_A great part of what is expended in Alms, is not only thrown away, but
does mischief._
LXXII. The following sentence of King David’s is a remarkable one;
_Blessed is he who exercises his attention and his understanding, for the
relief of the poor and the needy._ Beatus qui intelligit super egenum,
et pauperem.—He does not say, blessed is he who to succour the poor,
exercises his love, his compassion, or his charity, but blessed is he
who exercises his attention or understanding on this object. There is
doubtless the appearance of a mystery in this, but the mystery is, that
alms, unless distributed with understanding, discretion, and judgment, do
no good.
LXXIII. A hand that is precipitate in giving, such a one for example, as
Claudian represents that of Probus to have been,
_Præceps illa manus fluvios superabat Ibèros_
_Aurea dona vomens_—
who relieved many poor, but at the same time supported many people in
idleness; and such conduct not only supports, but it creates or breeds
up many such, for wherever alms are distributed copiously and without
discretion, there will be found many people, who without this assistance
would betake themselves to work to procure themselves a livelihood, who
at present live idly, and omit their own industry, which they are enabled
to do, at the expence, and by the profusion of others. The evils that
result to a state from such imprudent dispensations, are sufficiently
serious; it loses by this means, the work of a great many useful hands,
and the numbers of the indolent, vicious, and profligate, are greatly
increased by it.
LXXIV. It is said of a man who distributes great quantities of alms,
that he gives with both hands; but he should remember, that according to
the directions of our Lord and Saviour, he should only give with one; he
says, when you dispense alms, don’t let your left hand know what your
right hand does: _te autem faciente eleemosynam, nesciat sinistra tua
quid faciat dextra tua_. This implies, that it is with the right hand
only that alms should be given. If I am told that I dwell too much on
the literal meaning of the word, I answer it was never my intention to
do so; for I am inclined to think, there is a profound implied sentiment
couched under this description. It is the constant stile of holy writ, to
use the expression right hand, to symbolize or define good works, and the
expression left hand to signify the contrary; and hence it is, that in
many parts of it, when it speaks of the hand of God, it never mentions it
in an emphatical manner, without the addition of the adverb right, which
is used to convey an idea, that the operations of God are just and holy.
Christ then requires, that alms should be given with the right hand, by
which expression, we may suppose he meant to signify, that there are good
and bad alms, and that he approves the first, and condemns the others;
and also to prohibit our giving with both hands, for that this would be
proceeding without choice or distinction, and would also confound the
good with the bad.
LXXV. I know some divines are of opinion, that we should bellow our
charity, and that it is not incumbent on us to examine scrupulously
into the necessities of those we bestow it on; but this is no argument
why a state should not take proper precautions, to prevent those from
receiving the benefit of charitable christian donations, who ought to
get their living by their labour, and to exclude all such from being
partakers of this benevolence, who surrender themselves up to indolence,
and a voluntary and vicious state of poverty.