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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60933	The political mischiefs of popery, or, Arguments demonstrating I. that the romish religion ruines all those countries where 'tis establish'd II. that it occasions the loss of above 200 millions of livres ... to France in particular, III. that if popery were abolished in France, that kingdom would become incomparably more rich and populous ..., IV. that it is impossible that France should ever be re-established whilst popery is their national religion / by a person of quality.	Souligné, de.; Ridpath, George, d. 1726.	1698 (1698)	Wing S4719; ESTC R25778	81,776	162

proper also to observe in this place that setting aside the Interest of that which they call their Religion and their Church which relates wholly and finally to the Profit or Ambition of the Ecclesiasticks the Clergy of the Church of Rome consider'd as to their Civil Life are not much wickeder than their Laymen as I have already said which proves that the Devil Reigns principally in that Church in regard of the Legislative Authority of Popery as it relates to the Affairs and Interest of their Religion and Church that is to say of the Pope and his Guard of Pensioners or Catchpoles This excepted I have known many honest enough Men of their Clergy nay even of the Jesuites whose conduct as to Civil Life was near the matter as good externally as those of their honest Laicks And there are diverse Persons who assure me that how abominable soever the Court of Rome may be in general as their Principles and Maxims have been for several Ages yet there are Prelates nay even Cardinals among them who have very good Moral Qualities and are persons of Merit Article XVI relates to that Spirit of Despotical Government with which the Church of Rome inspires Princes in regard of their Subjects This is it that hath produc'd the Severity of the Government of France which hath so much contributed to the Desolation of that fine Kingdom The Jesuites especially do infuse it in Princes who are ruled by them not only in matters of Religion but likewise in Affairs of Political Government by advising them to make use of the most Absolute Authority because that how much the more the Princes whom they govern are Authoriz'd and Fear'd of their Subjects so much the more are the Jesuites their Tutors Authoriz'd and Dreaded also France smarts at present under the Effects of this and England has but lately escap'd the like danger That Spirit of Tyranny which makes up a great part of the Essence of Popery is yet more peculiar to the Society of the Jesuites than to any other in Popery and it is known that the Principles of their Order as they call it do give their General an Absolute and Unlimited Power to Command and to do what he lists wherein they are to render him a Blind-fold Obedience It 's also known that they look on the Popes pretended Monarchy over the Universal Church and World to be the most perfect Pattern of Government in assuming to himself the Authority to destroy all Nations and Persons in Soul and Body that oppose his temporal Interest The Church of Rome reaps great advantage from this Despotical Power of the Princes of her Communion for those Princes being govern'd by their Confessors who are govern'd by Rome the more Authority those Princes have the more the Pope hath over all the Kingdom and then this great Authority of the Princes is imploy'd to oppress those they call Hereticks both within and without their Dominions and to purchase more Slaves to the Pope or otherwise they ingage them in War for humbling some Popish State that the Court of Rome would have brought low and many times with a design to ruin that very Prince whom they so engage in War For it is highly the Interest of the Court of Rome that their Neighbouring Nations be kept poor because that Spirit of Bondage Slavery and Ignorance which is so useful and agreeable to the Religion which they impose is not consistent with the Liberty of a rich people and the Popes are constantly affraid that if the Dominions of those States and Princes that are subject to him be very populous and rich they will at sometime or other shake off their Yoke This is it they had in view by inspiring the French King with a design to ruin his Protestant Subjects so manifestly contrary to the true Interests of France and the Kings Honour That same was the reason of their engaging him in a War against so many Potentates all at once to the end they might weaken him and prevent his setting his thoughts upon Enterprizes a thousand times more great glorious and profitable such as that of delivering his own Kingdom from the Slavery of the Pope and so many foolish Superstitions of Popery of which the honest Papists themselves are ashamed and also that they might prevent his pushing on his Conquests on the side of Italy where he might have made War with much more success and advantage than against so many powerful States and strong Towns as he had to rencounter elsewhere Article XVII relates to the Incontinence and Whordom of the Romish Clergy which is a large Field and much might be said upon it but many Authors have enlarg'd on this Head already It 's known to every Body by Experience that the Celibacy of that wretched Clergy is the source of an Universal and Loathsom