the means of advancing Trade is so to influence every particular person in the Kingdom that he may have Mony according to the degree of his Calling and to carry on the designs be they smaller or greater which he has undertaken and by the rule of contraries the way to destroy Trade is to draw the Mony from the Body of all the People and gather it from all the particulars of the Commonwealth and the more this is done the more the materials of Trade are taken away and consequently it must weaken and consume so that we do plainly see the Cause of the evils at this time The Parliament having granted the King such Immense sums of Mony and that collected upon the whole Body of the Subject which alone were capable to manage a great Trade and besides these Excise and Hearth-mony collected also as the other but never known till of late to this may be added the new Building of LONDON especially in the concerns thereof so that putting these things together we may wonder we are not much lower and weaker than we seem to be at this time Well may Landlords complain of the fall of Rents and have their Lands thrown into their own hands when by their own Acts they have taken away the means of Traffick and those materials that Men must work upon for their support For as in a natural Body there is required nourishment to keep it in life and consistency and also this nourishment must have a Vehicle which is the Blood whereby it may be conveyed to all parts of the Body Now if you take away this too often and in too great quantities no wonder if at last the Body grow weak and unable to perform what otherwise might be required of it When the Blood is perfectly distributed through all the parts and permitted to take its free and natural Circulation So it is in a Body Politick Trade is its nourishment maintains its life and keeps it in heart gives it a healthful Constitution and preserves it from sinking by any weakness within and enables it also to repel external violence The Vehicle to convey this nourishment to all the parts for their relief is Mony the very Blood of the Body Politick of which the more we take from this Body the nearer we do bring it to a Consumption and inability to sustain it self Farther we must not imagine that the burden is made lighter when divided amongst so many Interests which as to privat concerns perhaps is not so much perceived at present but as to the concerns of Trade the whole Nation is but as one Man and so much as you take there from so much you take from Trade and the livelihood of the Nation which in time will return with more weight upon particulars as we find by experience in Rents Wool c. This being the condition of the Nation dreyned to this faintness and weakness as at this day and still there is occasions for more Mony and those no light ones neither such as to put us in a posture of Defence in case of any attempt from a Forreign Enemy which our present circumstances leave us not without cause to apprehend also to take off the burden that lies upon the Kings Revenue and further if we can to recover those eruptions and devastations made upon our Trade and Livelihood to set us upon our legs that we may shew somthing of antient valour in times of such action and enterprizes as are now on foot But how shall this be done to take more blood from the Publick is to bring us down beyond hopes of Becovery after so many plentiful evacuations But some course must be taken and which way shall we turn shall we exenterate our own bowels and sacrifice our Lives and Livelihoods for our Liberties shall we destroy our selves that we may save our selves and give away the support of our lives for the defence of them or to what purpose is it to defend them from outward violence when they must thus sink from within though they should be secured from without Is it not better we cast about and see if there be not some other means of Relief Can we not find an Ulcerated part in this Body which being lopt off that nourishment which it too potently draws to it self may by its separation be distributed through the whole Mass for the support of its weakness and indisposition To be short there cannot be any better means or other method to compleat our hapiness and to make amends for all our evils than to take away the Lands of laizy and deceitful Clergy-men there seems to be a fatal necessity upon us to do it they being not only uselesâ— but a bitter Fountain that sends forth streams to the annoyance of the greatest and meanest of the people and when it shall appear that this may be done with honesty and Honour with â—ight of Justice with safety to the Government and advancement of Religion as I shall shew The design will be more worthy to be put in execution Supposing then that the Tithes throughout England be allotted to be the Portion of the Clergy as in the old Law by Divine Constitution which being equally divided amongst them throughout England will amount to 100 l. a year or better an ample Revenue for a Clergy-man that will answer the ends of his Calling as