Themostpreciousornamentsofgoldandsilver，ofsilkandgems，wereprofuselydedicatedtotheserviceofthealtar；andthisspeciousmagnificencewassupportedonthesolidandperpetualbasisoflandedproperty。Inthespaceoftwocenturies，fromthereignofConstantinetothatofJustinian，theeighteenhundredchurchesoftheempirewereenrichedbythefrequentandunalienablegiftsoftheprinceandpeople。Anannualincomeofsixhundredpoundssterlingmaybereasonablyassignedtothebishops，whowereplacedatanequaldistancebetweenrichesandpoverty，^105butthestandardoftheirwealthinsensiblyrosewiththedignityandopulenceofthecitieswhichtheygoverned。
Anauthenticbutimperfect^106rent—rollspecifiessomehouses，shops，gardens，andfarms，whichbelongedtothethreeBasilicoeofRome，St。Peter，St。Paul，andSt。JohnLateran，intheprovincesofItaly，Africa，andtheEast。Theyproduce，besidesareservedrentofoil，linen，paper，aromatics，&c。，aclearannualrevenueoftwenty—twothousandpiecesofgold，ortwelvethousandpoundssterling。IntheageofConstantineandJustinian，thebishopsnolongerpossessed，perhapstheynolongerdeserved，theunsuspectingconfidenceoftheirclergyandpeople。Theecclesiasticalrevenuesofeachdioceseweredividedintofourpartsfortherespectiveusesofthebishophimself，ofhisinferiorclergy，ofthepoor，andofthepublicworship；andtheabuseofthissacredtrustwasstrictlyandrepeatedlychecked。^107Thepatrimonyofthechurchwasstillsubjecttoallthepubliccompositionsofthestate。^108TheclergyofRome，Alexandria，Chessaionica，&c。，mightsolicitandobtainsomepartialexemptions；buttheprematureattemptofthegreatcouncilofRimini，whichaspiredtouniversalfreedom，wassuccessfullyresistedbythesonofConstantine。^109
[Footnote101:TheedictofMilandeM。P。c。48acknowledges，byreciting，thatthereexistedaspeciesoflandedproperty，adjuscorporiseorum，idest，ecclesiarumnonhominumsingulorumpertinentia。Suchasolemndeclarationofthesuprememagistratemusthavebeenreceivedinallthetribunalsasamaximofcivillaw。]
[Footnote102:HabeatunusquisquelicentiamsanctissimoCatholicaeecclesioevenerabiliqueconcilio，decedensbonorumquodoptavitrelinquere。Cod。Theodos。l。xvi。tit。ii。leg。4。
ThislawwaspublishedatRome，A。D。321，atatimewhenConstantinemightforeseetheprobabilityofarupturewiththeemperoroftheEast。]