Of the maintenance of our Saviour and his Apostles,we read only they had a purse (which was carried by Judas Iscariot);and that of the Apostles such as were fishermen did sometimes use their trade;and that when our Saviour sent the twelve Apostles to preach,he forbade them to carry gold,and silver,and brass in their purses,"for that the workman is worthy of his hire":by which it is probable their ordinary maintenance was not unsuitable to their employment;for their employment was "freely to give,because they had freely received";and their maintenance was the free gift of those that believed the good tiding they carried about of the coming of the Messiah their Saviour.To which we may add that which was contributed out of gratitude by such as our Saviour had healed of diseases;of which are mentioned "certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities;Mary Magdalen,out of whom went seven devils;and Joanna the wife of Chuza,Herod's steward;and Susanna,and many others,which ministered unto him of their substance."
After our Saviour's ascension,the Christians of every city lived in common upon the money which was made of the sale of their lands and possessions,and laid down at the feet of the Apostles,of good will,not of duty;for "whilst the land remained."saith St.Peter to Ananias,"was it not thine?And after it was sold,was it not in thy power?"Which showeth he needed not have saved his land,nor his money by lying,as not being bound to contribute anything at all unless he had pleased.And as in the time of the Apostles,so also all the time downward,till after Constantine the Great,we shall find that the maintenance of the bishops and pastors of the Christian Church was nothing but the voluntary contribution of them that had embraced their doctrine.There was yet no mention of tithes:but such was in the time of Constantine and his sons the affection of Christians to their pastors,as Ammianus Marcellinus saith,describing the sedition of Damasus and Ursinus about the bishopric,that it was worth their contention,in that the bishops of those times by the liberality of their flock,and especially of matrons,lived splendidly,were carried in coaches,and were sumptuous in their fare and apparel.
But here may some ask whether the pastor were then bound to live upon voluntary contribution,as upon alms,"For who,"saith St.
Paul,"goeth to war at his own charges?or who feedeth a flock,and eateth not of the milk of the flock?"And again,"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple;and they which wait at the altar partake with the altar";that is to say,have part of that which is offered at the altar for their maintenance?And then he concludeth,"Even so hath the Lord appointed that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."From which place may be inferred,indeed,that the pastors of the Church ought to be maintained by their flocks;but not that the pastors were to determine either the quantity or the kind of their own allowance,and be,as it were,their own carvers.Their allowance must needs therefore be determined either by the gratitude and liberality of every particular man of their flock or by the whole congregation.By the whole congregation it could not be,because their acts were then no laws:therefore the maintenance of pastors before emperors and civil sovereigns had made laws to settle it was nothing but benevolence.They that served at the altar lived on what was offered.So may the pastors also take what is offered them by their flock,but not exact what is not offered.In what court should they sue for it who had no tribunals?Or if they had arbitrators amongst themselves,who should execute their judgements when they had no power to arm their officers?It remaineth therefore that there could be no certain maintenance assigned to any pastors of the Church,but by the whole congregation;and then only when their decrees should have the force,not only of canons,but also of laws;which laws could not be made but by emperors,kings,or other civil sovereigns.The right of tithes in Moses'Law could not be applied to then ministers of the Gospel,because Moses and the high priests were the civil sovereigns of the people under God,whose kingdom amongst the Jews was present;whereas the kingdom of God by Christ is yet to come.
Hitherto hath been shown what the pastors of the Church are;what are the points of their commission,as that they were to preach,to teach,to baptize,to be presidents in their several congregations;what is ecclesiastical censure,viz.,excommunication,that is to say,in those places where Christianity was forbidden by the civil laws,a putting of themselves out of the company of the excommunicate,and where Christianity was by the civil law commanded,a putting the excommunicate out of the congregations of Christians;who elected the pastors and of the Church,that it the congregation;who consecrated and blessed them,that it was the pastor;what was their due revenue,that it was none but their own possessions,and their own labour,and the voluntary contributions of devout and grateful Christians.We are to consider now what office in the Church those persons have who,being civil sovereigns,have embraced also the Christian faith.