treatise on taxes and contributions-第2节

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lick　Charge　is；　that　of　the　Pastorage　of　mens　Souls；　and　the　guidance　of　their　Consciences；　which；　one　would　think　（because　it　respects　another　world；　and　but　the　particular　interest　of　each　man　there）　should　not　be　a　publick　Charge　in　this：　Nevertheless；　if　we　consider　how　easie　it　is　to　elude　the　Laws　of　man；　to　commit　unproveable　crimes；　to　corrupt　and　divert　Testimonies；　to　wrest　the　sense　and　meaning　of　the　Laws；　etc。　there　follows　a　necessity　of　contributing　towards　a　publick　Charge；　wherewith　to　have　men　instructed　in　the　Laws　of　God；　that　take　notice　of　evil　thoughts　and　designs；　and　much　more　of　secret　deeds；　and　that　punisheth　eternally　in　another　world；　what　man　can　but　slightly　chastise　in　this。　　　　　8。　Now　those　who　labour　in　this　publick　Service；　must　also　be　maintained　in　a　proportionable　splendour；　and　must　withall　have　the　means　to　allure　men　with　some　kinde　of　reward；　even　in　this　life；　forasmuch；　as　many　heretofore　followed　even　Christ　himself；　but　for　the　Loaves　he　gave　them。　　　　　9。　Another　branch　is；　the　Charge　of　Schools　and　Universities；　especially　for　so　much　as　they　teach　above　Reading；　Writing　and　Arithmetick；　these　being　of　particular　use　to　every　man；　as　being　helps　and　substitutes　of　Memory　and　Reason；　Reckoning　being　of　the　latter；　as　Writing　and　Reading　are　of　the　former；　for　whether　Divinity；　etc。　ought　to　be　made　a　private　Trade；　is　to　me　a　question。　　　　　10。　'Tis　true；　that　Schools　and　Colledges　are　now　for　the　most　part　but　the　Donations　of　particular　men；　or　places　where　particular　men　spend　their　money　and　time　upon　their　own　private　accounts；　but　no　doubt　it　were　not　amiss；　if　the　end　of　them　were　to　furnish　all　imaginable　helps　unto　the　highest　and　finest　Natural　Wits；　towards　teh　discovery　of　Nature　in　all　its　operations；　in　which　sense　they　ought　to　be　a　publick　Charge：　The　which　Wits　should　not　be　selected　for　that　work；　according　to　the　fond　conceits　of　their　own　Parents　and　Friends；　（Crows　that　think　their　own　Birds　ever　fairest）　but　rather　by　the　approbation　of　others　more　impartial；　such　as　they　are；　who　pick　from　out　of　the　Christians　Children　the　ablest　Instruments　and　Support　of　the　Turkish　Governments。　Of　which　Selections　more　hereafter。　　　　　11。　Another　branch；　is　that　of　the　Maintenance　of　Orphans；　found　and　exposed　Children；　which　also　are　Orphans；　as　also　of　Impotents　of　all　sorts；　and　moreover　such　as　want　employment。　　　　　12。　For　the　permitting　of　any　to　beg　is　a　more　chargeable　way　of　maintaining　them　whom　the　law　of　Nature　will　not　suffer　to　starve；　where　food　may　possibly　be　had：　Besides；　it　is　unjust　to　let　any　starve；　when　we　think　it　just　to　limit　the　wages　of　the　poor；　so　as　they　can　lay　up　nothing　against　the　time　of　their　impotency　and　want　of　work。　　　　　13。　A　last　Branch　may　be；　the　Charge　of　High…wayes；　Navigable　Rivers；　Aquaeducts；　Bridges；　Havens；　and　other　things　of　universal　good　and　concernment。　　　　　14。　Other　Branches　may　be　thought　on；　which　let　other　men　either　refer　unto　these；　or　adde　over　and　above。　For　it　suffices　for　my　purpose　to　have　for　the　present　set　down　these　the　chief　and　most　obvious　of　all　the　rest。

Chapter　2

Of　the　Causes　which　encrease　and　aggravate　the　several　sorts　of　Publick　Charges。

　　　　Having　thus　spoken　of　the　several　sorts　of　Publick　Charges；　we　shall　next　consider　the　Causes　which　encrease　them　both　in　general　and　in　particular。　　　　　Among　the　general　Causes　is；　First；　the　unwillingness　of　the　people　to　pay　them；　arising　from　an　opinion；　that　by　delay　and　reluctancy　they　may　wholly　avoid　them；　with　a　suspition　that　what　is　imposed　is　too　much；　or　that　what　is　collected　is　embezelled　or　ill　expended；　or　that　it　is　unequally　leavied　and　assessed。　All　these　resolving　into　an　unnecessary　Charge　to　collect　them；　and　of　forcing　their　Prince　to　hardships　towards　the　people。　　　　　2。　Another　Cause　which　aggravates　Taxes　is；　the　force　of　paying　them　in　money　at　a　certain　time；　and　not　in　commodities；　at　the　most　convenient　seasons。　　　　　3。　Thirdly；　Obscurities　and　doubts　concerning　the　right　of　imposing。　　　　　4。　Fourthly；　Scarcity　of　Money；　and　Confusion　of　Coins。　　　　　5。　Fifthly；　Fewness　of　people；　especially　of　Labourers　and　Artifiers。　　　　　6。　Sixthly；　Ignorance　of　the　numbers；　Wealth　and　Trade　of　the　people；　causing　a　needless　repetition　of　the　charge　and　trouble　of　new　additional　Levies；　in　order　to　amend　mistakes。　　　　　7。　As　to　particulars。　The　Causes　of　encreasing　the　Military　Charge　are　the　same　with　those　that　encrease　Wars；　or　fear　of　Wars；　which　are　Foreign　or　Civil。　　　　　8。　An　Offensive　Forreign　War　is　caused　by　many；　and　those　very　various；　secret；　personal　distastes　coloured　　with　publick　pretences；　of　which　we　can　say　nothing；　but　that　the　common　encouragement　unto　them　particularly　here　in　England　is　a　false　opinion；　that　of　Countrey　is　full　peopled；　or　that　if　we　wanted　more　Territory；　we　could　take　it　with　less　charge　from　our　neighbours；　then　purchase　it　from　the　Americans；　and　a　mistake；　that　the　greatness　and　glory　of　a　Prince　lyeth　rather　in　the　extent　of　his　Territory；　then　in　the　number；　art；　and　industry　of　his　people；　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　perha