The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
I06SERMONS.3. That to purloin or embezzle any p^rt of thenational revenue, is,in proportion, a natural caufe of>national weaknefs, difappointment, and difgrace. Thedifgrace of the Ifraeiites before Ai happened, becaufeGod had " made the camp of Ifrael a curfe 5" andhe did fo, becaufe they had " com,mitted a trefpafsin the accurfed thing."But, in ordinary times, thatis,, when Heaven doth not miraculoufly intcrpofe, topurloin, to embezzle, or mifapply the public money,muil operate in the w^ay of caufe and efFecSl j andfometimes part of the public money may be literallypurloined or ftolen, juil as Achan ftole the fliekels offilver and the golden v/edge. It is, for aught I canfee, mifapplicd, when it is fpcnt in foreign or unnecefTarywars, or in providing places, or penfions, orbribes, for any of the legiilative body ; and it cannever he fuppofed that a wife people could giYe awaytheir money, but for the defence of the kingdom, and.the maintenance of civil government ; it cannot befuppofed, that a fenfible people could put their moneyinto the hands of the firft magiftrate, to be employedin a manner which tends dire£lly to fubvertthe public liberty, and to beggar and enilave the bodyof the people ; for, when the revenue 4s milapplied,new and heavier taxes muil be impofed to fupply theexigencies of the ftate ; by thefe taxes, it is evident,the kingdom muft be weakened, becaufe it is impovcriflied.There is, indeed, a new and ilrange pofitionobtruded upon the world, namely, that the heavierthe taxes arc, the nation is the more, rich andprofperous j becaufe, fay they, by means of thefetaxes, there is a quick circulation of money. Howevei*,this new-fangled dodirine is like to go ill down ;it is, indeed, fo palpably abfurd, that I muft fuppofethe underiVanding of thofe who efpoufe it to be blindfolded,either by the expectation of receiving fomepart of thefe taxes,or by having already actually re-
SERMONS. 107eyes" even " of the wife." To mifapply the revenueimpoveriilies the nation j it alfo difappoints the peopleof their juft expectations, and brings difgrace uponthe kingdom. In the firil Dutch vi^ar, equally unrighteousand impolitical, Charles II. demanded andobtained very great fublidies from parliament, promifingthat he vt^ould equip a ftrong fleet, and performfome adiion of wonderful prowefs againft theDutch 5 but he diffipated all he had got ; I need notfay how •, it was in the manner that that thoughtlefsand fauntering monarch was in ufe to fpend his treafure; his fhips of war were laid up ; he made fomediftant propofals of peace to the enemy ; meantimede Ruyter, the Dutch admiral, came up the riverMedway, and, by the help of a ftrong eaft wind,broke the boom, the crofs chain, which, inftead of apowerful fleet, was all the defence provided for Britainand the (liips in the harbour ; he proceeded toChatham, burnt three or four fhips, and carried others'ofl^ with him. Thus, by the embezzlement and mifapplicationof the public money, the Britifh fhorewas, in a time of war, left defencelefs, the capital ofthe empire was alarmed, and, in the judgment of nativesand of foreigners,contempt and difgrace.the kingdom was expofed toThat to purloin or embezzle,the public money impoverifhes and difgraces a nation,might be fliown at large from hiftory and fadl. Inproof of this point, I have mentioned but one inftance,and that at the diftance of a hundred years backward.I will mention no more, left I ftiould feem to cometoo near to what may have been done in our own days.I remark,4. That when any part of the public revenue hathbeen purloined or mifapplied, or when unexpecteddifgraces in v/ar have happened, it becomes the uncorruptedpart of the legillative body to ftrive that theguilty may be deteCted.If the morals of a nation are yet tolerably pure, an
- Page 63 and 64: SfUMONS.pTofperous, and, to a confi
- Page 65 and 66: SERMONS.to have her to wife. Old Ha
- Page 67 and 68: SERMONS,fied with difpbcing him, th
- Page 69 and 70: SERMONS. 61uudd the houfe of the Lo
- Page 71 and 72: SERMONS.rhis, I think, implies, tha
- Page 73 and 74: aw, unfkilful, unpraclifed in ftate
- Page 75 and 76: SERMONS, 67aiifwer would have been
- Page 77 and 78: SERMONS. 69was received and heard,
- Page 79 and 80: SERMONS. 7£for, when a mob Is once
- Page 81 and 82: SERMONS. 75•tubes who had not joi
- Page 83 and 84: SE'RMONSr. 75Benjamin. The king, it
- Page 85 and 86: SERMONS.have I alio left you in thS
- Page 87 and 88: SERMONS. 79from Relioboani :" Thy f
- Page 89 and 90: SERMONSceed from nothing but vile a
- Page 91 and 92: SEPvMONS. 83ly of heart, and ye fli
- Page 93 and 94: SERMONS. 8;^we have been forgetful
- Page 95 and 96: SERMON IV.ACHAN'S TRESPASS IN THE A
- Page 97 and 98: aERMOKs. 89City once, and returned
- Page 99 and 100: SERMONS.crVtreafury of the Lord , a
- Page 101 and 102: SERMONS.to be chafed by a few undif
- Page 103 and 104: SERMONS.^^nobles, do, and call upon
