treatise on taxes and contributions-第16章

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　Religion　of　those　times　being　more　operose；　and　fuller　of　work　then　now；　by　reason　of　Confessions；　Holydayes；　Offices；　etc。　more　in　those　dayes　then　now；　（the　great　work　n　these　dayes　being　a　compendious　teaching　above　a　thousand　at　once　without　much　particular　Confession　and　Catechising；　or　trouble　about　the　Dead；　it　seems　clear；　tha　the　Clergy　now　if　far　richer　then　heretofore；　and　that　to　be　a　Clergy…man　then　was　a　kinde　of　a　Mortification；　whereas　now　（praised　be　God）　'tis　matter　of　splendour　and　magnificence；　unless　any　will　say；　that　there　were　golden　Priests　when　the　Chalices　were　wood；　and　but　wooden　Priests　when　the　Chalices　were　gold；　or　that　Religion　best　flourisheth　when　the　Priests　are　most　mortified；　as　was　before　said　of　the　Law；　which　best　flourisheth　when　Lawyers　have　least　to　do。　　　　　9。　But　what　ever　the　increase　of　the　Churches　Goods　are；　I　grudge　it　them　not；　onely　wish　that　they　would　take　a　course　to　enjoy　it　with　safety　and　peace　to　themselves；　whereof　one　is；　not　to　breed　more　Churchmen　then　the　Benefices　as　they　now　stand　shred　out；　will　receive；　that　is　to　say；　if　there　be　places　but　for　about　twelve　thousand　in　England　and　Wales；　it　will　not　be　safe　to　breed　up　24000。　Ministers；　upon　a　view；　or　conceipt　that　the　Church　means　otherwise　distributed　might　suffice　them　all；　for　then　the　twelve　thousand　which　are　unprovided　for；　will　seek　wayes　how　to　get　themselves　a　livelihood；　which　they　cannot　do　more　easily　then　by　perswading　the　people；　that　the　twelve　thousand　Incumbents　do　poison　or　starve　their　souls；　and　misguide　them　in　their　way　to　Heaven：　Which　needy　men　upon　a　strong　temptation　will　do　effectually；　we　having　observed；　that　Lecturers　being　such　a　sord　of　Supernumerairies；　have　preached　more　times　in　a　week；　more　hours　in　the　day；　and　with　greater　vehemence　every　time；　then　the　Incumbents　could　afford　to　do；　for　Graeculus　esuriens　in　Caelum　jusseris；　ibit。　Now　this　vehemence；　this　pains；　this　zeal；　and　this　living　upon　particular　donations；　makes　the　people　think；　that　those　who　act　them　are　withall　more　Orthodox；　nay　better　assisted　from　God　then　the　others。　Now　let　any　man　judge；　whether　men　reputed　to　be　inspired　will　not　get　help　to　lift　themselves　into　Church…livings；　etc。　But　these　things　are　too　plain　from　the　latest　experiences。　　　　　10。　Now　you　will　ask；　how　shall　that　be　done；　or　how　may　we　know　how　to　adjust　our　Nursery　to　our　Orchard？　to　which　I　answer；　that　if　there　be　twelve　thousand　Church…livings　in　England；　Dignitaries　included；　then　that　about　four　hundred　being　sent　forth　per　ann。　into　the　Vineyard；　may　keep　it　well　served；　withou　luxuriency；　for　according　to　the　Mortality…Bill…observation；　about　that　number　will　dye　yearly　out　of　twelve　thousand　Adult…persons；　such　as　Ministers　are　as　to　age；and　ought　to　be　as　well　as　to　speculative　knowledge；　as　practical　experience；　both　of　themselves　and　others。　　　　　11。　But　I　have　digressed；　my　main　scope　being　to　explain　the　nature　of　the　Tax　of　Tythes；　nevertheless　since　the　end　of　such　explanation　is　but　to　perswade　men　to　bear　quietly　so　much　Tax　as　is　necessary；　and　not　to　kick　against　the　pricks；　and　since　the　end　of　that　again；　and　the　end　of　all　else　we　are　to　do；　is　but　to　preserve　the　publick　Peace；　I　think　I　have　not　been　impertinent　in　inserting　this　little　Advertisement；　making　so　much　for　the　Peace　of　our　Jerusalem。　　　　　12。　But　to　return　to　Tythes　as　a　Tax　or　Levy。　I　say　that　in　England　it　is　none；　whatsoever　it　might　be　or　seem　to　be　in　the　first　Age　of　its　Institution；　nor　will　the　Kings　Quit…rents　in　Ireland；　as　they　are　properly　none　now；　seem　any　in　the　next　Age；　when　every　man　will　proportion　his　Expence　to　the　remainder　of　his　own　Rent　after　the　King　is　paid　his；　for　'tis　surprize　and　the　suddenness　of　the　Charge；　which　a　Tax　supervenient　to　a　mans　other　expences　and　issues　makes；　that　renders　it　a　burthen；　and　that　intollerable　to　such　as　will　not　understand　it；　making　men　even　to　take　up　Arms　to　withstand　it；　that　is；　leap　out　of　the　Frying…pan　upon　earth　into　the　fire　even　of　hell；　which　is　War；　and　the　calamities　thereof。　　　　　13。　Now　Tythes　being　no　Tax；　I　speak　of　it　but　as　the　modus　or　pattern　of　a　Tax；　affirming　it　to　be　next　to　one；　the　most　equal　and　indifferent　which　can　be　appointed　in　order　to　defray　the　publick　Charge　of　the　whole　Nation　as　well　as　that　of　the　Church；　for　hereby　is　collected　a　proportion　of　all　the　Corn；　Cattle；　Fish；　Fowl；　Fruit；　Wool；　Honey；　Wax；　Oyl；　Hemp；　and　Flax　of　the　Nation；　as　a　result　of　the　Lands；　Art；　Labour；　and　Stock　which　produce　them；　onely　it　is　scarce　regular　in　respect　of　Housing；　Cloth；　Drinks；　Leather；　Feathers；　and　the　several　Manufactures　of　them；　insomuch；　as　if　the　difference　of　Tythes　which　the　Countrey　payes　in　proportion　to　the　City；　where　now　de　novo　to　be　established；　I　do　not　see　what　in　likelihood　would　sooner　cause　a　grand　sedition　about　it。　　　　　14。　The　payment　of　an　aliquot　part　to　the　King　out　of　the　same　things　as　now　pay　Tythes；　in　specie；　would　have　no　inconvenience；　because；　the　Kings　Rents　would　be　like　the　Dividend　in　Colledges；　viz。　higher　or　lower　according　to　the　prices　of　those　Commodities；　unless　the　said　inequality　in　colledges　happen　by　reason　of　the　fewness　of　particulars；　according　to　the　market　rates　whereof　their　Rents　are　paid　in　money；　whereas　the　whole　of　all　the　particulars　might　well　enough　ballance　each　other；　a　dear　or　plentiful　being　but　an　appellation　secundum　quid；　viz。　with　reference　as　to　Corn　onely；　as　the　chief　food　of　the　multitude；　whereas　'tis　likely；　that　the　same　causes　which　makes　Corn　scarce；　may　make　other　things　in　plenty　of　no　less　use　to　the　King；　as　repairing　in　one　thing　what　he　wants　in　another。　　　　　15。　Another　inconvenience　would　be　that　which　was　observed　in　Ireland；　when　the　Ministry　were　paid　by　Sallary；　and　the　Tythes　in　kinde　paid　to　the　State；　who　because　they　could　not　actually　receive　them　in　specie；　let　them　at　farm　to　the　most　bidder；　in　the　transaction　whereof　was　much　juggling；　combination；　and　collusion；　which　perhaps　might　have　been　remedied；　had　not　that　course　been　used　but　as　a　sudden　temporary　shift；　without　intention　of　continuing　it。　　　　　16。　The　third　inconvenience　is；　that　abovementioned；　viz。　the　necessity　of　another　way　of　Tax；　to　take　in　the　Manufactures　of　those　Commodities　which　pay　the　Tax　of　Tythes；　whereas　possibly　there　is　a　way　of　Tax　equal　in　its　own　nature；　and　which　needs　not　to　be　pieced　up　by　any　other；　so　as　the　Officers　about　that　may　have　a　full　employment；　and　none　others　wanted；　whose　wide　intervals　of　leasure　shall　make　them　seem　Drones；　as　they　are　also　the　Caterpillars　of　any　State。

