The original difference of thefe monks with the pope was perhaps the moft trifling and abfurd that can well be imagined, viz. the property of the things that were confumed by them, as bread and other provifions; they maintaining that they had not the property, but only the use of them. This dispute was at first confined to the monks themselves, but at length the popes interpofed, and John XXII. declaring that obedience is the principal virtue of monks, and preferable to poverty, they afferted the contrary, maintaining that they ought not to obey their fuperiors, when they commanded any thing contrary to perfection. John condemning these refractory monks, they declared him a heretic by his own authority. They even went fo far as to call him Antichrift, and to appeal from his conftitution to a future council. At length the revolt went so far, that the monks, fupported by the emperor Lewis of Bavaria, pronounced fentence of depofition against the pope, and set up another in his place *. Since the fifteenth century, in the beginning of which the difcipline of the monks was exceedingly relaxed, various reformations have been made, which Mr. Fleury fays, has raised the credit of most of the orders t. But notwithstanding these reforms, and though nothing is now objected to them with refpect to the obfervance of their * Fleury's eighth Difcourfe, p. 30. Mofheim, vol. iii. p. 74. + Eighth Difcourse, p. 47. Ee 3 rules, rules, they are found to be of fo little ufe in the prefent ftate of fociety, that it seems to be the determination of most of the catholic powers to abolish them by degrees; as appears by the regulations that have been made refpecting the time of admiffion, making it fo late in life, that very few will not be fo far engaged in other pursuits, as to have no inducement to become monks or nuns; and the authority of parents, who often found it convenient to difpofe of their younger children in this way, is now generally set aside. In confequence of this, and other caufes, which have been operating more filently ever fince the reformation, the religious houses are in general but thinly inhabited. Some of their revenues have already been diverted to other uses, and fuch is the afpect of things at prefent, and the wants of the feveral potentates of Europe, that it is justly to be apprehended, that all the rest will soon share the fame fate. THE HISTORY OF THE Corruptions of Christianity. PART XIII. The Hiftory of CHURCH REVENUES. THE INTRODUCTION. IN the preceding parts of this work we have taken a view of the changes which, in the course of time, have taken place with refpect to the rank and character of chriftian minifters; by what steps it came to pass, that, from having no authority whatever, befides what their greater virtue or ability gave them, and especially from having no dominion over the faith of their fellow christians, the authority of the bishops, with respect to articles of faith, as well as matters of discipline and worship, came to be abfolute and defpotic; and how, from living in a state of the Ee 4 most moft fubmiffive fubjection to all the temporal powers of the world, and keeping as far as poffible from interfering in all civil affairs, they came to be temporal princes and fovereigns themselves, and to controul all the temporal princes of Europe, even in the exercise of their civil power. In this part I fhall exhibit a fimilar view of the changes which have taken place with respect to the revenues of the church; and shall shew by what fteps minifters of the gospel, from living on the alms of chriftian focieties, together with the poor that belonged to them, came to have independent and even princely incomes, and to engross to themselves a very confiderable part of the wealth and even of the landed property of Europe. SECTION I The Hiftory of Church Revenues, to the Fall of the Western Empire. IN the conftitution of the primitive church the apoftles followed the cuftom of the Jewish fynagogues, the members of which contributed every week what they could fpare, and entruted it with thofe who diftributed alms. Like the Jews alfo, the chriftians fent alms to diftant places, and gave to those who came from a distance with proper recommendations. They They were fo liberal upon thefe occafions, that Lucian fays, that to become rich in a short time, a man had nothing to do but to pretend to be a christian. In those times both alms and ftipends were often called honoraries. Thus when Paul bid Timothy honour widows that are widows indeed, he means rewarding them for discharging particular offices, which in those days widows held in churches. So alfo the phrafe worthy of double bonour fignifies worthy of a double, or a larger reward. The church had no other revenues befides these voluntary alms till the time of Conftantine. Indeed before that time the chriftian churches were confidered as unlawful affemblies, and there- · fore could no more acquire property, than the Jewish fynagogues, or other communities not authorized by the ftate; though in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the fenate permitting any perfon to give whatever he pleased to communities already formed, the church began, in the third century, by toleration or connivance, to poffefs eftates. But under Conftantine christian churches were confidered as refpectable focieties, and from that time they began to grow rich. In 321 this emperor made an edict, addreffed to the people of Rome, by which he gave all perfons the liberty of leaving by will to the churches, and especially that of Rome, whatever they pleased. He also ordained that what had been taken from the churches |