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Article, viz. that of Qualifications (the great Source of Evil in our Church) and here I fhall offer thofe Gentlememen the Advice of a Lay man concerning it, and hope he will be favourably heard by thofe Clergy and Laity, fince he belong'd to the latter himself, and has long been admitted as an able Counsellor for the other, viz. Sir Simon Degge, old Edit. p. 40.

"It is to be hop'd that our Noble Lords, when they confider the great "Damage the Church fuftains by Pluralities, the many poor Souls that "are neglected in danger to perish, the great Difcouragement it is to "Learned Men, when they fee many of meaner Worth enjoy two Livings apiece, befides Prebendaries, Deaneries, Sine Cura's, &c. and the "abler and better Men, for want of Friends, is never able to rife higher "than a poor Curacy of 30 or 401. a Year; when they confider how 66 great a Scandal it is to our Church, and it is to be fear'd attended with "a Curfe; I fay, it is to be hop'd their Lordships will become fo much "Self-deniers, as to lay down this Privilege where they receiv'd it; "certainly a Bleffing and the Prayers of the poor Clergy wou'd attend it. "But if their Lordships fhou'd not be willing to lay afide this Privilege, "the Archbishops, who have the Power of Difpenfation, might remedy ❝ it in part, or in all; or his Sacred Majesty, in denying Confirmation. "GOD grant all may be done for the good of the Church.

In this Prayer, and thefe Sentiments, all good Men, 'tis hop'd, will concur with this worthy Knight.

Nov. 24. 1736.

Your affectionate Wellwifer

Philopœminus.

On TYTHES,

Mr. Urban,

As

S I have, for fome Years paft, been a conftant Reader of your Magazine, I begin to fancy my Knowledge and Understanding very much improv'd, and that I am capable of cutting as good a Figure in few of its Pages, as fome others you admit to that Honour. On these Prefumptions, Sir, I have ventur'd to present you with my first Effay on the Subject of Tythes, which I obferve is become very popular of late; and if you will do me the favour to communicate my Sentiments to the Publick, on that Head, it may encourage me to furnish you (in a time of Scarcity) with more of my Lucubrations. As I am a Member of the eftablish'd Church, I will not, with the Quakers, call Tythes an Antichristian Yoke of Bondage; but as I am a Farmer, and get my Bread by renting Land, unless fome better Arguments are produc'd in favour of them, than what have been of late advanc'd, I fhall be oblig'd to think them an unequal and intolerable Oppreffion. That foft Gentleman who fign T. B in his fecond Letter to J. H (in your latt Magazine, p. 541.) has put me out of all Patience by the following Paffages, viz. “ If the Law allow'd of Alienations, &c. the Title must be valid, and nothing but Superftition could tempt a Man against all Laws to difpute it, confider "ing that he is himself no Sufferer by the Alienation. Pag. 543. G." "Can the difpofal of a Thing by publick Authority, which had no private "Owner be doing Injury to any private Man whatloever? P 544." Ought

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they never to return again to the People? The obvious Afwer is, "They cannot; the People from whom they were taken are not in Being, their "Heirs cannot be known. Upon the whole then we fee, that the "Government has fettled a Maintenance on the Clergy without Injury to “any Man.” —— For Goodness fake, Mr. Urban, what do these Gentlemen mean? Are these the best Arguments can be brought for Tythes! Why truly I can meet with no other; fuch confus'd Stuff, with the Law of the Land, is always their Ultimatum: But let us reduce this Reafoning into Facts, and see how Juft, how Equitable and Reasonable it is. Suppole, Sir, I rent a Farm of 100 Acres of Land for 25 1. per Annum, on a Leafe for a term of Years, I buy a Stock, hire Servants, toil early and late, and after disburfing fome hundreds of Pounds, and feveral Years induftrious Slavery in Manuring, &c. I bring 50 Acres of this Land in fuch order that it produces a Crop worth 57. an Acre, a tenth Part of which is carried away, and amounts to 25. the whole Rent of the Eftate. But to ftate the Cafe as justly as poffible, we will fuppofe, had not this Land been Tythable it might have fetch'd 51. per Ann. more Rent, which being allow'd (and 'tis as great an Allowance as can reasonably be fuppos'd) will reduce the Tythes of this arable Land to 20%. Now I would ask this Gentleman, whether this Surplus of zo/. arifing from my own Stock, · Pains and Improvement, was ever my Great Grandfather's Property? Whether he could make any voluntary Donation or Alienation of it? Where the Confideration lies that makes me no Sufferer in the Cafe? Or if 'tis forc'd from me, whether the Government now cannot find a private Owner? Or is the Person not in Being from whom it was taken ? Or whether this is such a settled Maintenance on the Clergy that is without Injury to any private Man? When my neighbouring Tradefman, with half the Fatigue, perhaps, gets double the Money, receives all the religious Advantages that I do, and pays not a Shilling to the Parson's Maintenance. I would farther ask thefe Gentlemen, whether I buy my Beafts, Sheep, Sow, Geefe, Hens, &c. the Cheaper for being Tythable? if not, Pray what Confideration is made me for fuch Tythes? I don't write after this manner out of any Difrcfpect to the Clergy; for, as I have been formerly taught, that the great Creator of all Things, who bleffes pur Industry with an Increafe, hath a Right to difpofe of it as he pleafes, and as he once ordained Tythes for maintaining his Service, and fupport of the Poor, either let the Clergy prove, beyond Contradiction, the pres fent appropriation of Tythes to be of DIVINE AUTHORITY, or never trouble themselves by thinking to amufe the World any longer with fuch equivocal and impertinent Arguments, as the validity of ancient Grants or Alienations; when they know, from the nature and reafon of Things, that Tythes now, never were, nor never could be, in the Poffeffion, or at the Difpofal of our Progenitors. Confequently, if there be no fuch DIVINE RIGHT as is above hinted, tho' thefe Advocates may imagine they can make Black White, or White Black, I am afraid they will never prevail with the Thinking Part of Mankind, to believe any otherwife, than that Tything is a very great Iniquity, had it not been establish'd by Law, I am, Sir, Your bumble Servant,

