Catechism for Children, Sermons on the ten commandments · Sermon 7
The seuenth sermon
¶An exposition of the seuenth commaundemente.
Thou shalt not steale.
Iosua. vii.YE hauehave hearde in the exposition of the syxte cōmaundemente howe we shuld behaue our selfes toward our owne wifes and oure neyghbours wifes also, by the which commaū demente, as God hathe fortifyed wedlocke that no man shal besyge or assaut it, so by the vertue and strength of this seuenth commaū dement. Thou shalt not steale, he defendeth oure neyghbours goodes and riches, wherby he lyueth himselfe, his wife, children and familie. For this precepte teacheth vsus, howe we should ordre our selues towardes oure neyghbours goodes, and cattell, that by fraud or stealth we conuey nothinge frō him, that by violence or extorcion we take nothynge from hym, but study to defende and encrease hys riches, with as good a wyll, as we would do oure owne.
And here note good children, that this worde, thefte, doeth not onelyonly signifie open robberies, extorcions and manyfest poollyng but also all maner of craftes, and subtile wayes by the whyche we conuey our neyghbours goodes from him, contrarye to his knowledge or wyll althoughe the gyle hauehave neuer so fayre a coloure of vertue and honesty. And to thentente you maye the better vnderstande this thinge, I shall declare it vntounto you by certen examples. And fyrste I wyll begynne wyth Magistrates or commen officers. God hathe commaunded vsus to paye to prynces and gouernours of the commen wealth, rentes, seruices, tributes, customes, toll, subsidies, pensions and other yerelye reuenewes, wherby they maye be the more able to susteine and beare the charges of the commen admynistration, and also to punyshe theim that be yll, and to defende those that be good. But when the magistrates do ouercharge theyr subiectes, and exacte more of them then is nedefull to the mayntenaunce of the commen charges, and so empouerishe and oppresse them, whome they ought from all iniury and wronge to saue and defende, then thys sore exaction is a notable and haynouse kynde of thefte, in the sight of God. Lykewise it is whā they do wring monye out of theyr subiectes handes vniustly and agaynste theyr wylles. And tributes or subsidyes yf they take none but suche onelyonly as of ryght are due vntounto them, yet yf they bestowe not the same as they ought to do, but wastfullye spende that monye whiche was gathered for the maintenaunce of the commē charges, and consume it in riot and vnlawful pleasures than they committe thefte before God. Also God shall iudge them theues, when for couetuousnesse they leaue suche thinges vndone, whiche be necessarie to be done for the commen profite. As when thei appoynt not good and mete men to be rulers vnderunder them, byshoppes, persons, curates, and scholemaysters, because they grudge to gyue theym an honest and sufficient lyuyng, but wyll take out of the commen sort to minister suche hygh offices, those that will serue for lest monie. And rulers of cities be theues when they suffer the necessarie buildinges of the citie, as churches, yelde halles, the towne walles, commen brydges, comductes or suche lyke to decaye or fall to ruyne. For so thorow their neglygence or couetousnesse the commen money is not employed to such vses, for the whiche it was gathered.
Also Byshoppes, pastors, preachers and curates be theues, whē for mennes fauour and their owne lucre they hydde the truethe of Goddes woorde, and teache lyes and theyr owne dreames, and sell all thinges for monie. As of late tyme here in Englande, manye of theym had great gaynes by diriges, seruices to synge for sowles, trentals, pylgrimages, pardons and suche lyke deceytes. This kynde of deceyte, in vttryng false ware for good, is thefte before God. For menne therby be deceyued, whiche woulde gyue no monye at all for suche marchandise, yf they were taught and warned of theyr abuses.
Likewise Lawers, aduocates, sergeants, attorneis and procters are theues before God, when they for their owne gaynes do counsell a man to wage the lawe, makynge hym to beleue that hys mater is good, when in dede they thinke it naught. Or when for monye they wil so craftely handle or plead a matter, that thei with their shiftes and colors will purposely hyde the trueth, and make a good cause to seme bad, and a bad cause to appeare good: wherwyth they shal so deceyue the iudge that they wyll cause hym vniustely to gyue sentence on theyr syde. And the iudge himselfe is a thefe before God, when he for brybes or anye corrupcion doth wittingly & wyllingly gyue wronge iudgemente.
