, and maintain hospitality.

But it is very reasonable to hope, and heartily to be wished by all
those who have the least regard to our holy religion, as hitherto
established, or to a learned, pious, diligent, conversible clergyman, or
even to common humanity; that the honourable House of Commons will in
their great wisdom, justice, and tenderness to innocent men, consider
these bills in another light. It is said, they well know this kingdom
not to be so over stocked with neighbouring gentry; but a discreet,
learned clergyman, with a competency fit for one of his education, may
be an entertaining, a useful, and sometimes a necessary companion. That
although such a clergyman may not be able constantly to find BEEF and
WINE for his own family, yet he may be allowed sometimes to afford both
to a neighbour, without distressing himself; and the rather, because he
may expect at least as good a return. It will probably be considered,
that in many desolate parts, there may not be always a sufficient number
of persons considerable enough to be trusted with commissions of the
peace, which several of the Clergy now supply much better, than a
little, hedge, contemptible, illiterate vicar from twenty to fifty
pounds a-year, the son of a weaver, pedlar, tailor, or miller, can be
presumed to do.

The landlords and farmers by this scheme can find no profit, but will
certainly be losers; for instance, if the large northern livings be
split into a dozen parishes, or more, it will be very necessary for the
little threadbare gownman, with his wife, his proctor and every child
who can crawl, to watch the fields at harvest time, for fear of losing a
single sheaf, which he could not afford under peril of a day's starving;
for according to the Scotch proverb, a hungry louse bites sore. This
would of necessity, breed an infinite number of brangles and litigious
suits in the spiritual courts, and put the wretched pastor at perpetual
variance with his whole parish. But, as they have hitherto stood, a
clergyman established in a competent living is not under the necessity
of being so sharp, vigilant, and exacting. On the contrary, it is well
known and allowed, that the Clergy round the kingdom think themselves
well treated, if they lose only one single third of their legal demands.

The honourable House may perhaps be inclined to conceive, that my lords
the bishops enjoy as ample a power, both spiritual and temporal, as will
fully suffice to answ