第8章

For Peace, which puts an End to the vast Business which War necessarily creates, obliges those that were employed, and found their Livelihood by the Affairs of War, to employ themselves in the Business which the common Affairs of Life produce; and as hereby there is a much greater Number of People to be subsisted, on so much less Business as the ending a War puts a Period to, it's plain this must divide the remaining Business into a great many more Parts; whence the Profits, which ought to be so much augmented as the Business to each Particular becomes less (because the Expence of Living will not be less) are always found by Experience to lessen, in a greater Proportion than the Business to each Particular lessens. And this is the necessary Consequence of having a greater Number of People in any Trade, where the Business transacted by them all is no greater than when the same Trade and Business were in so much fewer Hands; and hence Ruin must happen to may whose Trades are thus unhappily circumstanced.

Besides, Peace lowering the Interest of Money brings many more People into Trade, who either cannot live on the reduced Interest of their Money, or are not satisfied to do so, and therefore enter on Trade on Trade to improve their Money to better Advantage. And such having abundance of Money to employ, must needs take a great deal of Business from those that had it before, by doing Business at much less Profit than it was before done, that they may employ the large Sums they bring into Trade;this must needs make it very difficult for People of much less Fortunes to get a Living, and of Consequence greatly increase the Number of Poor, and must needs empty the Houses too, by disabling the People to pay such Rents as they did before; and will drive many out of the Nation to get their Livings by the Arts they have learned here.

The heavy Debts and Taxes which the late War hath laid this Nation under, notwithstanding we had the greatest and most uninterrupted Success that could be wished, and have since had so long a Peace, may shew that War is not the natural Means to make Trade flourish, since the Consequences are still so burthensome to us. And if we look back to the Condition France was reduced to by the same War, which introduced both Famine and Pestilence amongst them, and occasioned the People to surround the Dauphin's Coach in Crouds, and cry out, Peace and Bread! surely these Things may fully convince us that War is a very great Calamity.

Peace, therefore, being the only natural Foundation of Happiness to any Nation, and Trade the particular Means whereby the People can be employed and subsisted, the promoting and improving Trade should be always consulted, and especially in Times of Peace, which is favourable to such a Design.

In general, there should never be any Restraints of any kind on Trade, nor any greater Taxes than are unavoidable; for if any Trade be restrained in any Degree, by Taxes or otherwise, many People, who subsisted by the Business which now hath Restraints laid upon it, will be rendered incapable of pursuing it, and of Consequence they must be employed some other Way, or drove out of the Kingdom, or maintained at the publick Charge; which last is always a great and unreasonable Burthen, and should, if there be any possible Way which might employ them, be prevented.

Now that there are natural Means to subsist all Mankind in a happy Condition, will appear clear from the Wisdom and Goodness of God, who hath taken such ample Care of all the Creatures below us, that they want no good thing, nor suffer any Hardship but what unreasonable Men bring upon them. Wherefore if God hath so wisely and graciously provided for all the Creatures below us, for whose Happiness other Beings evidently appear to be designed, it must be absurd to imagine he hath disposed things so, that Unhappiness in any Degree should unavoidably arise to Man, who he hath placed at the Head of all his Works in this World. Therefore whatever Difficulties Mankind meet, must be owing to their own Mismanagement, in not looking through the Nature of Providence with respect to themselves.

One Branch of that Providence, which Men should attend to and consider, is, that Mankind as certainly increase as Vegetables, and Animals; and therefor that Increase must continually be employed in cultivating proportionably more Land. For, otherwise being all consumers, there must continually be greater Numbers subsisted on the Produce of the same Land which was before cultivated, and this will increase the Demand for the Produce, and inhance the Price of it, whilst the increasing People must employ themselves solely, in Trades, Manufactures, etc. to enable them to subsist: Whence it must needs come to pass, that Trades, Manufactures, etc. will soon be so over-stocked, that all the Increase of the People can't be subsisted this Way; seeing the Necessaries of Life, for which they all ultimately work, will all the while be growing dearer, and the People less able to purchase them. And as I take this to be very much our present Case, as may appear by an Estimate I have subjoin'd of the necessary Expence for the Support of a poor Family, and another for a Family in a middling Station, so this Proposal of cultivating proportionably more land, appears to me to be the only natural Remedy that can be applied; the happy Effects of which, if sufficiently executed, will soon discover any imaginary Appearances to the contrary.

But I think it needful here to observe at what Rate Mankind increase, because their Happiness certainly depends on cultivating still more and more Land in such Proportion. And Ichoose to take Sir William Pettis's Account of this, who proves Mankind will absolutely double themselves in 360 Years,(2*)notwithstanding Wars and Plagues: Therefore, the Quantity of Land, which every Year should be taken in and cultivated, must be at least a 360th Part of the Quantity at present in Cultivation.