For he taketh from the partie that hath the good cause, hys iust title and interest, and gyueth it to the other partie that hath no right to it at all. And thys is also no small theft, when men craftely defraud the trew heyres of their inheritance, or forge false testamentes, and wyll not brynge to lyghte the trewe wyll, but hyd and suppresse it.
Furthermore marchaunt men, brokers, chapmen, marchauntes factors, are theues, when they require vnreasonable gaynes, in sellyng of their marchaundyse, or when they vtter corrupte and naughty ware for good, when thei deceiue their neyghboure wt false weyght and measure, when with forged letters and fayned newes they perswade other to be hasty to sell that kynde of ware good chepe, whiche they knowe wyll be dere shortely after, or elles by suche lyke crafte, entice men to bye of them great plentye of that kynde of marchaundyse, of the whiche they knowe that the pryce wil shortely after decay. Or when wyth their lyes and periuries they cause a man to gyue more monye for any stuffe, then he wold hauehave donne yf that he had knowen that they had lyed. Also when the riche marchaunte men and vserers, hauehave the heads of the poore handy craftes men so bounde vnderunder their girddels, that the poore men of necessitie are compelled to brynge their ware to theim, and when ye handy craftes mē do come to them and offer their stuffe than they fayne that they hauehave no nede of suche wares at that tyme, and by suche meanes compell theym to sell their wares better chepe thē they be able to aforde theim, not regardyng what greate losse theyr poore neyghbore doth suffer therby. Also when by forstallynge, regratyng, agrementes in haules to rayse the price of thinges, ingrossynge of marchaundise, when one man or one companye getteth all in their awne hādes, that no man maye hauehave gayne but they onelyonly, when by these or suche lyke deceites they compell the poore to bye at their own price, suche wares as they must nedes occupie, thē they be arrant theues before God. For by suche fraude they begyle theyr poore neyghbors, & poolle theym of their monie agaynst theyr wylles. The handycraftes men and daylye laborers also are theues, when they do not applye theyr wourke diligently and faythfully, but sell counterfeyted & slyghtly wrought wares for substantial stuffe, or require more for their labor and paynes then they hauehave deserued.
Lyke wyse it is of husbande men in the countrey, to whome Lordes and gentle men let theyr lande to ferme to thentente yt they should plowe and tyl it, that therby the commen welthe maye hauehave plentye of corne, and dearth maye be auoided: than if they be negligent or slouthful in plowyng the grounde, or sel their corne, cattal or other vitayle, at vnreasonable prices, to enriche themselues therby, they be veraye theues before the face of God. For Kynges lordes and gentle mē do not giuegive to their fermors the proprietie or inheritaunce of their landes, but onelyonly for certein rentes and seruices do let their grounde out by lease, for this entent and purpose, that the fermors should tyl the same. And the fermour or husbande man, to whome suche lease is made, is nothynge elles but a seruaunt appointed by the lorde so to occupie his grounde, yt ther by the commen people may be fedde & nourished. Now therfore yf he do not diligently plowe and sow the ground as he is appoynted, or elles yf he set so excessiue a price vponupon hys corne that the multitude (whome his deutye is to feade) is not able to bye it, then he his gyltie of thefte before God. For yf fermers and husband men were so owners of their fermes and landes, yt they might chose whether they woulde plowe them or no, then they shoulde nether be able to pay theyr rent due vntounto their landlordes, & the commen people shoulde perchaunce dye for hunger.
