The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 · Chapter 8 · Commandment 10
The tenthe Commaundement.
Thou shalte not couet thy neighboures house. &c.
The end of this cōmaūdemēt is, yt bicause ye lords wil is ye our soule be wholi possessed wt ye affectiō of louelove: al lust is to be shakē out of our mind that is contrarie to charitie. The summe therefore shall bee, that noe thoughte creepe into vsus, whyche maye moue oure myndes wyth a concupiscens hurtefull and tourninge towarde an others losse: wherewyth on the other side agreeth the commaundement, that whatsoeuer we conceiue, purpose, will or study vponupon, bee ioyned wyth the benifite and commoditie of oure neighboures. But here, as it seemeth, ariseth a harde and combersome dyfficultie. For if it bee truely sayde of vsus before that vnderunder the names of fornication and thefte are conteyned the luste of fornication, and the purpose to hurte and deceyue, it maye seeme superfluously spoken, that the couetynge of other mennes goods shoulde afterwarde bee seuerally forbydden vsus. Butte the distinction betweene purpose and couetynge, wyll easylye loose vsus thys knotte. For purpose (as wee hauehave meante in speakinge of yt in the other commaundementes before) ys delyberate consent of wyll, when luste hathe subdued the mynde: butte couetynge maye bee wythoute any suche eyther aduisment or assent, when the mynde is onelyonly prycked and tyckled with vaine and peruerse obiectes. As therefore the Lorde hathe heretofore commaunded, that the rule of charitie sholde gouerne oure wylles, studyes and woorkes: so hee nowe commaundeth the cō ceptions of oure maynde to bee directed to the same rule, that there bee none of them crooked and wrythen, that maye prouoke oure mynde an other waye. As hee hathe forbydden oure mynde to bee bowed and ledde into wrathe, hatred, fornication, robberie, and lyinge: so hee dothe nowe forbidde vsus to be moued therevnto.
And not withoute cause doothe he requyre so greate vprightenesse. For whoe canne denye that it is ryghteous, that all the powers of the soule bee possessed with charitie. Butte if any of them do swarue from the marke of charitie, whoe canne denye that it is dyseased? Nowe whense commeth yt that so manye desires hurtefull to thy neighboure do enter into thy hearte, butte of thys, that neglectynge hym thou carest onelyonly for thy selfe? For yf thy mynde were altogether throughlye soked wyth charitie, no percell thereof shoulde bee open to suche imaginacions. Therefore it muste needes bee voyde of charitie, so farre as it receyueth concupiscens. Butte some manne will obiecte, that yet yt is not meete yt phantasies that are wythoute ordre tossed in mannes wytte, and at lengthe doe vanyshe awaye, shoulde bee condemned for concupiscence, whose place is in the hearte I aunswere: that here oure question is of that kynde of phantasies, whyche whyle they are present before oure myndes, do together byte and strike oure heart with desire, for asmuche as it neuer commeth in oure mynde, to wyshe for any thyng, butte that oure hearte is styrred vp and leapeth wyth… all. Therefore God commaundeth a marueylous feruentnesse of louelove, whyche he wylleth not to bee entangled wyth neuer so small snares of concupiscence. Hee requyreth a marueylouslye framed mynde, whyche che hee suffereth not so muche as wyth slyghte prouociatons to bee any thynge styrred agaynste the lawe of louelove. To thys exposition Augustine dyd fyrste open mee the waye: bycause thou shouldest not thinke yt it is without consent of some graue authoritie. And though yt Lordes purpose was to forbid vsus all wrongfull coueting: yet in rehersing that same, he hath brought forth for example those things yt most commonly doe deceyue vsus wyth a false image of delyghte: bycause hee woulde learne nothynge to concupiscence when he draweth yt from these thinges, vponupon the whyche yt moste of all rageth and triumpheth. Loe, here is the seconde Table of the lawe, wherein we are taught sufficiently what we owe to men for Gods sake, vponupon consideration wherof hangeth the whole rule of charitie. Wherefore you shall but vaynely call vponupon those duetyes that are conteined in thys Table, vnlesse your doctrine doe staye vponupon the feare and reuerence of God, as vponupon her foundation. As for them whyche seeke for twoo commaundementes in the prohibition of couetinge, the wyse reader, thoughe I saye nothing, wyll iudge that by wronge diuision, they teare in sunder that whyche was butte one. And it maketh nothinge againste vsus, that this worde, Thou shalt not couet, is the seconde time repeted, for after that he had fyrste sette the house, then hee renteth the partes thereof, beginninge at the wyfe: whereby it playnely appeareth, that (as the Hebrues doe very well) it ought to bee reade in one whole sentence, and that God in effecte commaundeth, that all that eueryevery man possesseth, shoulde remaine safe and vntouched, not onelyonly from wronge and lust to defraude them, but also from the very leaste desyre that may moue oure myndes.
