Vol. I,J Plan for the 
riow on; and make their general circum- 
Rances abundantly more ‘eafy than they 
have long been---even fuppofing they were 
to be wholly without fortunes of their 
own; but fuppofing fome conliderable 
“part of their number, as now, to poflets 
patrimony, or a decent income, in their 
wn right, furely the rewards propafed 
mnt be fufficiently araple. 
Should an idea he farted , as.may proba- 
bly be the cafe, that it would be deerading 
the office of a teacher of religion, to haye 
his fubf&ftence paid him in this manner ; 
I would reply, that it fecms to me,-fuch 
an objection can only arife cut of a falfe 
view of real digwity, which is no way af- 
feGted or leffened by\the fimplicity, or 
publicity, of the channel, through which a 
feomm for tts fervices comes. The moft 
honcwable officers of the ftate, up to the 
» Lord Chancellor, and even the Head of the 
Church, the King himéfelf, have their fti.. 
-pulated falaries annexed by law to their 
flations ; and where the parties are honeft 
and worthy, no mam reafons fo ill as. to 
- think their office degraded by the mode of 
coimpentfation. 
‘The example of fome of the beft edu- 
cated, and moft exemplary characters in 
the Cheutian miniftry, amone diflenters, 
. by no means favours objections of fe proud 
-a nature, 9 any. In moft inftances the 
- alteration would be, not only for the eafe, 
- but tor rhe increafed credit of the clergy, 
by giving them an independence which 
they now cannot experience; andrit cer- 
tainly mudt be more dignified, to receive 
in money, paid with regularity and with- 
' Out trouble, under the immediate autho- 
-yity of parliament, than to procure, with 
uncertainty, mone or goods, as it may 
happen, at the expence of: frequent con- 
tention with, and abufe from; perfens of 
toured. and: iiliberal minds. - 
If it -be objected, “ that there will be 
*< a difadvantage arifing to the clergy, 
«© trom having their income lizited, how- 
“© ever in numerous inftances. increafed at 
 firft, becaufe of the waryzug, and pro- 
«© bably, the decreajing value of money.;”” 
-certain confiderations ~ come 
again the obieétion : Oe ae 
1. The clergy, as a body, are but fel- 
lowfubjects. of the government, morally 
entitled to no particular exemption from 
the common cafualties of human events ; 
and as perfons particularly concerned in 
propagating the doctrines of a divine 
providence, will doubtlefs. think it right. 
to {ubmit to a dependanse on the fame 
foundation with the generality of other 
perfons, conSdered as h®nourably employ: 
SuP. to Monrury Mac. Wol 1. 
forward ” 
Abolition of Tithes. 957 
ed in the fervice of their country. 
2. Tewill always be in the power of 
% ‘7 at 
governnient to make further ample pro-_ 
vilion, for their cumfort, from pertod ta 
period, in proportion as the value of ino- 
ney fnall be materially altered, and their 
worthinels fhail.be feen... Such an exer- 
eife of power in their favour, they would 
always be able to propofe with facility.-- 
Such an alteration they would always be 
likely to obtain, from thejuitice and mag= 
nanimity of the Englith nation, whenever 
it thould become proper. : . 
3. Admitting for a moment, the pof- 
fibility of fome future dificulty, to fome 
{mall proportion of their order; it is next 
to impofitbie, that the majority fhould not 
be better paid than on the prefeat pian ; 
this mut be evident, when the fmallnefs 
of many of their livings is confidered, 
and the very flow progrefs of their ad- 
vancement in value, m numerous places, 
under the weight of ‘Tithes. 
But the confideration of pudlic advan- 
tage, in giving full feopeto improvements, 
and laying the foundation for plenty, pro- 
portionate to. an. increafing population, 
would alone be futhcient to fatisfy the 
moft liberal among the clergy, and their 
warmeft friends, If, however, it fhould 
be obje&ted by any confiderable number 
of the clergy, on behalf of thofe who are 
to fucceed them, that the foregoing rea- 
fons, altogether, are infuficient to -- 
tisty them; and. fuch a general ftile of 
objection, be confidered, by parliament, as 
of futhcient weight, I. would juggeft an- 
other practicable mode of fatisfaétion. ~ 
‘The commiffioners, in whom the fusd 
fhould be velted, (who, by the bye, might 
_be one half clergymen, and inclufive of 
the Attorney and. Solicitor Generals, for 
the tume being) might be empowered to 
lay out the money as faft as opportunities 
offered, to advantage in free lands; which 
would afterwards yield an income propor- 
tioned to their increafed nominal value, 
arifing from the progrefs of imprave- 
ments, and the decreafed value of money. 
Opes ice k Wie ese 
The commifoners for fu: vey and va- 
Juation, might, in. numerous in:tances,. if 
not in all, finith the bufinels. at once, by 
alloting and throwing into. conyenient 
connexion, portiozs of land in.each parifh, 
correlponding in value with their affeis- 
ments for the fale of Tithes; and thus 
fmall and middle-fized farms might be 
contrived and fubftituted in lieu of them, 
which might be an additional adyvantage- 
ous. circumftance to the nation, and “ef- 
feGtually provide. againft the. fears, how- 
OE er a ae a aa 
J, 
