Question 75

What doth the eighth Commandment forbid as an hinderance of our own wealth and outward estate?

The eighth Commandment forbiddeth as an hinderance of our own wealth and outward estate: 1. Prodigality and lavish spending of our substance in gluttony, drunkenness, lewd company, gaming, and the like And not many dayes after the younger Son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far Countrey, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.^a The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.^b He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man; he that loveth Wine and Oyle shall not be rich,^c He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.^d 2. Imprudence in venturing our all upon great uncertainties, rash ingaging in suretiship, or any ways in discreet management of our callings to our detriment. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.^e Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that be sureties for debts: if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?^f 3. Idleness and a slothful neglect of the Duties of our particular Callings. Drowsiness shall cloath a man with Rags.^g I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, and loe it was overgrown with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone-wall thereof was broken down. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come like one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.^h

What doth the eighth Commandment forbid in the excess in reference to our own wealth and outward estate?

The eighth Commandment forbiddeth in the excess in reference unto our own wealth and outward estate. 1. Covetousness in getting an estate with carking cares, inordinate desires to be rich; or with immoderate labour, so as to waste the Body, and to exclude time for Religious duty. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have,ⁱ I would have you without carefulness.^j Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life.^k They that will be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition: For the love of Money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the Faith, and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows.^l There is one alone and not a second, yea, he hath neither child nor brother, yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither saith he for whom do I labour, or bereave my soul of good?^m 2. Covetousness in keeping what we have gotten of the good things in the world without a heart to make use of them. There is an evil under the Sun, and it is common amongst men; a man to whom God hath given riches and wealth, so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity and an evil disease.ⁿ 3. Unlawful Contracts, such as Simony in the sale of holy things, the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, pardons of sin, and Dispensations unto it, Church-Livings, and the Charge of Souls. Thy Money perish with thee, because that thou hast thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with Money.^o Bribery in the sale of publicke Justice. And thou shalt take no Gift: for the Gift blindeth the Wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.^p Thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of Thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.^q 4 Unlawfull Arts, Fortune-telling, Figure-casting, and making use of any unwarrantable ways for the getting of Money. Thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: Let now the Astrologers, the Stargazers, the Monethly Prognosticaters stand up and save thee.^r Many also of them which used curious Arts, brought their Books together, and burnt them before all men.^s A certain man, named Demetrius, a Silver-Smith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the crafts-men.^t

What doth the eighth Commandment forbid in reference unto others which are in want?

The eighth Commandment forbiddeth in reference unto others which are in want, a withholding relief from them, and stopping the ear against their cry. Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall cry himself but shall not be heard.^u If there be a poor man of one of thy Brethren, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor Brother.^v

What doth the eighth Commandment forbid in reference unto all men?

The eighth Commandment forbiddeth in reference unto all men any kind of Injustice and Unrighteousness in any of our dealings with them; such as, 1. Defrauding others in our buying, when we discommend that which we know to be good, or take an advantage of others ignorance of the worth of their Commodities, or their necessity of selling them, so as to give a great under-rate for them. It is naught, it is naught, (saith the buyer) but when he is gone his way he boasteth.^w If thou buyest ought of thy Neighbour ye shall not oppress.^x 2. Defrauding others in selling: when we praise that which we sell, and against our Consciences say it is excellent good, though we know it to be stark naught; and when we take an unreasonable price for our Commodities; or when we cozen them in the sale of goods by false weights and measures. That no man go beyond, or defraud his Brother in any matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such.^y Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small; but thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have.^z A false ballance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.^aa Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measures that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?^bb 3. Especially the eighth Commandment doth directly forbid stealing one from another. Thou shalt not steal. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsly, neither lye one to another.^cc

What stealing doth the eighth Commandment forbid?

The eighth Commandment doth forbid all stealing, either within the family, or without the family.

What stealing within the family doth the eighth Commandment forbid?

The eighth Commandment doth forbid within the family: 1. Servants stealing and purloyning, as also any ways wasting and wronging their Masters, in their goods or states. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters; not purloyning, but shewing all good fidelity.^dd A certain rich man which had a Steward, and the same was accused to him that he had wasted his goods.^ee 2. Childrens stealing and robbing their Parents. Who so robbeth his father, or his mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer.^ff He that wasteth his father, is a son that causeth shame.^gg

What stealing without the family doth the eighth Commandment forbid?

