because they have more Funds proper to be engaged in the same Tho' there be some Popish Countries in Italy that have still a considerable Trade as Genoa Venice and Leghorn This is occasioned partly bâ—…cause the Clergâ—… is not so Numerous and Rich there and partly that private persons are forbid the putting out of Money to Use and that for the most part in times of Peace Interest of Money does not exceed 3 per Cent in those places which obliges the people to be frugal and to improve their Money in a way of Trade without which Popery would reduce them low enough in a little time And yet notwithstanding â—…his if all Protestant Nations would fix the Interest of Money among themselves at the same rate they should quickly Engross all the Commerce into their hands and in a little time those Popish people would come to nothing for naturally Popery is good for nothing else but to ruin Kingdoms and to render the Pope and the Ecclesiasticks Masters of all The Banks and Lombards in those Towns of Italy are also very useful to them but after all these are but two or three Cities in that Country which is no great matter and which with all those helps would be much less considerable if it were not that they have extended their Dominion in a manner over all the rest of Italy of whose Land Estates they possess a great part by the purchases they have made whereas on the other hand Frâ—…nce and England are generally fitter for Trade and without doubt the Italians would be four times more proper for it than they are and their Country abundantly better peopled were it not for their Religion and Italy by remaining Papist would be much more unpeopled than 't is were it not the Seat of the Papacy but it is in some manner compensated for its losses by the Popish Religion with the Booty which the Court of Rome draws thither from all other Nations as those who live in the Neighbourhood of Algier are advantaged by the Robberies of that Nest of Pyrats It must be considered that in a great State or Country let it be what it will and let them drive what Trade they please except it be in the Provinces of Holland and Zealand the Real Estates are abundantly more valuable for the Capital Fund than Personal Estates tho' the latter do very near afford as much Revenue But if all those Real Estates were in Mainmort and could not be alienated the Personal Estate would be abundantly more valuable because any Man who is possessed of such might therewith purchase an Estate in a Neighbouring Country which should not be in Mainmort and whereof he might dispose at pleasure It is also certain that how much Land Estate soever any person may have if his Estate were in Mainmort he could not be said to be worth so much as the real value of his Land because a Man cannot be accounted rich but in proportion to that Estate which he has power to dispose of It 's true that in a plentiful year he should be able to maintain abundance of people but then all of them would run the risk of being starved in a year of dearth and scarcity because not being able to alienate his Estate he should not have credit to buy Provisions and besides those people that serve him must needs be slaves for none else would serve him but in hopes to gain something and what is it they could gain when there is no Stock to be acquir'd nor no Money and if there were it would be of no use to them Some may perhaps imagine that if there were great Publick Store-houses of Metals Cloaths Linnen Hides and such things which might be alienated and purchas'd by Industry either in whole or in part that they might serve instead of real Estates as to that matter But it is easily perceived that this could satisfie none at best but the poorer sort who live from Hand to Mouth and not aspiring persons or those of a refin'd Spirit Moreover except it were Steel and Iron which are indispensably necessary for the use of Life Gold Silver and other Metals would be of little worth for there being no Commerce Money would be out of use for that very reason And as for those other Commodities above-mentioned viz. Linnen Hides Cloath c. they are so very apt to spoil that they could not be kept any long time and besides with what should they be exchang'd there being little or no Money because it would not be necessary there being no Trade nor Estate to be alienated Further if all those Real Estates were in Mainmort and unalienable there would be no room for Industry and by Consequence not the 10th part of the Personal Estates that there are at present For as I have already said Money would be useless Navigation Ships Merchandize and all Moveables superfluous all Arts would decay no Man would work but for his own use and that of his Family and pressing occasions Persons of Dignity and Honour if there were any such could not make any Figure or Pomp to distinguish them from others and in a word the whole face of the Universe would be chang'd or rather turn'd upside down Of all Riches those which are most generally desir'd and without which there could be no other are Real Estates to wit Lands and Houses because they are most profitable durable and visible and cannot be stoln and besides they occasion their Possessors to be most taken notice of in the World These are things which cannot be wanted whereas we may well enough be without most of the other things and it 's the natural and general desire of all Mankind to attain to such Estates which cause tâ—…e subsistance of Society Arts Sciences and Commerce If it be objected that in our time there are abundance that love Money better and prefer it to real Estates I Answer That it 's because they know that therewith they can purchase Houses and Lands when they have a mind to them But if they had never so much Money in a Country where such Estates could not be alienated they would find themselves very uneasie and be perfect Beggars for where there 's no Commerce they would not know what to do with their Money nor would they any way be taken Notice of According to the present Posture of Affairs a Man may Buy or Farm an House and Land for his Money without being oblig'd to any Body because such things are always to be had either for a longer or shorter time and that there is a flourishing Trade amongst Men for which there could be no place if all those Estates were in Mainmort At present we may reckon Kingdoms and States as to the Capital Stock and as to the Revenue of this Stock we may reckon all the real and personal Estates of a People and of every particular Person apart We can now fix the Value of an entire Nation at a
