treatise on taxes and contributions-第3章

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；　well　united　and　governed。　And　moreover；　that　it　is　more　glorious　to　take　from　others　by　fraud　or　rapine；　then　to　gain　ones　self　out　of　the　bowels　of　the　Earth　and　Sea。　　　　　9。　Now　those　States　are　free　from　Forreign　Offensive　Wars　（arising　as　abovesaid　out　of　Personal　and　Private　Causes）　where　the　chief　Governours　Revenue　is　but　small；　and　not　sufficient　to　carry　on　such　Wars；　the　which　if　they　happen　to　be　begun；　and　so　far　carryed　on；　as　to　want　more　Contributions；　then　those　who　have　the　power　to　impose　them；　do　commonly　enquire　what　private　persons　and　Ends　occasioned　the　War；　and　so　fall　upon　the　Authors；　rather　then　contribute　to　the　Effect；　otherwise　then　to　quench　it。　　　　　10。　Defensive　Wars　are　caused　from　unpreparedness　of　the　offended　State　for　War；　as　when　defective　Stores　are　served　into　the　Magazines　by　corrupt　Officers　at　the　rate　of　good；　when　Armies　are　falsly　Mustered；　when　Souldiers　are　either　Tenants　or　Servants　to　their　Commanders；　or　else　persons；　who　for　their　Crimes　or　Debts；　want　protection　from　Justice；　when　the　Officiers　are　ignorant　of　their　business；　and　absent　from　their　Commands；　and　withal　afraid　to　punish；　because　unwilling　to　pay。　Wherefore；　to　be　alwayes　in　a　posture　of　War　at　home；　is　the　cheapest　way　to　keep　off　War　from　abroad。　　　　　11。　The　causes　of　Civil　Wars　here　in　Europe　proceed　very　much　from　Religion；　viz。　the　punishing　of　Believers　heterodox　from　the　Authorized　way；　in　publike　and　open　places；　before　great　multitudes　of　ignorant　people；　with　loss　of　life；　liberty；　and　limbs；　rather　then　by　well　proportioned　tolerable　pecuniary　mulcts；　such　as　every　conscientious　Non…Conformist　would　gladly　pay；　and　Hypocrites　by　refusing；　discover　themselves　to　be　such。　　　　　12。　Civil　Wars　are　likewise　caused　by　peoples　fansying；　that　their　own　uneasie　condition　may　be　best　remedied　by　an　universal　confusion；　although　indeed　upon　the　upshot　of　such　disorders　they　shall　probably　be　in　a　worse；　even　although　they　survive　and　succeed；　but　more　probably　perish　in　the　contest。　　　　　13。　Moreover；　the　peoples　believing　that　Forms　of　Government　shall　in　a　few　years　produce　any　considerable　alteration　as　tothe　wealth　of　the　Subject；　that　the　Form　which　is　most　ancient　and　present　is　not　the　best　for　the　place；　that　any　established　family　or　person　is　not　better　then　any　new　pretender；　or　even　then　the　best　Election　that　can　be　made；　that　Sovereignty　is　invisible；　and　that　it　is　not　certainly　annexed　unto　some　certain　person　or　persons。　　　　　14。　Causes　of　Civil　War　are　also；　that　the　Wealth　of　the　Nation　is　in　too　few　mens　hands；　and　that　no　certain　means　are　provided　to　keep　all　men　from　a　necessity　either　to　beg；　or　steal；　or　be　Souldiers。　　　　　Moreover；　the　allowing　Luxury　in　some；　whilst　others　starve。　　　　　The　dispensing　of　benefits　upon　casual　and　uncertain　Motives；　the　givng　vaste　Emoluments　to　persons　and　parties　of　no　certain　visible　merit。　These　are　the　things　which　cause　animosities　among　the　totter…headed　multitude；　who　are　the　tinder　that　the　sparks　of　a　few　Designers　may　easily　inflame。　　　　　15。　The　Cause　of　Publick　Charge　in　matters　of　Religion；　are　the　not　having　changed　the　limits　of　Parishes　and　Cures　with　the　Change　of　Religion　from　Popery；　and　with　the　Changes　in　Plantation　and　Trade。　For　now　when　the　Ministers　of　the　Gospel　preach　unto　multitudes　assembled　in　one　place；　may　not　Parishes　be　bigger？　that　is；　may　not　Flocks　be　more　numerous；　then　when　every　particular　sheep　was；　as　heretofore；　drest　and　shorn　three　or　four　times　per　annum　by　Shrift。　If　there　be　in　England　and　Wales　but　about　five　millions　of　people；　what　needs　more　than　5000　Parishes？　