Chap. 5ClV.] AK» REtiflioJ?. aS7 



hood and blasphemy of this Doctrine ; for, Providence 

 had sent Chalcraft the hops, and he had put poles to 

 them. Providence had brought the hops to perfection ; 

 but then came the Boroughmongers and the Parson to 

 take from this poor man this boon of a benevolent 

 Maker. What, did God order a tax with all its vexa- 

 tious regulations, to be imposed upon what he had freely 

 given to this poor man T Did God ordain that, in addi- 

 tion to this tax, a tenth should be yielded to a Parson, 

 who had solemnly vowed at his ordination, that he be- 

 lieved himself called, not by the love of tithes, but by 

 *♦ the Holy Ghost, to take on him the cure ofsoxih," and 

 to " bring stray sheep into the fold of the Lord ?" Did 

 God ordain these things ! Had it pleased God to do 

 thisi' What impunity, what blasphemy, then, to as- 

 cribe to Providence the manifold sufferings occasioned 

 by the Boroughmongers' taxes and Parsons' tithes ! 



431. But, my Botley neighbours, you will exclaim, 

 *♦ No tithes! Why, then, there can be no Churches 

 •♦ and no Parsens ! The people must know nothing of 

 •' God or Devil ; and must all go to hell !" By no means, 

 my friends. Here are plenty of Churches. No less 

 than three Episcopal (or English) Churches ; three 

 Presbyterian Churches; three Lutheran Churches; 

 one or two Quaker Meeting-houses ; and two Metho- 

 dist Places ; all within six miles of the spot where 

 I am sitting. And, these, mind, not poor shabby 

 Churches; but each of them larger and better built 

 and far handsomer than Botley Church, with the 

 Church-yards all kept in the neatest order, with 

 a head-stone to almost every grave. As to the Quaker 

 Meeting-house it would take Botley Church into its 

 belly, if you were first to knock off the steeple. 



432. Oh, no ! Tithes are not necessary to promote 

 religion. When our Parsons, such as Baker, talk about 

 religion, or the church, being in danger ; they mean, 

 that the tithes are in danger. They mean, that they 

 are in danger of being compelled to work for their 

 bread. This is what they mean. You remember, that, 

 at our last meeting at Winchester, they proposed for us 

 to tell the Prince Regent, that we would support the 

 Church. I moved, to leave out the word church, and 



