1890-91.] CHRISTIANITY ON LEGISLATION. 175 



existence of society itself, and is of little benefit to the slaves. And so 

 we find that soon after the establishment of Christianity, slaves were 

 liberated in such numbers, and, being unable to maintain themselves in 

 a state of freedom, were reduced to such straits, that unless relieved at 

 the public expense, and received into the houses for strangers, and into 

 the hospitals they would have died of hunger. And when these houses 

 could not contain them all, they thronged the highways, and sustained 

 life by begging, the Emperor Valens was compelled by an edict to 

 restore a great part of them to slavery. 



The instances I have given are enough to show that Christianity 

 exercised a very considerable influence on legislation, — that it was a 

 beneficial influence, — that it tended to soften the manners, to foster 

 benevolent institutions, to cherish compassion for the poor, the weak, the 

 helpless, the aged and the sick, and encouraged men to imitate the 

 example of its founder by going about doing good. 



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