At present, the revenues of the English Clergy are generally very small and insufficient: above a third of the best benefices of England, having been anciently, by the Pope's grant, appropriated to monasteries, were on their dissolution, made Lay fees; besides what hath been taken by secret and indirect means, through corrupt compositions and compacts and customs in many other parishes.

Hildebrand elected pope; he takes the name of Gregory VII; the sale of church benefices in Germany forbidden by him.

He had filled most of the Greek sees with men of his own cast, and had illegally bestowed benefices on great numbers of priests.

If I had taken to the church (as he affirms, but which was never in my thoughts), I should have had more sense, if not more grace, than to have turned myself out of my benefice by writing libels on my parishioners.

The cardinal wanted a benefice for one of his followers, and the Pope wished to get his son's enemy once more into his power.

So that ministers could not without transgressing these Acts (which they too punctually observe) draw out the sword of discipline against many covenant-breakers; perjured hireling-curates being allowed to enjoy churches and benefices without censure or molestation, if subject to the civil government, as is evident from the 27th Act of the fifth Session of William's first Parliament, entitled, Act concerning the Church.

He seems to have been first beneficed at Walsby, in Lincolnshire, through the munificence of his noble patroness, Frances, Countess Dowager of Exeter, but resigned the same, as he tells us, for some special reasons.

IMPROPRIATION, the transference of the revenues of a benefice to a layman or lay body to be devoted to spiritual uses.

Giovanni actually undertook his duties as Archbishop by granting letters of appointment to benefices within his diocese.

Presently benefice after benefice was offered him but he refused them all, having made up his mind to live and die at Selborne.