The Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings Out of the Church, Title page – Dedication
Considerations TOUCHING The likeliest means to remove HIRELINGS out of the church.
Wherein is also discourc'd Of Tithes, Church-fees, Church-revenues; And whether any maintenance of ministers can be settl'd by law. The author J. M.
LONDON: Printed by T. N. for L. Chapman at the Crown in Popeshead Alley. 1659.
TO THE PARLAMENT OF THE commonwealth OF ENGLAND with the dominions therof.
OWing to your protection, supream Senat, this libertie of writing which I have us'd these 18 years on all occasions to assert the just rights and freedoms both of church and state, and so far approv'd, as to have bin trusted with the representment and defence of your actions to all Christendom against an adversarie of no mean repute, to whom should I address what I still publish on the same argument, but to you whose magnanimous councels first opend and unbound the age from a double bondage under prelatical and regal tyrannie; above our own hopes heartning us to look up at last like men and Christians from the slavish dejection, wherin from father to son we were bred up and taught; and thereby deserving of these nations, if they be not barbarously ingrateful, to be acknowledgd, next under God, the authors and best patrons of religious and civil libertie, that ever these Ilands brought forth. The care and tuition of whose peace and safety, after a short but scandalous night of interruption, is now again by a new dawning of Gods miraculous providence among us, revolvd upon your shoulders. And to whom more appertain these considerations which I propound, then to your selves and the debate before you, though I trust of no difficultie, yet at present of great expectation, not whether ye will gratifie, were it no more then so, but whether ye will hearken to the just petition of many thousands best affected both to religion and to this your returne, or whether ye will satisfie, which you never can, the covetous pretences and demands of insatiable hirelings, whose disaffection ye well know both to your selves and your resolutions. That I, though among many others in this common concernment, interpose to your deliberations what my thoughts also are, your own judgment and the success therof hath given me the confidence: which requests but this, that if I have prosperously, God so favoring me, defended the publick cause of this commonwealth to foreiners, ye would not think the reason and abilitie, wheron ye trusted once, and repent not, your whole reputation to the world, either grown less by more maturitie and longer studie, or less available in English then in another tongue: but that if it suffic'd som years past to convince and satisfie the uningag'd of other nations in the justice of your doings, though then held paradoxal, it may as well suffice now against weaker opposition in matters, except here in England (with a spiritualtie of men devoted to thir temporal gain,) of no controversie els among Protestants. Neither do I doubt, seeing daily the acceptance which they▪ finde who in thir petitions venture to bring advice also and new modells of a commonwealth, but that you will interpret it much more the dutie of a Christian to offer what his conscience perswades him may be of moment to the freedom and better constituting of the church:) since it is a deed of highest charitie to help undeceive the people, and a work worthiest your autoritie, in all things els authors, assertors and now recoverers of our libertie, to deliver us, the only people of all Protestants left still undeliverd, from the oppressions of a Simonious decimating clergie; who shame not against the judgment and practice of all other churches reformd, to maintain, though very weakly, thir Popish and oft refuted positions, not in a point of conscience, wherin they might be blameles, but in a point of covetousnes and unjust claim to other mens goods; a conuention foul and odious in any man, but most of all in ministers of the gospel, in whom contention, though for thir own right, scarce is allowable. Till which greevances be remov'd and religion set free from the monopolie of hirelings, I dare affirme, that no modell whatsoever of a commonwealth will prove succesful or undisturbd; and so perswaded, implore divine assistance on your pious councels and proceedings to unanimitie in this and all other truth.
John Milton.