Chapter　13

Of　Several　smaller　wayes　of　levying　Money

　　　　When　the　people　are　weary　of　any　one　sort　of　Tax；　presently　some　Projector　propounds　another；　and　gets　himself　audience；　by　affirming　he　can　propound　a　way　how　all　the　publick　charge　may　be　born　without　the　way　that　is。　As　for　example；　if　a　Land…tax　be　the　present　distasted　way；　and　the　people　weary　of　it；　then　he　offers　to　do　the　business　without　such　a　Land…tax；　and　propound　either　a　Poll…money；　Excize；　or　the　institution　of　some　new　Office　or　Monopoly；　and　hereby　draws　some　or　other　to　hearken　to　him；　which　is　readily　enough　done　by　those　who　are　not　in　the　places　of　profit　relating　to　the　way　of　Levies　in　use；　but　hope　to　make　themselves　Offices　in　the　new　Institution。　　　　　2。　I　shall　enumerate　a　few　of　the　smaller　wayes　which　I　have　observed　in　several　places　of　Europe；　viz。　　　　　First；　in　some　places　the　State　is　common　Cashier　for　all　or　most　moneys；　as　where　Banks　are；　thereby　gaining　the　interest　of　as　much　money　as　is　deposited　in　their　hands。　　　　　Secondly；　Sometimes　the　State　is　the　common　Usurer；　as　where　Loan　Banks；　and　montes　pietatis　are　in　use；　and　might　be　more　copiously　and　effectively　where　Registers　of　Lands　are　kept。　　　　　Thirdly；　Sometimes　the　State　is　or　may　be　Common　Ensurer；　either　upon　the　danger　onely　of　Enemies　at　sea；　according　to　the　supposed　primitive　end　of　our　Customs　in　England；　or　else　of　the　casualties　of　the　Enemy；　Weather；　Sea；　and　Vessel　taken　together。　　　　　Fourly；　Sometimes　the　State　hath　the　whole　sale　and　benefit　of　certain　Commodities；　as　of　Amber　in　the　Duke　of　Brandenburghs　Countrey；　Toba