Despite Beck's protestation, in America religions have been concerned with society and justice since about 1700, if not before. Cotton Mather (1663-1728) wrote Bonifacus in 1710 and tried to sketch a society organized along pietist lines:
In the spirit of the pietists and in the tradition of the English societies, Mather hoped to rally the New England community around the popular public problem of social behavior. The focus would be on the personalized religious emphasis of the German example. Each man's search for salvation had social implications for his behavior. And preparation for salvation could be observed, in part, in obvious social concerns. (p. 43)Mather did NOT argue for what we would call today the welfare state but it was a step in that direction and certainly miles from Mandeville's idea of the selfish hive:
With great care Mather placed the concern for good conduct into a proper New England theological framework. The first step for anyone who sought to do good would be a rebirth. Justification must come first, for without it there could be no good works. From such a foundation, Mather could launch into the specifics of humanitarianism. Like William Law, he balanced social work with the personal spiritual search. He also offered specific advice, dividing his essay by professions: minister, schoolmaster, physician. He urged Christianizing the slaves and assisting the suffering poor. Visit them, he said, comfort them, advise them, and provide alms for them. (p. 44)
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