we shall shew hereafter And in case any Controverse arise it may be determined by the general Assembly of the County or by the gravet and wiser amongst them but by all means that their hands be kept off from Secular business which belongs not to their Function upon any account Having so well provided for them Let their Lands and Manors c. be given to the Publick Benefit and that the Parliament have the power over it to appoint Officers about the Concerns of that Revenue and to take an account of them and that it be by their prudence and Care so disbursed to the several Affairs that may require its assistance to Dâ—mise throughout the Nation those Lands for the raising Mony upon a sudden exigency That part of these rents be imply'd in Maritine affairs the building of Busses Galleys and other Vessels for the Fishing likewise for greater Ships as shall be necessary and for mantaining and repairing Forts and Walled Towns Another part for the Improvement of Trade by Land there may small Stocks be derived into all parts of the Kingdom to set the poor on work Likewise in divers parts that Work houses may be built for the Improvement of our Manufactures in the manner of Hospitals wherein the lame and blind and all sorts may have some imployment whereby to get their own livelihood and also others may make some advantages by their labours Likewise other Houses may be built for the Benefit and Improvement of the Mineral Trade whither may be sent to works of Industry such whom we now too severely deliver to death upon small offences
All these Methods will not diminish the revenue but increase it For if well managed it will return into their hands again perhaps double As suppose Ffty Thousand Pound a year be allowed and well managed in these uses this Mony lies not dead as in Hospitals or such Foundations but will perhaps return Fourscore thousand pound again or more for the benefit of the publick and yet the Nation is advantaged as much as that Fifty thousand pounds comes to and perhaps more than if it were given without any return So that besides the Commodities of our Country well improv'd and every man has work and dealings enough there will be an ample foundation for Banks of Piety for encouragements to advance Trade as to send Men into Forrein Countreys upon the Publick Charges for the advancement of Trade to learn skill in Manufactures to improve Commerce also liberal Sallaries and Rewards for such as have deserved well of the Commonwealth by useful Inventions Fighting for its Defence c. Hence also Allowance may be given to decayed Gentlemen such whose Estates are incumbred by Debts and more by Interest may hence be relieved Out of this the necessities of the KING may often be supply'd without burden to His Subjects and it will be as an eternal Cement to unite the hearts of the King and his Subâ—ects The People shall not be burdened with Taxes or else made able to pay them and thereby the King shall be freed from the Complaints and Grievances of the People more burdensom than any part of administration Thus shall these Lands which have hitherto mantained unjust usurpation which served Pride and Malice to distress and grieve Mankind in all Orders and Degrees By this means they shal become the happy Instruments of universal benefit to all Orders and Degrees amongst us Now if the Remedy must be contrary to the Distemper then have we a very apt Remedy for all our evils which as they have been brought upon us by dreyning the Nation of so much of its Blood so shall our Cure be by deriving these refreshing Springs into all the exhausted and weak'ned parts of the Kingdom and we may promise our selves from the wisdom of the Parliament that no corner of the Kingdom shall be excluded from the benigne Influence thereof The young Man may be advanced into Trade without any Fortune of his own the poor Man shall have work the Tradesman Business the Mariner is made happy the Ingenious rewarded the Unfortunate relieved and the whole Nation so exalted and Improved that we shall be like the Israelites returning from Captivity as Men in a Dream scarce believing on a sudden that happiness which we see and feell Now it being so that Episcopal Govrnment expelled such Blessings follow as are like the Glories of the Morning Sun to Midnight darkness Is it not to be wished that the King and Parliament having laid such continued burdens upon the Subject would consult their own Honour and Reputation and transmit their Names and Memory to Posterity with some sweet odours of Praise and Blessing that they would once in so many Essays do somthing which may prove the Universal Benefit of the Civil State and of Religion which may make their Fame Glorious and Renowned to the present and future Generations and may bring a blessing from Heaven to prosper and establish all other their undertakings What though our Ancestors eys were blinded to give the best of the Kingdom to Clergy-men and to confirm them by Laws Yet since our eyes are open to discover the Cheats and folly thereof we should commit