Chap. II. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS, 6jf 



that country, almofl as much as the Spaniards have defolated Soutl* 

 America and its illands. 



But not only have vs^c trade to foreign cnuntries, and thefe moft 

 diftant, but at home we have fo much trade, that every thing may 

 be faid to be venal : For not only commodities, fuch as meat, drink, 

 cloathing, and houfes, are to be got for money, but arts and Scien- 

 ces are to be purchafed ; and v^^e muft pay money, and not a little, 

 even for our religion ; fo univerlally prevalent is wealth among us. 

 What mifchief this trafic at home muft produce, I fhall afterwards 

 fhow. In the mean time, I think, 1 have faid enough to prove, 

 that the way of acquiring wealth by trade and manufactures, as well 

 as by war and conqueft, is deftrudive of men, and one of the jiia- 

 iiy evils which civil fociety has produced. 



But, as I have mentioned religion, I think it is proper to fhow, 

 that, among other mifchiefs which money has produced, it has made 

 religion the inftrument of the deftru6tion of a great number of men, 

 by perfecutions, maffacres, and religious wars. While there was no 

 money in the Chriftian church to be given to the clergy, which was 

 the cafe before Chriftianity came to be the eftabliflied religion of the 

 Roman Empire, there was perfed peace in the church. The fame 

 was the cafe in the Pagan church, where there were no falaries or 

 benefices given to the miniiters of religion; for even the Pontifejc 

 Maximus in Rome had not a fliilling of falary, nor any perquilite 

 annexed to his office. But, when the rainifters of Chriftianity were 

 paid, and fome of them had princely revenues annexed to their 

 ofhce, this naturally produced ftrife and contention among the cler- 

 gymen of the fame national church, who fhould poflef. thofe hene- 

 fices ; and if there was any fed of religionifts who defired a change 

 of the eftabliftied religion, by which they were to come in place of 

 the clergymen in poffeifion of the revenues of the ciiurch, then arofe 



Vol. V. I perfccutioa 



