Abuses in other Churches but not in their own 222 225. Popes Benedict 12 178. Boniface 8. 112. Clement 4 171. Clement 5 181. Clement 6 180. John 22.144 171. Gregory 7 100. Gregory 10 171. Innocent 6 181. Paschal 103. Pius 5 192. Symacho 165. Popes Patrimony what 40. the Revenues of the Church 43. Pacts in matters Beneficiary how Symonaical how not 223. Pensions their Original divers sorts 214. divers sorts 215. mean profits 216. more profitable than a Benefice 217. to extinguish them 236. the People have part in Elections 28 Possessions of the Church 76. Possessors or owners drawn to the Secular Courts 201. Pragmatica is published in France 169. Pius 2d disputeth it 206. maintained by the French Clergy and Vniversity of Paris 206. Lewis 12 revoked it 206. after that be restored it 207.4 Popes Opposed it but in vain 207. Abolished by the Concordate of Leo 10 with Francis 1st 207. Precaria what a Contract called Precarius 71. Q QUestion 's whether Ecclesiastical Benefices are of Divine or Human Right 76. who hath Dominion of Goods Ecclesiastical 84. if the Pope hath Supream Dominion of the Goods and Benefices Ecclesiastick 225. to whom belongeth the Fruits and Revenues of Goods Ecclesiastick 236. Quindennio what it is 177 178. R REgalia what 110. Regresso what it is n. 199. reserved to the Pope only Condemned in France 201. Prohibited by the Council of Trent 211. Resignations their beginning 188. their Lawfulness for Favour 189. Restitutions disputed 238. Reformation of the Abuses of Goods Ecclesiastick difficult but not impossible 2 Remedies of the Court of Rome against the ill observance of the Concordate over the Council of Basil 205. Renuntiations reserved to the Pope only 191. Residence to whom Commanded 139. who Exempted 141. Ordered by the Council of Trent without declaring whether by Divine or Human right 212. Reservations of Benefices Vacant in Court in favour of the Pope 170. Benedict 12 Established them only during his Life 178. Clement the 6th made the same 180. Edward 3d of England Opposed it 180. Mental Reservations by whom introduced 197 198. the Council of Trent did not mention them and wherefore 213. numbring of Benefices reserved to the Pope 220. Robert Bishop of Lincoln Opposeth the Pope curious History 154. S SChism of Bolonia 176. of Florentini 186. of 3 Popes raised by the Council of Constance 194. an other in the Council of Basil 196 the Tenth Age monstrous in the Person of the Popes 72. Seculars provide against the Abuses of the Bishops in dispensing Goods Ecclesiastical with Prohibition to Alienate 165. Simony Opinions of the Canonists about that which is Committed in Beneficial matters 223 224. Synods 65. Spain receives quietly the Innovations of the Court of Rome about Investitures 114. deludes with Prudence the Arts of the Court 115. Spoyles which the Chamber of the Pope receiveth their Original 250. Probiluted in France 251. Paul 3d his Bull thereon 252. and of Pius 4th on the same 253. the right of Spayls 254. Successors is done divers wayes 203. T TEmplars the Institution of this Military Religion and with what Success 121. Temporals of the Church under the Old and New Testament in what it Consists from whence they came 250. Theologues their Sentiments concerning necessary provisions for the Ministers of the Church 82. Titular Bishops without the burden of a Diocess from which they took their Title 55. Titular Benefices without Fruit 198. Titles of Dukes Marquises and Earls given to Bishops 110. Title of a Benefice resigned at pleasure only without Fruit 198. St. Thomas asserts the Pope to be principal Dispenser but not the Patron 86. Tribute the Clergy Exempted from it by the Law of Constance 26. Paid at first by the Ecclesiastick Possessions and remitted by divers Emperors V VAcancies of Benefices in Court reserved to the Pope the Popes use diversely such reserves 156 157. Bishops their Election called by Anselmo Bishop of Lucca Popes 27 60 95 162. their care 38 made Patrons of Church Goods 14 25. their practice 30. Vicars Obliged to perpetual residence 142. Unions of Benefices v. Benefices University of Paris Opposeth the Concordate of Francis 1st with Leo the 10th and appeal to a future Council Z ZEal fals to enrich the Church A TREATISE OF THE Beneficiary Matters OF FRA PAOLO SARPI Wherein is related with the Ground of the History how the Almes of the Faithful were distributed in the primitive Church THE antient Fervor of Christian Charity being grown cold which not only moved Princes N. 1. and private Persons to give temporal Riches plentifully to the Churches but also induced the Ministers of the Church to bestow them holily on pious occasions N. 2. it is no wonder if at present faithful Stewards seem to be wanting and others diligent only in gaining and retaining have succeeded in their stead so that it hath been necessary to moderate by Laws the excessive gaines and a continual desire is kindled in godly men to see the Administration of the goods possessed by the Churches once more restored if not to that antient Exemplariness at least to a tolerable Moderation The Defects which appear to us