which　making　War　on　other　Nations　may　be　justifiable；　viz。　Fighting　for　Territory　when　we　are　over…people；　and　want　Land　for　them；　which　our　Neighbours　have；　but　will　not　part　with　on　amicable　and　reasonable　Terms。　And　as　this；　and　necessary　Self…defence　is　all　the　just　Foundation　War　can　ever　have；　so　War　for　any　other　Causes　is　Murder；　aggravated　by　the　horrible　Addition　of　all　the　Thousands　that　are　destroy'd　on　both　Sides。　This　must　be　so；　because　it's　monstrous　to　imagine；　the　Author　of　the　World　hath　constituted　Things　so；　as　to　make　it　any　Ways　necessary　for　Mankind　to　murder　and　destroy　each　other：　And　yet　he　must　have　constituted　Things　thus　monstrously；　if　War　be　necessary　on　any　other　Foundation　whatsoever。　　　　　I　will　not　proceed　to　shew；　that　the　State　of　the　Nation；　in　Respect　of　the　Trade　thereof；　is　really　very　different；　and　much　worse　than　it　was　about　the　Year　1688。　　　　　Erasmus　Phillips　says；　Page　15；　that　the　Year　above　mentioned　was　perhaps　the　Time；　when　England　was　in　Possession　of　the　greatest　Quantity　of　Wealth　she　ever　did　enjoy；　She　was　then　inrich'd　with　the　Treasure　she　had　been　accumulating　for　about　150　Years；　for　so　long　we　may　date　the　Progress　of　Trade　in　this　Nation。　And　Page　17；　he　says；As　to　the　Specie　of　the　Nation；　the　Recoining　3　Years　afterwards　makes　that　sum　almost　apparent　as　to　the　Silver；　for　from　1691　to　1697；　there　was　brought　to　the　London　and　Country　Mints；　8；400；000　l。　of　clipt；　light；　and　hammer'd　Money；　and　in　all　Probability　there　might　be　a　great　Sum　standing　out。　The　mill'd　Silver　coin'd　in　King　Charles　IId；　and　King　James　IId's　Reign；　might　be　2；200；000　l。　so　that　we　may　suppose　subsisting　in　Silver　Money；　at　that　Time；　about　11　Millions；　And　the　Gold　we　may　reckon　thus：
  Coin'd　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　Time　who　reform'd　most　of　the　old　Specie：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　1；500；000　Coin'd　in　King　James　Ist's　Time　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　　800；000　Coin'd　in　King　Charles　Ist's　Time　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　1；723；456　And　in　the　Reigns　of　King　Charles　IId；　and　King　James　IId。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　6；500；000　In　all　　　　　　　　　　L。　10；523；456
  But　allowing　for　Deficiencies　and　Wastes　of　all　Kinds　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　3；000；000　The　Gold　Specie　then　remains　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　7；523；456　Silver　Specie　as　above　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　11；000；000　Total　of　the　Specie　circulating　in　the　Nation　about　the　Year　1688　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　18；523；456
  And　Page　18；　he　says；　There　is　Reason　to　believe　this　was　the　State　of　the　Nation　in　Respect　to　Trade　and　Money　in　the　Year　1688。　　　　　And　I　will　endeavour　to　shew；　that　the　Trade　of　the　Nation　had　really　stood　on　such　a　Foot；　during　the　whole　Period　of　the　Coinage　above　set　forth；　that　is　was　not　likely　we　had　thereby　diminished　any　Part　of　the　Specie　abovemention'd；　on　which　however　so　large　a　Sum　as　3　Millions　is　allow'd　for　Deficiencies　and　Waste。　　　　　In　the　Year　1645　there　were　7966　Christen'd；　and　11479　Buried。　　　　　