nt now, contemplating a scheme of Disestablishment, would
consider binding in common equity. The old Bishops, and the Prelatic
Clergy, indeed, had been disestablished without much consideration of
life-interests; but the procedure in their case had been of a penal
character, and it is unlikely that it would have been equally
unceremonious with the new clergy of Presbyterians and Independents,
allowed generally to be orthodox. From any hesitation on that score
Milton is absolutely free. He sees no difficulties, takes regard of
none. It is not with a flesh-and-blood world that he deals, a world
of men, and their wives, and their families, and their yearly
incomes, and their fixed residences and household belongings. It is
with a world of wax, or of flesh and blood that must be content to be
treated as wax. It is thought right to disestablish the Church: well,
then, let the Clergy go! Abolish tithes; provide no substitute;
proclaim that, after this day week, or the first day of the next
year, not a penny shall be paid to any man by the State for preaching
the Gospel, or doing any other act of the ministry: and what then?
Why, there will be a flutter of consternation, of course, through
some ten thousand or twelve thousand parsonages; ten thousand or
twelve thousand clerical gentlemen will stare bewilderedly for a
while at their wives' faces: but do not be too much concerned! They
will all shift very well for themselves when they know they must; the
best of them will find congregations where they are, or in other
places, and will work all the harder; and, if the drones and dotards
go threadbare and starve for the rest of their lives, that is but
God's way with such since the beginning of the world! Be instant, be
rapid, be decisive, be thoroughgoing, O ye statesmen! What are vested
interests in the Church of Christ?

As the Restored Rumpers had already decreed that an Established
Church should be kept up in England, and had gone no farther on the
Tithes question than to say that Tithes must be paid, as by use and
wont, until some substitute should be provided, it is not likely
that, however long they had sat, Milton's views would have had much
countenance from them. There were individuals among them of Milton's
way of thinking on the whole; but he had probably made a mistake in
fancying that he had materially improved his influence, or the
chances of his notions of Church-polity, by his public re-adhesion to
the Rump. In f