BENEFICE

In the ecclesiastical sense of the word, means a church endowed with a revenue for the performance of Divine service, or the revenue itself a igned to an ecclesiastical person, by way of stipend for the service he is to do that church. As to the origin of the word, we find it as follows, in Alcet’s Ritual : “This word was anciently appropriated to the lands, which kings used to bestow on those who had fought valiantly in the wars; and was not used in this particular signification, but during the time that the Goths and Lombards reigned in Italy, under whom those fiefs were introduced, which were peculiarly termed Benefices, and those who enjoyed them, Beneficiarii, or va als. For notwithstanding that the Romans also bestowed lands on their captains and soldiers, yet those lands had not the name of Benefices appropriated to them, but the word benefice was a general term, which included all kinds of gifts or grants, according to the ancient signification of the Latin word. In imitation of the new sense, in which that word was taken with regard to fiefs, it began to be employed in the Church, when the temporalities thereof began to be divided, and to be given up to particular persons, by taking them out of those of the bishops. This the bishops themselves first introduced, purposely to reward merit, and a ist such ecclesiastics as might be in nece ity. However, this was soon carried to greater lengths, and at last became unlimited, as has since been manifest in the clericate and the monasteries. A benefice therefore is not merely a right of receiving part of the temporalities of the Church, for the service a person does it; a right, which is founded upon the gospel, and has always subsisted since the apostolic age; but it is that of enjoying a part of the temporalities of the Church, a igned and determined in a special form, so as that no other clergyman can lay any claim or pretension to it.—And in this age it is not barely the right of enjoying part of the temporalities of the Church; but is likewise a fixed and permanent right, in such a manner that it devolves on another, after the death of the incumbent; which anciently was otherwise; for, at the rise of benefices, they were indulged to clergymen only for a stated time, or for life; after which they reverted to the Church.” It is not easy to determine when the effects of the Church were first divided. It is certain that, till the 4th century, all the revenues were in the hands of the bishops, who distributed them by their Œconomi or stewards; and they consisted chiefly in alms and voluntary contributions. When the Church came to have inheritances, part of them were a igned for the maintenance of the clergy, of which we find some footsteps in the 5th and 6th centuries; but the allotment seems not to have been a fixed thing, but to have been absolutely discretional, till the 12th century. Benefices are divided by the canonists into simple and sacerdotal . The first sort lays no obligation, but to read prayers, sing, . Such kind of Beneficiaries are canons, chaplains, chantors, . The second is charged with the cure of souls, the guidance and direction of consciences, . Such are rectories, vicarages, . The canonists likewise specify three ways of vacating a benefice; viz. de jure , de facto , and by the sentence of a judge . A benefice is void de jure , when a person is guilty of crimes, for which he is disqualified by law to hold a benefice; such are heresy, simony, . A benefice is void both de facto and de jure , by the natural death, or resignation, of the incumbent. Lastly, a benefice is vacated by sentence of the judge , when the incumbent is dispo e ed of it by way of punishment for immorality, or any crime against the state. The Romanists, again, distinguish benefices into regular and secular . Regular benefices are those held by a religious or monk of any order, abbey, priory, or convent. Secular benefices are those conferred on the secular priests; of which sort are most of their cures. The Church distinguishes between dignities and benefices . The former title is only applicable to bishoprics, deaneries, archdeaconries, and prebends: the latter comprehends all ecclesiastical preferments under those degrees; as rectories and vicarages. It is e ential to these latter, that they be bestowed freely, reserving nothing to the patron; that they be given as a provision for the clerk, who is only an usu-fructuary , and hath no inheritance in them; and that all contracts concerning them between patron and incumbent be, in their own nature, void.