th that of the
Fathers.]

The second class of patristic texts which are relied on by socialists
are, as we have said, those 'where the practice of almsgiving
is recommended in the rhetorical and persuasive language of the
missioner--where the faithful are exhorted to exercise their charity
to such a degree that it may be said that the rich and poor have all
things in common.' Such passages are very frequent throughout the
writings of the Fathers, but we may give as examples two, which are
most frequently relied on by socialists. One of these is from St.
Ambrose:[1] 'Mercy is a part of justice; and if you wish to give to
the poor, this mercy is justice. "He hath dispersed, he hath given
to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever."[2] It is therefore
unjust that one should not be helped by his neighbour; when God hath
wished the possession of the earth to be common to all men, and its
fruits to minister to all; but avarice established possessory rights.
It is therefore just that if you lay claim to anything as your private
property, which is really conferred in common to the whole human race,
that you should dispense something to the poor, so that you may not
deny nourishment to those who have the right to share with you.' The
following passage from Gregory the Great[3] is another example of
this kind of passage: 'Those who rather desire what is another's, nor
bestow that is their own, are to be admonished to consider carefully
that the earth out of which they are taken is common to all men, and
therefore brings forth nourishment for all in common. Vainly, then,
do they suppose themselves innocent who claim to their own private
use the common gift of God; those who in not imparting what they have
received walk in the midst of the slaughter of their neighbours; since
they almost daily slay so many persons as there are dying poor whose
subsidies they keep close in their own possession.'

[Footnote 1: _Comm. on Ps. cxviii._, viii. 22.]

[Footnote 2: Ps. cxii. 9.]

[Footnote 3: _Lib. Reg. Past._, iii. 21.]

The third class of passages to which reference must be made is
composed of the numerous attacks which the Fathers levelled against
the abuse or wrongful acquisition of riches. These passages do not
indicate that the Fathers favoured a system of communism, but point
in precisely the contrary direction. If property were an evil thing
in itself, they would not have wasted so much time in emphasising the
evil uses