Lykewyse this commaundemēt is to be vnderstand of householde seruaūtes, whether they be men or women prentises, iourney men, or hyred labourers. For all these receaue wages for this intente, that they shoulde laboure and wourke for their maysters profyte, and helpe their maysters in true gettyng, and faithfull kepyng of their goodes, to ye mayntenance of their householde. But when suche seruātes be vntrusty, negligent or slouthful in doynge their dutie, when they wastfullye spende or consume their masters goodes, when they require greater wages then they be worthye to hauehave, when they start or runne from their maisters, or tarye not so longe as they were bounde by their couenant, then they breake this commaundemente. Thou shalte not steale, for asmuche as thei withdrawe frō their maisters that profyt, whiche of dewtie they owe vntounto them, and do asmuche as lyeth in them to empoueryshe and vndo their maisters. And to be shorte, they that paye not to their seruauntes or wourkemen their wages in dew tyme, accordyng to their couenante. They which wil not at the day appointed restore that monye which thei hauehave borowed. They which can, and wil not pay their dettes, for their awne lucre. They yt do not render thinges whiche they hauehave found, as farre as they can come to knowlege of the trew owners. They that do not gyue agayne suche thinges as be committed to their custodie for a tyme. And generally all they that do hawke and hōte for other mens goodes against the wil of the owners, or do hurte them in any parte of the same, or elles yf they seke not their neighbours profyte, as thei ought to do. Al these (I saye) are theues before God, although the worlde dothe not so iudge them, nor punyshe them for the same. Hereby you maye perceaue good children, howe great misery reigneth in this wretched worlde, and that men swimme (as it wer) in a floode of synne. For the worlde is full of priuie theues, and there is almoste no state or kynde of lyfe, from the highest to the lowest, of the whiche there be not manye that hauehave broken this commaundemente. And yet we counte it a villanie, to be called a thefe, and not wt out good cause. For thefes be punyshed with most shamefull death, hangynge on the galowes or gybbyt. And althoughe they escape hangynge in this worlde, yet many tymes God punysheth them, so that they lyue wretchedly all their lyfe tyme. For commenly euell gotten goodes is yll spent, and the thyrde heyre doth scasely enioy theim.
And when it chaūseth that suche vntrusty and slouthfull seruauntes, as I hauehave heretofore spoken of, shall kepe house of their owne, then God scourgeth theim with the same rodde, with the whyche they whipped other. For he sendeth theim vnfaithfull and neglygente seruauntes, whiche runneth awaye from theim, and serueth them as they were wonte to serue other. Wherfore good children, kepe well this commaundement. Absteine frome all kyndes of thefte, steale no thinge from no man, hurte no bodye, gyue and rendre to eueryevery man that whiche is due vntounto him, accordynge to his degre, state and callynge. And when you be put in truste with other mennes gooddes, handle them faithfully. You oughte to be muche better nowe than whan we were vnderunder the Byshoppe of Rome, for asmuche as we hauehave nowe receyued the ghospell and hauehave newely professed the pure truth of Goddes worde. Therfore yf we be now not better then we were before, surely God wyll more greuously punishe vsus than he did before when we were in ignorance. For the Lorde sayeth in the ghospell. The seruaunte that knoweth his maysters wyll, and doeth it not, shalbe beaten wyth many strypes.
Now good children ye hauehave heard how this seuenth commaū dement forbyddeth you to hurte youre neyghbour, eyther in acte, worde or thoughte, it commaundeth you neyther pryuely nor openly, to steale or take awaye an other mannes goodes agaynste his wyll, it willeth you to commit no theft in wordes, that is to say, to beware that neyther with lyes, swering, forswering nether wt flatterie, fayre wordes, craftye cōmunication we defraude circumuent or begyle our neyghbour, neyther by threatnyng we cause him to depart from any portion of his goodes, or other wayes to noy him. Also it prohibiteth vsus to commit theft in heart or thought, whiche we doo, when thorow the counsell of couetousnesse, we studie, compasse, and in agine howe we maye deceaue our neyghbour, and by hoke or by croke to get that thing whiche we couet to hauehave. But contrarywise this commaundemente chargeth vsus to gyue and rendre to eueryevery man that whiche is due vntounto him, wyllyngly to serue and profyt all menne, to defende oure neighbour from al maner of hurt losse, and damage, (asmuche as it shall lye in vsus,) so to ordre oure wordes and communication that therby (asmuche as shalbe possible) we maye healpe and comforte oure neyghboure, hertely to louelove and fauour all men, and to enuye no man. Also thys precepte wylleth vsus to be so farre absent from takynge awaye an other mannes good, that it byddeth vsus to gyue parte of oure owne riches to them that lacke and desire it, according to the commaundement of Christ, whiche sayeth.Luce. xi. GiueGive to eueryevery man that doeth aske the. And agayne he sayeth. Gyue almes and all thynge shalbe cleane vntounto you.
And in an other place, That whiche you do to one of the lest of myne (sayth Christ) that you do to me.Mat xxv…
Wherfore good children, when you shall be demaunded, howe vnderstande you the seuenth commaundement? you shall answere. We ought to feare and louelove our Lord God aboue al thinges, and for hys sake willingly to absteine from our neyghbors goodes and cattell, to take nothing from him, but to helpe him in his neede, and to defende and augment his ryches and commodities.