a greater folly than they if we in so great necessity should suffer them to enjoy what was so exorbitantly given or rather what was gotten by Fraud and Collvsion Have not we the same power to nullify Laws made against the Common good as they had to establish the same And have we not yet more Reason since they granted them through Collusion and deceit whereas every day discovers to us that there is no neâ—essity and occasion thereof And moreover it is returned into the bosom of their Posterity with a hundred Fold disadvantage instead of Benefit Now though it were enough to say that the Supreme Law did require this even the safety of the Kingdom being concern'd in it There being a necessity that all Government be directed according to the course and exigency of the present circumstances and conditions in which they live to whom the mannagement of affairs is committed or else it loseth its end and is not established for the preservation of the Subject his peace and settlement but by a kind of Solaecism in Politicks for the preservation of that which is no more even a worn off generation gone to their Fathers Yet I shall add farther that there ir Right and Equity enough in the thing For 1st They obtained their Lands by Collusion and Fraud 2ly They managed them so as to be the Instruments of oppression and disturbance to all Mankind and to this Commonwealth in particular which is Treason enough in a sound sense if not directly yet interpretatively As for the Imputation of Sacriledge we shall see more hereafter But the Collusion and deceit will appear plainly if we consider that these Lands and Priviledges were granted in such an age and time of Darkness when nothing of the Scripture or of the Truth was known and less of Religion practised Men pretended then a great deal of Zeâ—l for Religion but really abominated the plainness and simplicity that was in the Gospel and the spiritual exercise it did require So that all their Zeal was spent in pursuit of a strange Worship things diametrically opposite to the Gospel of Truth whereby they might make themselves Great or Honourable that they might abound with all things that could minister to their Pride their Luxury and Excess and what ever else was contrary to the rule of sound Doctrine To accomplish these their extravagant and wicked designs They first trouble and muddy the pure Springs of Christian Doctrine and Practice brâ—ng first Liturgies Forms and Ceremonies of Worship and then went on to Altars Crosses Bowings Washings Images Masses and Infinite such trumpery to amuse mens minds with a shew of outside Worship Then they set apart multitudes of Men devoted to these wickednesses who had no other Imployment but to read Mâ—sses filling the world with Lies and Forgeries of Miracles whereby to bring the world into Fear and Superstition chiefly to induce Men to impart to them of their wealth and substance relating wonderful Apparitions and Visions of such who had been favourable to their greedy desires maâ—ing them no less than Saints that others might be incouraged to follow their works And more Fuel might be added to their ungodly Lusts But if any did discountenance them in their Designs or not fulfil their desires to the utmost they had a serviceable invention of Purgatory whereby they would make up their Markets For their Prayers were of
have been invested with I shall not now trouble the Reader with a particular recitation of those disturbances and molestations wherewith our Kings and Nobles as well as Commons have suffered under Popish Bishops Nor yet the Practices of our late Bishops of the Reformation how they oppressed the Subjects and overthrew all Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom to set up their own Power and satisfie the lust of tyrannous and absolute Dominion abusing the goodness of our Kings to this purpose which things have been shewed already by others It shall be sufficient to observe that when by the Reformation the Scriptues were opened and put into every mans hands for their Direction there were found very few whose minds were dis-engaged from the Superstition of Popery but manifested an inclination to embrace the Scripture in the true and native plainness of it and to yield obedience to the sincere practical Duties therein contained And at that time it seemed to have an Influence upon the Clergy as well as others who minding the calling the People off from Popery or Confirming them in the Reformed Religion or building them up in Faith and good Works were not much sollicitous of Dominion and Jurisdiction but depended upon the Kings Grace not only for any Authority to be exercised by them but also for their very Lands and Revenues And he that had so boldly spoiled Abbies and Monasteries bringing down proud and stately Fabricks to the dust and Confiscating their Revenues could also upon the least occasion offer'd or tending to oppose his Projects have caused them to taste of the same Lot with their Brethren These two things were concurring the Truth of Christ and Fear