Europe, roused all the princes of that part of the world.

up arms to follow the expedition; but the necessity of money for maintaining 4. In the eleventh century, Gregory the troops, and there being numbers VII., moved by the lamentations of the who found it impossible for them to eastern Christians, planned an expedi-join it, induced the popes to extend the tion against the infidels of Asia, which indulgences of the crusade to all those he intended to command in person; but who would contribute to so desirable a the disturbances of his pontificate did purpose. not allow it to be put in execution until 8. Almost all Spain was now groanthe time of Urban II. This pope, ex-ing under the oppression of the Sara cited by the horrible picture of the suf- cens, and the popes were anxious to ferings of the Christians in Palestine, expel them from Europe. Gregory made by Peter the Hermit, promoted in the council of Clermont the idea of his predecessor. This council, in order to incite the Christians to take arms, granted to all those who would take the cross for engaging in the expedition against the Mahomedans, a plenary indulgence, as a recompense for the troubles of the journey.

VII., in 1073, granted Count Roccio, all that he could wrest from the Saracens in the Peninsula, as an apostolic fief, perhaps with the sole idea of liberating it from the Saracenic yoke. For the same reason, Urban II. prohibited Bernard, archbishop of Toledo, from becoming one of the crusaders for Palestine, telling him that it would be better for him to employ his means for restoring his country, than in the con quest of Syria; and Pasqual II. pro hibited the Spanish soldiers from taking the cross for the holy war.

5. The peregrinations to Jerusalem in those times were replete with dan gers on account of cruelties and rob beries committed by the Arabs on the pilgrims, who, for greater safety, met in large bodies. In 1064, 7000 Ger- 9. To promote the expedition, our mans undertook this pilgrimage, with kings asked the popes to grant the inthe insignia of the cross, formed a small dulgences of the crusade to all engaged army, and most gallantly fought against in the wars against the Moors, which the Arabs. From this example, all who was conceded by Calinto II. Gregory IX. wished to follow the expedition took granted again the same thing in 1236, the emblem of the cross; hence arose extending the apostolic indulgence to the name of Crusade. all those who sent soldiers at their own expense against the Moors, or who gave any assistance for the conquest of this monarchy.

6. In this epoch the canonical penances had lost none of their rigour, and for every sin a number of years of penance was imposed, according to the 10. From the expulsion of the Saradegree of enormity. The indulgence cens the kings of Spain have continued granted to crusaders freed them from waging war against the enemies of mány days of fasting and mortification; Christ. For the support of these almost this, added to the hope of martyrdom, continual wars, nearly all the popes, so inflamed the Christians, that in a very from Julius II. to the present, granted short time armies were formed capable the Spanish monarchy the indulgences of any enterprize, if they had directors. of the crusade for all who should con7. In the first expeditions, each en-tribute with alms to that end. Clement gaged at his own expense, or that of VII. fixed the price of one peso of gold, the noble who conducted him; but the in America; and in 1537 Paul III. asnecessity was soon discovered of raising signed one single peso for this pious a fund to maintain them. With this tax, the produce of which he charged pious motive, the tenth, called Salactina, Charles V. with collecting, as for the was imposed upon the ecclesiastical re- purpose of erecting St. Peter's Church; venues, and the same repeated fre-but in the year 1543 the loan was quently. At that time the only indul- reduced to a florin in the kingdom of gences granted were to those who took Arragon, and to two reals in that of

Castille; yet nothing was altered with | The plenary indulgences granted to crurespect to America. saders were absolute dispensation of the

11. Pius IV. would not grant this penances prescribed by canonical rules favour to Philip II., notwithstanding against public sinners. Clergymen were that he particularly wanted the money not subject to public penance, but were for the crusade, to extinguish the re- deposed by the bishops and lockedup bellion of the Moors of Grenada. After for ever in a monastery. this repulse, Cardinal Espinosa and some other bishops of Spain assembled, and formed a bull, called Charter of the brotherhood of our holy catholic faith, by which they granted to all who took it, and gave two reals for the war against the Moors, the privilege of being absolved from all the sins reserved for their jurisdiction, and besides as many indulgences as it was in their power to give. This bull, though so inferior as regards privileges to the bull of the crusade, produced as much money.

