First, a power in the
bishops, with consent of the archbishop, and the patron, to take off
from any parish whatever, it is worth above L300 a year; and this to be
done without the incumbent's consent, which before was necessary in all
divisions. The other part of the bill obligeth all clergymen, from forty
pounds a year and upwards, to reside, and build a house in his parish.
But those of L40 are remitted till they shall receive L100 out of the
revenue of first-fruits granted by Her late Majesty.

***** ***** ***** *****

CONSIDERATIONS

UPON

TWO BILLS, &c.

NOTE.

"In the year 1731 a Bill was brought into the House of Lords by a great
majority of the Right Reverend the Bishops, for enabling them to divide
the livings of the inferior Clergy; which Bill was approved of in the
Privy-Council of Ireland, and passed by the Lords in Parliament. It was
afterwards sent to the House of Commons for their approbation; but was
rejected by them with a great majority. The supposed author of the
following Considerations, who hath always been the best friend to the
inferior Clergy of the Church of England, as may be seen by many parts
of his writings, opposed this pernicious project with great success;
which, if it had passed into law, would have been of the worst
consequence to this nation." [Advertisement to the reprint of this
pamphlet in Swift's Works, vol. vi. Dublin: Faulkner, 1738.]

Fuller details of the circumstances which gave Swift the opportunity for
writing this tract are given in the note prefixed to the previous
pamphlet (see p. 250).

The text here given is that of the first edition.

[T.S.]

CONSIDERATIONS
UPON TWO
BILLS
Sent down from the R---- H---- the
H---- of L----
To the H----ble
H---- of C----
Relating to the
CLERGY
OF
_I----D_.

LONDON.

Printed for A. MOORE, near St. _Paul's_, and Sold by the Booksellers of
_Westminster_ and _Southwark_, 1732.

I have often, for above a month past, desired some few clergymen, who
are pleased to visit me, that they would procure an extract of two
bills, brought into the council by some of the bishops, and both of them
since passed in the House of Lords: but I could never obtain what I
desired, whether by the forgetfulness, or negligence of those whom I
employed, or the difficulty of the thing itself. Therefore, if I shall
happen to mistake in any fact of consequence, I desire my remarks upon
it,