Where Learning and Trade flourish in a Nation, they produce so much Knowledge, and That so much Equality among Men, that the Greatness of Dependencies is lost, but the Nation in general will be the better for it: For if the Government be wise, it is the more easily governed; if not, the bad Government is the more easily overturned, by Mens being more united against it than when they depended upon great Men; who might sooner be gained over and weakend by being divided. There is more reason for allowing _Luxury_ in a Military Government than in another; the perpetual Exercise of War not only excuseth but recommendeth the Entertainments in the Winter. In another it groweth into a Habit of uninterrupted Expences and idle Follies, and the Consequences of them to a Nation become irrecoverable. CLERGY. If the Clergy did not live like temporal Men, all the Power of Princes could not bring them under the temporal Jurisdiction. They who may be said to be of God Almighty's Houshold, should shew by their Lives that he hath a well disciplined Family. The Clergy in this Sense, of Divine Institution; that God hath made Mankind so weak that it must be deceived. RELIGION. It is a strange thing that the way to save Mens Souls should be such a cunning Trade, as to require a skilful Master. The time spent in praying to God, might be better employed in deserving well from him. Men think praying the easier Task of the two, and therefore choose it. The People would not believe in God at all, if they were not permitted to believe wrong in him. The several Sorts of Religion in the World are little more than so many spiritual Monopolies. If their Interests could be reconciled, their Opinions would be so too. Men pretend to serve God Almighty who doth not need it, but make use of him because they need him. Factions are like Pirates that set out false Colours, when they come near a Booty Religion is put under Deck. Most Mens Anger about Religion is as if two Men should quarrel for a Lady, they neither of them care for. _Of_ PREROGATIVE, POWER _and_ LIBERTY. A Prerogative that tendeth to the Dissolution of all Laws must be void in itself, _felo de se_; for a Prerogative is a Law. The reason of any Law is, that no Man's Will should be a Law. The King is the Life of the Law, and cannot have a Prerogative that is mortal to it. The Law is to have a Soul in it, or it is a dead thing. The King is by his Sovereign Power to add Warmth and Vigour to the meaning of the Law. We are by no means to imagine there is such an Antipathy between them, that the Prerogative, like a Basilisk, is to kill the Law, whenever it looks upon it. The Prince hath very rarely use of his Prerogative, but hath constantly a great Advantage by the Laws. They attribute to the Pope indeed, that all the Laws of the Church are in his Breast; but then he hath the Holy Ghost for his learned Counsel, _&c._