12. Charles V. had already made use of the same contrivance for obtaining money for the wars against the infidels of Africa and Germany. Don Ferdinand de Mendosa, commissary-general of the crusade, published in 1535 a bull of the scapulary of the Holy Trinity, a privilege already granted by various popes to the religious orders of the Trinity in favour of those who contributed the sum appointed by the provincial for the purpose of its institution; the sum was two reals of silver.

To preserve in some measure the remains of this discipline, it appeared just not to extend the privileges of the crusade to those who were not admitted to public penance. Notwithstanding, Urban VIII., 1627, extended with reason the same privileges to ecclesiastics, granting to all the subjects of his Catholic Majesty, who would give the prescribed sum for the war against the Infidels and the building the church of Letran, the privilege of using milk pottage even in Lent.

15. The same pope, for the sake of giving more publicity to these privileges, allowed the printing of the bull, to the same end. Gregory XIII. ordered it to be published every two years, and Innocent X., 1644, annually. For this purpose some mendicant friars were appointed, who went to parish churches to explain the contents, in which commission they committed many excesses, by not only obliging people to pay the price of the bull, but to attend their sermons to the prejudice of agriculture and domestic concerns. These abuses are remedied by some good laws; as no one is now obliged to buy the bull or to hear the sermons of its publication. But that the faithful should not be ignorant of the many privileges of the bull, it is published in a holy day, which answers the desired effect.

13. Adrian VI. and Clement VII. granted to the convent of St. Dominic of Vittoria the bull of Candlemas, through its indulgences to increase the worship of the Virgin of the Rosary. This and another given by different popes to promote the devotion towards the Virgin of Pains in Majorca, were published by Cardinal Logasa, commis- 16. Clement XI., 1718, suspended sary-general of the crusade, by which again the bull of crusade under the predifferent privileges were granted for two text that its products were not expended reals of silver, for the above-mentioned for the objects for which it had been war. In 1547, Don Juan Suarez Car-granted; but after being better informvajal published two bulls, one for the living, another for the dead, granted to the Hospital of the Conception and the College of Children of Salamanca, by various popes, and intended by Paul III. to be obtained with the same money.

14. In the time of Pius V. the bull of the crusade was again granted to these kingdoms excluding only the ecclesiastics.

ed, his holiness removed the suspension, 1720, and knowing the rectitude with which the money was distributed, exempted the kingdom from the pension which it paid to the apostolic chamber every six years, when the prorogation was granted at Rome.

It is doubtful whether the alms of the

bull should be numbered among the ec

clesiastical revenues of Spain; but there paying tithes to maintain the ministers is no doubt that considering the end, of the sanctuary; and after this examthey form a considerable portion of the ple the custom was introduced among patrimony of the church. Besides, it is Christians. The precepts of ancient clearly inferred from a bull of Urban law ceased with the death of Christ; VIII., by which he declared void the and therefore that of paying the tithes sale of the attorneyships of the crusade of their fruits did not pass to the faithmade by the commissary-general, be- ful; but not for this reason were they cause he says that they are ecclesiasti- free from maintaining the churchmen, cal offices. as from the beginning of the church we find them supported at the expense of the Christians.

Our monarchs recognise the same, and they spend the produce of the bull in the pious objects of their institution. It 3. In the first five ages, the 'church is administered so scrupulously, that had no other income than that proceednotwithstanding their power to employing from landed property and offerings. those alms to any pious purpose, they It is true, that some made offerings to apply them only against infidels; and to God of the tenth of the produce of their free themselves from any remorse of lands, but this act was entirely volunconscience, they have given the ma-tary. The bishops of that time repeatnagement to the commissary-general of edly demanded of the faithful to offer their the crusade and two comptrollers.