of the Prince to whom they were subject must needs make tolerable Bishops though it is probable they were good men notwithstanding But as it was in the Bishops of Rome who of tollerable Bâ—shops at the first when their Fortunes were small and the Secular Authority too Potent to be resisted became intolerable Usurpers of uncontrollable Power when once they had settled their Foot and enlarged their Dominions So likewise the old Serpent had the same Game to play with us For after a little time having settled themselves by Law they began to look about and think of amplifying their Power making all men submit thereto and to suppress all opposition and root it out And now they held no longer of the Kings Grace but Jure Divino still augmenting and riveting themselves by degrees in Secular Authority and exceeding therewth from the Light and Purity of Scripture to a hatred thereof and the Preaching of it and all such as owned it in Publick declaring and teaching it or in private Till at length no Remonstrances or Petitions to the contrary notwithstanding They had erected a Court of Commission and had brought a Spanish Inquisition amongst us and proceeded to other acts by corrupting or delaying Justice that it was hard to say whether the Subject was more opprest by being deprived of the Priviledges the Law allows him or the Bishops more Tirants Usurpers in going so far beyond the limits that the Law had set them every where acting with such a Power as the Effects made appear to be unlimited They having been thus seduced by Riches and Greatness to abandon the Truth and Purity of Christian Religion Yet other Persons wanting that Temptation had no reason to submit to a domineering Lust against the Testimony of Truth and Religion nor lend their assistance to maintain a laizy and usurped authority So that animosities must needs be kindled and as the Bishops grew more in Authority and Dominion and farther departed from this Truth the Malice and Rage of the one increased which added stubborness and resolution to the other These Causes of dissention were kindling and somenting a long while till the Bishops at last so far abused the good nature of K. Charles I. so far to the oppression of the Truth and the mantainers of it and it was but the Name of a Puritan that must make a Man lyable to all the Inconveniences of a tyranical Court to be susspended from his Office and the Benefits of it to have his Study and House ransack'd forced to accuse himself by an Oath Ex Officio and besides waiting upon Vexatious and Dilatory Suits without liberty of Pleading or answering to any thing that was objected against him He must thus spend his Time and his Estate to the Ruine of Himself and his Family These and other things became so general a burden that there was no redress but by taking up Arms against those unjust Invaders of their Liberty whose original Greatness being establisht by Deceit and Falshood their Authority a Usurpation their Government though it had been Legal yet so unreasonably abused to the disturbance of the Peace and Liberty of the Subject It were not in the Kings power though they decoy'd him to their Party nor was it just and right in him to defend or abett them much less to esteem what was done against them to be done against Himself His Royal Crown or Sacred Authority He is to be the Minister of Justice and this must be adherd to though with the loss of whatsoever is most dear to him T is He acts against his own Life Crown He betrays his Scepter and Authority and is guilty of Treason against himself when he takes part with the unrighteous with cruel and blood-thirsty men to disturb the Peace of his true and Loyal Subjects to spoil them of their Lives and Fortunes and leave the Children of Innocent Men to the extremity of Sorrow and Distress Thus were we at length engaged in a Civil War and by a soul and reproachful Disaster contrary to the desires and wishes of the Nation The Hand of the Subject was imbrued in the Blood of his King and shall we think these Men Innocent in all this Then may it be said that he who shall all manner of ways exagitate his enemie and leave no part of malice unattempted to hasten the destruction of him who hath no other quarrel to his Persecutor but the desire of his amendment if he shall drive him to the utmost and last extremity so that he knows not which way to turn and finds no possible means of Recovery and safety but by disarming his Persecutor and captivating that Power that was so unjustly drawn out against him This Person thus disarmed may then complain he is abused and set upon his Life and Fortune assaulted upon no ground or reason he is Innocent and only guilty if that be guilt of endeavouring to bring his Enemy to a right mind that is to be his Vassal that he may set his foot upon the neck of his Enemy and make him know that HE also is a God that ruleth in the Earth The same imbittered Spirit seems to continue still with us and has not been without its Essays of disturbing that Peace and repose which we at present enjoy