certain rate but all these would be worth nothing if Real Estates were in Mainmort because there could be neither Industry Commerce Revenue nor Money c. As for Example I have valued elsewhere the Revenues of all the Estates Real and Personal of France and the Fruits of the Peoples Industry altogether at 1000 Millions of Livres per Annum and the whole Stock therein comprehending the people at 20000 Millions at 20 years purchase And likewise in England I have valued the same Stock and product at 550 Millions of Livres per Annum and the whole Stock therein comprehending the people at 11000 Millions at 20 years purchase But if all those Estates were in Mainmort they would not be worth the 10th nay the 20th part so much nor indeed worth any thing but the present enjoyment of the people who would be very few in number as I have already said and like so many Savages having neither Commerce Arts Manufactures Sciences nor Money as has been often said for no Man would work but for himself and his Family and that too but from hand to mouth These and many more are the Inconveniencies that would follow upon having all Estates in Mainmort Lands and Houses are in a State when they can pass from one hand to another like Bills of Assurance or good Security which are worth as much or more than Gold and Silver when those things can pass by way of Commerce there 's less need of Gold and Silver and other personal Effects and if this were not so there would be an immediate Obstruction of Commerce and the State must fall into a Consumption Herein it is that the want of Publick Registers in England is very prejudicial to the Trade of the Nation because for want of this those who would Traffick with diverse persons that have Estates which might be purchased dare not venture â—…pon it for fear that those Estates are already engaged to others which for a time has the same effect to those particular persons as if their Estates were in Mainmort so that the Publick and the Proprietors lose abundantly by this means besides the numerous Suits which are thereby occasioned so that 't is neither easie to sell them nor to borrow Money upon them And hence it is observed that in the Town of Taunton where there are Publick Registers for Lands and Houses thereon depending and for such Estates as are Morgag'd or not Morgag'd that that Town is in a flourishing Condition for that very Reason But tho' the want of Publick Registers be a very great disorder in England yet it comes far short of that which is occasioned by Estates being in Mainmort in Popish Countries For in the first place this may be remedied when the Nation pleases whereas in Popish Countries the Pope and the Clergy who tyrannize there and make their own advantage of those disorders would rather over-turn a Country than sufâ—…er any Reformation as to that Head unless Princes of great Power and Authority such as the present King of France undertakes it In the next place those dubious Funds in England are not perhaps the 20th part of those in the Kingdom neither are they constantly left out of Commerce as are those of the Popish Ecclesiasticks And last of all it 's well known that this is no effect of the Protestant Religion as the disorder whereof we now speak is certainly an effect of the Romish Religion in France But some perhaps may say that Entails are allowed in all Countries which hinders those that enjoy such Estates from alienating them so that they cannot enter into Commerce so long as the Entail lasts and that by the same reason the Popish Clergy may also enjoy Estates that are inalienable without any great inconvenience I Answer That those Entails don't take place but where Men can't do better that it is an inconvenience and not an indifferent thing but besides it is not usual for the Entail to be perpetual only for a little time for assoon as the Children in whose favour it is made become Masters of the Estate it returns again into the Publick Commerce and may be Morgag'd and Alienated and pass from one hand to another either in whole or in part 2. There is not perhaps the 200th part of any Country so entail'd all at once and there 's no reason to doubt but in a well-govern'd State where the Governours have sufficient Authority they would find a Remedy for those Entails if there were too many of them and that they would find out some other Method for ensuring the Estate to Infants or Heirs without having the Estate cut off from the publick Commerce 3. But besides that this is not so common it must be agreed that there 's much more reason to have regard to poor innocent Children whom a Father that 's an ill Husband might ruine and who may one time or other be very useful to the Publick who are moreover recommendable for the sake of their Grandfathers Grandmothers or other Ancestors whose Memory is dear to the Publick I say there 's more regard to be had to those Infants to whom that Estate ought Naturally and Lawfully to be transmitted by Hereditary Right than to Ecclesiasticks who have no Natural nor Acquir'd Right to those Estates and who are besides unprofitable for the most part to a State scandalous Persons and iâ—… whose hands and those of their Successours the half or more of the Wealth of a Nation is always to remain cut off from Publick Commerce But perhaps some Opinionative Persons may say that to carry on the Trade of a Nation 't is enough that the half of the Wealth of a Country is not in Mainmort which is just as much as if he should say that it is as good to have half the Body Paralitick and depriv'd of the use of half of its Members as not to be so at all because they still live in that condition But who is it that does not perceive that it is a distemper'd and a languishing condition and that in such a case a Man cannot do half the business that he might do if he were in perfect health It cannot be reasonably denied that the more vigorous a Body is the better it does work so that the more Credit there is in a Nation the more all its effects are in Motion the more Arts Industry Agriculture and Commerce flourish there and the Country becomes Populous in proportion What a mighty disorder then does it occasion that all those Monks and Priests who are the Subjects of a Foreign Prince seeing they have taken the Oaths to him and who is moreover of necessity the Hereditary Enemy of the State should be thus with all their Wealth sequestred from the State in respect of all those things wherein they might be useful to it viz. in regard of Imposts and the Charges of the State and Trade as also in regard of Propagation and Obedience to their Sovereign as other
