Christian Charity in the Ancient Church

ife, but the community as such from the very outset accepted as a task laid upon it the practice of charity by means of its different organizations. And although this practice, like the life of the community generally, sank often in the course of time to a very low ebb, it never altogether failed. The Christian Church can never be conceived of as without charity: it was inherent in it from the very beginning. And it was so, not only because its Lord and Head taught love and commanded love, but because He Himself practised it. He was not only a teacher of love, or a lawgiver of love, but His life was also the first example of a life of love. It was not the maxims which He uttered about it, nor the commandments which He gave, but the fact that in Him personally love was manifest, that moved by love He came to us, and lived upon earth a life which from its very first breath to its latest was spent in the service of love, and that He finally, through the greatness of His love, gave Himself for us to the death of the cross; that is the beginning and the neverfailing source of charity amid His followers. The beginning and the end of the history which we wish to narrate lies in these words of the Master: " The jjon of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. and to give His life a ransom for manjlj. Ttisnot from the idea of the Church that we must set out, but from the idea of the kingdom of God; for Christiana exercise charity not in respect of their mem...