III. 518. CHAP. allowed creditors to be cruel to debtors, and their mercy extended no further than prohibiting the former to load the latter with a greater weight of chains than 15 pounds. Conftantine abolished certain punishments inflicted on debtors; and directed jailors to treat their prifoners with tenderness and humanity (m). Cyril bifhop of Jerufalem fold 410. the treasures and facred ornaments of the church for the relief of a ftarving people (b); and fome emperors of the Eaft were prompted to acts of beneficence by the Chriftian religion. On the death of the emperor Juftin great riches devolved to Tiberius a pious prince who difperfed it liberally to the poor and needy. His mother Sophia Augufta having accused him of prodigality and impoverifhing the treafury, the emperor replied, the treasury will not be empty provided the poor receive alms and captives are redeemed; this is the great treafure: for our Lord defires us to lay up treasures in heaven where neither ruft nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor fteal (c). Basilius (d) emperor of the Eaft was alfo incited 867. to acts of charity by religious motives; having exhorted his fon Leo to pity the widow's tears and the cries of the orphan and to be bountiful to the poor as he expected mercy from God. Ethelwold (e) bishop of Winchefter fold all the gold and filver veffels of his cathedral to relieve the poor who were ftarving during a famine; and obferved, 963. (m) Baren: 320, 330. An: Univ: Hift: vi p. 256 folio. (c) Baronii Annal: A. D. 582. (d) Scriptores Byzant: vel. xxii, p. 148-Edit: Wenet: (e) Camden's Remains-Wife Speeches-Mabillon: Annal: "there "there is no reafon the fenfeless temples of CHAP: "God fhould abound in riches, while the liv ing temples of the Holy Ghost starve for "hunger." Even in the middle ages when Chriftianity was a good deal corrupted the monafteries, bishops and kings fhewed confiderable regard and tenderness for the neceffitous. Several monafteries had an officer called Eleemofynarius who diftributed their alms and was required to poffefs certain qualifications. He was to be pious that he might have compaffion on the indigent, and mild to enable him to bear the importunity of folicitors. He was required to referve the most delicate food for the feeble; and, if any fhould come who were ashamed to beg to give them their food feparate from the reft. He was enjoined to fearch out with care the feeble and fick; and to confole and give them what they stood in need of. In Rome, in England and in France they had officers of this kind to diftribute their alms to the poor and needy (ƒ). We challenge the unbeliever to point out among the ancient philofophers and lawgivers, in the polished ages of Greece or Rome, any thing equal to this little fpecimen of the charities of the dark ages when Chriftendom was in fome degree involved in ignorance and barbarifm! III. pitality to Hofpitality to ftrangers has been practifed It encou by Heathens; but was never recommended raged hofby any religion except the Mofaic and Chrif- ftrangers. tian. Our Lord obferved that on the day of judgment he will fay, I was a stranger, and (f) Thomaffinus de Beneficiis, vol. i; and Du Cange vox Eleemofynarius. ye CHAP. III. ye took me in; thus declaring, that he will ac cept of our kindness to strangers as done to himself. St. Paul defires the Hebrews to entertain ftrangers; and St. Peter recommended hospitality without grudging Surely these paffages of Scripture were ftrong inducements to the practice of this virtue: nor can it be denied that they produced the desired effect in numerous inftances. In the reign of the first Chriftian emperor we find an inftance of hofpitality hardly worth mentioning; had it not been inftrumental in converting an Heathen to the Chriftian religion. His name was Pachomius a foldier in Conftantine's army, who was hofpitably entertained in a town of Thebes by the Chriftians, who brought him and his company what they wanted for their convenience and comfort. When, fays Pachomius, I faw with wonder what was done, I learned that they were Chriftians who were kind and merciful to all but efpecially to ftrangers (p). 361. Julian (q) an Heathen emperor recommended to the Pagans to be kind to ftrangers, in imitation of the Galileans; and in the year 370 bishop Bafil prevailed on the citizens of Cæfarea to build an houfe for the accommoda398. tion of ftrangers (r). Chryfoftom (s) archbishop of Conftantinople employed a part of the revenues of his fee in building hofpitals, and exhorted its inhabitants to fet apart one room in each houfe for the reception of the poor. The fpirit of Chriftianity and the piety of the primitive bifhops induced many of their fucceffors and of the monks to follow their example. Many monafteries ferved for (p) Baron: vol. iii, p. 163. the CHAP. III. the reception of ftrangers; and to fome inonasteries were joined particular houses for the entertainment of them. The laws of pious princes enjoined kindness to ftrangers. The emperor Charlemagne and feveral councils recommended hofpitality to bishops, to the inferior clergy and to all orders of the people (t). A law (u) of this emperor commands every 800. perfon to entertain ftrangers, and founds this law on the authority of Scripture; namely, becaufe on the great day of account the Lord will fay I was a stranger and ye took me in. A law of the Bavarians (w) forbids men to injure or moleft a ftranger; as the Lord hath faid, ye fhall not moleft a stranger or a foreigner. Surely thefe laws were the effects of religion! Some pious ecclefiaftics from Ireland built in France hofpitals for the reception of the fick and of ftrangers (x); and in France in the end of the fecond race of kings were appointed officers to protect travellers, to entertain them and to build bridges for their fafe and eafy paffage over rivers (y). In the year 1790 a number of pious Methodifts of Bath formed a fociety called the Stranger's Friend Society, whofe object was to relieve strangers, to fearch out thofe who pined in filence or were otherwife afflicted, without regard to nation, to fect or party. A fufficiency of evident distress is the recommendation and no other is required. At the first establishment of this fociety each member contributed weekly according to his abilities; (t) Thomaffin: de Beneficiis, vol. iii, p. 622 & fequ. () Lindenbrog: Capit: lib. i, cap. 75. (w) Ib: Lex Baioar: tit. iv, cap. 14. (x) Du Cange vox Hofpitalia. (y) Ib: Fratres Pontis. and III. CHAP. and the pious and humane plan was foon encouraged by others. Similar focieties have been formed in various places, particularly in Dublin where the members were enabled to relieve 2284 families and 5244 individuals in the year 1800. Such were the effects of Christianity; the unbeliever cannot point out an inftance of fuch benevolence in the history of the Heathens! It was the parent of The charities of the Chriftians in founding charitable hofpitals and relieving diftrefs are too many inftituti- to be enumerated; nor can it be denied that ons. to the Gofpel Chriftendom is indebted for many pious establishments little known to the Gentile world. The Greeks and Romans paid but little attention to persons in distress, and were almost total ftrangers to hospitals and other charitable inftitutions. It is admitted that in Athens and in other Greek states they provided for the children of foldiers flain in battle (p): a practice which in military republics feemed to flow rather from policy than from tenderness or humanity. At Thebes the law allowed thofe who reared the children of the very poor a trifling fum; with the pri vilege of ufing them as flaves to repay them for their trouble (q). This law which prevented the expofure of infants feems to have been rather an effect of policy than the offfpring of humanity; fince it deprived men of their freedom and fubjected them to a state of toil and fervitude. The Greeks and Romans had no charitable buildings, until the humane spirit of Chriftianity encouraged alms-giving and laid the foundation of fuch buildings () Arift: Polit. ii, 8. (9) Ælian: ii, 7. where |