2 And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.
So says Deuteronomy. But in Exodus, even if someone finds what belongs to his enemy, not just his brother, it says, “Turn and take them back to their owner’s house.”
You are commanded to pull out the ass or the ox which is lying in the mud. Do you then see a Christian like yourself, who was redeemed by the blood of Christ, lying in the sewer of drunkenness and wallowing in the mud of dissipation, and remain silent? Do you pass by and not stretch forth the hand of mercy? Do you merely shout at him or rebuke him or instill fright in him?
[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on Deuteronomy 22:1-4