Livres a piece one with another so that the loss of Two Millions and 250000 souls which is the fourth part of the Nine Millions above-mentioned that might have been born in 800 years time of the Romish Clergy had they been Married amounts to 3350 Millions which being divided by 800 is above Four Millions loss each year and this is so much the more palpable that those Two Millions and a Half of people being added to those that were already in the Kingdom would have increased in Value and have augmented the Value of the Kingdom and of all the People for the better Peopled a Country is the more Valuable it is as is also every individual in the Kingdom so that this occasions an annual loss of Four Millions at least one year with another Article V. The Popish Clergy possesses one half of the Estates Real and Personal in the Kingdom of France which half about 30 years ago we have computed elsewhere at 200 Millions per annum then it is to be noted that those Estates are in Mainmort that is to say lye dead because they can neither engage nor alieâ—…ate 'em nor imploy them in Trade so that they are less advantagious to the Country than if they were in the hands of Men fit for Commerce Handicrafts Husbandry or Manufactures or that those Estates pass'd by Inheritance from Father to Son so that by necessary consequence their being in the hands of the Clergy is very much against the Good of the Kingdom Hence also it follows that the Ecclesiasticks may well increase their own Riches at the Expense of the People whose Estates they are able to acquire whereas the People can never make any advantage of them They are moreover as so many Usurers and make profit from the Industry and Labour of the People by lending them Money at a great Interest which is very pernicious to a State They are in this respect abundantly worse than the Iews who ordinarily are very Covetous spend little and are great Usurers nor are there any Land-Estates to be purchas'd from them because they ordinarily have none Yet they are abundantly more profitable to a State than the Popish Clergy because divers of 'em Traffick by Sea imploy Vessels Marriners and other People of business and do moreover maintain and breed up Families For our better understanding how prejudicial it is to a State to have a great part of their Fund or Stock in Mainmort we must consider that if all the Riches of a State wâ—…re so it could not subsist as the World is managed at present Trade Arts Maâ—…factures Sciences and Industry c. must necessarily fâ—…ll all hope of advancing ones self or of acquiring Estates by Labour and Industry or of distinguishing our selves from others would evanish all people would by this means be alike Wealthy there would be neither Poor nor Rich Knowing nor Ignorant there could be no subordination in any thing and all should be in confusion Such a Nation would be uncapable of making War or defending it self for a Neighbouring Nation whose Funds should not be in Mainmort must immediately become Master of that Nation that were so for by dividing their Funds amongst their Soldiers they would encourage all their Soldiers to take Arms against the other Nation and to dispoil them of all For suppose those two Nations are equal in number of Men and extent of Dominions That Nation whose Wealth is not in Mainmort and has more poor people than Rich according to the usual course of the World might make an Effort twenty times greater than the other seeing their stock is ordinarily of 20 times more value than their Revenue at the 20th Penny So that one very inconsiderable Nation might by this Method easily Conquer the whole World if the Wealth of all other Nations besides it self were in Mainmort for as soon as ever they should have subdued another they would dispose of their Stock in favour of their Soldiers and of all others that should follow their Party If that should take place there would be no such thing as getting of Riches nor would there be any need of Money but people would only Barter one Commodity against another with their Neighbours for a few days and in very small quantities for the use only of a few persons Credit must either be totally abolish'd or extend only to a small part of each ones Revenue and only for a few Days or Weeks and there would likewise be a necessity of assurance that he who borrowed was not already indebted to another in some part of his Revenue Who then would take upon him the trouble of administring Justice if there were no Estate to be acquir'd by his Labour Or who is it would be Physician or Divine or serve the Publick in any Station for nothing Suppose that in such a Country I have an Estate in Land which I cannot Engage and I have a desire to take up my abode in a Neighbouring Nation where their Estates are not so dispos'd in Mainmort and that I have occasion for Two Ten or 20000 l. in Money for something that may be Advantagious to the State or my own Family as carrying on a Trade opening Shop c. Who will lend me that Money if I canâ—…ot Mortgage my Estate Or suppose I have Money to Lend to whom shall I Lend it Where are my Sureties seeing no person can alienate his Estate Whereas when a Man may Mortgage his Estate for ready Money all those Funds enter into Commerce every Industrious and Diligent Person imploys himself in hopes that sometime or other he may get some share of it and thus all is in Motion and Circulates as it ought to do in a Body Politick without which it should not be able to make use of its Members but labour under a Civil or Political Palsie The Soldier hopes to purchase some Estate one time or other Men of Ingenuity and Parts if Poor entertain the like hopes and therefore set themselves to Business â—… good Mechanick or Mariner does the like and so the rest for which there would be no room if Estates were inalienable for in this case Prodigality Liberality Covetousness Industry or Idleness could neither profit or hurt us if there were no Riches and by Consequence no Honours to be acquir'd amongst men Hence then it is clear that the Kingdom of France is depriv'd of the use of one half of its Members because one half of its Substance is in Mainmort for the more of a Countries Wealth that there is so the less they have of Activity Motion Commerce or Credit one among another or with Strangers Hence it comes to pass that Popish Countries who have a great part of their Wealth in Mainmort cannot drive any considerable Trade ev'n tho' their mischievous Religion should not have unpeopled them as it inâ—…allibly does unless they have abundance more of ready circulating Money than other Nations which have more Credit and Hopes for Trade