The eighth Commandment doth forbid without the family all theft, both publick and private:

What is the publick theft which the eighth Commandment doth forbid?

The publick theft which the eighth Commandment doth forbid, is, 1. Sacriledge, which is, when any do either violently or fraudulently take away, or alienate any thing that hath been dedicated to Sacred uses, or when Sacred persons without just cause are taken off from their Employments. Thou that abhorrest Idols, dost thou commit Sacriledge?^hh It is a Snare to a man to devour that which is holy.ⁱⁱ Will a man rob God! Yet ye have robbed me: But you say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tythes and Offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation.^jj 2. Robbing publick Treasuries, or any ways wronging and defrauding the Common-wealth, by taking away its just Liberties and Priviledges, or by doing a publick detriment for private advantage sake, amongst which publick Robberies may be numbred, Inclosures, Ingrossings, Forestallings, Monopolies, and the like.

What is the private theft which the eighth Commandment doth forbid without the Family?

The private theft which the eighth Commandment doth forbid without the family is: 1. Man-stealing or woman-stealing or stealing, of Children, that they may be sent or sold for slaves. The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient: For murderers, for man-slayers, for whoremongers, for men-stealers, for lyars, for perjured persons.^kk He that stealeth a man and selleth him, shall surely be put to death.^ll 2. Robbery either by Land or Sea, either of Money, Cattel, or any goods. And the men of Shechem set liers in wait in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them.^mm Now Barrabas was a robber.ⁿⁿ The robber swalloweth up their substance.^oo

What further is inclusively forbidden in the eighth Commandment?

There is further inclusively forbidden in the eighth Commandment: 1. All partaking with Thieves in receiving stollen goods, or otherwise. Cast in thy Lot amongst us, let us all have one purse.^pp Who so is a partner with a thief, hateth his own Soul.^qq When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him.^rr 2. Detaining that which is strayed or lost. Thou shalt not see thy Brothers Oxe or Sheep go astray, and hide thy self from them; thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy Brother: In like manner shalt thou do with his raiment, and with all lost things of thy Brothers which thou hast found.^ss 3. Falshood and unfaithfulness in our promises, and in regard of any thing committed to our trust. This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a Thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.^tt 4. Rigorous requiring what is owed to us without compassion or forbearance. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which ought him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.^uu 5. Cruel keeping the pledge when it is the means of our Neighbours living. If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the Sun goeth down. For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his Skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he cryeth unto me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.^vv 6. All withholding that which is due, especially the wages and hire of Servants and Labourers, The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again,^ww The wages of him that is hired, shall not abide with thee all night, until the morning.^xx 7. Removing ancient Landmarks, or any other ways seeking to defraud others of the just title which they have to their estates. Remove not the ancient Landmark, which thy Fathers have set.^yy 8. Extortion and all Oppression, especially of the poor and afflicted, Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of them that spoileth them.^zz Hear this, O ye, that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the Land to fail; falsifying the ballances by deceit; to buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoo’s, and sell the refuse of the wheat. The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, surely I will never forget any of their works.^aaa 9. Usury, and taking increase meerly for Loan, If thou lend Money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be unto him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury,^bbb He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase.^ccc

Why should we forbear all manner of theft, and endeavours to enrich our selves by the wronging of others?

We ought to forbear all manner of theft and endeavours to enrich our selves by the wronging of others, because it is the express prohibition of God written in the word, and most agreeable to the Law of nature written upon the heart; as also because that riches got by theft and wrong are accompanied with Gods curse; and, if not here, be sure Gods vengeance will overtake such Persons as are guilty of theft and unrighteousness in the other world. This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole Earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on this side. And it shall enter into the house of the thief, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.^ddd As the Partridge sitteth on Eggs, and hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his dayes, and at his end shall be a fool.^eee Go to, now ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you: ye have heaped treasure together for the last dayes.^fff

How may we be kept from the sins forbidden in this eighth Commandment?

We may be kept from the sins forbidden in this eighth Commandment, by mortifyed affections to the world through Christ death and Spirit; by raised affections to the things above; by a love of Justice, by Prayer; by faith in Gods promises and special providence in making all needful provision without this sin for his.