SOME REASONS Offer'd with Submission On behalf of the Preachers among the People called Quakers, for their Exemption from being Taxed as such in the Poll Bill.
1. A Poll or Tax upon Preachers, We conceive will either be a Tax laid upon the profits arising by Preaching, or as a fine or punishment for Preaching: If it were intended as a fine or punishment, that would infringe the toleration of liberty of Conscience, which cannot reasonably nor charitably be supposed, it follows then, that the intendment of it, must be a Tax upon the profits arising by Preaching: And in as much as we allow no profit to them that speak in our Meetings, we conceive that no such Preachers or Teachers should be comprehended in this Bill.
2. The exempting those Clergy-Men from the Poll, who do not receive 60 l. per Annum for Preaching, yields us a just argument from the greater to the less. That if they who receive profit under that sum are exempted, much less are they to be taxed who receive nothing.
3. It is a usual exception in Mony Bills, that such Persons as receive Alms of the Parish, and all poor House-keepers, who, by reason of their Poverty only, are exempted from paying to the Church and Poor, are also eased in the Assesments therein appointed: And it seems not agreeable with this exception, that those amongst us, who are poor labouring People, should be assest equal with Clergy-men, having 60 l. per Annum only because such Persons Preach among us.
4. It hath been our Principle, ever since we were a People, that the Gospel ought to be freely Preached; and those received by us, as Christs Ministers, have a Conscientious regard to Christ's Command, and the Apostles Example in this Case.
These reasons are humbly offer'd, not wich any design to withdraw our Shoulders from bearing our part of the common charge for support of the Government; to which we are thankful for the liberty and peace we enjoy: But to prevent such spoil as was occasioned by the late Poll Act, of which sufferings we have many Instances.