treatise on taxes and contributions-第14章

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　this　particular：　forasmuch　as　that　course　savours　of　no　bitterness　at　all；　but　rather　argues　a　desire　to　indulge；　provided　such　indulgence　may　consist　with　the　indempnity　of　the　State；　for　no　Heterodox　will　desire　to　be　tollerated　longer　then　he　keeps　the　Publick　Peace；　the　which　if　he　means　to　do；　he　cannot　take　it　ill　of　the　Magistrate；　to　keep　him　steddy　unto　that　his　duty；　nor　grudge　to　contribute　towards　so　much　charge　for　that　purpose　as　himself　occasions。　　　　　21。　Moreover；　as　there　seems　a　reason　for　indulging　some　conscientious　misbelievers；　so　there　is　as　mcuh　for　being　severe　towards　Hypocrites；　expecially　such　as　abuse　holy　Religion　to　cloak　and　vizzard　worldly　ends：　Now　what　more　easie　and　yet　effectual　way　is　there　to　discern　between　these　two；　then　well　proportioned　pecuniary　mulcts？　for　who　desiring　to　serve　God　without　fear；　and　labouring　ten　hours　per　diem　at　his　Calling；　would　not　labour　one　hour　more　for　such　a　freedom？　even　as　religious　men　spend　an　hour　per　diem　more　than　the　looser　sort　do　at　their　Devotions；　or　who　weaving　Cloth　of　one　and　twenty　shillings；　for　the　same　advantage　of　his　liberty　in　Worship？　Those　that　kick　at　this；　being　unwilling　either　to　do　or　suffer　for　God；　for　whose　sake　they　pretent　so　much。　　　　　22；　It　may　be　her　objected；　that　although　some　bad　Religions　might　be　tolerated；　yet　that　all　may　not；　viz。　such　as　consist　not　with　the　Civil　Peace。　To　which　I　answer。　　　　　First；　that　there　is　not　Schisme　or　Separation；　be　it　never　so　small；　consistent　with　that　unity　and　peace　as　could　be　wisht；　nor　none　so　perfectly　conscientious；　but　may　also　be　civilly　most　pernicious：　For　that　Venner　and　his　Complices　acted　upon　internal　motives；　the　most　free　exposing　of　themselves　to　death　may　evince；　and　yet　their　holding　the　King　to　be　an　Usurper　upon　the　Throne　and　Right　of　Jesus　Christ　was　a　Civil　mischief　neither　to　be　pardoned　or　parallel'd。　　　　　23。　And　yet　on　the　other　hand　there　is　no　Pseudodoxy　so　great；　but　may　be　muzzled　from　doing　much　harm　in　the　State；　without　either　Death；　Imprisonment；　or　Mutilation：　To　make　short；　no　opinion　can　be　more　dangerous；　then　to　disbelieve　the　immortality　of　the　Soul；　as　rendring　men　a　beast；　and　without　conscience；　or　fear　of　committing　any　evil；　if　he　can　but　elude　the　penaltie　of　humane　Laws　made　against　it；　and　letting　men　loose　to　all　evil　thoughts　and　designs　whereof　man　can　take　no　notice：　Now　I　say　that　even　this　Misbeliever　may　be　adaequately　punished　if　he　be　kept　as　a　beast；　be　propietor　of　nothing；　as　making　no　consicence　how　he　gets；　be　never　admitted　in　Evidence　or　Testimony；　as　under　no　obligation　to　speak　truth；　be　excluded　all　Honours　and　Offices；　as　caring　onely　for　himself；　not　the　protecting　of　others；　and　be　withall　kept　to　extream　bodily　labour；　the　profit　whereof　to　the　State　is　the　pecuniary　Mulct　we　speak　of；　though　the　greatest。　　　　　24。　As　for　opinions　less　horrible　then　this；　the　Mulct　may　be　fitted　to　each　of　them　respectively；　according　to　the　measure　of　danger　which　the　Magistrate　apprehends　from　their　allowance；　and　the　charge　necessary　to　prevent　it。　　　　　25。　An　now　we　are　speaking　of　the　wayes　how　to　prevent　and　correct　Heterodoxies　in　Religion；　which　we　have　hitherto　done　by　designing　punishmets　for　the　erring　sheep；　I　think　it　not　amiss　to　adde；　That　in　all　these　cases　the　Shepherdsd　themselves　should　not　wholly　scape　free；　For　if　in　this　Nation　there　be　such　abundance　of　Free…Schools；　and　of　liberall　Maintenance　provided　in　our　Universities　and　elsewhere　for　instructing　more　then　enough　in　all　such　learning　as　is　fit　to　defend　the　established　Religion；　together　with　superabundant　Libraries　for　that　purpose。　Moreover；　if　the　Church…preferments　be　so　numerous　and　ample　both　for　Wealth；　Honour；　and　Power；　as　scarce　any　where　more；　it　seems　strange　that　when　by　the　laziness；　formality；　ignorance；　and　loose　lives　of　our　Pastours；　the　sheep　have　gone　astray；　grown　scabbed；　or　have　been　devoured　by　Wolves　and　Foxes；　that　the　Remedy　of　all　this　should　be　onely　sought　by　frighting　those　that　have　strayed　from　ever　returning　again；　and　by　tearing　off　as　well　the　skins　as　the　wool　of　those　that　are　scabbed；　whereas　Almighty　God　will　rather　require　the　blood　even　of　them　that　have　been　devoured；　from　the　shepheards　themselves。　　　　　26。　Wherefore　if　the　Minister　should　lose　part　of　the　Tythes　of　those　whom　he　suffers　to　dissent　from　the　Church；　（the　defector　not　saving；　but　the　State　wholly　gaining　them）　and　the　defector　paying　some　pecuniary　Mulct　for　his　Schisme；　and　withall　himself　defraying　the　charge　of　his　new　particular　Church　and　Pastorage；　me　thinks　the　burthen　would　be　thus　more　equally　born。　　　　　27。　Besides；　the　judicious　world　do　not　believe　our　Clergy　can　deserve　the　vaste　preferments　they　have；　onely　because　they　preach；　give　a　better　accompt　of　Opinions　concerning　Religion　then　others；　or　can　express　their　conceptions　in　the　words　of　the　Fathers；　or　the　Scriptures；　etc。　Whereas　certainly　the　great　honour　we　give　them；　is　for　being　patterns　of　holiness；　for　shewing　by　their　own　self…denials；　mortifications；　and　austerities；　that　'tis　possible　for　us　to　imitate　them　in　the　precepts　of　God；　for　if　it　were　but　for　their　bare　Pulpit…discourses；　some　men　might　think　there　is　ten　thousand　times　as　much　already　printed　as　can　be　necessary；　and　as　good　as　any　that　ever　hereafter　may　be　expected。　And　it　is　much　suspected；　that　the　Discipline　of　the　Cloisters　hath　kept　up　the　Roman　Religion；　which　the　Luxury　of　the　Cardinals　and　Prelates　might　have　destroyed。　　　　　28。　The　substance　therefore　of　all　we　have　said　in　this　discourse　concerning　the　Church　is；　that　it　would　make　much　for　its　peace；　if　the　Nursery　of　Ministers　be　not　too　bigg；　that　Austerities　in　the　Priests　lives　would　reconcil　them　to　the　people；　and　that　it　is　not　unrasonable；　that　when　the　whole　Church　suffers　by　the　defection　of　her　Members；　that　the　Pastours　of　it　by　bearing　a　small　part　should　be　made　sensible　of　the　loss；　the　manner　and　measures　of　all　which　I　leave　unto　those　unto　whom　it　belongs。　　　　　29。　Concerning　Penalties　and　Penal　Laws　I　shall　adde　but　this；　that　the　abuse　of　them　is；　when　they　are　made　not　to　keep　men　from　sin；　but　to　draw　them　into　punishment；　and　when　the　Executors　of　the　keep　them　hid　until　a　fault　be　done；　and　then　shew　them　terrible　to　the　poor　immalcious　offender：　Just　like　Centiels；　who　never　shew　men；　the　advertisements　against　pissing　near　their　Guards；　till　they　have　catcht　them　by　the　coats　for　the　forfeiture　the　claim。

