Catechism for Children, Sermons on the ten commandments · Sermon 9
The nynth sermon.
¶And exposition of the nynthe and tenth commaundement.
Thou shalte not desire thy neyghbours house / wyfe / man seruaūt / woman seruaunte / oxe / asse / nor anye thynge that is his.
Gene. xxx. and .xxxi.THe nynthe and tenth commaundementes good children, be as it were briefe commentaries and expositions of the other commaundementes, that were spoken of before. For they declare vntounto vsus, that it is not ynoughe to kepe the former commaūdementes in outwarde woorkes, and not to hurte our neighbour neyther in his bodye, wyfe, goodes, fame, name or estimation, but they declare also that we ought not to couet or desier any thinge that is our neyghbours. And they teache vsus also ye euell lustes & carnal desiers (whiche lurke in the secret corners of our hertes) are sinnes, for ye which we shoulde be for euer damned, yf God should rendre vntounto vsus after iustice, and not after his mercye. Wherfore good childrē, you shal here learne that euyll lustes and appetites, whiche come vntounto vsus euen frome oure fyrste father Adam be synnes, and that no man or woman, no not infauntes in theyr mothers wombe, do lyue withoute suche lustes and appetites. For the whiche cause all men are synners, and there is not one man innocent before God, according to ye saying of S. Paul. All men hauehave synned, & hauehave nede of the glory of god.Roma. … To the which agreeth the Prophet Dauid, saying. Al men and women hauehave erred out of the right waye,Psal. xiii. there is none that dothe good no not one. For this we feale in oure selues and proue by experience, that naturally we be full of yll desiers and lustes. For we delyte in thinges that be pleasant to the fleshe, and abhorre all thinges that be displeasant to ye same. And these appetites & desires we maye perceaue to be euen in infantes which lye in their cradel. For whē suche yong babes do not lye softly or be greued with thirst, hūger or colde, they crie vnpatientlye. Lykewise when we shewe thē any pleasant thing to their eyes, and sodenly againe take it from them we see them wepe. And these be playne and euident tokens, that infantes newly borne, be giuen to their owne willes and appetites, and are synners, for asmuche as thei transgresse this commaundement. Thou shalt not desire. And it is much necessary for you good children, to marke dilygently and to beare away this lesson, to thentent you maye therby acknowlege your awne synne. And let not the sayinges of certen vnlerned persons moue you, whiche affirme that infantes and suche as be vndre ye yeres of discretion, are pure, innocēt and cleane without sinne. For this opinion is not true, nor agreable to holye scripture. And they that say so, deceaue both thē selues and other. For infantes are baptised for this purpose, yt they by the same maye enioy remission of their synnes. And in case they neded not forgyuenes of their offences, thē they had no nede to be Christened. But ther be fewe that vnderstandeth this doctrine. For mans reason can not attayne to it, neither can it comprehēde, how infantes should be synners by the reason of lustes & desiers, called concupiscence in the whiche they be conceiued and borne, but they that leane to their naturall witte iudgeth yong babes to be innocēt and voyde of synne, because they committe no outwarde offence or actual synne. But we in this case must not iudge after our reason, but according to ye worde of God, whiche euidently declareth vntounto vsus, that concupiscence is synne. For yf we were in dede cleane, fawtles and innocente, then oure nature woulde not so vehemently seke for those thinges whiche are pleasaunt to oure appetites, but woulde be contente with yt which God shoulde sende vntounto vsus, and whatsoeuer thing did please God, that also should please vsus. Moreouer we shulde not so much desire to auoide suche thinges as be displeasant to the flesh, as we should desire to auoyde those thīges that be forbydde by gods law. Also we shoulde be more willyng to suffre all kynde of afflyctions, paynes and miseries (yf it were gods will that we should so do) then contrary to his wil, to hauke and hunte for pleasures, to seke to liue idely, to hurde vp riches, purchase landes or other commodities. But now we feale in oure selues, that euen from our tendre age and in our cradels also, we be cleane cō trary mynded. For we begynne to couet and lust for pleasant thynges, lōg before we know whether God wyll gyue them vntounto vsus, or no. Also we abhorre and be werye of displeasant thinges, longe before we know whether it be gods will that we shoulde be relyued of the same or no. Yea although we knowe gods wil neuer so wel, yet we longe and lust for the contrarie. And this is surely a great offence. For gods will ought to be fulfylled and not ours, as we desier in the Lordes prayer. And to knowe this thing, good chyldren, is a point