Impurity among them and that the least Crimes committed by those of that Order are Fornications and Adulteries It 's well enough known that their Divines teach that Sins against Nature of every sort don't render an Ecclesiastick Irregular but Marriage does and that their Casuists do continually cram their Books with Extenuations of those Crimes and add more and more Fewel to the impure Flames by their obscene Questions and the Niceties and Subtleties they have found out to advance and encrease those impure pleasures It is also known that the Pope Authorizes Publick Stews and Protects them in order to draw a considerable Revenue from them but it is not so universally known that to advance the Reputation of that Crime which indeed is not accounted any by the Court of Rome the Popes will not suffer any Women to prostitute themselves unless they be Christians and therefore by order of his Holiness Jewish Pagan and Mahometan Women who have a mind to set up that Trade at Rome must first be Baptized This makes it the more relishing to Anti-christ to think that Jesus Christ is thereby the more offended But seeing the Church o●… Rome is already branded in the Holy Scriptures with the Name of Sodom and the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth both upon the account of her Corru●…tion and because of her Idolatries Here●…ies and Blasphemies we have no reason to doubt that she is so and therefore I shall not insist upon this as a Vice which is so much favoured and nourished by that Church but only in relation to the infinite number of Mischiefs which it occasions in humane Society It many times happens that the Popish Princes are no better in this respect than the Clergy that hath corrupted them or don 't teach 'em their duty in this matter so that being wholly given up to Unchastity themselves the Subordinate Magistrates and Officers are corrupted by their Example and consequently take no care to suppress that Vice which ruins and lays wast Nations and fills them with all sorts of Crimes for experience teaches us that this one Crime draws all others after

Another Reason which proves that Fornication is incomparably more mischievous in a Country than Drunkenness is this that it is a Crime common to both Sexes So that it is hard to say which of the two is most addicted to it whereas Drunkenness is more particularly the Vice of Men. Another reason is this that Whordom being contrary to Propagation as I have said already and corrupting all the Sources of Generation in a particular manner and ruining the Bodies of Men Women and Children as much and more than Drunkenness ruins those of Men It is certain that it is abundantly more pernicious than the other I could bring 30 more reasons to prove this if the place were proper This last Article concerning their Drunkenness makes it evident that this Crime does great prejudi●…e to a Country if it were no more but by the loss of the Wine Brandy Cider c. which they consume without necessity But besides this Vice ruins abundance of Families shortens the Days of abundance of Men as well as the other tho' in lesser number occasions the loss of a great deal of time with many Quarrels and Murders and makes people brutish and dull as well as Fornication But we will lay aside those two last Articles if the Reader pleases and count them as nothing tho' the prejudice they do goes farther than can be imagined for it's clear enough that the others which I have proposed already occasion above two hundred Millions loss per Annum throughout the Kingdom of France and they can be ascrib'd to nothing else but Popery whereas they may perhaps cavil at the two last and say that the Protestants are incontinent and likewise drunken as well as the Papists If it be well adverted to it will be found that four of the 18 Articles that I have propos'd do alone amount to above 200 Millions of Livres per Annum viz. those of their Holy-days the Estates of the Church that are in Mainmort Lent and other Fast-days and the few Taxes that the French Clergy pays in comparison of the rest of the people Popery occasions the same Mischiefs proportionably in all other Popish Countries and in some more as Spain and Portugal which it hath greatly dispeopled by the Incontinence and Celibacy of their Clergy and the Consequences of these Disorders by the great number of their Ecclesiasticks the Spirit of Persecution and the Perfidiousness of Popery in the Expulsion of the Moors and Jews and by their Inquisition c. But as Italy is nearest to the Court of Rome she hath thereby contracted greater Vices also than other Nations All Sins against Nature are in Vogue there and Poysoning Cozenage Imposture and a certain Effeminacy and Cowardliness which the Priests and Monks have introduc'd there with all Vices imaginable Whence it comes to pass that there is not the least spark of the Courage Greatness of Soul and Generosity of the Antient Romans to be seen and that there is no Country more easie to be conquered by a powerful Neighbour than that France is also owing to Popery and the Court of Rome for their having infected her in some measure with the Habits of diverse of those unnatural Crimes which are so common in Italy that the Spaniards say of the Italians that are infected therewith In Italia todos and of those Crimes the Religious Convents and Monastries the