Christians practiced charity toward the poor, freed slaves, opposed infanticide and gladiatorial games, and promoted liberty.

1. Persecution &
Triumph:
Christianity in
the 4th Century
Y. A. Monsoun

2. Part IV
Christian Charity

3. Christians practiced charity toward the poor, freed
slaves, opposed infanticide and gladiatorial
games, and promoted liberty.

4. Apostolic Constitutions from the late 4th century:
IX . Say unto the people under you what Solomon the wise says: Honour the
Lord out of your just labours, and pay your first-fruits to Him out of your
fruits of righteousness, that your garners may be filled with fullness of
wheat, and your presses may burst out with wine. Therefore maintain and
clothe those that are in want from the righteous labour of the faithful. And
such sums of money as are collected from them in the manner aforesaid,
appoint to be laid out in the redemption of the saints, the deliverance of
slaves, and of captives, and of prisoners, and of those that have been abused,
and of those that have been condemned by tyrants to single combat and
death on account of the name of Christ. For the Scripture says: Deliver those
that are led to death, and redeem those that are ready to be slain, do not
spare.

5. Saint Christina gave her father's golden idols to the poor.

6. Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) condemned
gladiatorial games and infanticide.

7. Divine Institutes Book VI Chapter 20
For he who reckons it a pleasure, that a man, though justly
condemned, should be slain in his sight, pollutes his conscience
as much as if he should become a spectator and a sharer of a
homicide which is secretly committed. And yet they call these
sports in which human blood is shed. So far has the feeling of
humanity departed from the men, that when they destroy the
lives of men, they think that they are amusing themselves with
sport, being more guilty than all those whose blood-shedding
they esteem a pleasure.

8. (continued)
I ask now whether they can be just and pious men, who,
when they see men placed under the stroke of death, and
entreating mercy, not only suffer them to be put to death,
but also demand it, and give cruel and inhuman votes for
their death, not being satiated with wounds nor
contented with bloodshed. Moreover, they order them,
even though wounded and prostrate, to be attacked
again, and their caresses to be wasted with blows, that
no one may delude them by a pretended death.

9. (continued)
They are even angry with the combatants, unless one of
the two is quickly slain; and as though they thirsted for
human blood, they hate delays. They demand that other
and fresh combatants should be given to them, that they
may satisfy their eyes as soon as possible. Being imbued
with this practice, they have lost their humanity.

10. Therefore let no one imagine that even this is allowed, to
strangle newly-born children, which is the greatest
impiety; for God breathes into their souls for life, and not
for death. But men, that there may be no crime with
which they may not pollute their hands, deprive souls as
yet innocent and simple of the light which they
themselves have not given. Can any one, indeed, expect
that they would abstain from the blood of others who do
not abstain even from their own? But these are without
any controversy wicked and unjust.

11. (continued)
What are they whom a false piety compels to expose
their children? Can they be considered innocent who
expose their own offspring as a prey to dogs, and as far
as it depends upon themselves, kill them in a more cruel
manner than if they had strangled them? Who can doubt
that he is impious who gives occasion for the pity of
others? For, although that which he has wished should
befall the child — namely, that it should be brought up
— he has certainly consigned his own offspring either to
servitude or to the brothel?

12. Theodoret (c. 393 – c. 457) in his Ecclesiastical History wrote of
the sacrifice of Telemachus:
A certain man named Telemachus who had embraced a
monastical life came from the East to Rome at a time when these
cruel spectacles were being exhibited After gazing upon the
combat from the amphitheatre he descended into the arena and
tried to separate the gladiators The sanguinary spectators
possessed by the demon who delights in the effusion of blood
were irritated at the interruption of their cruel sports and stoned
him who had occasioned the cessation On being apprised of this
circumstance the admirable emperor numbered him with the
victorious martyrs and abolished these iniquitous spectacles.

13. Saint Telemachus gave
his life protesting
gladiatorial games.

14. Here are quotes from two fierce enemies of
Christianity who nevertheless acknowledged the
good deeds of Christians.

15. Against the Christians by Porphyry (c. 234 – c. 305)
At any rate, no longer ago than yesterday, reading
these words to women of noble birth, "Sell what
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven," they persuaded them to
distribute to poor men all the substance and
possession which they had, and, themselves
entering into a state of want...

16. Letter from Emperor Julian the Apostate (reigned 361 –
363) to Arsacius, pagan High-priest of Galatia:
why do we not observe that it is their [Christian]
benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the
dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have
done most to increase atheism [Christianity]?
For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg,
and the impious Galilaeans support not only their own
poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack
aid from us.

17. The Christian patristic roots of religious liberty
Freedom of conscience and the right to choose
one’s own religion – two human rights extolled by
the modern, secular EU – grew out of the Christian
conception of human dignity.