1 Tim. v. 17.

2 Cor.

iii. 8. Vide 22.

9.77.

art. 1.

66

treasure unto them that serve him in the gospel, as ever the priests of the law did enjoy? What farther proof can we desire? It is the blessed apostle's testimony, That even so the Lord hath ordained. Yea, I know not whether it be sound to interpret the apostle otherwise than that, whereas he judgeth the presbyters "which rule well in the church of Christ to be worthy of double honour," he means double unto that which the priests of the law received; " for if that ministry which was of the letter were so glorious, how shall not the ministry of the Spirit be more glorious?" If the teachers of the law of Moses, which God delivered written with letters in tables of stone, were thought worthy of so great honour, how shall not the teachers of the gospel of Christ be in his sight most worthy, the Holy Ghost being sent from heaven to engrave the gospel on their hearts, who first taught it, and whose successors they that teach it at this day are? so that, according to the ordinance of God himself, their estate for worldly maintenance ought to be no worse that is granted unto other sorts of men, each according to that degree they were placed in. Neither are we so to judge of their worldly condition as if they were servants of men, and at men's hands did receive those earthly benefits by way of stipend in lieu of pains whereunto they are hired; nay that which is paid unto them is homage and tribute due unto the Lord Christ. His servants they are, and from him they receive such goods by way of stipend. Not so from men for at the hands of men he himself being honoured with such things, hath appointed his servants therewith according to their several degrees and places to be maintained. And for their greater encouragement who are his labourers, he hath to their comfort assured them for ever, that they are, in his estimation, "wor1 Tim. thy the hire" which he alloweth them; and therefore, if men should withdraw from him the store, which those his servants that labour in his work are maintained with, yet he in his word shall be found everlastingly true, their labour in the Lord shall not be forgotten; the hire he accounteth them worthy of, they shall surely have either one way or other answered.

v. 18,

Acts iv. 35.

In the prime of the Christian world, that which was brought and laid down at the apostles' feet, they disposed of by distribution according to the exigence of each man's need. Neither can we think that they, who, out of Christ's trea

sury made provision for all others, were careless to furnish the clergy with all things fit and convenient for their estate and as themselves were chiefest in place of authority and calling, so no man doubteth but that proportionally they had power to use the same for their own decent maintenance. The ароstles, with the rest of the clergy in Jerusalem, lived at that time according to the manner of a fellowship, or collegiate' society, maintaining themselves and the power of the church with a common purse, the rest of the faithful keeping that purse continually stored. And in that sense it is, that the sacred history saith, "All which believed were in one place, Acts ii. 44. and had all things common." In the histories of the church, and in the writings of the ancient fathers for some hundreds of years after, we find no other way for the maintenance of the clergy but only this, the treasury of Jesus Christ furnished through men's devotion, bestowing sometimes goods sometimes lands that way, and out of his treasury the charge of the service of God was defrayed, the bishop and the clergy under him maintained, the poor in their necessity ministered unto. For which purpose, every bishop had some Disp. Prosp. one of the presbyters under him to be treasurer of the church, de Vita Contemp. l. ii. to receive, keep, and deliver all; which office in churches c. 12. Ecathedral remaineth even till this day, albeit the use thereof be not altogether so large now as heretofore. The disposi- Eccles. et tion of these goods was by the appointment of the bishop. Princip. Wherefore Prosper, speaking of the bishop's care herein, saith, "It was necessary for one to be troubled therewith, to the end that the rest under him might be freer to attend quietly their spiritual businesses." And lest any man should imagine, that bishops by this means were hindered themselves from attending the service of God," Even herein (saith he) they do Prosp. de God service; for if those things which are bestowed on the Vita Conchurch be God's, he doth the work of God, who, not of a c. 16. covetous mind, but with purpose of most faithful administration, taketh care of things consecrated unto God." And forasmuch as the presbyters of every church could not all live with the bishop, partly for that their number was great, and partly because the people being once divided into parishes, such presbyters as had severally charge of them were by that mean more conveniently to live in the midst each of his own particular flock, therefore a competent number being fed at the same table with the bishop, the rest had their

con. 1. xiv. C. de Sacr.

Novel. 7. in

temp. l.ii.

whole allowance apart, which several allowances were called sportula, and they who received them, portulantes fratres. Touching the bishop, as his place and estate was higher, so likewise the proportion of his charges about himself being for that cause in all equity and reason greater; yet, forasmuch as his stint herein was no other than it pleased him to set, the rest (as the manner of inferiors is to think that they which are over them always have too much) grudged many times at the measure of the bishop's private expense, perhaps not without cause. Howsoever, by this occasion there grew amongst them great heart-burning, quarrel, and strife where the bishops were found culpable, as eating too much beyond their tether, and drawing more to their own private maintenance than the proportion of Christ's patrimony, being not greatly abundant, could bear sundry constitutions hereupon were made to moderate the same, according to the church's condition in those times. Some before they were made bishops, having been owners of ample possessions, sold them and gave them away to the poor: thus did Paulinus, Hilary, Cyprian, and sundry others. Hereupon they, who entering Vita Coninto the same spiritual and high function held their secular temp. l. ii. c. 9. Pont. possessions still, were hardly thought of: and even when the vita Cypr. case was fully resolved, that so to do was not unlawful, yet it grew a question, " Whether they lawfully might then take any thing out of the public treasury of Christ ?" a question, "Whether bishops, holding by civil title sufficient to live of their own, were bound in conscience to leave the goods of the church altogether to the use of others?" Of contentions about these matters there was no end, neither appeared there any possible way for quietness, otherwise than by making partition of church-revenues according to the several ends and uses for which they did serve, that so the bishop's part might be certain. Such partition being made, the bishop enjoyed his proportion several to himself; the rest of the clergy likewise theirs, a third part was severed to the furnishing and upholding of the church; a fourth to