In　the　Year　1789　there　were　14777　Christen'd　and　23502　Buried。　　　　　The　Christenings　and　Burials；　then；　being　at　the　Year　1689；　about　double　the　Number　they　were　at　the　Year　1645；　makes　it　evident　that　the　People　in　London　and　Westminister；　etc。　within　the　Bills　of　Mortality；　were　doubled　in　about　44　Years；　notwithstanding　that　great　Plague　which　happened　in　this　Period。　And　Dr　Nichols　hath　assured　us；　that　the　Country　increased　in　the　same　Time；　though　not　in　the　like；　yet　in　a　considerable　Proportion。　　　　　Not　since　the　Prices　of　all　things　in　general　were　as　high；　if　not　higher；　when　the　People　were　so　much　increased；　than　the　Prices　of　the　same　Things　in　general　were　when　the　Number　of　the　People　were　so　much　less　（and　this　I　shall　take　for　granted　as　a　Thing　sufficiently　known；）　therefore；　since　we　had　at　the　Year　1688　no　considerable　national　Debts；　or　Paper　Effects　operating　as　Money；　and　thereby　inhancing　the　prices　of　things　above　the　Rates　which　the　Specie　itself　would　support　them　at；　as　every　Thing　which　hath　the　operation　of　Money；　though　it　be　not　such；　will　never　fail　to　do；　I　say；　this　could　be　only　the　Effect　of　a　vast　Increase　of　real　specie　circulating；　which　thus　supported；　if　not　raised　the　Number　of　People；　as　there　was　in　London；　etc。　and　in　the　Kingdom　in　general；　or　at　about　the　Year　1688；　above　the　Number　there　was　about　44　Years　before。　　　　　And　since　we　（having　no　mines）　could　only　have　such　an　increase　of　specie　arise；　by　the　Balance　of　Trade　being　so　mightily　in　our　Favour；　as　to　increase　the　Money　so　vastly　in　so　short　a　time　as　about　44　Years；　I　think　there　can　be　no　room　to　imagine；　the　Specie；　coin'd　as　above；　was　at　all　lessen'd　in　this　Period。　　　　　But　it　will　still　be　a　Question；　whether　the　Specie　was　not　diminish'd　before　the　Year　1645；　since　the　Beginning　of　the　Coinage　goes　much　further　back。　To　which　I　answer；　that　is　is　well　know　that　our　Trade　at　1645　was　but　of　about　100　Years　Date；　and　therefore　I　shall　say　it　was　but　in　its　Youth。　And　as　it　is　a　Circumstance；　always　attending　the　Beginnings　of　foreign　Trade　in　every　Nation；　to　have　the　Balance　in　their　Favour；　because　such　Nations　having　no　Mines；　cannot　have　much　Money　amongst　them；（28*）　on　which　Account　their　Produce　and　Manufacturers　must　needs　be　low　in　their　Price：　And　as　this　is　the　chief；　if　not　the　only　Circumstance　which　lays　the　Foundation　of　the　Exportation　of　the　Commodities　of　any　Country；　so　this　being　then　our　Case；　must　needs　be　the　Means　of　increasing　the　Gold　and　Silver　amongst　us；　from　the　Time　of　Reforming　the　old　Specie　by　Queen　Elizabeth；　to　the　Time　whence　I　begin　that　great　Increase　of　the　People。　But　further　to　establish　this　Point；　give　me　Leave　again　to　make　use　of　Dr　Nichols's　Authority　in　the　beforecited　Place；　where　he　says；　〃To　consider　further　how　mightily　this　Nation　of　ours　hath　increased　within　a　Century　or　two；　notwithstanding　the　many　civil　and　external　Wars；　and　those　vast　Drains　of　People　that　have　been　made　into　our　Plantations　since　the　Discovery　of　America。〃　If　the　Nation　did　really　increase　so　mightily　within　a　Century　or　two；　and　it　be　an　undeniable　Fact　that　the　Prices　of　Things　advanced　too　during　that　Time；　we　must　during　that　Time　have　had　an　Increase　of　the　People　and　Prices　of　Things；　as　hath　been　before　reason'd　on　this　Point。　Therefore　I　think　it　appears　more　than　probable；　that　the　Specie　coin'd　as　above；　was　not　diminish'd；　but　really　circulating　amongst　us　about　the　Year　1688。　　　　　Let　us　now　see　how　different　the　State　of　the　Nation；　and　consequently　the　Trade　thereof；　now　is　in　this　Respect。
