eyes of the expiring, in cleansing the bodies of the dead, and in carrying them to their graves; and as fast as the ranks of those thus exposed were thinned by death, others stepped in to fill their places. These sacrifices were made not only for Christian brethren, but for the heathen, who were deserted by their own families, and left to die without a single attendant, in the street as well as in the houses, and their bodies to go unhearsed and unburied.

Hospitals were, in those early ages, made an appendage of Christian churches. There cannot be a doubt that Christians fully relieved all their own poor, and very many of the pagan poor besides. There is on record the testimony of an enemy, to the fact. The Emperor Julian, one of the bitterest enemies of Christianity, provoked by the good works of Christians, thus instructs one of his pagan priests: "Establish hospitals in every town, for the care of the sick and the entertainment of strangers, and for extending the

cares of humanity to all that are poor. I will furnish the means. For it is a shame for us that no Jew ever begs, and that the impious Galileans should not only keep their own poor, but even many of ours, whom we leave to suffer." To another he writes thus: "The impious Galileans, having observed that our priests neglect the poor, have applied themselves to that work: and like those who would steal our children to sell them, they attract them by offering cakes; and so they have led our faithful ones into infidelity, by commencing with charity, hospitality, and the service of tables, for they have many names for these works, which they practise abundantly." This testimony is of great value in showing the customs of Christians in those days, and the nature of that teaching by example, which not only commanded the admiration of an enemy, but compelled an emperor to follow it, in pure defence, lest the hearts of his subjects should be stolen from him. Very many proofs of this charity could

be adduced from the conduct of Christians in different parts of the world; but the evidence of Julian is ample enough for his day.

The Emperor Constantine followed this good example, not from rivalry, but because he was a Christian. "He poured out his alms liberally both upon Christian and Pagan. To the public beggars he gave both food and clothing; he assisted generously those who had fallen from a better condition; giving to some, pensions; to others, lucrative offices. He took especial care of widows and orphans, giving their daughters in marriage to rich

men, known by himself to be worthy.'

The Empress Flacilla, wife of Theodosius, made the care of the poor her chief occupation, to serve whom she undertook any office, however degrading. A letter from an eminent Christian to King Clovis contains this passage :—“Be the father and protector of your people; lighten their burdens as much as is consistent with the necessary wants of

66

* Eusebius, Life of Constantine.

your government. Console and relieve the poor; nourish orphans; take care of widows; permit no oppression. Let the door of your palace be ever open, that every one of your subjects may be able to claim justice at your hands."

A better idea cannot, perhaps, be given of the sentiments of early Christians on this subject, than is furnished by an incident which occurred in Rome. The liberality shown to the poor had led a Roman officer, in the days of persecution, to believe that Christians had great treasures at their command. Laurentius, one of the deacons or guardians of the poor, was commanded by the Roman Prefect to deliver up the treasures of the church. He demanded three days to comply with the requisition. In that time he collected from the whole city all the poor taken care of by Christian benevolence, and having assembled, in the courts and porches of one of their churches, the immense multitude of the aged, infirm, lame, blind, diseased, destitute poor

76 THE POOR THE TREASURES OF THe church.

who received constant aid from the hands of Christians, he called upon the prefect and said, "Come see the treasures of our God; you shall see a great court full of vessels of gold, and talents are heaped up in porches." The Prefect followed, and was shown the assembled “Behold the treasures I promised you. poor. I add to these the widows and orphans; they are our pearls and precious stones, the crown of the church. Take this wealth for Rome, for the emperor, and for yourself.”*

These few incidents speak far from adequately, but still strongly, the opinion of primitive Christianity on the subject of practical charity. We cannot reach our own time, however, without traversing a period during mediæval ages, when, by a slow but sure process of corruption, Christianity, overcome by forms, ceremonies, and superstitions, sank,

* These incidents are taken from Histoire de la Charité pendant les quatre premiers Siècles de l'ère Chrétienne, par Martin-Doisy. The subject of the charity of early Christians is treated in some detail, in Cave's Primitive Christianity, part 3, chap. 2.