in these dayes entered not into the Clerical order all together neither grew they so Eccessive at one instant of time but from a supream or rather from a divine Perfection they descended by degrees unto Imperfection which is now manifest unto all and confessed by the Clergy it self and by some esteemed irremediable Notwithstanding that if it pleased God our Lord to give unto his faithful as much grace as he gave to our forefathers we should not loose the hope of seeing the same wonders yet in our Age It is indeed necessary that as by Degrees we came to this depth of Misery so by Degrees we may ascend towards that height of Perfection in which the Holy Church was The which cannot be done N. 3. but by knowing what was the Administration of temporal things from the Beginning and how this good Government came to fail it is particularly necessary before all things to tell how the Church from time to time acquired temporal Riches and how upon each alteration it appointed Ministers to bestow or to possess them which will discover to us the hindrances which in these times prevent a good Reformation and will shew how to overcome them and this is my Design in the present Discourse so ample concerning beneficial matter The beginning of Ecclesiastical Benefices was whilst our Lord Jesus Christ Conversed in this world and their Stock was nothing else but the Oblations of Pious and devout Persons N. 4. which were kept by a Minister and distributed for two works only one for the Necessities of our Lord and of the Apostles preachers of the Gospel and the other for Almes to the Poor All this is clearly seen in St. John where the Evangelist sayes that Judas was he who bore the Purse wherein was put the Money presented
made Collections for other poor Churches also For which cause St. James St. Peter and St. John when they acknowledged St. Paul and St. Barnabas for Consorts and Companions in the Gospel they recommended this Work unto them to Collect some Almes for the poor Church of Hierusalem for which St. Paul also mentions the having made a Collection in Macedonia in Achaia in Galatia and in Corinth and this Custom was observed not only during the Apostles Life times but also after their Death and in the Church of Rome where Riches were plenty the Offerings also were Abundant N. 12. for about the year 150 they not only served to Maintain the Clerks and poor Christians of that City but also to administer abundantly unto other Churches not only to the Neighbouring but also to those at a Distance giving Food in divers Provinces unto poor and miserable Christians Condemned to Prisons and to working in Mines and to shew the Abundance of the Oblations I shall only say this that Marcion about the year 170 Marcion Ao. 170. made an Oblation in the Church of Rome at one time of 5000 Crowns of Gold and because he had certain Opinions not Convenient in Matter of Faith he was expell'd from the Congregation and all the money restored to him that holy Church esteeming it self polluted in retaining the Goods of a Heretick Afterwards the Church of Rome encreased so in Treasures that after 220 years the Roman Emperors were desirous of them Ao. 220. Decius the Prince whereupon Prince Decius Arrested St. Lanrence a Roman Deacon to take the Ecclesiastical Treasures from him they being grown so Copious but that Prince was Mistaken N. 13. believing that the Treasures were Collected and preserved for that holy Deacon was aware of the Tyrants Greediness and foreseeing the imminent Persecution bestowed all at one time as they were wont to do in such like Dangers and the most part of the Persecutions made against the Church after the Death of Commodus were for that Cause that is because the Princes or the Governors finding themselves short of Money were willing to make themselves Masters of the Christian Churches Stock that way After the Churches were enriched the Clerks also began to live more at ease and some not being content with the ordinary daily food of the Church would live separately in their own Houses and receive from the Church their separate proportion in Money every Day or for a Month together and longer a thing which although it declined from the Primitive Perfection N. 14. was nevertheless tolerated by the Fathers Besides the disorders did not stand at this stay but the Bishops began to fail the Poor in their usual Almes and to keep for themselves that which ought to be distributed growing rich with the Common Goods of the Church dealing in usury for to encrease them and leaving off the care of teaching the Doctrine of Christ all busied themselves in Covetousness which things St. Cyprian laments that they were practised in his time and concludes that God to purge his Church of these Errors might permit that great Persecution which was under the Empire of Decius because his divine Majesty hath alwayes reformed his Church either mildly by the means of Lawful Magistrates or when the Excess is gone too far by the Instrument of Persecutions But although the Church possessed so much wealth No Stable Goods at first yet it had no setled or Stable Goods first N. 