But now to what ende the whole lawe tendeth, it shall not be hard to iudge: that is, to the fulfillinge of ryghteousnesse, that yt myghte frame the lyfe of manne after the example of the purenesse of God. For God hathe therein so painted oute hys owne nature, as if a manne do perfourme in deedes that whiche is there commaunded, hee shall in a manner expresse an image of God in hys lyfe. Therefore when Moses meante to bring the summe thereof into the myndes of the Israelites, hee saide:Deu. x.xij And nowe Israel, what dothe the Lorde thy God aske of thee, butte that thou feare the Lorde, and walke in hys wayes? louelove hym and serue hym in all thy hearte, and in all thy soule, and keepe his commaundementes? And hee cessed not styll to synge the same songe againe vntounto them, so ofte as he purposed to shewe the ende of the lawe. The doctrine of the lawe hathe suche respect herevnto,De. vi.v. & xj.xiv. that it ioyneth man, or as Moses in an other place termeth it, maketh manne to sticke faste to his God in holynesse of lyfe. Nowe the perfection of that holynesse consisteth in the twoo principall pointes allready rehersed, That we louelove the Lorde God withall oure hearte, all oure soule, and all oure strengthe,Mat. xxij. and oure neighboure as oure selues. And the firste in deede is, that oure soule bee in all partes fylled with the louelove of God. From that by and by of it selfe fourth floweth the louelove of oure neighboure. Whiche thinge the Apostle sheweth when he wryteth,i. Tim. i.…v. that the ende of the lawe is LoueLove out of a pure conscience, and a farthe not fained. You see howe, as it were, in the heade is set conscience and faith vnfained, that is to saye in one worde true Godlynesse, and that from thense ys charitie deceyued. Therefore hee is deceyued, whosoeuer thynketh that in the lawe are taughte onelyonly certayne rudimentes and fyrste Introductions of ryghteousnesse, wherewyth menne became to bee taughte theyr fyrste schoolynge, butte not yet dyrected to the true marke of good woorkes: whereas beyonde that sentence of Moses and thys of Paule, youe canne desyre nothynge as wantynge of the hygheste perfection. For howe farre, I praye youe, wyll hee proceede that wyll not bee contented wyth thys institution, whereby manne ys instructed to the feare of God, to spirituall worshypynge, to obeinge of the commaundementes, to folowe the vprightnesse of the waye of the Lorde: finally to purenesse of conscience, syncere faithe and louelove? Whereby is confirmed that exposition of the lawe, whiche searcheth for and findeth out in the commaundementes therof all the dueties of Godlynesse and louelove. For thei that folow onelyonly the drie and bare principles, as if it taught but the one halfe of Gods will, know not the ende thereof, as the Apostle witnesseth.
