Milton, had not judged wrongly in supposing that the question of Church-disestablishment would now be made part and parcel of “the good old cause.”  We have already glanced at the facts (p. 466), but they may be given here more in detail:—­Hardly had the Rump been reconstituted when petitions for Disestablishment, in the form of petitions for the abolition of Tithes, began to pour in upon it.  One such, called “The Humble Representation and Petition of many well-affected persons in the counties of Somerset, Wilts, and some parts of Devon, Dorset, and Hampshire,” was read in the House on the 14th of June.  The petitioners were thanked, and informed that the House resolved “to give encouragement to a godly, preaching, learned ministry throughout the nation, and for that end to continue the payment of Tithes till they can find out some other more equal and comfortable maintenance for the ministry, and satisfaction of the people; which they intend with all convenient speed.”  That day, accordingly, in a division of thirty-eight Yeas (Carew Raleigh and Sir William Brereton tellers) to thirty-eight Noes (Hasilrig and Colonel White tellers) it was carried, by the Speaker’s casting vote, to refer the question of some substitute for Tithes to a Grand Committee.  On the 27th of June, there having been other petitions against Tithes in the meantime, signed by “many thousands,” the House came to a more definite resolution, which they ordered to be printed and published by the Judges in their circuits.  It was “That this Parliament doth declare that, for the encouragement of a godly, preaching, learned ministry throughout the nation, the payment of Tithes shall continue as now they are, unless this Parliament shall find out some other,” &c.  As the word unless had been, substituted for the word until without a division, it is evident that the House had gone back in their intentions in the course of the fortnight, and were less disposed to commit themselves to any serious interference with the Church Establishment as left by Cromwell.  The disappointment to the petitioning thousands must have been great.  Still, the question had been raised, and might be regarded as only adjourned.  What was wanted was continued agitation out of doors, more petitioning and more pamphleteering.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Commons Journals of dates.]

It was in this last way that Milton could help.  As advised by his friend Moses Wall, he had been busy over that second Disestablishment tract which he had promised; and in August 1659 it appeared in this form:  "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 Popes-head Alley, 1659.”  The volume is a very small octavo, and contains eighteen unnumbered pages of prefatory address to the Parliament in large open type, signed “John Milton” in full, followed by 153 pages of text.[1]