19. The authority of the commissary over the funds of the bulls is almost absolute, so much so that some times he would not allow their produce to be applied to the necessities of the state. Perhaps he did not think it was a work of piety to free the subjects of a weight which must necessarily fall upon their weak shoulders if this succour was denied by him.. Lastly, that this fund of the crusade might not be diminished, the commissary has power to suspend, and effectually does suspend in Spain, to all those who do not take the bull, all the indulgences granted to the faithful, excepting the jubilee granted to the apostolical church of St. James and those granted by the bishops to their flocks.

2

CHAPTER XIII.

Of Tithes.

1. There is not a nation which can subsist without religion, and there is not La religion which can be preserved without ministers: therefore all nations in all ages have thought that the maintenance of the priests was one of the principal duties of the state. To satisfy this sacred debt, princes adopted differ*ent means according to the character of their subjects.

2. Moses, animated and inspired by -God, intimated to the Jews the duty of

tenths to God, but without issuing any precepts to oblige them,-satisfied with persuading them to offer this freely, and whatever they chose besides, for the priests, worship, and the poor. They were exhorted to pay tithes after the manner of the Jews; but at the same time it was intimated, that being sons of Christ, they were more highly fa voured than the Jews, and should therefore exceed them in liberality. Until the sixth century the fathers issued no precepts for paying tithes. At that

epoch the charity of the Christians was so cool, that they did not offer even necessaries for supporting the priests. The zeal of the bishops could not allow them to behold with indifference the decline of worship, nor the poor negected. To remedy the evil it was requisite to change the old discipline of the church on that point, and to adopt ecclesiastical punishments to compel Christians to pay tithes.

4. The first council that adopted this plan was that of Macon in France, 585; whose fathers gave, as a reason, that the offering of tithes was the custom in former times, although it had latterly been abolished. Almost at the same period the same means were put in practice by the oriental bishops for the establishment of this tax in their dioceses; but being disapproved by the emperors, was relinquished till the cru

t

sades, when it was endeavoured to be introduced in some places.

:

should impose upon them the duty of" paying tithes, much less when even the. princes were careful to enrich the patrimony of the church.

5. This old custom of the faithful in the first ages was the cause of the Greek and Latin bishops, after the sixth cen- 8. We find that, in the first eight tury, inflicting penalties on those who centuries, tithes were not reckoned did not pay tithes. In consequence of among the revenues of the church, her the reluctance of the Christians in mak-patrimony consisting of undetermined ing offerings for the above-mentioned offerings in landed property and in serfs. pious purposes, the bishops made use of Of each of these kinds of incomes. the arms of the church to compel them we find a variety of information, not to pay, under the circumstances, so just only in the particular records of the a debt. On custom, too, other coun- Spanish councils, but in the old colleccils, celebrated in the following ages, tions of our canons and laws, but not founded fair reasons for commanding any of tithes. the payment of tithes to it, also, is 9. It is well known that Burchard attributed its origin by our laws, and by Nórmaciensis and St. Ivon Carnotensis many ancient and modern doctors; and attribute to our councils two canons in lastly, we find that, for want of custom, which it is supposed that in Spain the such a tax is not paid in different Catho-payment of tithes was introduced, but lic provinces of Germany, Italy, and both are considered apocryphal by the France. learned. The authority of the two col6. In the church of Spain the paying lectors is not so great as to cause us to of tithes was not known as early as in receive as legitimate the two abovethe other western nations. This tax mentioned canons. Neither of them was either unknown before the eighth century, or it was only paid at their own pleasure, so that it did not constitute any distinct species of oblation. We know that the first council that decreed its payment in the west was that of Macon, and therefore the tithes could not have been recognised in Spain as a legitimate debt befor the sixth century.

can be found in any of the precious collections and conciliary records which were found latterly in the archives of our churches, nor in any of the valuable monuments of antiquities which were buried in them.