But wheras in rehersing the summe of the law, Christ & the Apostle do somtime leaue out the first Table: many are deceiued therin, while thei wold faine draw their wordes to bothe the Tables. Christ in Mathew calleth ye chiefe pointes of the lawe, Mercy, Iudgement & Faith: vnderunder the worde Faith, it is not doubtfull to mee, but that he meaneth truth or faithfulnesse towarde men. But some, that the sentence might be extended to the whole lawe, take it for religiousnesse towarde God. But thei laboure in vaine.Mat. v.xiij. For Christe speaketh of those workes wherwith man ought to proue him selfe righteous. This re…son if we note, we will also cesse to maruell why, when a yonge man asked hym what be the commaundementes by kepinge wherof we enter into life: he answered these thinges onelyonly: Thou shalte not kill. Thou shalt not committe adulterie.Mat. xix.xxviij. Thou shalte not steale. Thou shalte beare no false witnesse. Honoure thy Father and thy Mother. LoueLove thy neighboure as thy selfe. For the obeying of the firste Table consisted in manner all eyther in the affection of the hearte, or in ceremonies: the affection of the hearte appeared not, and as for the ceremonies the hypocrites did continually vse. But the workes of charitie are suche, as by them we maye declare a perfect righteousnesse. But this commeth eche where so ofte in the prophetes, that it muste nedes be familiar to a reader but meanly exercised in them. For in a manner alwaye when they echorte to repentaunce, they leaue oute the firste Table, and onelyonly call vponupon Faith, Iudgment, MercieMercy & Equitie. And thus thei do not ouerskippe ye feare of God, but thei require the earnest proofe thereof by the tokens of yt. This is wel knowen, that when thei speake of the keepinge of the law, thei do for the moste parte rest vponupon the seconde Table, bicause therein the studie of righteousnesse and vprightnesse is most openly seen. It ys needlesse to reherse the places, bicause eueryevery man will of himselfe easyly marke that whiche I saye.
But thou wilt say, is it then more auailable to the perfection of righteousnesse, to liue innocently among men, than with true godlynesse to honore God? No, but bicause a man doth not easilye kepe charitie in all pointes, vnlesse he earnestli feare God, therfore it is therby proued, that he hathe Godlinesse also. Biside that, for asmuch as the Lord well knoweth, that no benifite can come from vsus vntounto him, which thing he doth also testifie by ye Prophet:Psal. xvj. therfore he requireth not our dueties to him self, but doth exercise vsus in good workes toward our neighbour. Therfore not wtout cause ye Apostle setteth ye whole perfectiō of ye holy ones in charitie.Eph. i.v. Colos. iii.xiiij. Rom. xiij And not inconuenientlye in an other place he calleth ye same the fullfillinge of the lawe: adding that he hathe perfourmed the lawe that loueth his neighboure. Againe, That all the lawe is comprehended in one worde, LoueLove thy neighboure as thy selfe. For he teacheth no other thing but the same which Christe doth when he saith:Matt. vij.xij. Whatsoeuer ye will that men do to you, do ye the same to them. For thys is the law and the Prophetes. It is certaine, that in the lawe and the Prophetes, Faith & all that belongeth to the true worship of God, holdeth the principal place, and that LoueLove is beneth it in a lower degree: but the Lordes meaning is, yt in the lawe is only prescribed vntounto vsus an obseruation of right and equitie, wherein we be exercised to testifie our Godlye feare of him, if there be any in vsus.
