is worthy of his hire,” we can see this conviction that it would be better for the world if religious doctrine, or in fact doctrine of any kind, were never bought or sold, but all spiritual teachers were to abhor the very touch of money for their lessons, being either gentlemen of independent means who could propagate the truth splendidly from high motives, or else tent-makers, carpenters, and bricklayers, passionate with the possession of some truth to propagate.  This, however, having been acknowledged to be perhaps an impossibility on any great scale, he goes on to inquire, as proposed, what the legitimate and divinely-appointed hire of Gospel-ministers is, from whom it may come, and in what manner.  The general result is as follows:—­I.  The Tithes of the old Jewish dispensation are utterly abolished under the Gospel.  Nearly half the treatise is an argument to this effect, and consequently for the immediate abolition of the tithe-system in England.  Here Milton lends his whole force to the popular current on this subject among the friends of “the good old cause,” advocating those petitions to the Rump of which he has spoken in his preface.  But he goes farther than the abolition of tithes.  He will not allow of any statutory substitute for tithes, any taxation of the people in any form for the support of Religion.  The only substitute for tithes which he discusses specifically is compulsory church-fees for ministerial offices, such as baptisms, marriages, and burials.  These, as well as tithes, he utterly condemns; and he winds up this part of his inquiry thus:  “Seeing, then, that God hath given to ministers under the Gospel that only which is justly given them (that is to say, a due and moderate livelihood, the hire of their labour), and that the heave-offering of Tithes is abolished with the Altar (yes, though not abolished, yet lawless as they enjoy them), their Melchizedekian right also trivial and groundless, and both tithes and fees, if exacted or established, unjust and scandalous, we may hope, with them removed, to remove Hirelings in some good measure.”  II.  It is maintained that the lawful maintenance of the ministry can consist only in the voluntary offerings of those they instruct, whether tendered individually, or collected into a common treasury for distribution.  The flocks ought to maintain their own pastors, and no others are bound to contribute for the purpose.  But what of poor neighbourhoods that cannot maintain pastors and yet need them most sorely?  Milton has unbounded confidence that these will be overtaken and provided for by the zeal of pious individuals, or by “the charity of richer congregations,” taking the form of itinerant missions.  “If it be objected that this itinerary preaching will not serve to plant the Gospel in those places unless they who are sent abide there some competent time, I answer that, if they stay there for a year or two, which was the longest time usually staid by the Apostles in one place, it