Monks Jesuites and their Scholars with some great Men in France are accused It is also well enough known that the Art of poysoning was brought into France from Italy by the Ecclesiasticks The Maltotes or the great Impositions is another Calamity introduc'd upon France by its Communion with the Court of Rome The Popes that are the greatest Tyrants of the World furnish'd Examples of it upon their own Subjects in Italy and the Romish Religion and the Confessors of Princes and of their Ministers have furnished them with Lessons of the same Equivocations Perfidiousness in all Treaties Ambig●…ous Expressions in all Transactions and Publick Acts have been Consecrated by the Example of Popish Councils especially that of Trent which form'd a great number of Decrees capable of diverse contrary Senses which have occasion'd Divisions among diverse Sects of their Monks and many of their Divines whereof that Infallible Tribunal as they call it of the Pope and his Cardinals would never determine the Sense for fear of disobliging some one of the Parties though they do it every day in the most Insolent and Impudent manner in regard to the Word of God to which they attribute the most absurd and extravagant Sence imaginable with a surprizing Impiety All Europe in general is oblig'd to the Court of Rome for the false and cursed Politicks that Reigns almost in all its Courts and hath banished thence Probi●…y Sincerity upright Intentions Fidelity Justice Truth Generosity so that they are n●…w fill'd with Cozenage Deceit and E●…eminacy The Court of Rome is moreover become a grand Pattern and Teacher of Irreligion and Prophanity now for several Ages It is from the Popes that Roman Catholick Princes have learned to profane the Christian Religion and to corrupt People daily by offers of temporal Rewards to abjure the Religion of Jesus Christ to follow theirs of which we see sad Examples every day as to the Church of Rome and even of some Sovereign Princes We have reason to say when we consider all those things well that the Papacy or the Pope deserves abundantly better the Title of Infidel or Hereditary Enemy of Christendom than the Turk tho' ●…e assumes to himself the Name of the Common Father of Christendom If any Opiniater will still take upon him to deny that Popery does not occasion the loss of 200 Millions per Annum through the Kingdom of France I am satisfied that he wont be accounted any great Master of Reason by such Judicious Persons as have read my Arguments But I say however that tho' it should not amount to above one half or one third of that Summ it would be an Argument cogent enough for the abolishing it and sufficient proof of the Falshood of that Pretended Religion Amongst those direful Effects which Popery occasions perpetually and necessarily in the Dominions that are thereunto Subject I have not taken any notice of those which may be call'd Passing and Accidental though they have also a determinate Cause and proceed from the same Original viz. the first Principles of Popery which we may call the Soul of it and constitute the essential Form of the Church of Rome viz. Ambition Pride and Avarice which have made and do make from time to time an horrible Ravage in Christian Countries nay through the whole World I am certain that if we should reckon up those accidental Mischiefs which Popery occasions from time to time in France the Sum would be much ●…bove 200 Millions per Annum How many Unjust Wars hath it kindled in France both Intestine and Foreign History tells us that the Ambition of the

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 b●…cause the Clerg●… 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 ●…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 Fr●…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 t●…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

and Religion of Rome and the Happiness and Prosperity of Princes States and People that the said Church and its Religion is false to the highest degree there never having been any Religion in the World so contrary to the good of Mankind It hath no remainders of old Christianity but just so much as is necessary to constitute the Form of Antichristianism by way of Excellence that is to say the most perfect Enmity against Jesus Christ by ascribing to him all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety making him the Author of their Tyranny and Cruelty and feigning an adherence to him like Judas in order to betray him and to dishonour him the more as an Adulterous Woman dishonours her Husband while at the same time they persecute his Followers with the height of Rage and fill the Universe with Blood and Confusion and trample under foot ruin and devour Princes and their Subjects and all in the name of Jesus Christ. The True Religion being come from God who is the Creator and Preserver of Men and Society cannot tend to the Ruin and Destruction of States except we establish with the Manichees two eternal Principles one good and the other evil which is so gross that it deserves no Con●…utation If the Romish Religion be good with all those Mischiefs and Disorders which we have seen it produces naturally and necessarily in all Countries where it obtains God who is all Just all Holy and Holiness it self the Preserver of Nations and Mankind and the Author of the Old and New Testament