ALMS

ALMS, Eleemosynaria, something given out of Charity or Liberality, to the Poor. See CHARITY, ALMONER, &c. The Romanists also extend the Term to what is given to the Church, or other pious Uses.—Hence, what the Church holds on this footing, is called Tenure in Alms; for according to Rastrall, Alms, or Tenure in Alms, is Tenure by Divine Service. See TENURE, and SERVICE.



The Ecclesiastics were anciently subsisted wholly on Alms.See CHARITY, TITHES, etc.

The Alms of the primitive Christians were divided into three Parts; one whereof belonged to the Bishops, another to the Priests, and a third to the Deacons and Subdeacons. Sometimes they divided them into four; the last whereof went to the Poor, and the Repairing of Churches.

Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz, in the VIIIth Century, enjoins, in the 42nd Chapter of his Rule, that a Priest to whom anything was offered for saying of Mass, or for Confession; or a Clerk for singing of Psalms, or Hymns; should not receive it on any other Condition than as Alms.

M. Zillemont observes, upon the Theodosian Code, p. 259, that from the IVth Century there were Women employed to collect Alms for the Prisoners. In all probability these were the Deaconesses of the Churches. See DEACONESS.

St. Paul, in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, C. IX, explains the manner of collecting Alms in the Assemblies of the primitive Christians. This Practice they had borrowed from the Jewish Synagogue, where it still obtains.Leon de Modena describes it in the 1st Book of the Ceremonies and Customs of those of his Nation, C. XIV. The Jews call Alms, Tzedakah, i.e., Justice—The Evangelists and Apostles have also given it the same Appellation in the New Testament.

ALMS