treatise on taxes and contributions-第3章

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er；　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；　supernumerary；　and　antiquated；　and　withall；　in　retrenching　the　Fees　of　others；　to　what　the　labour；　art；　and　trust　of　their　respective　employments　do　require。　For　there　by　many　Offices　wholly　executed　by　Deputies　for　small　wages；　whereas　the　Masters　of　them　have　ten　times　as　much；　although　they　know　nothing　either　of　what　is　done；　or　ought　to　be　done　in　the　business。　　　　　25。　Now　such　Surplusages　as　these　should　be　either　restored　unto　the　people　who　gave　them　unto　the　King；　at　a　time　when　those　Fees　made　up　but　a　just　reward　for　the　Officer；　or　else　the　King　keeping　them　still　might　take　them　for　so　much　toward　the　Publick　Charge；　but　not　give　them　away　to　stop　the　importunate　suits　of　any　particular　person；　in　whom　and　in　all　his　dependants；　such　benefits　do　but　cause　a　laziness　as　to　the　true　original　gain　of　the　Nation；　and　themselves　in　particular；　together　with　a　total　negligence　and　ignorance　of　the　publick　good。　　　　　26。　Many　are　the　particulars　that　might　be　instanced　of　this　kinde；　but　my　aim　not　being　to　prejudice　any　man　in　particular；　I　descend　no　lower；　wishing　onely　that　there　might　be　an　universal　Reformation　of　what　length　of　time　hath　warped　awry；　in　which　case　no　particular　men　are　to　be　troubled；　for　if　all　suffer；　none　suffers；　and　all　men　would　be　no　poorer　then　now　they　are　if　they　should　lose　half　their　Estates；　nor　would　they　be　a　whit　the　richer　if　the　same　were　doubled；　the　Ratio　formalis　of　Riches　lying　rather　in　proportion　then　quantity。　　　　　27。　To　lessen　the　charge　of　Universities；　unto　which　I　adde　the　Inns　of　Court；　which　is　not　much；　were　to　lessen　the　number　of　Students　in　Divinity；　Law　and　Medicine；　by　lessening　the　use　of　those　Professions。　　　　　Now　having　spoken　already　of　Divinity；　I　come　next　to　the　Law；　and　say；　that　if　Registers　were　kept　of　all　mens　Estates　in　Lands；　and　of　all　the　Conveyances　of；　and　Engagements　upon　them；　and　withal　if　publick　Loan…Banks；　Lombards；　or　Banks　of　Credit　upon　deposited　money；　Plate；　Jewels；　Cloth；　Wooll；　Silke；　Leather；　Linnen；　Mettals；　and　other　durable　Commodities　were　erected；　I　cannot　apprehend　how　there　could　be　above　one　tenth　part　of　the　Law…suits　and　Writings；　as　now　there　are。　　　　　28。　And　moreover；　if　by　account　of　the　people；　of　their　Land　and　other　wealth；　the　number　of　Lawyers　and　Scriveners　were　adjusted；　I　cannot　conceive　how　their　should　remain　above　one　hundredth　part　of　what　now　are；　forasmuch　as　I　have　heard　some　affirm；　that　there　be　now　ten　times　as　many　as　are　even　now　necessary；　and　that　there　are　not　ten　times　as　many　Law…suits；　as　upon　the　abovementioned　Reformation；　there　would　be。　It　follows　therefore；　that　upon　the　whole　there　would　not　need　one　in　a　hundred　of　the　present　number　of　Retainers　to　the　Law；　and　Offices　of　Justice；　the　occasions　as　well　of　crimes　as　injuries　being　so　much　retrenched。　　　　　29。　As　for　Physicians；　it　is　not　hard　by　the　help　of　the　observations　which　have　been　lately　made　upon　the　Bills　of　Mortality；　to　know　how　many　are　sick　in　London　by　the　number　of　them　that　dye；　and　by　the　proportions　of　the　City　t