Prosp. de

Diacon, in

a Presbyterii honorem designasse nos illis jam sciatis ut et sportulis eisdem cum presbyteris honorentur, et divisiones mensuratas æquatis quantitatibus partiantur, sensuri nobiscum provectis et corroboratis annis suis. Cypr. lib. iv. ep. 5. Which words of Cyprian do shew, that every presbyter had his standing allowance out of the church treasury; that besides the same allowance called sportula, some also had their portion in that dividend which was the remainder of every month's expense ; thirdly, that out of the presbyters under him, the bishops as then had a certain number of the gravest, who lived and commoned always with him.

the erection and maintenance of houses wherein the poor might have relief. After which separation made, lands and livings began every day to be dedicated unto each use severally, by means whereof every of them became in short time much greater than they had been for worldly maintenance; the fervent devotion of men being glad that this new opportunity was given, of shewing zeal to the house of God in more certain order.

By these things it plainly appeareth what proportion of maintenance hath been ever thought reasonable for a bishop; sith in that very partition agreed on to bring him unto his certain stint, as much is allowed unto him alone as unto all the clergy under him, namely, a fourth part of the whole yearly rents and revenues of the church. Nor is it likely, that before those temporalities, which new are such eyesores, were added unto the honour of bishops, their state was so mean as some imagine. For if we had no other evidence than the covetous and ambitious humour of heretics, whose impotent desires of aspiring thereunto, and extreme discontentment as oft as they were defeated, even this doth shew that the state of bishops was not a few degrees advanced above the rest. Wherefore, of grand apostates which were in the very prime of the primitive church, thus Lactantius above thirteen hundred years sithence testified, " Men of a slip- Lact. de Ve pery faith they were, who feigning that they knew and wor- ra Sap. lib. shipped God, but seeking only that they might grow in wealth and honour, affected the place of the highest priesthood; whereunto, when their betters were chosen before them, they thought it better to leave the church, and to draw their favourers with them, than to endure those men their governors, whom themselves desired to govern." Now, whereas against the present estate of bishops, and the greatness of their port, and the largeness of their expenses at this day, there is not any thing more commonly objected than those ancient canons, whereby they are restrained unto a far more sparing life; their houses, their retinue, their diet, limited within a far more harrow compass than is now kept; we must know, that those laws and orders were made when bishops lived of the same purse which served as well for a number of others as them, and yet all at their disposing. So that convenient it was to provide that there might be a moderate stint appointed to measure their expenses by, lest

V. c. 30.

1 Cor.

xi. 1.

others should be injured by their wastefulness. Contrariwise, there is now no cause wherefore any such law should be injured, when bishops live only of that which hath been peculiarly allotted unto them. They having, therefore, temporalities and other revenues to bestow for their own private use, according to that which their state requireth, and no other having with them any such common interest therein, their own discretion is to be their law for this matter; neither are they to be pressed with the rigour of such ancient canons as were framed for other times, much less so odiously to be upbraided with unconformity unto the pattern of our Lord and Saviour's estate, in such circumstances as himself did never mind to require that the rest of the world should of necessity be like him. Thus against the wealth of the clergy they allege how meanly Christ himself was provided for; against bishops' palaces, his want of a hole to hide his head in; against the service done unto them, that “he came to minister, and not to be ministered unto in the world." Which things, as they are not unfit to control covetous, proud, or ambitious desires of the ministers of Christ,and even of all Christians, whatsoever they be; and to teach men contentment of mind, how mean soever their estate is, considering that they are but servants to him, whose condition was far more abased than theirs is, or can be; so to prove such difference in state between us and him unlawfully, they are of no force or strength at all. If one convented before. their consistories, when he standeth to make this answer, should break out into invectives against their authority, and tell them that Christ, when he was on earth, did not sit to judge, but stand to be judged; would they hereupon think it requisite to dissolve their eldership, and to permit no tribunals, no judges at all, for fear of swerving from our Saviour's example? If those men, who having nothing in their mouths more usual than the poverty of Jesus Christ and his apostles, allege not this as Julian sometime did beati pauperes, unto Christians, when his meaning was to spoil them of that they had; our hope is then, that as they seriously and sincerely wish, that our Saviour Christ in this point may be followed, and to that end only propose his blessed example; so, at our hands again, they will be content to hear with like willingness the holy apostle's exhortation made unto them of the laity also, "Be ye followers of us, even as we are of