own Vindication, against the many foolish Pamphlets that are pointed at him; and who changes not his Temper for all their invidious Calumnies;) we will here transcribe the Words with which he concludes his Address to the Physicians; Dated, June 6. 1721. I will only say, (writes the DOCTOR) that inasmuch as the Practice of suffering and preventing the Small-Pox, in the way of Inoculation has never yet, (as far as I have heard) been introduced into our Nation; where there are so many that would give great Sums, to have their Lives insured, from the dangers of this dreadful Distemper, nor has ever any one in all America ever yet, made the trial of it (tho' we have several Africans among us, as I now find, who tried it in their own Country) I cannot but move it be WARILY proceeded in. I durst not yet engage, that the Success of the trial here will be the same, as has hitherto been in the other Hemisphere. But I am very confident, no person would miscarry in it, but what must most certainly have miscarried upon taking it the Common way.