15. because they cared not for any upon the Reason abovesaid for they esteemed the End to be at hand and all Worldly things to be Transitory and of a great weight for one who tends towards Heaven and again because no Society Colledge Communalty nor Corporation according to the Roman Laws could be given to bequeathed or have left by Will any Goods immovable nor for any cause whatsoever could possess the same unless it were approved of by the Senate or by the Prince neither can this be doubted of although Some Epistles goe about under the Names of old Popes which give a Reason why the Apostles should sell their Possessions in Judea and the succeeding Christians should preserve them by saying that was because the Apostles foresaw that the Christian Church ought not to remain in Judea but indeed amongst the Gentiles as if in the Gospel the cause of selling were not expresly shewn when Christ said to his Church Fear not O little Flock N. 16. sell what ye possess and give Almes that although Hierusalem were destroyed at its Building again there might be an Abundance of Christians and yet have not been destroyed in the Cities where the Churches amongst the Gentiles had Possessions But labouring to shew this Falsehood is superfluous being a certain thing that these Epistles are Suppositious Ao. 800. and were framed about the year 800 by those who preferr'd as is still done at this present Riches and Pomps to the Apostolical Moderation Instituted and Commanded by Christ But the Confusion which was much continued in the Empire after the Imprisonment of Valerianus the Laws being but little observed chiefly in Africa in France and in Italy some left or gave Stable Goods to the Churches which in the year 302 were all confiscated by Diocletian and Maximian though in France the Emperors Decrees were not Executed by the Bounty of Constance Cloro Caesar who Governed it But these Princes having renounced the Empire eight years after Maxentius restored all the Possessions to the Church of Rome and a little after Constantine N. 17. and Licinius granted freedom of Religion to the Christians approved of the Ecclesiastical Colledges call'd Churches granted generally throughout the Empire that they might gain or acquire Stable Goods as well by Gift as by Testament exempting also the Clergy from personal publick Services Exemptions of Ecclesiasticks that they might attend the duties of Religion more Commodiously The Custome of our times of giving or of leaving ones Estate to the Church with a special obligation of some particular work as of Building of Marrying young Damsels of providing for Orphans or others neither with Obligation to Masses Anniversaries or to other Ecclesiastical Offices were not then in Account nor in Use for a long time after But Persons gave or bequeathed absolutely and the Gift or Legacy was incorporated into the Common Mass N. 18. which was the Stock for the Expences of all pious Works wherefore speaking of ancient Ecclesiastical Goods it is most true that they are not dedicated to any particular Work but it is not true that they may be laid out in what a man will but in the generality of Pious Works only The Exemptions which Princes granted unto Ecclesiastical Goods freeing them from publick Contributions was a great encrease to them Exemptions of Ecclesiastical Goods and it was formerly observed every where inviolably with great satisfaction to Princes and with the Approbation of the People N. 19.
of Goods of Wives and of Children engaged themselves in this Warfar and selling their own went beyond Sea yea the very Women without having Respect to their Childbearing sold their Goods to contribute towards the War The Popes with their Priests and other Prelates received under their Protection the Houses and the Affairs of the Cruci-Signati so were called those who went to the War and that brought to the Churches such an encrease as is wont to bring the being Tutor N. 120. Curate or a Procurator for Widdows Orphans and Persons under Age neither could the secular Magistrate so much as think of defending any one for Terror of the Censures which they made use of without sparingness A great Point was added which Eugenius the third Constituted that for this Pious work every one might alienate the Fee-Farms he held which if the Patron could not receive yet against his Will they might be taken by the Churches which opened a broad way to the purchasing very largely It happened also that the Popes of Rome made use of the Armes prepared for the holy Land in some Enterprise whereby they augmented the Temporal Estate of the Roman Church And also the Popes Legates and the Bishops of the place where the said Arms were met together to unite themselves for the Voyage they made use of them for divers Augmentations of the Churches Temporality There being also offered and gathered a great quantity of money N. 121. taken from the Faithful especially from Women and others who were unfit to serve in the Wars personally likewise to free ones self from a vow made as also to obtain Indulgences and other Grants all was not spent in that War no doubt but some