Claims of the Gospel Ministry to an Adequate Support [pp. 180-201]

Claims of the Gospel Ministry
tion. There is evidence however, that besides these general
gifts, there was, as early as the beginning of the third century,
a regular monthly contribution, in money, appropriated
especially to the support of the clergy. In the fourth, and
perhaps during the third century, the rule was generally
adopted of dividing all oblations into three portions; one for
the bishop, one for the other church officers, and one for the
poor. The distribution of these means of support was for a
long time in the hands of the deacons and elders. It was
also customary for the people to make contribution at baptisms, marriages, and other occasions of special religious
service. All these however were voluntary. To give
for the support of the church was urged on the people, indeed,
as a reasonable duty and one of divine appointment, but
which like other duties of the same class, was left to be the
dictate of every man's conscience. Modicam unusquisque
stipem, says Tertullian, menstrua die, vel cum velit, et si
modo possit, apponit; nam nemo compellitur, sed sponte
offert.
It was thus that the ministry was supported for three hundred years: During this period it had extended itself to the
extremities of the Roman empire, pervading all ranks, and
attaining such an influence as to make the convertion of
Constantine a matter of policy, if it had not been the result
of conviction. As soon as the emperor became a Christian,
a different arrangement was made for the support of the
clergy. They had no doubt often struggled with difficulties
under the old system, and very naturally supposed, it would
be a relief to them and their people to be placed above the
necessity of depending on voluntary contributions. It is
not wonderful therefore that they availed themselves of the
zeal and liberality of Constantine. The emperor ordered a
certain portion of the income of each province to be assigned to the supporIt of the church; in many instances, he gave
to the church the property of the neighbouring heathen
temples. Thus the temple of the Sun in Egypt was given
with all its treasures, property and income to the church of
Alexandria. And finally he authorized the church to receive
and hold whatever legacies might be bequeathed to it. In
that age of general ignorance and of increasing ambition
among the clergy, this last provision became the most copious source of wealth. It was soon a matter of common consent, that no Christian was to make a will without remembering the church, And, it is said that within fifty years
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