of high wisedom, to the which eueryevery man doth not attain For thapostle Paule doeth confesse, that he had not knowen this synne, yf the lawe had not gyuen him warnyng of it. For he sayeth, I had not knowē concupiscence, yf the lawe had not sayed: Thou shalt not desire or lust. Wherfore good children, locke vp this lessō in the cofer of your memories, by the whiche you shall learne trulye to feare God. For we oughte not then only to dreade God, when by outwarde acte or worke we breke his lawes, but also as often as we feale in vsus these yll lustes & carnal desiers. And althoughe these lustes do for a time, as it wer slepe in vsus, and do not sturre or moue vsus, yet not withstandynge theyr quiet rest, we ought to knowe that they lye hyde in the priuye corners of our hartes, and that for al their slomberyng they be synnes before God. For yf God had not taken them for synnes, then he woulde not hauehave forbide them by this cō maūdement. Thou shalt not long or lust. For as sainct Paule saith. The lawe was not gyuen to the iust mā,i. Timo. i. nor doth forbid any thing but synne only. Wherefore (good childrē) forasmuche as we knowe, that cōcupiscence lust or longyng is synne, we ought to eschewe and bridle it (asmuche as we maye) by gods grace. And it is our parte chiefly to take hede, that we consent not to the request of oure yll lustes, nor fulfyl in outwarde acte the desiers of the fleshe. And that you maye the better attayne to the vnderstandyng of this commaū dement, I wyll declare vntounto you the other wordes of this commaū dement, thou shalt not desire thy neyghbours house. Where you shall note, that this worde, house, doth not onelyonly signifye the house wherin men do dwell, but it betokeneth al the hole householde, and the whole state of ye householder, and all thinges that belong vntounto him. Some tyme it is taken for a stocke or kynrede. As when we say, he & I come out of one house, meanyng thereby that we be both of one stocke or kyndrede. Wherfore this is the perfit sense of this commaundemente. When thy neighbour is a noble man borne, and hath goodly manors, greate cupbordes of plate, costlye hanginges of cloth of arris, great plenty of riches and aboundance of all thynges as apperteyne to suche a housholde, then thou shalt not desier his house, that is to say, thou shalte in no wyse wyshe yt he might lese any of these thinges, to thētent yt thou myghtes hauehave thē. Nor couetousnes or worldly desier oughte not so to rauyshe thy minde, yt thou woldest be in ye state of lyfe that he is in, but let that kynde of lyuyng please the, whervnto it hath pleased God to call the. Wherfore good childrē lerne without booke (I praye you) this short lesson, and put it daylye in execution. Couet not, nor longe not for a more noble or welthy state, then God hathe already gyuen vntounto you. But let eueryevery man be content with his proginie, office, callyng, state and degree, for so ye shall please God, and obey hys wyll.
Furthermore they breake this commaundemente, that be desyrous to put theyr neyghbour out of his house or lande, to thentente that they maye hauehave the same. Also thou offendest herein, when thou arte glad to see thy neyghbour fall in decaye, & in hys nede dost offre to lende hym monye, to the entent he maye runne so farre in thy delte, that at length he shall be compelled to offre to yt his inheritaunce to be solde, now in this case if thou bie thesame, thou dost synne, yea although thou paye as moche money as the lande is worth. For thou oughtest to louelove thy neyghboure as thyne owne selfe, and to wyshe vntounto hym as good chaunce and great prosperitie, as thou wouldest to thy self. Nowe thou wouldest not gladlye be put from thyn owne patrimonie, thou wouldest not be oppressed with dette or pouertie. Therfore thou mayest not wyshe or do to thy neyghbour, that thou wouldest not other men shoulde do to the. Therefore thou mayste not hauke or hunte for his patrymonie, thou mayst make no traynes to brynge him in to thy snare, and to cause him to sell the same, but thou oughtest rather to helpe thy neyghbour both with thy counsel and wyth thy money, to kepe still hys inherytaunce and not to defraude his heyres or posteritie of those landes, whiche hys auncesters by longe succession hauehave left to him and his heires. Now good children you hauehave hearde the true meanynge of the nynth precepte, and because it teacheth you, howe to ordre your herte, I praye you learne it by harte, that when you be demaunded, how vnderstande you the nynth commaundement, you maye answere we oughte to feare and louelove oure Lorde God aboue all thynges, and for hys sake so to chastice oure eyes and lustes, that we desyer not oure neyghboures house, nor other thynge belongynge vntounto hym, that we putte hym not frome hys possessyons or goodes but helpe him (asmuche as shall lye in vsus) to retayne▪ and kepe hys landes, goodes and all that is his.