Subjects that they I say should be no otherwise united to a State but so as to ruine it and enrich themselves by its Spoils Let us suppose the Estates that are in Mainmort among the Ecclesiasticks possessed by Merchants or Tradesmen the Commerce would have been much greater in FRANCE and by Consequence the Kingdom should have been more rich and potent Let us suppose that they had been in the hands of the Generals of Armies Collonels and other Military Officers who like the Turkish Timariots should entertain upon those Estates so many thousands of Married Men as might Cultivate them What an incredible ease would that give to the poor people who should thereby be reliev'd from the Burden of Maintaining so many Troops what increases of People and wâ—…at Riches would not that produce Or let us suppose that those Estates were in possession of people of Quality or others who either had serv'd or might serve the King in his Camp tho' not in the manner of Timariots they would spend those Estates in the service of the King by doing him Honour at Court or Generously in fine Buildings Sculptures Paintings Gravings or other Magnificent Curiosities and Ornaments which would Embellish and Set off the Provinces and Towns make Arts to flourish imploy a vast number of people and cause Money to circulate incessantly from one hand to another Or suppose they were possess'd by Laicks of all ranks indifferently as the other half of the Estates of the Kingdom are at present and that as to other things the Government should remain on the same footing as it is at present which however is not much to be desired The King in that case should mightily increase his Revenue the Officers of Justice of the Police or Discipline of Cities and those of the Treasury as also those of the Imposts and all their Train would get twice as much Riches as they do except their number should be Augmented in proportion In which case the King would be enrich'd by the sale of great number of Places It 's true the people should always continue miserable if they were as much Tax'd in proportion but the King's Revenues would be doubled Nay the very name of Mainmort imports that those Estates in such hands are unprofitable to the Society I have enlarg'd a little upon this Article beyond what I intended because it is of the highest concern in Politicks and that I have met with several Men of Parts who did not â—…ightly apprehend the Mischief of having so much wealth in Mainmort Article VI. relates to the great Quantity of Plate which they have in their Churches and Convents and in those places they call their Treasuries as St. Denis near Paris Notre Dame de Liesse and des Ardillieres and other places of that nature This one Superstitious and Foolish Custom must needs have robb'd the Publick Commerce of divers Millions at such time as the Clergy had amass'd a great quantiâ—…y of it as before this War which was the true cause that a great part of it was melted down by the King's Order Suppose that in the whole it had not exceeded 20 Millions that would have at least amounted to several Millions amongst the people per Annum However I will not take upon me to determine how far this loss extended because I dont know what quantity of Plate they had for the Popish Clergy never tell the truth in these cases and very seldom in any others Article VII Relates to the constant practice of their Clergy in hoarding up Money which is of more importance than the preceding Article for seeing many of them possesses great Revenues and are neither allowed to Trade nor to Marry and by consequence have no lawful Off-spring they do ordinarily betake themselves to the amassing of vast sums of Money under the pretext of providing for their Nephews and Neeces as the Popes do and they don't provide for them neither for the most part till after their death which is doubly prejudicial to Commerce It hath moreover been the constant Observation of such persons that they are very Covetous and don't love to give Alms to the Poor altho' they be thereunto obliged by the intention of their Founders so that taking of their Avarice for granted which is inâ—…eparably annex'd and natural to that sort of people together with their sordid Principles of Parsimony at least in all their Communities where they spend little in comparison of their vast Incomes tho' at the same time they eat and drink a great deal These things I say being taken for granted as they are certainly true there 's ground to believe that all their Clergy together Secular and Regular of both Sexes might have constantly before this War at least 50 Millions of useless Money to the Publick in their Coffers or the hands of the Publick Notaries Whence 't is easie â—…o perceive that the Publick lost considerably by this Money which in Commerce would have brought abundance of profit to the Kingdom helped to pay Taxes imployed abundance of people and contributed to Propagation This Article must certainly amount to sevâ—…ral Millions I will not determine how many but without doubt this and the preceding Article are to be reckoned at 8 or 10 Millions loss per Annum at least Article VIII relates to the Ridiculous Festivals that they observe wherein the poor Idolatrous People lose their time besides the Debaucheries which this abuse occasions indispensibly in Popish Countries which together can't be reckoned at less than â—…50 Millions of Livrâ—…s loss per An. For supposing that the Industry of the Nation might have been formerly valued at above 600 Millions per Annum as I have made it appear elsewhere if it were not for the abuses of Popery whereof this is one of the most prejudicial Supposing I say there are above 50 working days lost in a Year by Festivals in general without reckoning Sundays and some remarkable Festivals that would be the 6th part of the peoples Industry lost which amounts to 100 Millions per Annum We must also take notice that besides those general Festivals and Holy days there are many particular Festivals viz. those of every Parish who have their particular Saint whose Image they adore according to the Doctrine of their Councils the Festivals of Saints for every Profession Trade and Distemper when they practise the like the Festivals of Beasts or Saints that are Patrons of Beasts so that there 's much above the 6th part of the peoples time lost I confess that the time of those Holy-days is not absolutely lost for then they mind House-keeping dress Victuals and take care of their Cattle on Sunday c. and some other profitable things are done as Travelling by Land and Sea and Mariners are imployed on those days as well as others which to observe by the by is still a great advantage that Protestants and Trading Nations have above others who have not so much Trade by Sea But then if
