Christianity became National among us) are thought fit to be fufpended, God knoweth for what Reason, or from what Provocations; I say, from that very Affembly, who, during the Intervals of Convocations, fhould rather be supposed to be Guardians of the Rights and Properties of the Clergy, than to make the leaft Attempt upon either.

I have not heard, upon Enquiry, that any of those Gentlemen, who, among us without Doors, are called the Court Party, discover the least Zeal in this Affair: If they had Thoughts to interpofe, it might be conceived, they would fhew their Displeasure against this Bill, which muft very much leffen the Value of the King's Patronage upon Promotion to vacant Sees; in the Difpofal of Deanries, and other confiderable Preferments in the Church, which are in the Donation of the Crown; whereby the Viceroys will have fewer good Preferments to bestow on their Dependents, as well as upon the Kindred of Members, who may have a fufficient Stock of that Sort of Merit, whatever it may be, which may in future Times most prevail.

The Diffenters, by not fucceeding in their Endeavours to procure a Repeal of the Test, have loft nothing, but continue in a full Enjoyment of their Toleration; while the Clergy, without giving the leaft Offence, are, by this Bill, deprived of a confiderable Branch of their ancient legal Rights, whereby the Schifmatical

Party

Party will have the Pleafure of gratifying their Revenge. Hoc Graii voluere.

The Farmer will find no Relief by this Modus, because, when his present Leafe fhall expire, his Landlord will infallibly raise the Rent, in an equal Proportion, upon every

Part of Land where Flax is sown, and have fo much a better Security for Payment, at the Expence of the Clergy.

If we judge by Things paft, it little avails, that this Bill is to be limited to a certain Time of ten, twenty, or thirty Years; for no Landlord will ever confent, that a Law fhall expire, by which he findeth himself a Gainer; and of this there are many Examples, as well in England as in this Kingdom.

The great End of this Bill is, by proper Encouragement, to extend the Linen Manufacture into those Counties where it hath hitherto been little cultivated; but this Encouragement, of leffening the Tythe of Flax and Hemp, is one of fuch a Kind, as, it is to be feared, will have a directly contrary Effect. Because, if I am rightly informed, no Set of Men hath, for their Number and Fortunes, been more induftrious and fuccessful than the Clergy, in introducing that Manufacture into Places which were unacquainted with it; by perfuading their People to fow Flax and Hemp; by procuring Seed for them; and by having them inftructed in the Management thereof; and this they did not without reasonable Hopes

of

of increafing the Value of their Parishes, after fome Time, as well as of promoting the Benefit of the Publick. But, if this Modus fhould take Place, the Clergy will be fo far from gaining, that they will become Lofers by any extraordinary Care, by having their best arable Lands turned to Flax and Hemp, which are reckoned great Impoverishers of Land; they cannot therefore be blamed, if they should shew as much Zeal to prevent its being introduced, or improved, in their Parishes, as they hitherto have fhewed in the introducing and improving it. This, I am told, fome of them have already declared, at least so far as to refolve not to give themselves any more more Trouble than other Men, about promoting a Manufacture, by the Succefs of which, they only, of all Men, are to be Sufferers. Perhaps, the giving them even a further Encouragement, than the Law doth, as it now ftandeth, to a Set of Men, who might, on many Accounts, be so useful to this Purpose, would be no bad Method of having the great End of the Bill more effectually answered: But this is what they are far from defiring; all they petition for is no more than to continue on the fame Footing with the rest of their Fellow Subjects.

If this Modus, of paying by the Acre, be to pass into a Law, it were to be wished, that the fame Law would appoint one or more sworn Surveyors in each Parish, to measure the Lands. on which Flax and Hemp are fown; as it also

would

would fettle the Price of furveying, and determine whether the Incumbent or Farmer is to pay for each annual Survey. Without fomething of this Kind, there must constantly be Difputes between them; and the neighbouring Juftices of Peace must be teized as often as thofe Difputes happen.

I had written thus far, when a Paper was fent to me, with feveral Reasons against the Bill, fome whereof, although they have been already touched, are put in a better Light, and the reft did not occur to me. I fhall deliver them in the Author's own Words.

N. B. Some Alterations have been made in the Bill about the Modus, fince the above Paper was wrote; but they are of little Moment.

Some FURTHER REASONS against the BILL for fettling the Tythe of HEMP, FLAX, &c.

'HAT Tythes are the Patrimony of the Church: And if not of Divine Original, yet at least of great Antiquity.

II. That all Purchases and Leases of tytheable Lands, for many Centuries paft, have been made and taken, fubject to the Demand

of

of Tythes; and thofe Lands fold and taken juft fo much the cheaper on that Account.

III. That if any Lands are exempted from Tythes, or the legal Demands of fuch Tythes leffened by Act of Parliament, so much Value is taken from the Proprietor of the Tythes, and vested in the Proprietor of the Lands, or his head Tenants.

IV. That no innocent unoffending Perfon can be fo deprived of his Property, without the greatest Violation of common Justice.

V. That to do this upon a Profpect of encouraging the Linen, or any other Manufacture, is acting upon a very mistaken and unjust Suppofition; inafmuch, as the Price of the Lands fo occupied will be no way leffened to the Farmer by fuch a Law.

VI. That the Clergy are content chearfully to bear (as they now do) any Burthen, in common, with their Fellow Subjects, either for the Support of his Majefty's Government, or the Encouragement of the Trade of the Nation; but think it very hard, that they should be fingled out to pay heavier Taxes than others, at a Time when, by the Decrease of the Value of their Parishes, they are less able to bear them.

VII. That the Legislature hath heretofore diftinguished the Clergy by Exemptions, and not by additional Loads; and the prefent Clergy of the Kingdom hope, they have not deserved worfe of the Legislature than their Predeceffors.