The Charity Of The Primitive Churches

Reprint of the original, first published in 1857.

Excerpt from Charity of the Primitive Churches: Historical Studies Upon the Influence of Christian Charity During the First Centuries of Our Era, With Some Considerations Touching Its Bearings Upon Modern Society IN forming the heart of man, God has implanted in him, besides the instinct which makes him look to his preservation and well-being, an instinct of sympathy, which gives him an interest, also, in the happiness of his fellows. Whilst the former would engage him to live exclusively within himself, and to take himself for the only object of his aflections, the latter draws him out of himself and forces him to live, to feel, and to suffer, to a certain degree, in others. There is, be tween these two instincts, the same relation that exists between the two forces, the concurrence of which keeps up the harmony of the universe; on their precise equi librium depends the welfare of society and the har mony of the moral world. Who has not heard, in the depths of his heart, the often importunate voice of pity? Who has not yielded to it, sometimes, even at the expense of his own interest? The most selfish. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In this groundbreaking work of history, Chastel explores the role of charity in the early Christian church and its impact on society. Drawing on a wide range of sources, he provides a detailed account of the development of charitable institutions and practices in the early church, and reflects on their relevance for contemporary society. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Christianity and the role of charity in shaping our world. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1857.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.