can neither be Just Holy Good Wise True nor the Author and Preserver of Humane Society and the Old and New Testament cannot have proceeded from any other but the wicked Spirit Absit Blasphemia God must likewise if the Religion of the Church of Rome be True be contrary to the Propagation of Mankind which it appears to be one of the favourite Designs of Providence He must also according to them approve of Deceit and Imposture and Cozenage in the Ministers of his Religion and in his Worship he must likewise love Injustice Impiety Perfidiousness Tyranny Laziness Idleness Cruelty Incontinence Robbery Profanity Perjury Hypocrisy Murder and Calumny which are so essential to the Popish Religion and the Roman Clergy I leave it to Divines to treat of the Idolatry Heresie Superstitions c. of this pretended Church which agree so well and are so very becoming to all the rest which we have seen and which cannot indeed be otherwise and are the natural Effects of the Ambition of those Mischievous Creatures as well as the rest for as Saint Chrysostome says well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that Ambition or a desire of Dominion is the Mother of Heresies and therefore St. Paul reckons Heresie amongst the Works of the Flesh. For the Popes not being able to establish their Authority in the World but by introducing those Practices into the Church and the Disorders of which we have spoke before that ruine all the Popish Nations have been oblig'd entirely to corrupt the Morals and Doctrine thereof and to suppress the Light of the Gospel which would have discover'd their Exorbitanci●…s and Iniquity to Mankind and have inclin'd them to oppose their Ambition For this reason they favoured all manner of Ignorance and Vice that they might the better extinguish amongst Men all Fear and Knowledge of God and all Generosity And seeing Men could not live without Religion good or bad they afterwards hurry'd them head-long into all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety If they had not intirely corrupted and falsified the Christian Religion and People had known the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament they would never have submitted to Practices and Customs so contrary to the Publick Good Princes and their Ministers would never have suffered a Religion to be Established among them which is so much contrary to their Rights Arts Husbandry Manufacture Commerce Propagation good Morals and the ●…ublick Peace of Nations Let us but read and consider the Old an●… New Testament or only the Ten Commandments of Gods Law we shall find nothing commanded therein but what is Excellent and Worthy of God and wonderfully suited not only to the Temporal good and advantage of every Man in particular but also to that of People and Countries and the whole World in general So that if the great Wits of this Age who pretend to be Men of Parts though they be indeed meer Fools would consider this sedately they would be obliged to own whether they would or not by comparing this with the Conduct of all the Politicians in the World and their Pretended Skill in the Government of their People that there are no o●…her Rules of True Policy for regulating of Morals and making every particular Man as profitable as can be to Society but those that the Law of God and the Gospel furnish us with and that every thing which does not agree with that and is not conformable thereunto is nothing else but Errour and Destruction I don't mean only the Political Laws of Moses as they are call'd to distinguish them from the Moral Law under which the Commonwealth of Israel became so flourishing and was Peopled in such a manner as seems Incredible to those that read their History but I mean also and chiefly the Moral Law which certainly contributed still more than the Political Laws of that People tho' but very ill observed to make them so rich and powerful I joyn also thereunto at present the Gospel which not only regulates our Actions but also our Thoughts and Words and hath giv'n us a Model of Incomparable Charity and furnish'd us with new and powerful Motives to this Vertue by revealing to us clearly the saving Grace of God that we may live all in general Princes and People and every one in particular Soberly Justly and Religiously which comprehends all our Duty to God our Neighbours and our selves wherein if we did acquit our selves Men would not only be happy in the Life to come but also in this and Nations would become incomparably more powerful populous and rich than they are For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come Which of it self might be enough to convince our Deists many of whom value themselves highly on the account of their sense and ability and think they are able to Govern Kingdoms of the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures if there were no other proofs of it In that Divine Book alone are the true Rules of Policy to be found All the World agrees in this without thinking on it when they say that Honesty is the best Policy that is to say to observe the Law of God and cause it to be observ'd by others which is no less essentially Necessary for the good of the State than for Salvation But ●…he Church of Rome hath confounded all those Notions as I have already said and having govern'd the World for a long time hath introduced a