  The　Cash　of　the　Nation　is　by　most　People；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；　esteem'd　to　be　about　10　or　12　Millions。　But　Erasmus　Phillips　endeavours　to　she　that　it　is（29*）　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　15；000；000　　　　　And　in　his　Preface；　he　says；　the　National　Debt　is　53　Millions；　a　sixth　Part　of　which；　he　says；　Foreigners　are　generally　supposed　to　have；　which；　allowing　the　Debt　to　be　now　somewhat　lessen'd；　can　hardly　be　put　lower　than（30*）　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　　8；000；000。　　　　　The　Balance　of　Specie；　which　we　may　then　call　our　own；　will　be　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　　7；000；000。
  That　is　11　millions　and　a　half　less　than　we　had　about　the　Year　1688。　　　　　Now　whether　this　great　Diminution　of　our　Species　be　attributed　chiefly　to　the　vast　Expence　of　King　William　and　Queen　Anne's　Wars；　as　without　doubt　it　must　in　a　great　degree；　or　that　the　balance　of　Trade　since　that　Time　hath　been　against　us；　and　contributed　to　this　Diminution；　it's　evident　the　State　of　the　Nation；　being　now　so　vastly　different　in　respect　of　real　Specie　we　can　call　our　own；　must　have　a　malignant　Influence　on　our　Trade；　whilst　the　Prices　of　most　Commodities　and　Necessaries　of　Life；　by　the　Operation　of　Paper…Effects；　are　maintain'd　at　higher　Rates　than　those　Things　bore　before　the　Year　1688。　　　　　Therefore　I　conclude；　Since　we　have　so　much　less　Specie　we　can　call　our　own；　and　such　a　vast　Value　of　Paper…Effects　operating　as　Money；　and　are　indebted　to　Foreigners　such　a　great　Sum；　the　Interest　of　which　they　are　continually　drawing　from　us；　besides　a　vast　national　Debt；　that　the　State　of　Trade　is　as　much　worse　than　it　was　in　the　Year　1688；　as　the　State　of　the　Nation　is　so：　For　the　Relation　between　these　are　such；if　rightly　consider'd；　that　they　ought　to　be　esteem'd　as　but　one　and　the　same　Thing；　notwithstanding　we　seem　to　distinguish　them　by　different　Names。　　　　　Another　Point；　whence　I　argue　that　the　Trade　of　this　Nation　is　in　a　worse　State　than　it　was　about　the　Year　1688；　is　the　different　Increase　of　the　People　since　that　Time　to　the　Increase　in　the　preceding　44　Years。　　　　　In　the　Year　1730；　there　were　17118　Christen'd　and　26761　Buried。　　　　　In　1689；　（which　I　stopt　at；）　14777　Christen'd　and　23502　Buried。　　　　　The　difference　increased　is；　Christen'd　2341　and　Buried　3259；　or　about　1/7　Part　of　the　Number　of　the　Year　1689；　which　shews　the　Increase　of　the　People　since　that　Time　to　be　about　so　much：　Which　being　so　far　short　of　the　preceding　Period　of　44　Years；　shews　that　our　Trade　is　in　as　much　worse　State；　as　the　Increase　is　less　in　near　the　same　Length　of　Time。　　　　　But　the　great　Increase；　in　the　before…mention'd　44　Years；　will　be　greatly　ascribed　to　the　great　Number　of　French　Refugees；　that　came　and　settled　here　in　that　Period。　But　I　think　they　could　not　have　found　a　Settlement　with　us；　if　our　Trade　had　not　been　in