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SIR,

On the CORPORATION and TEST ACT.

Thought enough had been faid in my last, (Gent. Mag. Vol. IX. p. 76.) I to clear me of the Charge of Inconfiftency, and think fo ftill, especially as it is only charged, not proved. I affirm, the Corporation and Teft Ats, as they now ftand, to be oppreffive and iniquitous Laws, to occafion an unavoidable Profanation, &c. and therefore ought to be repealed; and yet I cannot fee it to be the Bufinefs or Duty of Diffenters to push and struggle for the Repeal; because their religious Liberties are untouch'd; because the World cenfures the Motives of their vehement Struggles for it, and this hath difquieted the Nation; because they have no Warrant for fuch a Conduct, but may poffibly err therein; because Providence wrought out every Branch of our prefent Liberty, and can eafily perfect it if it be the Divine Will; and because, I fear, if obtained, it would fail of accomplishing many of the valuable Ends hoped for from it. These Confiderations, for ought that hath yet been offer'd to invalidate them, feem to me fufficient to fupport and juftify fuch an Opinion. But I have freely cenfured the Indolence, &c. of those who are chiefly aggrieved thereby, who are touched in what should be a very tender Part, for whose immortal Honour it would be unanimoufly to concur in feeking the Repeal, and whose Endeavours rightly apply'd that way, would bid faireft for Succefs, confiftently with the Peace of the Nation. Where now lies the Inconfiftency? For my Life I cannot difcern it; unlefs it had been proved, that what is the Duty of the Legislature, and of the Church-Clergy, is equally incumbent on every Diffenter. And I take it a little unkindly, that my Antagonist, The Confiftent Diffenter, Vol. IX. p. 116. (whom, for Brevity fake, I beg leave hereafter to entitle Mr. C. D.) who fees it in fo glaring a Light, hath not been fo kind clearly to demonftrate it to a weak Brother.

My Remark on his Uniformity ftill appears juft, notwithstanding his Uniformity muft ftand opposed to what deevafive Explanation of it. notes more Forms than one; to exprefs which, if he can find a fitter Term than Variety, I fhall freely confent. There may be a regular, periodical Succeffion of like Appearances, or Events, without an Uniformity. It is plain to me, that Confistency is all he means by it. Such Mifapplication of Words has been the Inlet to great Confufion, hath led many to contend learnedly in the dark, and others with their own Shadows. But Uniformity and Confiftency are favourite Terms, which fome Gentlemen wonderfully affect and affume, who are blind to their own Arrogance. Should another, with equal Authority and Propriety, ftile himself Orthodox, I need not fay what Treatment he must expect from the confiftent Chriftians of the Age.

His laft Remarks are many of them fo trivial, they scarcely deferve Animadverfion. The first I meet with that merits regard is this, That Paul the Roman infifted on his Privileges, while Paul the Chriftian was one of the humbleft Men upon Earth. He faid fo when the Scourge was on his Back, and, as far as concerned corporal Punishment and Severities, inflicted contrary to Law, but no farther: And his Advice to the ChriThings; G z Aian Romans was, not to mind high Things, but be contented with mean

Things; for fo many think rois Trees Carabun fhould be render`d, Rom. xii. 16. as it is in the Margin of fome Bibles; he exhorts every Soul be Jubject to the higher Powers; and tells them, they must needs be fubject, not only for fear of Wrath, but also for Confcience fake..

