There are beyond Seas as good Chymists, and Black-Smiths as at _London_, or _Birmingham_, and ’tis not impossible that they should secretly Import as much base Money, resembling that which goes current among us, and which hath not the intrinsic Value of One Shilling in Three, as if they please may not only buy up and Export Two or Three Millions Worth of our Staple Commodities, affording ’em Cheaper abroad than we can at home; but as much Worth of our imported Commodities, even Gold it self, if they like that Trade better. Such an Importation of Money would I fear, be of worse Consequence than all our Exportation of Silver and Gold can prove. * * * * * If what cost our Merchants a Shilling, they should sell for a Groat, or if they shall buy of us an Ounce of Gold for Three or Four Ounces of Silver, or supposing ’em to buy it at 6 _s._ 6 _d._ _per_ Ounce, they shall buy an Ounce for as much Counterfeit Money as shall not have 7 Peny-Weight of true Bullion in it, this would give our Balance of Trade, such a Terrible Swing, as no true Hearted _English-Man_ would be willing to see. This is a Danger which the easiness and small Charge of counterfeiting old Clipp’d Money threatens very much, unless it be speedily cry’d down. And in the mean time, let us consider the Condition of the other Coin among us, not counterfeited, but Clipp’d, fil’d, or otherwise diminish’d. ’Tis plainly demonstrable by the Receipts of Money in His Majesty’s Exchequer, that one half of the Silver is already Clipp’d away, and there is no Security why half what remains wo’nt be taken off too. The Laws are severe enough made, and put in Execution, and yet _New-Gate_ is perhaps now as full of Clippers as it was Three or Four Years ago. Nothing but a Sense of Religion doth restrain Men from profitable Sins, and the _Ordinary_ of _New-Gate_ can inform us, how little the Guilt of Clipping affects the Criminal’s Conscience. Nor will preaching do much Good, upon those that never come to Church. Clipping is the gainfulest Sin that ever was invented, and sits the easiest upon the Sinner’s Mind, and ’tis never to be remedied but by making it impracticable, which Mill’d Money only (and no other to be current) can do. And what a perpetual Discontent and Confusion must it end in, if People shall come at last to proffer a Groat for a Shilling? This must increase still vastly the Value of Guineas; this must raise the Price of all Commodities, this must make it impossible to expect any Money at all, either for the King’s Use, or Balance of Trade; and this will not only force us to recall our Troops from _Flanders_, and by a natural Consequence let in the War upon us, but it would put a sudden and universal stop to all Foreign Trade. And what fatal Consequences may it have in the mean time at home let us consider.