THE Rector hath been pleased in Answer to our Case, to contradict many things which we have asserted; wherefore we think our selves bound to vindicate our Truth: and do therefore crave leave to reply to his Answer.

First, The Chap­pel has no such setled Fund to maintain it in repair, as is in­timated in the Rector's An­swer. Whereas he alledges, That our Bill is not to enlarge our Chappel, That we have a Fund from the Burials to keep it in repair, &c. The contrary of which is manifest, since he himself claims and receives Duties for all Funerals both in Chappel-yard and Chappel, and All that's paid for every Corps buried in the Chancel, tho he contribute nothing to its repair; and tho every Funeral pay to the Chappel, yet this is so far from producing a Stock or Fund, that the Chappel (not­withstanding Voluntary Contributions) is at present much in debt, and we cannot legally raise by any Taxe One Penny towards ei­ther the Payment of its Debts, or keeping it in repair; and therefore unless made Parochial, it must inevitably fall, and so render the Inhabitants destitute of any Place of Publick Worship; the Church of White Chappel being incapable (as is not deny'd by the Rector in his Case) to contain One tenth part of the Parishioners.

Secondly, The Mini­ster has no such Endow­ment, as is sug­gested. He affirms, That our Minister hath a Competent Maintenance by Endowment, and the Gift of several houses, in all worth Six or Seven score pounds per Annum, &c. Which is so far from being his condition, that all the Endowment he hath, is but Eight pounds per Annum, being the Rent of One House; which likewise he holds by the Courtesie of the Trustees: And his Dependance be­sides is on the Voluntary, Contributions of the People; which being most uncertain, is yet at best, not above Seventy or Seventy five pounds per Annum; for which he preaches twice every Lords Day, reads prayers every day in the Week, and performs all other Mini­sterial Offices, as Visiting the Sick, &c. So that its far unlike a Lecture, and therefore not so desirable when vacant, as repre­sented by the Rector.

Thirdly, Wapping, not like the case of other Chap­ples of Ease. He instanceth, That we have always paid Tythes to the Rectors of White-Chappel, as is done in all Chappels of Ease in England, and infers that there are many Hundreds of such Chappels in the Nation: And that the making Wapping a Parish will be of dangerous consequence to Impropriators, &c. But contrary to this, the Three Kingdoms, do afford (instead of Hundreds) hardly any such instance of the like nature: Viz,

• 1. Where the Parish is so large, that the Mother Church cannot contain a Tenth part of its Inhabitants?
• 2. Where the Inhabitants of the Chapelry cannot raise a Penny towards the repairs of the Chappel?
• 3. Where the Minister hath no Endowed Maintenance, nor the allowance of a Farthing from so rich a Rectory?
• 4. Where the Rector doth wholly neglect the Pastoral Care?
• 5. Where the Inhabitants of the Chapetry are in propo [...] much poorer than those of the Parish at large?

And this is the true state of the Hamlet of Wapping. And as to the dangerous Consequence to Impropriators, There's a vast difference between an Impropriations, which is a Lay Fee, and a Rectory with Cure of Souls, which is an Ecclesiastical Bene­fice; so that this can no more affect Impropriations, than the separating Shadwell from Stepney (a neighbouring Parish) did; which by Act of Parliament, about the year 1670, was made Parochial, allowing the Vicar of Stepney but Four Nobles per Annum, in lieu of his Tythes.

Fourthly, The Rents of Wapping fallen, yet the Rector keeps up his Rate Tythes, and advanceth them arbitra­rily on Houses rebuilt. He urges, That several of the new Houses built in that Parish, have dropt down, and that the old Houses have fallen in their Rents, &c. The probability of the former part we leave to the Judgment of this Honourable House, and as to the later, whate­ver Houses do in White-Chappel, This is so true, in respect of Wapping (as to all the Houses in general) that those which were formerly lett at 25 l. 20 l. or 16 l. per Ann. are now reduc'd to 18 l. 12 l. and 10 l. per Ann. and yet notwithstanding the Rector has not diminish'd any thing of his Rate Tythes on those Houses, but on the contrary, has taken opportunity to advance them on any Houses new built or divided, taxing them arbitrarily what he thought fit. As to the present worth of the Rectory, We are willing to refer our selves to his own Books.

Fifthly, The Hamlet not a Fourth part, and poor­er in pro­portion than White-Chap­pel. He say, The Hamlet of Wapping is above a third part of the Parish, that they are above a Mile by the Water-side, are ac­counted a Wealthy People, &c. To which we must answer more truly, as we have already set forth, that we are not one Fourth part of the Whole. And are but little above half a Mile of Statute-measure by the Water-side, and the Houses Scituate there are burthen'd with vast Charges in keeping up their Damms or Fences towards the Water, and are lately fallen near a Third part in their Rents, thro the removal of the richest Inhabitants into the new Buildings of White-Chappel, and other places; so far are we from that Great Trade and Wealth as is untruly intimated. And as to the Hamlet in general, through the increase of the Poor of Seamens Widdows, Orphans, &c. The Hamlet is so impoverish'd, that whereas about Twenty years ago three was no Overcess for the Poor; and about Fourteen years ago 30 or 40 l. per Annum at most, did defray the charge of the accidental poor, now our Overcess is advanc'd to 200 l. per Annum.

As to the Case of the Church-wardens; The pav­ing Wapping-streets, the charge of the Sewers, and the loss of Publick Cha­rities, will more than compensate their Contri­bution to the High ways. the Hamlet of Wapping Represents as before, that a Consideration being had to the daily growth of White-Chappel, To the vast Charge of Wapping in paving their own High-ways, their great expence on the Common, Sewers and their Outlets. And to the loss of the Proportion of Publick Charities given to the Parish at large, it will ap­pear, That White-Chappel (instead of a detriment) will receive an advantage.

The Inhabitants of Wapping therefore humbly beg this Honourable House to promote this good and just Design, in making them a Parish, without such Reserves as are desir'd in the Rectors and Church-wardens Case and Petitions.