10. Cardinal Aquirre has published an index of the old collection of canons by which the Spanish church was go7. The holy fathers of previous ages verned from the beginning of the sixth would not that the faithful should give to the end of the eighth centuries. The anything to the church, if not freely; subjects of oblations of landed property, and they only hinted that as the minis- the defrauders of it, and serfs, are ters had not the means of subsistence, there discussed at large; but nothing is they must be provided for. There was said of tithes, although the patrimony sufficient for the ministers of our of the church could be injured in them church and the poor with the abundance as well as in other kinds of revenues; of offerings made by our forefathers it is therefore reasonable to suppose during the times of the kings before that they were either unknown or did Richard (Recaredo), because the fervour not form a distinct species among the of the faithful increases with tribulations. other offerings freely consecrated to God' In the year 589 this Catholic prince by the faithful.

and all the nation abjured the Arian 11. Bourchard and St. Ivon flouténets, and since then the ecclesiastical | rished in the eleventh and twelfth cenrevenues of Spain have increased very turies, at which period no one hesitated much, with considerable donations of to admit as authentic the false decretals serfs aud lands; and it is not probable of Isidore the Mercator, each made use that the bishops, who in more unfortu of them in the formation of their colnate times were horrified at the idea of lections, and therefore they abound in compelling the people to make offerings, apocryphal authorities, which makes us

suspect that the

above-mentioned governed by different princes under difcanons are false; but if we consider ferent names, all were dependent, at the that the discipline which they supposed commencement of our restoration, on flourished in our church never was ob- the kings of France, as is confessed by served in Spain, the suspicion is con- the best historians of those provinces. verted into real evidence. The communication with the French, 12. During the captivity of Spain, the introduced into Arragon many of the Murraratic Christians adhered to the political laws of France, and with them same customs and discipline as before. some belonging to the church. One of At that time the martyr of Cordona St. them was, perhaps, of the tithes, as the Eulogius flourished, who visited most of first information we have of them is to the captive churches, and through his he seen in the old records of Catalonia, writings communicated to his fellow-Arragon, and Navarre, whence the citizens various information concerning custom passed to the other provinces of their rules and discipline; but neither Spain. Therefore, among the many he nor his friends and contemporaries, grants made by Don Alfonso the emCount Alvaro, the abbot Sampson, and peror to the churches of his dominions, the presbyter Leovigild, mention the those of tithes were only for the subject of tithes, although they speak churches of Arragon and Navarre. of offerings and other property which the church then possessed. From this it appears that, until the expulsion of the Saracens, when Spain began to recover her ancient liberty, this tax was unknown in the kingdom. Perhaps there were those who consecrated to God the tenth of their fruits, but if such was the fact, they constituted so small a number that they neither deserve mention nor were sufficient to introduce the custom. 13. After the invasion of Spain by the Moors, the ecclesiastical limits of the provinces were as much confounded as the political, so that at the beginning of the ninth century we find that the suffragans of Tarragona recognised as their metropolitan the archbishop of Narbon, and for their princes the king's of France. In that nation the custom of paying tithes was introduced in the sixth century, and in the eighth Carlo Magno confirmed the decree of the council of Macon, ordaining that all his subjects should pay them. Since then, the churches coinprehended in the Spanish Marches received tithes, as is written in the charter granted to the monastery of St. Maria of Alaon, in the year S32, and in the royal ordinance given in favour of the Bishop of Urgél, by Louis the Pious, in 836.

15. The kings of Leon and Castille were governed by ecclesiastical and civil laws of the Goths, until the time of Alfonso the Wise; and as in the council of Braga it had been ordained that no church should be consecrated without being competently provided for the ministers and worship, our church was not in want of tithes. If in the first ages of the restoration of this monarchy, payment of this tax had been known, the council of Oviedo would not have assigned portions of land in Asturias to the bishops of Spain, as it would have been easier to grant them in tithes sufficient for their maintenance, than to make them expend in the administration of those lands, the time they so much wanted to watch over and comfort their flocks, against the frequent assaults of the infidels. Nor would it have been requisite for Alfonso V., following the spirit of the old canons, to endow the churches of the kingdom of Leon with lands to enable them to maintain their ministers.

16. The vicinity and frequent communications of the Castillians and Arragonians, caused the same customs to be observed in each church, and therefore the information concerning tithes is of earlier date in Castille than in Leon. 14. The chief part of the lands be- While the churches of this kingdom longing now to the crowns of Navarre preserved the property they had reand Arragon recognised the dominion ceived from Alfonso V., tithes were not of France; because though they were introduced; but they did not enjoy it