Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God — Page 7
Defence Against the Plague & A Criterion for the Elect of God 7 I regard it as completely devoid of benefit. I do not consider it a sufficient and permanent solution because experience tells us that some people died even though they moved out into the open, while others departed this world despite paying particular atten - tion to their hygiene. Others yet, who had themselves inoculated with great hope, still ended up in the grave. So, who can suggest or assure us that all of these measures are a sufficient treatment. Rather, one is forced to concede that although these measures are beneficial to a certain extent, they cannot be deemed a completely successful remedy to rid the country of the plague. These measures are not completely useless either, because wher - ever God’s will has decreed it, their benefits are being felt; however, this benefit does not excite a great amount of joy. To illustrate, it is true that if, for example, 100 people get inoculated, and another number of as many people do not, the number of deaths among those who did not get inoculated will be observed to be higher— and among those inoculated, fewer. However, because the effects of the inoculation last at the most for two to three months, even an inoculated person will become vulnerable again and again, until he departs this world. The only difference is that those who are not inoculated are as if riding upon a horse that can deliver them to the world of death within, say, twenty-four hours, whereas those who receive the inoculation are conceivably riding a slow mule that will carry its riders to the same destination in twenty-four days. In any event, all of the measures taken from a medical perspective are neither sufficient and comforting nor are they utterly useless and without benefit. So, since the plague is rapidly devouring the coun - try, human compassion calls for the consideration of an alternative remedy that can guard against this destruction.