Here therefore let vsus sticke faste, that then oure lyfe shalbe best framed to Gods will and the rule of his lawe, when it shall be eueryevery waye most profitable to oure brothren. Butte in the whole lawe there is not redde one syllable that apoynteth to man any r…le of suche thynges as he shall do or leaue vndone to the commoditie of his owne fleshe. And surely sith men are so borne of such disposition naturalli, that thei be to much carried all hedlong to the louelove of them selues, & how much soeuer thei fall from the truthe yet still thei keepe that selfe louelove, there needed no lawe any more to enflame that louelove,Aug. lib. 1. de doctrin. Chri. c. 23. that was naturally of it selfe, to much beyonde measure. Whereby it plainly appeareth, that not the louelove of oure selues, but the louelove of God and of oure neighboure is the keping of the commaundements, and that he liueth best and moste holyly, that (so nere as maie be) liueth and trauileth leaste for him selfe, & that no man liueth worse and more wyckedly than hee that liueth and trauileth for himselfe & only thinketh vponupon & seketh for thinges of hys owne. And the Lord, the more to expresse with howe greate ernestnes we ought to be led to the louelove of oure neighboures, apointed it to bee measured by the louelove of our selues as by a rule, bicause he had no other more vehement or stronger affection to measure it by. And the force of the manner of speaking is diligently to be weyed. For he doth not, as certaine Sophisters hauehave foolishly dreamed, geue the first degree to ye louelove of our selues, and the seconde to charitie, but rather that affection of louelove which we do all naturally drawe to our selues, he geueth away vntounto other, wherevpō the Apostle saith,i. Cor. xiij v. yt Charitie seketh not her own. And their reasō is not to be estemed worth a heare yt ye thing ruled is euer inferiore to his Rule. For God doth not make ye louelove of our selues a rule whervnto charitie toward other shold be subiect, but whereas by peruersnesse of nature, ye affectiō of louelove was wont to rest in our selues, he sheweth that now it ought to be els wher spred abroade, yt we shold with no lesse cherefulnesse, feruentnesse, and carefulnesse be ready to do good to oure neighboure than to oure selues.
Now sith Christe hath shewed in the parable of the Samaritane ye vnderunder the name of Neighboure eueryevery man is conteined be he neuer so strange vntounto vsus:Luc. x.xxxvi. ther is no cause whi we shold restraine ye cōmaūdemēt of louelove within ye bondes of our owne frendshippes & acquaintances. I deny not yt the nerer yt any man is vntounto vsus, ye more familiarli he is to be holpen with our endeuours to do him good. For so the ordie of huma…itie req…ireth, ye so many moe dueties of friendship men shold cōmunicate togither, as they are bounde togither wyth streighter bondes of ky…red, familiaritie or neighebourehoode, and that wythout any offense of God, by whose prouidence we are in a manner driuen thervnto. But I say that al mankinde without exception is to be embraced with one affection of charitie: & that in thys behalfe is no dyfference of Barbarous or Grecian, of woorthy or vnwoorthy, of friende or foe, bicause thei are to be considered in God and not in them selues: from whyche consideration when we tourne away, it is no maruell if we be entangled with many erroures. Wherefore if we wyll keepe the true trade of louinge, we muste not tourne oure eyes vntounto man, the sighte of whome woulde ofter enforce vsus to hate than to louelove, but vntounto God which commaundeth that the louelove which we offer him, be poured abroade among all menne: that this be a perpetuall foundation, that whatsoeuer the man be, yet he ought to be loued bicause God is loued.
Wherefore it was a moste pestilent either ignoraunce or malice, that the Schoolemen of these commaundementes, touching not desyringe of reuengmente, and louinge oure enemies, whiche in the olde time bothe were geuen to the Iewes and at the same tyme were commonly geuen to all Christians, hauehave made Councels whiche it is in our libertie to obey, or not obey. And the necessarie obeyinge of them, thei hauehave posted ouer to Monkes which wer though but in this one poynt forsoothe more righteous than simple Christians, that thei willingelye bound them selues to keepe ye Councels. And thei rendre a reason why thei receiue them not for lawes, for that they seeme to burdenous and heauy, specially for Christians that are vnderunder the lawe of grace. So dare thei presume to repel the eternall law of God touching the louing of oure neighvoures? Is there any suche dyfference in any leafe of the lawe? and are not therein rather in it eche where founde commaundementes that do moste seuerely require of vsus to louelove oure enemies? For what manner of sayinge is that, where wee are commaunded to feede oure enemie when he is hungry?Pro. xxv.xxi. Exod. xxiij iiij. to set into the right way his Oxen or Asses strayinge out of the waye, or to ease them when thei faint vnderunder their burden? Shall we do good to his beastes for his sake without any good will to him selfe? What? is not the worde of the Lorde euerlastinge:Deu. xxxi… ix…v. Leu. xix.xviiii. Leaue vengeance to me, and I will requite it? Whiche also is spoken more plainely at large in an other place. Seke not vengeance, neither be mindefull of the iniurie of thy Citizens. Either let them blot these thynges oute of the lawe, or let them acknoweledge yt the Lorde was a lawemaker, and not lieingly faine that he was a councell geuer.
