958 
ever unneceffary, of the clergy refpecting 
their fucceflors, or the ftability of the 
~~ church of England. 
*. Jtis poffible, I may be told, by fome 
| Plan for the Abolition of Tithes. 
[ Sup: 
neral welfare of the country, as would be 
that of contending for the continuance of 
an, evil, which becomes more heavy and 
irkfome, in proportion as the neceflity of 
experimental improvements in agriculture 
is found; an evil, which mutt either be 
timely removed by political wifdom, or 
which may, at no very diftant period, be 
the caufe of convulfions in this country! 
As lovers of agriculture, order, and _ 
-‘ few of the church, ‘in reply to thefe laft 
, propofiticns, that fuch a fecurity will not be 
jipcient, becaule the farmer may break, 
“or he he may ruz away, or be very irre- 
‘ gular in his payments, or inftead of im- 
‘proving, may izjure the value of the land ; 
“tn all or either of which cafes, the clergy- 
“man’s intereft becomes naturally affected ; 
and he may fuffer without the common 
power of redrefs.* 
Tt fhall be readily granted, there is fome 
> poffibility of truth in thefe objections ; but 
' af no pofibility of inconvenience mutt be 
admitted, left fome poffible difadvantage, 
‘incident to other men, may be fuitained, 
I fear we fhall find any plan, however 
- preferable toall others, and to the prefent 
‘unhappy fyfem, liable to rejection. It 
was on account of fimplicity of arrange- 
ment, and regularity of payment, that the 
‘funding of the whole value of Tithes, and 
“a money payment from the produce, have 
‘bave been mainly urged in this treatife, - 
for the adoption of government; and I 
am fully perfuaded that, on the whole, it 
svould be found moft convenient, and ad- 
vantageous to the clergy in general. 
Iwill not think fo uncandidly of an 
~ educated and philanthropic body ef men, 
as to fuppofe, that, after all which has 
been faid here, (the fubftance of which 
may, indeed, be better faid by others) af- 
ter all the inconveniences which they fee 
_arifing from the prefent mode of Tithing, - 
. . Pe 
-jetions fhould neither be urged for the 
and the complaint they continually hear, 
» they will not be fatisfied with avy altera- 
- tion of their circuimftancs !---‘This, I will 
not admit againft them as a body, how- 
ever fome rich and worldly-minded indi- 
yiduals may deferve the imputation :--- 
for fueh an admiifion, while it would be 
extremely uncharitable, would bring the 
matter to this point ; that they would be 
fatisfied with nothing foort of the continu- 
ance of a fy2em big with mfchief to their 
country ; and by which three-fourths of their 
order are paid worfe than inferior tradef- 
wien, the remainder are hving luxurioufly 
on the frweat of indujiry, and the firft 
Sruits of the mojt expenfive tmprovements. 
‘I will not admit againit them as a body, 
fuch animputation of difregard to the ge- 

* The hagard may, however, be in part 
obviated, by the truftees holding the collec- 
tor of rents refponfible for their regular pay- 
gent, which they might eafily do, where the 
gilque, yaccy common prudence, is fo Small. 
peace, we cannot but anticipate the bene- 
fits of fome fuch change as we have marked 
out, both as it fhall affeét the clergy and. 
the general intereft. 
The priefthood of the church of England 
may not, indeed, afterwards be reforted to 
by men in particular connexions, as toa 
fituation of chances for wealth, fplendor, 
and luxury ; but it would be regarded as 
a ftation of fufficient comfort aud of more 
uniform dignity ; it would be more likely 
to be furnithed with men of talents for the 
miniitry than heretofore: Men not feek,- 
ing their own eafe and aggrandifement 
(which are utterly incompatible with the 
origin of the office) but the benefit and 
happinefs of mankind. 
‘© All this, I may finally be told, is 
‘ plaufible, and would be very well if ef- 
nw 
-& feGted ; but that fuch plans are merely 
“n 
‘ yifionary, they are not reducible to 
‘¢ -pratice.”’---Such is the fhort, fuper- 
ficial, and common-place ftile of anfwer- 
ing, for it isnot reafoning, on various im- 
portant fubjects : and thus many attempts 
- are fuffered to be fruftrated, which might 
be fuceefsfully ‘and ufefully made. But 
on fuch a momentous fubject as this, ob- 
fake of embarraffment, nor from fuperi- 
cial attention. 
I would now endeavour, briefly, to im- 
refs the minds of my Readers with the 
praficability and different advantages of 
the propofed alteration, under different 
heads, 
y. PRACTICABILITY. 
Tt would be under-valuing the powers 
of the human mind, by which ordinary 
plans of ceconomy are accomplifhed, ta 
fuppofe they are notequal to fuch a bufi- 
nefs as this. It is in itfelf nothing fer- 
midable to’ human fagacity. Calcula- 
tions have been made of the moft abftryle 
and dificult nature in mathematics and 
mechanics, which from their agreement 
with faéts, have acquired among men of 
refleStive and unprejudiced minds, the 
charaéter of Demonffrations. And eye 
among men of moderate capacities, valu- 
ations of property, under the head of 
Tithe Eftimatesy haye been eatily mace in 
“AA PEN AW AEA 2 Sho © PRPS ee 