Flambeaus and Torches burning all at once whereas they don't so much see the Consumption of the Oil. But on the contrary the Papists will Judge that the Expence of the Oil is much greater because they see in many Churches 10 15 or 20 Lamps burning all at once night and day and in truth I am of opinion that the expence of the Oil is the greater To convince any Man that it was great let 's suppose there were only 200000 Lamps burning continually in the Churches Monasteries Convents and Chappels of the Kingdom before their pretended Sacrament their Images and Statues in the middle of the Churches to enlighten the Night whether they be fed with Oil of Oliâ—…e Oil of Rape or other Fat yet it 's known that for the most part they spend the best Oil which in many places is brought a great way by Land is very dear and oftentimes the principal Trade of the Grocers and Wax-Chandlers in Cities is to furnish Oil and Wax for the Churches Funerals and Processions I am of the mind that the least we can reckon for every Lamp in 24 hours is 2 d. which at the rate of 200000 Lamps amounts to 20000 Livres per day which is almost 7 Millions per Annum for Oil alone There are many Lamps which spend above 6 d. per day in Oil where it is dear or the Lamps great and have a large wick and cast a great light It is to be considered that there are 27000 Parishes in the Kingdom besides what is in the new Conquests and that there are few Churches nay even in the Country but what have two Lamps and that in Cities there are Churches that have 10 15 20 or above continually burning besides what are in Monasteries Convents and Chappels both in Town and Country There are many places in France as well as in Spain Portugal Italy and other Countries where those that light the Lamps in the Churches maintain their Families perfectly by robbing the Lamps of their Oil and giving out that it is drunk by Night-Owls As to the Wax after having considered it well I believe that formerly it amounted to no less â—…han 3 Millions of Livres per Annum which would in whole amount to 10 Millions but this I submit to the Judgment of such who are more throughly acquainted with those things than I but if it should not amount to above 5 Millions it is still a considerable loss to the Kingdom Article XII concerns their Lent Ember-weeks and other Fast-days as they call them viz. the Fryday and Saturday of every Week with the Orders of Monks and Nuns who are never allowed to eat Flesh Eggs nor Butter All those things occasion abundance of Mischiefs which I shall here present to view that we may be better able to Judge of the great prejudice done to the State by this one Head which is of the greatest consequence 1. By this means great Summs of Money are exported out of the Kingdom for dry aâ—…d fresh Cod Stock-fish White and Red-hering Salmon Pilchards Sardines c. It 's certain that formerly there were several Millions above 6 at least went out of the Kingdom every year for Fish It it be said that the French for a considerable time have Fish'd Cod enough in New-â—…ound-Land It is however certain that 't is not many years since they bought that sorâ—… of Fish from Foreigners and as for the other sorts of Salt-fish they buy them almost wholly still from Foreigners and Protestants 2. These Superstitions prevent the breeding of many Cattel of all sorts and likewise of Fowl in the Kingdom as there would be otherwise because for almost one half of the year they dare not eat any Flesh which by necessary consequence diminishes the Revenues of Land 3. For this very reason of the want of Flesh it is impossible that a Country can maintain and breed up so many people because next to Bread there 's nothing does so much Nourish a Man as Flesh nor any thing that renders him so proper for Labour and Generation They must not pretend to tell me that that Land which is fiâ—… for Feeding Cattle is fit for other things and that what they lose on the onâ—… hand they gain it on the other for 't is very well known that there are many Grounds proper for Cattle Pasturage and Hay that are fit for nothing else and on the other hand suppose that those Grounds were equally fit for Corn Wine or Wood as for breeding of Cattle 't is known that the profit of Cattle is the greatest I have known several Quarters of France that abounded with Meadows along the Rivers where a Load of Hay weighing 2000l weight and drawn by six great Oxen and sometimes two or three Horses join'd to them besides was not worth above three Livres and sometimes not above two and an half which would not have been so but for their Lent and other Fast-days 4. It is known that the profit of Cattel comes with less Expence and Labour for the Cattel go of themselves to the places where one would have them and so save Carriage 5. It is also known that Cattle when they feed are at Work for their Owner without any need of his being present with them so that he may apply himself to some other thing 6. A little Meat with Bâ—…ead nourishes better than three times as much Bâ—…ead alone 7. Cattel give rise to abundance of important Manufactures that imploy and afford Subsistance to great numbers of people such as Wools Hides Horns Suet Butter Cheese c. 8. This want of Cattel makes Meat dear to those imployed in Manufactures and other Handicrafts as also to Merchants whom iâ—… costs a great deal dearer to Victual their Ships 9 It likewise occasions the dearness of Candle Butter Cheese Hides and Wool c. in a Country which is an hindrance to Mechanicks Trade and Propagation and makes other Provisions dearer in general than in those Countries where that Superstition is unknown It particularly occasions the dearness of Bread because the people for want of Flesh-meat are obliged to eat abundance of Bread This want of Cattel occasions also the laying out of great sums in Foreign Rice Hideâ—… Suet Butter Cheese and Fat or Grease for Coaches and other Carriages 10. Those Extravagant Superstitions are the cause of Maladies and Distempers Languishings and of the death of an infinite number of poor people and of Infirm Aged and Scrupulous persons to whom Meat would be more proper than any thing else and yet they cannot have that Relief because â—…hey either cannot or will not give it them or that they dare not eat it because of the Scruples that the Idolatrous Priests have form'd in their Minds so that they suffer extreamly during that time and abundance more people die in that season than in others This Superstitious Lent falls likewise precisely out at a time when the Husbandman and other Country people labour very hard about digging their