And what I praye you meane these thynges that thei hauehave presumed to mocke withall in their vnsauorie glose?Matt. v.xliiij. LoueLove your enemies, doe good to them that hate youe, praie for them that persecute youe, blesse them that curse you, that ye may be the chyldren of youre father which is in heauen.Lib. de com punctione cordis. Who can not heare reason wyth Chrysostome, that by so necessarie a cause it plainely appeareth that they are no exhortations but commaundementes? What remayneth more when we be blotted out of the numbre of the children of God? But by their opinion, onelyonly Monkes shall be the children of the heauenly father, thei onelyonly shall be bold to call vponupon God their Father: what shall the Churche do in the meane season? it shall by like righte be sent awaie to the Gentiles and Publicans.Mat. v.xlvi. For Christe saith: If ye be freindely to your friendes, what fauoure looke you for thereby? doe not the gentiles and publicans the same? But we shall be in good case forsoth, if the title of Christians be lefte vntounto vsus, and the inheritaunce of the kingdome of heauen taken awaye from vsus.Lib. de doctri, Ch… stia. c. 30. And no lesse stronge is Augustines argument. When (sayth he) the Lorde forbiddeth to commit fornication, he no lesse forbiddeth to touche the wife of thine enemie than of thy frende. When he forbiddeth thefte, he geueth leaue to steale nothyng at all, eyther from thy frend or from thine enemie. But these two, not to steale, and not to commit fornication,…a. xiij.… Paule bryngeth within the compasse of the rule of louelove, yea and teacheth that they are cōteyned vnderunder this commaundement, Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. Therfore, eyther Paule muste hauehave ben a false expositour of the lawe, or it necessarily foloweth hereby, that our enemies ought also to be loued, euen by commaundement, lyke as our frendes. Therefore they doe truely bewraye themselues to bee the chyldren of Satan, that do so licentiously shake of the common yoke of the children of God. It is to be doubted, whether they hauehave published this doctrine with more grosse dulnesse or shamelesnesse. For there are none of the olde wryters that doe not pronounce as of a thynge certayne, that these are mere commaundemētes. And that euen in Gregories age it was not doubted of, appereth by his owne affirmation, for he without controuersie taketh them for commaundementes. And how foolishly do thei reson? They say that they are to weighty a burden for Christians. As though there coulde be deuised any thing more weighty, than to louelove God with al our heart, with al our soule, with al our strength. In cō parison of this lawe any thing maye be compted easy, whether it be to louelove our enemy, or to laye away all desire of reuēge out of our minde. In deede all thinges are hye and harde to our weakenesse, euen the leaste tittle of the lawe. It is the Lord in whome we vse strength. Let him geue what he commaundeth, and commaunde what he will. Christian menne to be vnderunder the lawe of grace, is not vnbrydledly to wander without law, but to be graffed in Christ, by whose grace they are free from the curse of the lawe, and by whose spirite they hauehave a lawe written in their heartes. This grace Paule vnproprely called a lawe, alludyng to the lawe of God, agaynst which he did set it in cō parison. But these men do in the name of the law, dispute vpō a mater of nothyng.