Chapter　11

Of　Monopolies　and　Offices

　　　　Monopoly　（as　the　word　signifies）　is　the　sole　selling　power；　which　whosoever　hath　can　vend　the　commodity　whereupon　he　hath　this　power；　either　qualified　as　himself　　pleases；　or　at　what　price　he　pleaseth；　or　both；　within　the　limits　of　his　Commission。　　　　　2。　The　great　example　of　a　Monopoly　is　the　King　of　France　his　Gabel　upon　Salt；　whereby　he　sells　that　for　sixty　which　costs　him　but　one；　now　Salt　being　a　thing　of　universal　use　to　all　degrees　of　men；　and　scarce　more　to　the　poor　then　the　rich；　it　seems　to　be　of　the　same　effect　with　the　simplest。　Poll…money　abovementioned；　in　case　all　men　spent　equally　or　it；　or　if　men　be　forced　to　take　it　whether　they　spend　it　or　not；　as　in　some　places　they　are。　But　if　men　spend　or　eat　Salt　unequally；　as　they　commonly　do；　nor　are　bound　to　take　or　pay　for　more　then　they　spend；　then　is　no　other　than　an　accumulative　Excize；　especially　if　the　salt　be　all　of　one　uniform　goodness；　otherwise　it　is　a　distinct　species　of　Leavy；　viz。　a　monopoly。　　　　　3。　The　use　or　pretence　of　instituting　a　Monopoly　is；　　　　　First；　Right　of　Invention；　forasmuch　as　the　Laws　do　reward　Inventions；　by　granting　them　a　Monopoly　of　them　for　a　certain；　（as　here　in　England　for　fourteen　years）　for　thereby　the　Inventor　is　rewarded　more　or　less　according　to　the　acceptance　which　his　Inventory　findes　amongst　men。　　　　　Where　note　by　the　way；　that　few　new　Inventions　were　ever　rewarded　by　a　Monopoly；　for　although　the　Inventor　oftentimes　drunk　with　opinion　of　his　own　merit；　thinks　all　the　world　will　invade　and　incroach　upon　him；　yet　I　have　observed；　that　the　generality　of　men　will　scarce　be　hired　to　make　use　of　new　practices；　which　themselves　have　not　throughly　tried；　and　which　length　of　time