the four Ember-weeks and other Fast-days and the Orders of Monks and Nuns had not been set up by Superstition for this occasion'd a neglect in breeding of Cattle and even at present tho' most of the Kingdom lies desolate there would be Cattle enough if Lent were abolish'd and Lands not abandoned and tho' France is at less expence now as to the buying of Foreign Fish than it was before the War yet it still expends very great Summs that way tho' the poorest sort of people in the remotest Provinces from the Sea seldom taste Fish of any sort and ev'n very rarely of Flesh-meat But lest any Body should imagine that I contradict my self in saying that the people of England don't eat less Fish since the Observation of Lent but rather more and that I pretend nevertheless that the notice of such a Superstition does prejudice to the Revenues of Land in France and hinders the Breeding and Consumption of Cattel I shall answer that specious objection I call it specious because it seems that if so be the abolishing of Lent and other Fish-days in England produce that effect that more Fish is eaten in it since it would seem to follow that less Flesh-meat should be consum'd and so consequently if Lent and other pretended Fast-days were abolished in France more Fish would be eaten and less Flesh destroyed I answer that there is no real contradiction in what I have asserted but only a seeming one and that also to those who do not weigh things rightly my reason is this that in England the people have always and at all seasons plenty both of Meat and Fish no place in the Kingdom being very remote from Sea and there being many Rivers full of Fresh-Water Fish and the Tide coming up a great way in many of those Rivers the Sea-Fish is conveyed into the Country at a very small charge They have also plenty of good Cattel so that they may at all times eat that they like best or find cheapest without that aversion which the Tyranny of Imposition occasions when they are commanded upon Eternal Damnation to eat or not to eat such and such things at such and such times whereas France is generally much more remote from the Sea and Fish there very scarce or dear Now in those places at a great distance from the Sea if it were not for the Superstition of Lent and other Fast-days as they call them in those places they would eat much more Meat than they do and more also than is eaten on the Sea-coasts where Fish is more plentiful and cheaper and consequently they should breed more Cattle More Fish would also be eaten in the Sea Ports and other places near the Sea than is eaten at present if it were not for the tyrannous Impositions upon their Consciences which forbids them to eat Meat at such times and creates in most part of them a kind of abhorrency of Fish which they are forced to eat and hence it comes to pass that less Fish is taken in the Sea-Ports than there would be were it not for this Superstition and less Cattle is also bred in the Country than would be were it not for the same Abuse which forbids the eating of Meat above five Months in the Year and so puts all things out of order for by this Means those that live near the Sea are disgusted at Fish which Nature and Providence affords them very cheap nay almost for nothing which would be a great Treasure to them if it were not for the tyranny impos'd upon them and those who live in remote places of the Country and have an opportunity to breed abundance of Cattle and eat Meat very cheap are forced to abstain from it and lose that great advantage tho' they cannot have Fish but at a very dear rate It deserves likewise our Observation that France has lost considerably in respect of the profits they made of their Cattle by the expulsion of the Protestants because they bought those young Cattle Poultry c. in the Towns and Countries where they liv'd which otherwise had been lost or very chargeable to the Owners Article XIII relates to the Injustice Violence and Spiritual Tyranny of the Popish Clergy which causes an unestimable dammage to the Kingdom of France This Spirit of Injustice and Inhumanity which is essential to Popery was the cause of the last War which they kindled secretly and of the last Persecution and of all the Massacres and Civil Wars that have been in France That same Spirit of VIOLENC sets them whenever they meet with Princes obnoxious to them to persecute all those with the utmost fury that differ from them in their Opinions though they have no other Foundation sor them but their own Ambition Pride and Covetousness that Spirit I say of Injustice has been one of the great causes of the Ruin of France I leave it to the VVorld to Judge whether they did not take advantage of the Ambition of that Potent Prince who was perhaps possessed with the design of an Uâ—…iversal Monarchy to make him believe that it was convenient for him in order to aâ—…tain his end to destroy the Reformation in England Holland France and all other parts and under that pretence to bring King James who was known to be a Bigoted Prince into the same design and to oblige him to do all what we know he did 'T is by such Methods as these that the Court of Rome Ruines all the Princes and States of Christendom when she is in any way affraid that they will grow too Potent then to be sure she inspires them by her Emissaries and Confessors with such designs as will lay them desolate and unpeople their Country when at the same time they have no mistrust of any such thingâ—… I shall not offer to compute the dammage done by this Article at any certain Sumâ—… of Money for every one may easily perceive that this is a Fountain of innumerable Mischiefs Article XIV shews plainly how ruinous the Popish â—…lergy is to the State of France in this that theâ—… contribute little to the great Charge of â—…e â—…tion tho' they enjoy the half of all Estates Real and Personal of the Kingdom and â—…ught consequently to pay as much proportioâ—…ably to the King as those do who possess the other half of the Kingdom For the Clergy even at present scarcely pay 10 Millions oâ—…â—…vres towards the 200 Millions which the King hath exacted every year from the Nation one way or other since the War that is to say that the Clergy and Religious Orders as they call them of France who make up perâ—…aps 300000 Souls enjoy as much Revenâ—… as 8 or 9 Millions of other People that may â—…ill be reckoned to be in the Kingdom oâ—… â—…rance or as much as was enjoy'd by 13 or 〈◊〉 Millioâ—…s that might have been in it 30 yeâ—…rs ago â—…nd that tho' every one of the Clergy and â—…uch like Religious Persons have one with aâ—…other
