172 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTR. [VoL. II. 



pleasures as dust. To steal anything from a friend is theft, to steal from 

 the church is sacrilege. We must guard against receiving what ought to 

 be distributed to the poor, and not applying it for the relief of the 

 hungry, to keep back any of it is the clearest crime and surpasses the 

 cruelty of robbers. How can we, crammed with gold, and rolling in 

 wealth under the pretext of pristine charity, follow a poor Christ, and 

 faithfully administer the property of others, while we cautiously keep back 

 our own ? A full belly easily endures a fast. It is no praise to have 

 been at Jerusalem, but to have lived there well." 



Remonstrances such as these had their proper effect and in 400 the 

 council of Tolletano assigned ]/^ of the revenues of the church to the 

 poor ; and this seems to have been the general proportion recognized by 

 many subsequent councils and bishops. 



HOSPITALS. 



Public hospitals for the reception of the sick, the needy, and the 

 stranger began to be erected as soon as Christianity was freed from 

 persecution and could display its natural tendencies without danger or 

 restriction. 



Xenodochia, houses for the reception of travellers or sojourners. 



Ptochotrophia, houses for the poor. 



Orphanotrophia, houses for orphans. 



Brephotrophia, houses for foundlings. 



Gerontocomia, houses for the aged. 



Nosocomia, houses for the sick. 



The first mention of a hospital for the poor is about the middle of the 

 fourth century, though they are spoken of as previously existing, they 

 may be considered as contemporaneous with the establishment of 

 Christianity. One of the most famous was founded by St. Basil about 

 364. And before the middle of the fifth century it is certain that a regular 

 system of providing for the poor in connexion with the church was 

 organized. And we have seen with what care the Emperors encouraged 

 and nurtured all these establishments. 



PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES. 

 In the year following the edict of toleration (314) Constantine 

 abolished the punishment of crucifixion, and the next year that of 

 branding criminals in the face. Of all the cruel punishments inflicted 

 by the heathen world, crucifixion, in its lingering and excruciating 

 agony, seems to have been the worst. It was usually inflicted upon 