Of lyke sorte it is, that they called Ueniall sinne, bothe secrete vngodlynesse that is agaynste the firste table, and also the direct transgressyng of the laste commaundement. For they define it thus, that it is a desire without aduised assent, which resteth not long in the heart. But I say, that it can not come at all into the heart, but by wante of those thynges that are required in the lawe. We forbidde to hauehave strange gods. When the minde shaken with the engines of distrust, loketh aboute els where: when it is touched wyth a soden desire to remoue her blessednesse some otherwaye: whense come these motions, although they quickely vanish awaye, but of this, that there is some thyng in the soule empty, to receyue such tentations? And to the ende not to drawe out this argument to greater length, there is a commaundement geuen to louelove God with all our heart, with all oure mynde, wyth all our Soule: yf then all the powers of our soule be not be…te to the louelove of God, we hauehave allready departed from the obedience of the lawe. Bicause the enemies that doe therein arise against his kingdome, and interrupt his decrees, do proue that God hath not his throne well stablished in our conscience. As for the laste commaundement, we hauehave alredy shewed that it properly belongeth hereunto. Hath any desire of minde pricked vsus? we are alredy gilty of couetyng, and therewithall are made transgressors of the law. Bycause the Lord doth forbid vsus, not only to purpose and practise any thyng that maye be to an others losse, but also to be pricked and swell with couetyng it. But the curse of God doth alwaye hange ouer the transgression of the lawe. We can not therefore proue euen the very least desires free frō iudgement of death. In weyeng of sinnes (sayth Augustine) let vsus not brynge false balances to weye what we liste and how we list at our owne pleasure,Lib. 2. de … Donatist. cap. 6. sayeng: this is heuy, and this is light. But let vsus bryng Gods balance out of the holy Scriptures, as out of the Lordes tresorie, and let vsus therein weye what is heuy: rather let vsus not weye, but reknowledge thinges alredy weyed by the Lord. But what sayth the Scripture? Truely when Paule sayth that the rewarde of sinne is death, he sheweth that he knewe not this stinkyng distinction. Sithe we are to muche enclined to hypocrisie, this cherishement thereof ought not to hauehave ben added to fla…ter our slouthfull consciences.
I would to God, they would consider what that sayeng of Christ meaneth:Matth. v.xix. He that transgresseth one of the leaste of these commaundementes, and teacheth men so, shalbe compted none in the kingdome of heauen. Are not they of that sort, when they dare so extenuate the trāsgression of the law, as if it were not worthy of death? but they ought to hauehave considered, not only what is cōmaunded, but what he is that cōmaundeth, bicause his authoritie is diminished in eueryevery transgression, how litle so euer it be, of the lawe that he hath geuen in cōmaundement. Is it a small matter with them, that Gods maiestie be offended in any thing? Moreouer yf God hath declared his will in the law, what so euer is contrarie to the law, displeaseth him. Will they imagine the wrath of God to be so disarmed, that punishement of death shall not forthwith follow vponupon them? And he himself hath pronounced it plainely, if they would rather finde in their heartes to heare his voyce, than to trouble the clere truthe with their vnsauorie suttelties of argument.Eze. xviij.xx. Rom. vi.xxiij. The soule (sayth he) yt sinneth, the same shall die. Againe, whiche I euen nowe alleged: The reward of sinne is death. But albeit they graunt it to be a sinne, bicause they can not denie it: yet they stande stiffe in this, that it is no deadly sinne. But sithe they hauehave hetherto to much borne with their owne madnesse, let them yet at lēgth learne to waxe wiser. But if they continue in dotage, we wil bid them farewel: and let the childrē of God learne this, that al sinne is deadly, bicause it is a rebellion agaynst the will of God, whiche of necessitie prouoketh his wrath, bicause it is a breache of the law, vponupon whiche the iudgement of God is pronounced without exception: and that the sinnes of the holyones are veniall or pardonable, not of their owne nature, but bicause they obteyne pardon by the merciemercy of God.