Biography

Cotton Mather FRS (/ˈmæðər/; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a New England Puritan clergyman and a prolific writer. Educated at Harvard College, in 1685 he joined his father Increase as minister of the Congregationalist Old North Meeting House of Boston, where he continued to preach for the rest of his life. A major intellectual and public figure in English-speaking colonial America, Cotton Mather helped lead the successful revolt of 1689 against Sir Edmund Andros, the governor imposed on New England by King James II. Mather’s subsequent involvement in the Salem witch trials of 1692–1693, which he defended in the book Wonders of the Invisible World (1693), attracted intense controversy in his own day and has negatively affected his historical reputation. As a historian of colonial New England, Mather is noted for his Magnalia Christi Americana (1702).

Personally and intellectually committed to the waning old social and religious orders in New England, Cotton Mather unsuccessfully sought the presidency of Harvard College, an office that had been held by his father Increase, another significant Puritan clergyman and intellectual….

A promoter of the new experimental science in America, Cotton Mather carried out original research on plant hybridization and on the use of inoculation as a means of preventing smallpox contagion. He dispatched many reports on scientific matters to the Royal Society of London, which elected him as a fellow in 1713.^[2] Mather’s promotion of inoculation against smallpox, which he had learned about from an African man named Onesimus whom Mather held as a slave, caused violent controversy in Boston during the outbreak of 1721. Scientist and US founding father Benjamin Franklin, who as a young Bostonian had opposed the old Puritan order represented by Mather and participated in the anti-inoculation campaign, later described Mather’s book Bonifacius, or Essays to Do Good (1710) as a major influence on Franklin’s own life.^[3]

Source: Cotton Mather. Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply.

Bonifacius. An Essay Upon the Good (Selections)

This excellent zeal should be carried into our neighborhood. neighborhood, you stand related unto one another; And you should be full of devices, That all the neighbors may have cause to be glad of your being in the neighborhood. We read, “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor”. But we shall scarce own him so, except he be more excellent as a neighbour. He must excell in the duties of good neighborhood. Let that man be better than his neighbor, who labors to be a better neighbor; to do the most good unto his neighbor.

And here, first; the poor people that lie wounded, must have wine and oil poured into their wounds. It was a charming stroke in the character with a modern prince ad given to him, to be in distress, is to dserve his favor. O good neighbor, put on that princely, that more than royal quality. See who in the neighborhood may deserve they favor. We are told, this is pure religion and undefiled; (a jewel, that neither is a counterfeit nor has any flaws in it): to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. The orphans and the widows, and so all the children of affliction in the neighborhood, must be visited, and relieved with all agreeable kindnesses.

Neighbors, be concerned, That the orphans and widows in your neighborhood, may be well provided for. They meet with grievous difficulties; with unknown temptations. While their next relatives were yet living, they were, perhaps, but meanly provided for. What must they now be in their more solitary condition? Their condition should be considered. And the result of the consideration should be that; I delivered the orphan, that had no helper, and I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.

By consequence, all the afflicted in the neighborhood, are to be thought upon. Sirs, would it be too much for you, at least once in a week? To think, what neighbor is reduced into a pinching and painful poverty? Or in any degree impoverished with heavy losses? Think, what neighbor is languishing with sickness; especially if sick with sore maladies, and of some continuance? Think, what neighbor is heart-broken with sad bereavements; bereaved of desirable relatives? And think; What neighbor has a soul buffeted, and hurried with violent assaults of the wicked one? But then think, what shall be done for such neighbors.

First, you will pity them. The evangelical precept is, have compassion one of another, be pitiful. It was of old, and ever will be, the just expectation, to him that is afflicted, pity should be shown. …

But this is not all, ’tis possible, ’tis probable, you may do well to visit them; and when you visit them, comfort them. Carry them some good word, which may raise a gladness, in an heart stooping with heaviness.

And lastly. Give them all the assistance that may answer their occasions: assist them with advice to them; assist them with address to others for them. And if it be needful, bestow your alms upon them; deal thy bread to the hungry; bring to thy house the poor that are cast out; when thou sees the naked, cover him. At least, Nazianzens charity, I pray; Si nihil habes, da Lacrymulam; If you have nothing else to bestow upon the miserable, bestow a year or two upon their miseries. This little, is better than nothing!…

In moving for the devices of good neighborhood, a principal motion which I have to make, is; That you consult the spiritual interests of your neighborhood, as well as the temporal. Be concerned, left the deceitfulness of sin undo any of the neighbors. If there be any idle persons among them, I beseech you, cure them of their idleness; don’t nourish ’em & harden ’em in that; but find employment for them. Find ’em work; set ’em to work; keep ’em to work. Then, as much of your other bounty to them, as you please.

If any children in the neighborhood, are under no education, don’t allow ’em to continue so, let care be taken, that they may be better educated; and be taught to read; and be taught their catechism; and the truths and ways of their only savior.

Once more. If any in the neighborhood, are taking to bad courses, lovingly & faithfully admonish them. If any in the neighborhood are enemies to their own welfare, or their families; prudently dispense your admonitions unto them. If there are any prayerless families, never leave off entreating and exhorting of them, till you have persuaded them, to set up the worship of God. …

Finally. If there be any base houses, which threaten to debauch, and poison, and confound the neighborhood, Let your charity to your neighbors, make you do all you can, for the suppression of them.

That my PROPOSAL to do good in the neighborhood, and as a neighbor, may be more fully formed and followed; I will conclude it, with minding you, that a world of self-denial is to be exercised in the execution of it. You must be armed against selfishness, all selfish and squinting intentions, in your generous resolutions. You shall see how my demands will grow upon you.

First. You must not think of making the good you do, a pouring of water into a pump, to draw out something for your selves. This might be the meaning of our savior’s direction; lend, having for nothing again. To lend a thing, properly is to hope that we shall receive it again. But this probably refers to the…the thing required by our savior, is, do good unto such as you are never like to be the better for.

But then, there is yet an higher thing to be demanded, that is; do good unto those neighbors who have done hurt unto you. So says our savior, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. Yea, if an injury have been done you, improve it as a provocation to do benefit unto him who did the injury. This is noble. It will bring marvelous consolations! Another method might make you even with your forward neighbors; This, will set you above them all. It was nobly done, …

But I won’t stop here. There is yet an higher thing to be demanded. That is; do good unto those neighbours, who will speak ill of you, after you have done it. So says our savior; Ye shall be the children of the highest; he is kind unto the unthankful, and unto the evil. You will every day find, I can tell you, monsters of ingratitude. Yea, if you distinguish any person, with doing for him, something more than you have done for others, it will be well if that very person do not at some time or other, hurt you wonderfully. Oh! the wisdom of divine providence, in ordering this thing! Sirs, it is, that you may do good on a divine principle; Good, merely for the sake of good! Lord, increase our faith!

Source: Mather, Cotton. (1663-1728). Bonifacius: An Essay Upon the Good. Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. In the public domain. Modernized by Genevieve Shaker.