- Page 105 and 106: SERMONS. 97being pure in heart, bec
- Page 107 and 108: SERMONS. 99*and thus have I done. W
- Page 109 and 110: SERMONS.lOIgvave-ftone ; this would
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- Page 113: SERMO^fS. 105celTarily, ?t leaft pr
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- Page 119 and 120: -# '* SERMONS. II :laws ; I defende
- Page 121 and 122: SERMOKS. 113rnies ; for the Canaani
- Page 123 and 124: SERMON-S-. 115was or could well be
- Page 125 and 126: 'SERMON'5. 117ful combined kingdoms
- Page 127 and 128: seHjMOms. 119sre firfl: over-awed b
- Page 129 and 130: liERMON'S. 121derftaftding to dilco
- Page 131 and 132: SERMOKS.12^fpirit, is better than h
- Page 133 and 134: A \L -WjSERMONS.IZ5who would have b
- Page 135 and 136: Sl-RMONSi 127pride *, at times each
- Page 137 and 138: SERMONSj 129and alfo more commonly
- Page 139 and 140: SERM0N5. 131great part of a neighbo
- Page 141 and 142: SERMONS.I_53^}y the illicit gratifi
- Page 143 and 144: what he hath done.SERMONS.if the "C
- Page 145 and 146: SERMONS.13 Vtiements in the defart
- Page 147 and 148: SERMONS.. 139>copard would lie down
- Page 149 and 150: SERMONS,."1-41of many tedious campa
- Page 151 and 152: SERMONS. 143punillied for it, and,
- Page 153 and 154: SERMONS'.r43hoftages—nof foldiers
- Page 155 and 156: SERMONS. 14/py conteft between Grea
- Page 157 and 158: cfous ?'*The church and people of G
- Page 159 and 160: of fuccefs.sfeRM0N5.l^ludeed, provi
- Page 161 and 162: SttRMONs.r:_5:3ro cities, been want
- Page 163 and 164: SERMONS. 15.5*oF popery too) to eil
I06SERMONS.3. That to purloin or embezzle any p^rt <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>national revenue, is,in proportion, a natural <strong>ca</strong>ufe <strong>of</strong>>national weaknefs, difappointment, and difgrace. <strong>The</strong>difgrace <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ifraeiites before Ai happened, be<strong>ca</strong>ufeGod had " made <strong>the</strong> <strong>ca</strong>mp <strong>of</strong> Ifrael a curfe 5" andhe did fo, be<strong>ca</strong>ufe <strong>the</strong>y had " com,mitted a trefpafsin <strong>the</strong> accurfed thing."But, in ordinary times, thatis,, when Heaven doth not miraculoufly intcrp<strong>of</strong>e, topurloin, to embezzle, or mifapply <strong>the</strong> public money,muil operate in <strong>the</strong> w^ay <strong>of</strong> <strong>ca</strong>ufe and efFecSl j andfometimes part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public money may be literallypurloined or ftolen, juil as Achan ftole <strong>the</strong> fliekels <strong>of</strong>filver and <strong>the</strong> golden v/edge. It is, for aught I <strong>ca</strong>nfee, mifapplicd, when it is fpcnt in foreign or unnecefTarywars, or in providing places, or penfions, orbribes, for any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legiilative body ; and it <strong>ca</strong>nnever he fupp<strong>of</strong>ed that a wife people could giYe away<strong>the</strong>ir money, but for <strong>the</strong> defence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kingdom, and.<strong>the</strong> maintenance <strong>of</strong> civil government ; it <strong>ca</strong>nnot befupp<strong>of</strong>ed, that a fenfible people could put <strong>the</strong>ir moneyinto <strong>the</strong> hands <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> firft magiftrate, to be employedin a manner which tends dire£lly to fubvert<strong>the</strong> public liberty, and to beggar and enilave <strong>the</strong> body<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people ; for, when <strong>the</strong> revenue 4s milapplied,new and heavier taxes muil be imp<strong>of</strong>ed to fupply <strong>the</strong>exigencies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ftate ; by <strong>the</strong>fe taxes, it is evident,<strong>the</strong> kingdom muft be weakened, be<strong>ca</strong>ufe it is impovcriflied.<strong>The</strong>re is, indeed, a new and ilrange p<strong>of</strong>itionobtruded upon <strong>the</strong> world, namely, that <strong>the</strong> heavier<strong>the</strong> taxes arc, <strong>the</strong> nation is <strong>the</strong> more, rich andpr<strong>of</strong>perous j be<strong>ca</strong>ufe, fay <strong>the</strong>y, by means <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>fetaxes, <strong>the</strong>re is a quick circulation <strong>of</strong> money. Howevei*,this new-fangled dodirine is like to go ill down ;it is, indeed, fo palpably abfurd, that I muft fupp<strong>of</strong>e<strong>the</strong> underiVanding <strong>of</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e who efpoufe it to be blindfolded,ei<strong>the</strong>r by <strong>the</strong> expectation <strong>of</strong> receiving fomepart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>fe taxes,or by having already actually re-
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