a part of the Kingdom than a Cancer is which devours the Body that it seizes on or thaâ—… a Palsie which renders diverse of the Members of the Body useless can be a part of the same and this is so much the truer that the Clergy as I have already said acknowledge the Authority of and have sworn Obedience to another Sovereign Prince who must of necessity be a natural Enemy to France because of the Usurpations that he hath made and designs to make oâ—… that Kingdom in which he cannot maintain his old nor make new Usurpations without eâ—…feebling the Kingdom from time to time proportionably as he sees its power and the Authority of the Kings Increase and to this end he serves himself of his Ecclesiasticks who under a Cloak of Religion have attain'd a mighty Credit and are maintain'd on the Fat of the Land at the Expence of others and that which is a wonderful thing have their Generals in great number and Garrisons in all Ciâ—…ies consisting of diverse Regiments of diâ—…erent Liveries that is to say the different Orders of Ecclesiasticks who under Spiritual Pretences enjoy the Temporal Estates of the Kingdom keep Princes and Subjects under the Popes Yoke and so Constitute one formidable Empire within another Imperium in Imperio It is certain tho' it can't be denied that the Taxes in France are excessive that if the Clergy had contributed proportionably to their Revenues with the rest of the People the Kingdom had been worth one half more than 't is except the King had augmented the Taxes in proportion and in that case he would have almost doubled his Revenues If the Clergy had paid the share they ought to have paid of the Impositions the Kingdom would have been much less harras'd and ruin'd than it is so that this Article reaches a great way throughout the Kingdom That we may the better understand it suppose that any Man has two Slaves or two Carriage-Horses of equal streâ—…gth in his possession capable of working or carrying considerable burdens it is certain if he work them equally and load neither of them above their ability that both of them may hold out a long time but if he overcharge the one excessively to ease the other that which is overloaded cannot hold out but must languish by degrees and become unable either for Work or Carriage except it be little or nothing and does quickly die Suppose then that it does not hold out above half the time that it might have done had it been treated as the other or that it does not work half so much as it might have done otherwise there is one half lost or if it hold not out or work not above a 4th part that is three fourths loss Thus it is with the people of France they are much less profitable to the King and State than they would be if the Clergy bore one hâ—…lf of the charge of the Kingdom as they ought to do I believe this Article may amount to forty or fifty Millions per Annum for besides the Taxes from whence they are exempted they are not subject as I have already said to any of the Vexations which are committed in the Levying 'em nor to quartering of Soldiers nor are they pillag'd by Civil Officers Farmers general and their Underlings but on the contrary they pillage them Article XV relates to their Practice and Morals I mean those of the Clergy this occasions an infinite number of Crimes which are committed without Scruple nay they think they merit Heaven by the Commission of them for they Act them by a Principle of Conscience The Mischiefs which they have committed on the Account of their pretended Religion are to be ascribed to their Morals They have Consecrated and Canoniz'd Perfidiousness Cruelty Murther the Ravishing of Matrons and Virgins and the Stealing of Children and Estates It is not easie to compute this loss in Money but all people of Sense must needs perceive that this does ruin or very much incommode Trade Arts Manufactures Navigation and all sort of Handy-labour for the Persecutors as well as the Persecuted suffer incredibly thereby without mentioning the value of the Men and Women whom they Massacre and Kill in a hundr'd manners either all at once or gradually This doth moreover occasion a general and incredible Corruption in the whole Nation for people perceiving that the Crimes committed on the account of Religion which of all things in the World ought to be the most Sacred are not punish'd but applauded and rewarded by the Clergy or at their Suggestion by those who govern them they readily conclude that if it be lawful to Commit such things for the good of the Church it is more lawful to Commit them for other ends By this means the people become desperately wicked at the heart and if they were not afraid of Secular Justice would become a meer Society of Thieves and Robbers That we may the better understand this let us suppose that the Civil Magistrate should approve Crimes in the same manner promise Heaven to the Criminals and reward them also in this life as the Clergy have compensated those who were the most Zealous in committing all sorts of Cruelties and Indignities against the Protestants I say if the Civil Government should thus countenance the Destruction of Honest and Substantial Men all humane Society must be forthwith dissolv'd and unable to subsist Or otherwise let us suppose that a multitude of Villains should prevail over Mankind and commit all imaginable crimes out of a principle of Conscience in order to oblige Men to say that they believe an Onion a Tree a Stone or an Horse are adorable and deserve the Worship which the Papists call Dulia and Latria as well as God and force them in effect to Invoke and Adore those Creatures and that this numerous multitude of Villains should call themselves Infallible at the same time and by all sorts of Cruelty and Torture force people to acknowledge them as such and that none durst oppose them on pain of losing their Liberty Estate Honour and Life what unspeakable disorders would this occasion in a State For honest Men who would not be guilty of such unbecoming unmanly practices should be outragiously persecuted put to death by their Orders and the multitude would think themselves oblig'd to take party with those Villains to avoid their own Ruin and for fear of becoming suspected to those Wretches become as wicked themselves But the Divine Providence hath not permitted humane Justice to be deprav'd to that height as is the Religion of the Church of Rome which is abundantly more wicked than the most wicked of Men and herein it is directly opposite to other Religions which tho' they be wicked in themselves do nevertheless teach better Morals than those of the people that profess them whereas on the contrary the Laicks of â—…he Church of Rome are more honest and less Villainous than their Religion I think it