that　is　1000　Sheep　under　every　Shepheard。　Whereas　in　the　middling　Parishes　of　London　there　are　about　5000　souls　in　each。　Upon　which　account　there　needs　be　in　England　and　Wales　but　a　1000　Parishes；　whereas　there　are　near　10000。　　　　　16。　Now　the　saving　of　half　the　Parishes；　would　（reckoning　the　Benefices　one　with　another；　but　at　100　l。　per　Annum　a　piece）　save　500000　l。　Besides；　when　the　number　of　Parochial　Parson　were　halved；　then　there　would　need　but　half　the　present　number　of　Byshops；　Deans；　and　Chapters；　Colledges　and　Cathedralls；　which　perhaps　would　amount　to　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　pounds　more：　And　yet　the　Church　of　Godd　would　be　more　regularly　served　then　now；　and　that　without　prejudice　to　that　sacred；　ancient　Order　of　Episcopacy；　and　the　way　of　their　Maintenance　by　Tythes；　and　all　this　in　a　method　of　greater　Reformation　and　suitableness　thereunto。　　　　　18。　But　suppose　it　be　said；　that　in　some　wild　Countreys；　a　thousand　people　do　not　live　in　a　less　scope　of　ground　then　of　eight　miles　square。　To　which　I　answer；　that　there　are　few　or　no　such　places；　the　largest　Parishes　I　know；　being　not　more　capacious　then　of　three　or　four　miles　square；　in　which　is　no　difficulty；　for　the　people　to　meet　once　a　week　at　some　central　place　within　that　scope。　　　　　19。　Moreover　I　say；　that　a　Curate　of　small　Learning；　if　of　good　life；　and　duly　Ordained；　may　officiate　in　four　Chappels　of　Ease　every　Sunday；　and　the　Preacher；　who　indeed　should　be　a　person　of　Learning　and　Eloquence；　may　preach　every　other　Sunday　in　every　of　the　said　Chappels；　by　preaching　in　two　of　them　one　day；　and　in　the　other　two；　the　other　day：　And　this　with　Catechizing；　and　Extra…Lectures　upon　the　Week…dayes；　would　perform　as　much　as　now　is　performed；　and　as　much　as　by　the　blessing　of　God　is　necessary　to　salvation；　for　the　yoak　of　Christ　is　easie　and　his　burthen　light。　　　　　20。　But　to　put　an　end　to　this　doubt；　I　affirm；　that　if　England　and　Wales　were　cut　out　in　parcels　of　three　miles　square；　there　would　be　found　few　above　four　thousand　such；　of　which　to　make　Parishes。　　　　　21。　Now　if　it　be　said；　that　the　Alienation　of　these　Tythes　is　Scriledge；　I　answer；　that　if　the　same　be　employed　to　defend　the　Church　of　God　against　the　Turke　or　Pope；　and　the　Nations　who　adhere　to　them；　it　is　not　at　all；　or　less；　then　to　give　3/4　of　the　same　to　the　Wives　and　Children　of　the　Priests　which　were　not　in　being　when　those　allowances　were　set　forth？　　　　　21。　If　I　had　not　an　abhorrence　from　propounding　the　lessening　of　the　Church　Means；　I　could　say；　that　the　retrenching　part　of　each　remaining　Parsons　Tythes　and　Emoluments；　and　leaving　him　for　part；　to　the　free　Contributions　of　his　Flocks　were　a　way　to　promote　the　Gospel；　and　to　give　less　offence　to　such　as　think　that　their　whole　maintenance　should　be　made　in　that　matter。　　　　　22。　I　might　also　say；　that　forasmuch　as　there　be　more　Males　then　Females　in　England；　（the　said　disproportion　pro　tanto　hindering　procreation）　that　it　were　good　for　the　Ministers　to　return　to　their　Caelibat；　or　that　none　should　be　Ministers；　whilst　they　were　married；　it　being　easie　among　five　millions　of　people　to　finde　out　5000　that　could　and　would　live　single；　that　is　one　in　a　thousand：　And　then　our　unmarried　Parson　might　live　as　well　with　half；　as　now　with　the　whole　of　his　Benefice。　　　　　23。　Alwayes　provided；　that　though　the　number　of　Parishes；　and　the　measure　of　Benefices　were　lessened；　yet　that　the　same　ought　to　be　done　without　dammage　to　the　present　Incumbents。　　　　　24。　As　for　lessening　the　Charge　of　Offices　relating　to　the　Government　and　the　Law；　the　same　will　consist　in　abolishing　the　superfluous；　supern