The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

ENORMOUS WEALTH OP THE CHURCH, 71church-property of which he had been guilty during his lifetime.The fiefs of the nobility, who had beggared themselvesby profligacy, or in the epidemic folly of thecrusades, werenot unfrequently brought into the market; and, being offeredat a cheap rate, the Church, which had abundance of readymoney at her command, became the purchaser, and so augmentedher possessions. It is but fair to state also, that theclergy helped, in that age, to add to the wealth and beautyof the country, by the cultivation of tracts of waste landswhich were frequently gifted to them. The Church foundadditional sources of revenue in the exemption fromtaxes, though not from military service, which her landsenjoyed, and in the institution of tithes, which, in imitationof the Jewish law, was originated about the sixthcentury, formed the main topic of the sermons of theeighth, and finally obtained a civil sanction in the ninth,under Charlemagne. But, not content with these variedfacilities of getting rapidly and enormously rich, the monksbetook themselves to forging charters,—an exploit whichtheir knowledge of writing enabled them to achieve, andwhich the ignorance of the age rendered of very difficultdetection. " They did nearly enjoy," says Hallam, " onehalf of England, and, I believe, a greater proportion insome countries of Europe.*"* This wealth was far beyondthe measure of their own enjoyment, and they had nofamilies to whom they might bequeath it. Such rapacity,then, does seem as unnatural as it was enormous. But,in truth, the Church had fallen as entirely under the dominionof an unreasonable and uncontrollable passion asthe miser; she was, in fact, a corporate miser. This vastwealth, it may easily be apprehended, inflamed her insolenceand advanced her power. The power of the Church becamegreater every day,—not its power as a Church, but as a confederation,—andmight well excite alarm as to the future.Here was a body of men placed under one head, bound to-Ilallam's Middle Ages, vol. i. chap. vii.