Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

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.
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* Acts, 4. 34, 35
*(2) Ibid., 5. 4
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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";*(2) 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.
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* I Corinthians, 9. 7
*(2) Ibid., 9. 13
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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,