On Ecclesiastical Property

Order of Contents

Articles

1500’s

Bullinger, Henry – 10^th Sermon, ‘Of Certain Institutions of the Church of God; of Schools; of Ecclesiastical Goods, and the use and abuse of the same; of churches and holy instruments of Christians; of the admonition and correction of the ministers of the Church, and of the whole Church; of matrimony; of widows; of virgins; of monks; what the Church of Christ determines concerning the sick; and of funerals and burials’ in The Decades ed. Thomas Harding (1549; Cambridge: Parker Society, 1850), vol. 4, 5^th Decade, pp. 478-526

Bucer, Martin – ch. 13, ‘The Fifth Law: Claiming Ecclesiastical Goods for Christ the Lord, & their Pious Use’ in On the Reign of Christ tr. Satre & Pauck in Melanchthon & Bucer in The Library of Christian Classics, vol. 19 (1550; 1557; London: SCM Press LTD, 1969), bk. 2, pp. 295-306

Vermigli, Peter Martyr – ch. 2, ‘Of Receiving or Refusing of Rewards, Gifts & Offices; and also of Goods Ecclesiastical’ in The Common Places… (d. 1562; London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 4, pp. 28-34

Polanus, Amandus – ‘Concerning the Disposers of the Church Goods’ in The Substance of Christian Religion… (London: Field, 1595), pp. 168-69

Quote

1600’s

Samuel Rutherford

Lex Rex... (1644; Edinburgh: Ogle, 1843), p. 66 rt col mid

“…for a power to destruction was never given, nor can it, by rational nature, be given. Mortifications given to religious uses by a positive law may be recalled by a more divine and stronger law of nature, such as this, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice.”

Suppose David, of his own proper heritage, had given the showbread to the priests; yet, when David and his men are famishing, he may take it back from them against their will. Suppose Christ had bought the ears of corn, and dedicated them to the altar, yet might He and his disciples eat them in their hunger. The vessels of silver, dedicated to the church, may be taken and bestowed on wounded soldiers.”

Latin Articles

1600’s

Voet, Gisbert – Ecclesiastical Politics (Amsterdam: Waesberge, 1663), vol. 2, pt. 1, bk. 4

Tract 2, Of the Property of the Church, or of Ecclesiastical Goods

1. Of the Name, Definition and Division of Ecclesiastical Goods 595

2. Are Ecclesiastical Goods, which, after the Persisting of the Greater Reformation in the European Churches, have been taken back by this our world, are they [yet] Ecclesiastical Goods? 627

3. The Next Issue to be Considered [Questio] is General, on the Origin and Acquisition of Ecclesiastical Goods, where these Six Distinct Points Ought to be Considered: 1. Who, and by Whom, are they Acquired? 2. Among Whom? 3. by what Means, or in what Manner? 4. of what Kind? 5. How Much? 6. For what End and Effect? 665

4. Of the Care and Administration of Ecclesiastical Goods, where Two Things Ought to be Considered: 1. By Who? 2. In What Manner are they Cared for and Administered? Of the First, Deeds are Referenced and Some Questions are Determined. 676

5. It is Made Good that the Cure and Administration of Goods Consists 1. in Care [Custodia], or Conservation; 2. in Dispensation or Distribution. 686

6. Of the Use and Abuse of Goods: 1. Preliminary Premises; 2. Some Questions are Propounded; 3. [in Greek, Objections and Exceptions?] are Exposed and Removed. 697

7. Shameful Things, Having been Hidden, are Exposed, along with the Defense of Wastefulness. 1. A Brief Argument is Shaken off from a Particular, which is Entirely and Only as an Argument to the Man [Ad Hominem] in this Matter, to be Able to Make one Absolved. An Exception about the Agreement of the Magistrate is Rejected. 722

8. Eight Escapes of Usurpers and Wasters are Taken Up 733

9. Eight Other Escapes are Examined 749

10. Two Exceptions to an Argument out of the Example of Achan (Josh. 7) are Refuted, being Brought Against the Customary Abuse 759

11. Clouds of Testimonies on the Use and Abuse of Goods are Adduced. 791

Tract 4, Of the External Requisites and Adjuncts of Sacred Practices

Section 1, ch. 1, Of the Temporalities of Sacred Practices 846

Section 3, Of Utensils & Other Adjuncts of Church-Buildings

1. Of Bells 894

2. Of Vessels and other Sacred Utensils which themselves are of an Active Church-Building, They Being Kept in the Chancel [Choro] 913

3. Of Altars 920

4. Of 1. Candlesticks, Candles, Lamps; 2. Censers; 3. Books; 4. Sacred Vestments. 936

5. Of Cemetaries 939