which all are not, no not of those against the second table, as that of coveting; in them what power they have, they had from the beginning, long before Mofes or the two tables were in being. And whether they be not now as little in being to be kept by any chriftian as they are two legal tables, remains yet as undecided, as it is fure they never were yet delivered to the keeping of any chriftian magiftrate. But of these things perhaps more fome other time; what may ferve the present hath been above difcourfed fufficiently out of the fcriptures: and to those produced, might be added teftimonies, examples, experiences of all fucceeding ages to thefe times, afferting this doctrine but having herein the fcripture fo copious and fo plain, we have all that can be properly called true strength and nerve; the reft would be but pomp and encumbrance. Pomp and oftentation of reading is admired among the vulgar: but doubtlefs in matters of religion he is learnedeft who is plaineft. The brevity I ufe, not exceeding a small manual, will not therefore, I fuppose, be thought the lefs confiderable, unlefs with them per-. haps who think that great books only can determine great matters. I rather choose the common rule, not to make much ado, where lefs may ferve. Which in controversies, and those especially of religion, would make them less tedious, and by confequence read oftener by many more, and with more benefit.

CONSIDERATIONS

Touching the likeliest Means to remove

HIRELINGS OUT OF THE CHURCH.

Wherein is alfo difcourfed

Of Tithes, Church-Fees, and Church-Revenues;

Whether any

AND

Maintenance of Minifters can be fettled by Law.*

To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, with the Dominions thereof.

WING to your protection, fupreme fenate! this liberty of writing, which I have used these eighteen years on all occafions to affert the just rights and freedoms both of church and ftate, and fo far approved, as to have been trufted with the reprefentment and defence of your actions to all Chriftendom againft an adverfary of no mean repute; to whom fhould I addrefs what I ftill publifh on the fame argument, but to you, whofe magnanimous councils firft opened and unbound the age from a double bondage under prelatical and regal tyranny above our own hopes heartening us to look up. at laft like men and chriftians from the flavifh dejection, wherein from father to fon we were bred up and taught; and thereby deferving of these nations, if they be not barbaroufly ingrateful, to be acknowledged, next under God, the authors and beft patrons of religious and civil liberty, that ever these islands brought forth? The care and tuition of whofe peace and fafety, after a fhort, but fcandalous night of interruption, is now again, by a new

dawning of God's miraculous Providence among us, revolved upon your fhoulders. And to whom more appertain thefe confiderations, which I propound, than to yourselves, and the debate before you, though I trust of no difficulty, yet at present of great expectation, not whether ye will gratify, were it no more than so, but whether ye will hearken to the juft petition of many thousands beft affected both to religion and to this your return, or whether ye will fatisfy, which you never can, the covetous pretences and demands of infatiable hirelings, whose difaffection ye well know both to yourselves and your refolutions? That I, though among many others in this common concernment, interpofe to your deliberations what my thoughts alfo are; your own judgment and the fuccefs thereof hath given me the confidence: which requests but this, that if I have profperoufly, God fo favouring me, defended the public caufe of this commonwealth to foreigners, ye would not think the reafon and ability, whereon ye trufted once (and repent not,) your whole reputation to the world, either grown lefs by more maturity and longer study, or lefs available in English than in another tongue: but that if it fufficed fome years past to convince and fatisfy the unengaged of other nations in the juftice of your doings, though then held paradoxal, it may as well fuffice now againft weaker oppofition in matters, except here in England with a fpirituality of men devoted to their temporal gain, of no controversy else among protestants. Neither do I doubt, feeing daily the acceptance which they find who in their petitions venture to bring advice alfo, and new models of a commonwealth, but that you will interpret it much more the duty of a chriftian to offer what his confcience perfuades him may be of moment to the freedom and better conftituting of the church: since it is a deed of highest charity to help undeceive the people, and a work worthieft your authority, in all things elfe authors, affertors and now recoverers of our liberty, to deliver us, the only people of all proteftants left still undelivered, from the oppreffions of a fimonious decimating clergy, who fhame not, againft the judgment and practice of all other churches reformed, to maintain, though very weakly, their popish

and

and oft refuted pofitions; not in a point of confcience, wherein they might be blameless, but in a point of covetoufnefs and unjust claim to other men's goods; a contention foul and odious in any man, but most of all in minifters of the gospel, in whom contention, though for their own right, fcarce is allowable. Till which grievances be removed, and religion fet free from the monopoly of hirelings, I dare affirm, that no model whatsoever of a commonwealth will prove fuccefsful or undisturbed; and fo perfuaded, implore divine affiftance on your pious counfels and proceedings to unanimity in this and all other truth.

JOHN MILTON.

1

CONSIDERATIONS

Touching the likelieft Means to remove

HIRELINGS OUT OF THE CHURCH.

THE

HE former treatise, which leads in this, began with two things ever found working much mifchief to the one fide reftraining, and hire on the other fide corrupting the teachers thereof. The latter of thefe is by much the more dangerous: for under force, though no thank to the forcers, true religion ofttimes beft thrives and flourishes; but the corruption of teachers, most commonly the effect of hire, is the very bane of truth in them who are fo corrupted. Of force not to be used in matters of religion, I have already spoken; and so stated matters of confcience and religion in faith and divine worship, and fo fevered them from blafphemy and herefy, the one being fuch properly as is defpiteful, the other fuch as ftands not to the rule of fcripture, and fo both of them not matters of religion, but rather against it, that to them who will yet ufe force, this only choice can be left, whether they will force them to believe, to whom it is not given from above, being not forced thereto by any principle of the gofpel, which is now the only dif penfation of God to all men; or whether being protef tants, they will punish in those things wherein the proteftant religion denies them to be judges, either in themfelves infallible, or to the confciences of other men; or whether, laftly, they think fit to punish errour, fuppofing they can be infallible that it is fo, being not wilful, but confcientious, and, according to the beft light of him who errs, grounded on fcripture: which kind of errour all men religious, or but only reasonable, have thought worthier of pardon, and the growth thereof to be prevented by fpiritual means and church-difcipline, not by civil laws and outward force, fince it is God only who gives as well to believe aright, as to believe at all; and by thofe means, which he ordained fufficiently in his church to the full execution of his divine purpose in the

gofpel.