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VIII. That by the original Constitution of thefe Kingdoms, the Clergy had the sole Right of taxing themselves, and were in Poffeffion of that Right as low as the Restoration; and, if that Right be now devolved upon the Commons by the Ceffion of the Clergy, the Commons can be confidered in this Cafe in no other Light than as the Guardians of the Clergy.

IX. That befides thofe Tythes always in ⚫ the Poffeffion of the Clergy, there are fome Portions of Tythes lately come into their Poffeffion by Purchase; that, if this Clause should take Place, they would not be allowed the Benefit of these Purchases upon an equal Foot of Advantage with the rest of their Fellow Subjects; and that some Tythes, in the Hands of Impropriators, are under Settlements and Mortgages.

X. That the Gentlemen of this Houfe fhould confider, that loading the Clergy is loading their own younger Brothers and Children, with this additional Grievance, that it is taking from younger and poorer to give to the elder and richer; and,

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LASTLY, That if it were at any Time juft and proper to do this, it would however be too fevere to do it now, when all the Tythes of the Kingdom are known, for some Years paft, to have funk almost above one-third Part in their Value.

Any Income in the Hands of the Clergy, is at leaft as useful to the Publick, as the fame Income in the Hands of the Laity.

It were more reasonable to grant the Clergy, in three Parts of the Nation, an additional Support, than to diminish the present Subfift

ance.

Great Employments are and will be in the Hands of Englishmen; nothing left for the younger Sons of Irishmen but Vicarages, Tidewaiters Places, &c. therefore no Reason to make them worse.

The Modus upon the Flax in England affecteth only Lands reclaimed fince the Year 1690, and is at the Rate of five Shillings the English Acre, which is equivalent to eight Shillings and eight Pence Irish, and that to be paid before the Farmer removeth it from the Field. Flax is a Manufacture of little Confequence in England, but is the Staple in Ireland; and if it increaseth (as it probably will) muft, in many Places, joftle out Corn, because it is more gainful.

The Clergy of the established Church have no Interest like those of the Church of Rome, distinct from the true Intereft of their Country; and therefore ought to suffer under no diftinct Impofitions or Taxes of any Kind.

The Bill for fettling the Modus of Flax in England was brought in, in the first Year of the Reign of King George I. when the Clergy lay very unjustly under the Imputation of fome Difaffection; and to encourage the bringing in of fome Fens in Lincolnshire, which were not to be continued under Flax; but it left all VOL. VIII. Lands

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Lands where Flax had been fown before that Time, under the fame Condition of Tytheing, in which they were before the paffing of that Bill. Whereas this Bill taketh away what the Clergy are actually poffeffed of.

That the Woollen Manufacture is the Staple of England, as the Linen is that of Ireland, yet no Attempt was ever made in England to reduce the Tythe of Wool for the Encouragement of that Manufacture: This Manufacture hath already been remarkably favoured by the Clergy, who have hitherto been generally content with less than half, fome with fix Pence a Garden, and fome have taken nothing.

Employments, they fay, have been taxed; the Reasons for which Taxation will not hold with regard to Property, at least until Employments become Inheritances. The Commons always have had fo tender a regard to Property, that they never would fuffer any Law. to pafs, whereby any particular Perfons might be aggrieved without their own Confent,

THE

THE

Beafts Confeffion

TO THE

PRIEST,

O N

Obferving how moft MEN miftake their own TALENTS.

WRITTEN in the YEAR M DCC XXXII.

Printed in the Year MDCCLII.

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