Popes was the cause of the Mahometans subduing part of Europe and that the Empire of the East of Christian became Mahometan The Ambition of the Popes hath also torn in pieces the Empire of the West and spoil'd its Emperours of part of their Dominions even of Rome it self and made them their Vassals and Slaves in a manner so as to tread upon them in person sometimes with Impunity so that by the Ambition of the Roman Clergy and their Popes the Empire is no other than a meer Shadow of what it formerly was It is very well known that by the perfidiousness of the Pope the Turks rendred themselves Masters of Hungary the Court of Rome having oblig'd the unhappy King Uladislaus to violate his Faith and break the Treaty he had made with them which Violation was followed by a Total Defeat of that King at the Battle of Varnâ—… and the loss of the Kingdom which the Infidels seized upon as may be seen by the following Distich wherein that â—…nfortunate King is made to complain that the Pope and his Clergy had ruined him by their perfidious Counsel Me nisi Pontifices jussissent rumpere faedus Non ferret Scythicum Pannonis or a jugum May be thus English'd By Popes command had I my League ne'r broke Pannonia ne'r had felt the Scythian Yoke For above 1000 years the Popes and their Clergy have been constantly aspiring to the Universal Monarchy and have made it their constant business to sow Divisions betwixt Christian Princes and their Subjects and to kindle War amongst those Princes to weaken them by one another that so they might bring them all under their Yoke By this method they make themselves Arbitrators and Masters of their differences and always cast the Ballance on the side of their own Interest without any regard to Honour or Justice and that not by Armies or open Force but by the Intrigues of Confessors Monks and Prostitutes or as the Scripture represents it by their Cups Draughts and Witchcrasts as becometh the great Prostitute that hath made the Kings and the Princes of the Earth drunk with the VVine of her Fornication They still foment now as formerly and without ceasing Divisions and Factions in all the Countries of Europe yea even amongst Protestants by their secret Emissaries whom they imploy in great numbers in order to bring them gradually under their Yoke one way or other by a Million of Crimes A famous Spanish Polititian who knew their Game well enough said that there is not so much as a Sword drawn noâ—… a Pike carried in Christendom that hath not been sharpen'd in the Forge of Rome No se Saca espada non se arbola pica cuyo el hierro no estuviere aguzado en la fraga de Roma They had the greatest share in the War newly concluded and made their profit on 't tho' the simple Vulgar are apt to think they have no hand in it No Body is Ignorant of the cunning Invention made use of by the Popes formerly to bring part of Asia under their Yoke without putting themselves to any charge and at the same time to increase their own Authority and Conquests in Europe at the expence of the Christian Princes whom they dispoil'd Their way was to perswade those poor innocent Princes to go in Person to Asia with great Fleets and Navies to chase the Mahometans from that Country for which end the Popes call'd it the Holy Land as if that Land had been holier than another after having put the Lord Jesus Christ to death And while those Princes were in that Country with numerous Armies of their Subjects by which they dispeopled their own Dominions the Popes endeavoured to make themselves Masters of tâ—…e same or at least suck'd their Subjects to the bone and drain'd out all the Riches of their Countries by means of their Clergy France and England suffered very much by this means and we have no reason to doubt but they would have been much more rich and populous had it not been for that All the World knows that the Romish Clergy or Church hath destroyed or caus'd to be destroyed by their Orders more people â—…nder pretence of Religion than all the Heathen Emperours and more than all the Nations of the habitable World have done upon that account since the Creation of the World France and England can testifie this from sad Experience It 's well enough known that their Councils that is to say the Luminaries of Popery the most enlightned and sincere part of the Church of Rome a mark of the Absolute Reprobation of that Church for several Ages It 's well enough known I say that those Councils have establish'd it as a Maxim or Rule for several Ages past that they are not oblig'd to keep Faith with Hereticks and that Princes are obliged on pain of eternal Damnation and the loss of their Dominions to destroy them Whence it comes to pass that not only all the Murders Robberies Perjuries Rapes and all Crimes in general are permitted but commanded against all those Christians who oppose themselves never so little to the Interests Tyranny or Ambition of the Pope and Clergy which Sentence doth à fortiori include also Jews Pagans and Mahometans when the Church of Rome shall think meet seeing it is clear that they ought not to have any more favour shew'd them than those they call Hereticks From those Principles have proceeded so many Massacres Persecutions Violations of Faith Religious Wars Croisades and Leagues to extirpate those who were called Hereticks Hence also proceeded many Assassinations of Princes and Attempts upon their Lives which France hath often had experience of hence came the Civil Wars in England and Ireland the burning of Towns and Conspiracies against the State One of the Kings of France was formerly whipp'd at Rome in the Person of his Ambassador by the Popes Order which is the highest Ignominy that can be done to a Nation or Prince And if we have not fresh and daily Instances from their Church of such decrees as those of the Councils of Constance and Latâ—…ran or such remarkable demonstrations of their Pride and Cruelty it 's not because they have chang'd their Principles but because there is no opportunity offers to do it with safety and for the advantage of the Pope It is not want of good will The Habit remains still though the Acts are not continually exerted A Shoemaker says Horace though he lays aside all the Tools of his Art and shuts up his Shop is a Shoemaker still Alfenus vafer omni Abjecto instrumento Artis clausâque tabernâ—… Sutor erat c. We see what that Church hath occasion'd to be done lately and does yet at present in France against the Protestants and what they would have done in England and for their Inquisition it continues still the same It may be clearly seen by all those proofs which we have produc'd of the Natural and Necessary Opposition there is betwixt the Church