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And it holds as well, or better, againſt churches, than ⟨againſt⟩ private houſes. They tell you farther, that no ⟨man⟩ has a right to any thing but what he earns himſelf; ſo you and I, John and Thomas Bull, worked ever ſo ⟨hard⟩ and leave what we have to bring up our children in ⟨the⟩ world, they will have no right to it becauſe they did ⟨not⟩ earn it themſelves. This notion cuts off all right of inheritance, which is the moſt ſacred upon earth, and without which it would not be worth while either to work ⟨or⟩ to live; for the Nation may meet, make a new Government, and take it all away at a ſtroke. I’ll tell you a ſtory: Some while ago a highwayman met with his ⟨death⟩ upon the road for demanding a gentleman's money: '⟨That⟩ fellow,' (ſaid a wag) ‘was a good Patriot; who, ⟨ſuppoſing⟩ the gentleman might have more money in ⟨his⟩ pocket than he had earned, diſcovered that it was ⟨the⟩ property of the nation: ſo, making himſelf the nation he only demanded his own property. But the gentleman being rather too quick for him, ſhot the ⟨Nation⟩ through the head, and ſpoiled the new principles of Government.' This was bad luck: that man might ⟨have⟩ lived to have given us a continuation of Thomas Pain.— And now, John, I’ll tell thee plainly, the new notion (illegible text) Government from the mob, is the fooliſheſt, as well as ⟨the⟩ moſt raſcally, that ever entered into the world: and ⟨the⟩ very people, that have raiſed themſelves to power ⟨and⟩ plunder by it, will be fools enough to deny it. They ⟨will⟩ be telling us preſently how God has fought for the ⟨French⟩ againſt the Pruſſians and Auſtrians; while they ⟨don’t⟩ believe there’s a God in the World.
Let us hear next what they have to fay about Kings We are ſhortly to have no more of them, neither below nor above, Tom Pain having been heard to declare, ⟨that⟩ when he had made revolutions againſt the Kings ⟨upon⟩ earth, he would try his hand at a Revolution in Heaven You ſee, John, who they are that talk againſt Kings: they never fail to talk againſt God Almighty; and in ſuch words as the devils of hell dare not utter! When ⟨they⟩ pretend to argue with us, they tell us, all Kings are bad that God never made a King: and that all Kings are very
