treatise on taxes and contributions-第14节

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lwayes　go　to　Law　to　obtain　right；　or　prevent　wrong；　which　judicious　neighbours　might　perform　as　well　as　a　Jury　of　no　abler　men；　and　men　might　tell　the　Judge　himself　the　merits　of　their　Cause；　as　well　as　now　they　instruct　their　Councel。　This　therefore　of　Offices　is　a　voluntary　Tax　upon　contentious　men；　as　Excise　upon　Drink　is；　to　good　Fellows　to　love　it。

Chapter　12

Of　Tythes

　　　　The　word　Tythes　being　the　same　with　Tenths；　signife　of　it　self　no　more　then　the　proportion　of　the　Excisium；　or　part　retrenched；　as　if　Customs　upon　imported　and　exported　Commodities　should　be　called　by　the　name　of　Twentieths；　as　it　is　sometimes　called　Tunnage　and　Poundage；　wherefore　it　remains　to　say；　that　Tythes　in　this　place；　do　together　with　the　said　proportion；　consignifie　the　use　of　it；　viz。　the　maintenance　of　the　Clergy；　as　also　the　matter　or　substance　out　of　which　this　Maintenance　is　cut；　viz。　the　immediate　fruit　of　the　Land　and　Waters；　or　the　proceed　of　mens　Labour；　Art　and　Stock　laid　out　upon　them。　It　signifies　also　the　manner　of　paying　it；　viz。　in　specie；　and　not　（but　upon　special　and　voluntary　causes）　in　money。　　　　　2。　We　said　the　matter　of　Tythes；　was　the　immediate　Fruits　of　the　Earth；　viz。　of　Grain　as　soon　as　'tis　ready　to　be　removed　from　the　ground　that　bare　it；　and　not　of　Bread　which　is　Corn　thresht；　winnowed；　ground；　tempered　with　liquor　and　baked。　　　　　3。　'Tis　also　the　second　choice　out　of　the　young　of　muliparous　Cattle　taken　in　specie；　so　soon　as　the　said　Younglings　can　subsist　without　their　Dams；　or　else　a　Composition　in　Money　for　the　Uniparons。　　　　　4。　'Tis　Wool；　so　soon　as　it　is　shorn；　'tis　Fowl　and　Fish；　where　Fowling　and　Fishing　is　rather　a　Trade　then　a　meer　Recreation；　&　sic　de　caeteris。　　　　　5。　Moreover；　in　great　Cities；　Tythes　are　a　kinde　of　composition　in　Money　for　the　labour　and　profit　of　the　Artisans　who　work　upon　the　materials　which　have　paid　Tythes　before。　　　　　6。　Tythes　therefore　encrease　within　any　Territory；　as　the　labour　of　the　Countrey　increases；　and　labour　doth　or　ought　to　increase　as　the　people　do；　now　within　four　hundred　years　the　people　of　England　are　about　quadrupled；　as　doubling　every　two　hundred　years；　and　the　proportion　of　the　Rent　of　all　the　Lands　in　England　is　about　the　fourth　part　of　the　Expence　of　the　people　in　it；　so　as　the　other　three　parts　is　labour　and　stock。　　　　　7。　Wherefore　the　Tythes　now　should　be　twelve　times　as　good　as　they　were　four　hundred　years　ago；　which　the　rates　of　Benefices　in　the　Kings　books　do　pretty　well　shew；　by　comparing　of　times；　something　of　this　should　be　abated　because　the　proportion　between　the　proceed　of　Lands　and　Labour　do　vary　as　the　hands　of　Labourers　vary：　Wherefore　we　shall　rather　say；　that　the　Tythes　are　but　six　times　as　good　now　as　four　hundred　years　ago；　that　is；　that　the　Tythes　now　would　pay　six　times　as　many　Labourers；　or　feed　six　times　as　many　mountes；　as　the　Tythes　four　hundred　years　ago　would　have　done。　　　　　8。　Now　if　there　were　not　onely　as　many　Parishes　then　as　now；　more　Priests　in　every　Parish；　and　also　more　Religious　Men　who　were　also　Priests；　and　the　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