Prince might partake of it but a notable share remained still in the hands of the Prelates whereby Ecclesiastical Affairs made some Augmentation After this were instituted the Military Religions of the Templars Hospitallars c. for the defence of the Temple Built at Jerusalem for the Pilgrims who went thither and for to fight against the Saracens which although it was a new thing to institute Religions for the shedding of blood yet it was received with so much Fervor that in a very short time they gained great store of Wealth All these wayes brought great encrease of Riches to the Church There was also another way of giving a very notable encrease to the Wealth of the Church or Clergy-men N. 122. the Reviewing well the matter of the Tythes and where they were not paid to proceed with Censures that there should or ought be paid not only the Predials of the Fruits of the Earth but mixt Tythes also which are the Fruits of Cattel Reviewing of Tythes added more Riches and likewise the Tythes of Personal Industry and humane Labour Unto the Tythes were the first Fruits joyned also First-Fruits which were first instituted by Alexander the 2d herein imitating the Mosaical Law which commanded that People to pay them the quantity of them was not Established by Moses but left to the Arbitrement of the Offerer The Rabiâ—s afterwards as St. Hierome Testifies determined the quantity which was not more than the 60th nor less than the 40th which indeced hath been imitated by ours in the most profitable manner having setled the 40th which in our times is called the Quartese Alexander the third about the year 1170 determined that they should proceed with Excommunications to cause the entire payments for the Tythes of Mills to be made N. 123. and of Fishing of Fur of Wooll and of Bees and that the Tythes of every thing should be paid before the Charges made for the gathering of the Fruits should be deducted and Celestin the 3d in the year 1195 established that they should proceed with Excommunications to cause payment to be made of the Tythes not only of the Wine Corn Fruits of Trees of Gardens of Sheep of Merchandize of Souldiers pay of Hunting but also of Windmills All these things are expressed in the Decretals of the Romish Popes But the Canonists have gone much further saying that the Poor are obliged to pay Tythe for that is given them by Alms in begging at doors and that the Harlots are bound to pay Tythe of their Gain by Whoredom and of such other things which the World could not receive into use Tythes were paid unto the Curates for the service which they afforded to the People in Teaching the word of God in Administring the Sacraments and in performing other Ecclesiastical Functions so that for these Ministeries nothing was paid N. 124. some Pious and Rich Persons gave if they pleased something for the Burying of their dead or for receiving the Sacraments and the custom went so far that Curtesie was turned into a due Debt and the quantity how much was to be paid was also brought into a Custom and came to Controversies Secular men refusing to pay any thing for the Administration of the Sacraments because they paid Tythes therefore and the Clergy-men denying to perform their Functions unless there were given them that which was Customary About the year 1200 Innocent the 3d remedyed this Disorder by forbidding the Clergy indeed from Contracting for any thing for their Administration and to refuse it to those who would not pay them and commanded they should perform the Functions without more ado But after this was done by Censures the Seculars were forced to observe the Laudable Custom as the Pope calls it in paying that which was usual putting a great Difference between forcing before-hand by Contract and forcing afterwards by Censures N. 125. approving this as Lawful forbidding the other as Simoniacal Another Novelty was also introduced contrary to the old Canons Other wayes of gain which Contributed much towards their Gain It was Prohibited by the Canons to receive any thing by Donation or by Will from several sorts of Publick Sinners as from Sacrilegious Persons from him who remained in Discord with his own Brother from Harlots and other such Persons all these Respects were quite laid aside and all indifferently received especially the greatest and most frequent Legacies and Gifts are from Harlots and from Persons who through disgust with their Relations leave or give to the Church Thus the Popes of Rome used great diligence to help forward the Purchasing as well as to preserve the Power of Distributing what was Purchased which as hath been said was with so much Labour and so much Blood snatcht or drawn out of the hand of Princes N. 126. and reduced to the Clergy To which all the Ecclesiastical order for their own Interest not only consented but helped it by Preaching and by Writing alwayes inculcating that it was an Vsurpation of the People and a Tyranny of Princes to have any share of medling with the Distribution of Benefices and chiefly with the Election of the Pope and in our dayes one of the Arguments treated on by Barentus throughout all