A discourse concerning the maintenance due to those that preach the Gospel

THE Alienating of Lands devoted to a use Religious, or of other Deodands has been accounted a great Sin. The Gentiles were afraid to do it. Some barbarous Heathen would not burn the Temples ⟨p. 18⟩of Christians which were set apart for the Worship of God. The taking away of Church Lands, and using them to purposes no way Religious, has by many been accounted Sacrilege. This was generally done at the first Reformation in Luther's time. And the Wisdom of Heaven appeared in making the Avarice and Ambition of great Men, an occasion of Reforming that Corruption in Doctrine by which the Papacy had defaced and ruined the true Church of Christ. Many of those Lands by which the wicked Clergy had been nourished in all manner of Luxury and Idleness, were not only taken from them, but ^†Alienated from all Pious Uses, and given to Profane Gentlemen; which made Calvin say, That they had taken the Purse from Judas, and had given it to the Devil. Most true it is, that the Authors of many of those Donations to the Church, were guilty of great Superstition in what they did; vainly imagining ⟨p. 19⟩to Merit thereby, and that the Ecclesiastics would Pray their Souls out of Purgatory. Nevertheless, it may ^(c)be questioned, Whether that which has been devoted to the Service of God can without danger be wholly alienated. The Scripture says, It is a snare to the man that devoureth that which is holy, Prov. 20.25. Many of those who made Donations of Lands or gifts to the Church, did with grievous Execrations, imprecate whoever should convert what they had given to any Profane or Private use. ^(*)There have been severe decrees of Synods, and Laws of Christian Emperors, condemning the Alienation of what has been dedicated. Some Judicious Writers have thought that it was not without Mystery, that the Apostle writing to the Church of Rome, says, Thou that abhorrest Idols, dost thou commit Sacrilege? as if there were a Prophetical Reflection on those that ⟨p. 20⟩