Mr. C. D. wifely charges me with want of Confideration, because, ac= cording to my own Idea of the Term World, I ftand excluded from being any Judge as to the Odium the Diffenters Strugglings infer on them. But fure, if I have either Eyes or Ears, I may, with a moderate fhare of Confideration, become well apprized of the Judgment others pafs on their Conduct. His Remark on the Judgment of the World, tho' juft in itself, is, I think, nothing to the purpose, when we are enquiring only whether their Conduct infers an Odium on them or not, and in what degree of Comparison with the fuppofed Odium arifing from thefe Acts.

I intimated that the Charge of Ambition or Avarice is too much countenanced by their own Conduct." Well, what then? Why, according to Mr. C. D. it follows, that this must have made them, or, at least, bath made them odious in my Eyes. But unless the Rules of Logick are lately alter'd, and the Rules of Chriftianity too, I may fafely deny fuch Confequence. The Weaknefs, or Inadvertency, of a Brother claims my Pity and beft Advice; but tho' he fhould fall into the groffeft Errors, or fouleft Sins, or even commit Acts of declared Hoftility against me, I hope I would not hate him. I am fure Chrift has taught me otherwise. Surely then Mr. C. D.'s Conclufion, that juch a Hint is enough to maké me odious in the eyes of Diffenters, was not well confidered. I hope they have not fo learned Chrift,

If his way of Reafoning on my third Confideration be allow'd, it will prove too much; for it will, if I miftaké not, prove the Almighty to be the Author, or, at least, Abettor of the moft horrid Crimes. I prefume will be granted me, that it was the Will of GOD that the Patience of Fob fhould undergo a fevere Trial; he therefore plucked up the Hedge his Providence had made round about him, and all he had, and put all into Satan's Power, his Life only excepted: But if it was the Will of Gop that Job fhould be tried by whatever Acts of Outrage and Violence the Devil could incite the Sabeans and Chaldeans to commit against him, then, according to Mr. C. D. there is no avoiding the Confequence, that it must be alfo the Will of God, that the Sabeans and Chaldeans fhould be guilty of complicated Robbery and Murther. A fine Cafuift this! It puts me in mind of a certain Gentleman of my Acquaintance, who was, by fits, a little diforder'd in his Senfes, in which, however, he had fometimes much more sprightly turns of Thought than that I am going to rete: This Gentleman went one Day to the Vicar of the Parish where he liv'd, and after fome other flashy Expreffions, took his leave of him in thefe words, Sir, your Philofophy is good for nothing, and your Divinity is worse than your Philofophy.

He remarks on my fourth Confideration, that notwithstanding former Interpofitions of Providence in their favour, the Diffènters have not the least ground, in future time, to hope for Success on any other way than ufing their own Endeavours. It is granted. But what rauft thofe Endeavours be? Muft we difquiet the Nation, and diftrefs the Ministry? Let them be fuch as the Scripture warrants, and we are agreed: There we are directed to be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by Prayer

and

and Supplication, with Thanksgiving, make known our Requests to Goa. Endeavours of this kind have been remarkably Successful in former Cafes, of far greater Importance. And when he hath pointed out to me any other kind of Endeavours, warranted by Scripture, in any fuch like Cafe, 1 here promise, readily and vigorously, to concur with him therein.

I might, under this Head, ask him, why he hath not, pursuant to his own Affirmation, and my Demand thereupon, pointed out what other Endeavours were ufed by the Diffenters for procuring the forementioned Indulgence, Toleration, and Repeal of the Schifm-Act; but I need not fo poor a Triumph. And in anfwer to his cunning, far-fetch'd Quibble, fhall only fay, that a religious Dependance on the Conduct of Providence, well becomes both our Regards to a human Legiflature, and the divine Footstool.

Far from giving up my fifth Reason, I ftill infift, that the Repeal of thefe Acts would not fully answer fuch valuable Ends as the fanguine Hopes of many have fuggefted; I mean with refpect to the Diffenters. All that have convers'd freely on this Topick, with the most pufhing Diffenters, know, that tho' the Profanation (which, as I have fhew'd, chiefly concerns the Church-Clergy) is not forgot upon Occafion, yer the principal and best Motive they infit on, refpecting themselves, is a more zealous fuppreffion of Immoralities, &. in cafe fome Branches of the Magistracy could be got into their hands. But I ftill queftion much, whether, even in this Cafe, this good End would be generally, or in any high degree answer'd, for the Reasons formerly mention'd; and be cause I have obferved of fome Diffenters, who have been admitted into the Office of a Church-Warden, which in fome Places occafions Feafting and Drinking with other Parish-Officers, that, inftead of making their Affociates better, they have themselves been made worse by fuch Communication, and have contracted ill Habits thereby, which have not prefently wore off.

A late Event confirms me in the Opinion, that my fixth Reafon is a good one; therefore tho' it be true that Oppreffion makes a wife Man mad, I hope it will be granted, that he is wifer who bears it with a fteady Equanimity; and for the other, (I beg Pardon for faying) methinks Patience upon force fhould be a Medicine more than fufficient.

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