The Sum of Sacred Divinity, Book 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Of the eighth Commandement.
THE three Commaundements following,Thoſe that reſpect the good things belonging to the perſon, are vprightnes and contentednes: Vprightnes is, to hold a lawfull courſe in dealing about them, and ſlandeth in right and truth. concerne one common ſubiect or matter which they all bend vntounto, that is to ſay, the outward good things of this preſent life, of what nature ſoeuer the ſame be; Lands, Poſſeſſions, Goods, Good name, Credit, or the like: wherein, becauſe the greateſt part of our life is ſpent, in tumbling and toſſing about them, it hath pleaſed the wiſdome of God to allot vntounto them three Commandements, as men for the moſt part three manner of wayes offend in them, comprehended by Iohn the Baptiſt in one Verſe, Luke 3. 14. in his anſwere to the Souldiers, Shake no man (in his eſtate, by pilling, polling, rapine, or other violence,) nor circumuent by guile, and be content with your wages.
The two former (which are the neerer in affinitie) Dauid hath twice in bPſal. 111. 7, 8.one Pſalme, in two ſeuerall Phraſes applyed vntounto God. Firſt, in the Phraſe of cforeignTruth (or Faithfulneſſe) and Iudgement: then, by dforeignTruth (or Faithfulneſſe) and Rightneſſe.
The firſt of thoſe three wayes, wherein men ſo offend,Right, which is in dealing iuſtly. is, by meere wrong, forbidden in the eighth Commandement; whether the ſame hauehave force and violence ioyned with it: in which caſe, the difference betweene this and the Commandement following, is eaſie to be diſcerned: or though it be without force and violence, yet by meere wrong and iniurie without colourable ſhewes and ſhifts, or other diſguiſings to hide it by; whereby it is alſo diſtinguiſhed from the ninth Commandement, though the difference in this point lyeth not ſo plaine.
In the eighth therefore we areThe Anabaptiſtical communitie of goods. commanded. Firſt, To deale vprightly and iuſtly in all things concerning goods, both for the meanes of comming by them, and in the vſing of them. Wherefore our Sauiour, Mat. 23. 22. noteth out this Commandement, by the name of iudgement or right, in doing that which is iuſt and equall betweene man and man, as the word dforeign(Iudgement) in the Hebrew Phraſe doth ſignifie. And Dauid doth ſo interpret it, Pſal. 111. where that which in the ſeuenth Verſe hee calleth Iudgement, in the next Verſe he calleth Rightneſſe (or Equitie, as wee commonly tranſlate it.) The contrarie whereof is meere wrong, in ſuch ſort as before was opened.
The lawfull meanes of comming by goods, is double, Firſt, Lawfull purchaſe, as eGe. 23. 14, 15 Both for the meanes of comming by them: That it bee by lawfull purchaſe,Abraham purchaſed of Ephron the Field and caue of Macpela, for the full value that it was worth, which Ephron himſelfe had ſet: And Dauid f1. Chron. 21. 22, 23, 24, 25. or Deſcent.bought of ORNAN the threſhing floore, to build an Altar to IEHOVAH for ſufficient money.
Secondly, Deſcent, when by courſe of Inheritance it is caſt vponupon vsus; whereof we hauehave a Law: gLe. 25. 45, 46Of the children of the ſtrangers that are ſoiourners among you, of them ſhall you buy and of their Families that are with you, whichthey beget in your Land. Theſe ſhall be your poſſeſſion. So ye ſhall take them as inheritance for your children after you, to poſſeſſe them by inheritance; ye ſhall vſe their labours for euer. When hNum. 27 8, 9, 10, 11.a man dyeth, and hath no ſonne, ye ſhall tranſferre his inheritance▪ to his Daughter: and if hee hauehave no Daughter, ye ſhall giuegive his poſſeſſion to his brethren: and if he hauehave no brethren, ye ſhall giuegive his poſſeſſions to his fathers brethren: and if his father hauehave no brethren, then ſhall you giuegive hi… poſſeſſion to his Kinſman, the next vntounto him of his Family, and he ſhall inherit it. The contrarie to theſe two are,
Firſt Theft: He iEpheſ. 4. 28.that ſtealeth, let him ſteale no more, but rather let him labour, &c. The ſpeciall kinds of theſe, are Sacriledge, when it is of things conſecrated to God; in which ſort kIoſh. 7. 7. &c.Achan offended. And of this the Wiſeman lPro. 20. 25.ſpeaketh: It is a ſnare for a man to deuoure that which is ſanctified▪ and after vowes to inquire. Robberie by the high-way: The companie mHoſh. 6. 8, 9.of Priests is like vntounto Troopes that waite for one by the high-way ſide. Piracie vponupon the Sea: Burglarie in the night, breaking of houſes, &c. If nExod. 22. 1.a Thiefe bee found breaking vp, and bee ſmitten that he dye, no bloud ſhall be ſhed for him. Stealing mens ſeruants or children: which ſinne the Apoſtle o1. Tim. 1. 10.wrappeth vp in the number of thoſe things that are contrarie to wholeſome Doctrine: filching, or pilfering the leaſt Pinne or Point.
Secondly, Oppreſſion: But pEſay 3. 14, 15yee hauehave eaten vp the Vineyard; the ſpoyle of the poore is in your houſes. What ayle ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore?
Thirdly, Extortion: as qLuke 3. 14.Souldiers not content with their wages, Counſellors with their Fees, &c.
This was the ſinne of Elies ſonnes▪ of whom it is ſaid, r1. Sam. 2. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17Now the ſonnes of ELI were wicked men, and knew not IEHOVAH: For the Prieſts cuſtome towards the people was this; when any man offered Sacrifice, the Prieſts Boy came while the fleſh was a ſeething, and a fleſh-hooke with three teeth in his hand, and thrust it into the Kettle, or into the Caldron, or into the Pan, or into the Pot: all that the fleſh-hooke brought vp, the Prieſt tooke vp for himſelfe. Thus they did vntounto all the Iſraelites that came thither to Shiloh; yea, before they burnt the fat, the Prieſts Boy came and ſaid to the man that offered, GiueGive me fleſh to roſte for the Prieſt: for he will not hauehave ſodden fleſh of thee, but raw. And if any man ſaid vntounto him, Let them burne the fat according to the cuſtome, then take as much as thine heart deſireth: then he would anſwere, No, but thou ſhalt giuegive it now; and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force. Therefore the ſinne of the young men was very great before IEHOVAH: for men abhorred the offering of IEHOVAH.
Fourthly, All iniurious & wrōgful dealing in matter of contract, buying and ſelling, and ſuch like: As firſt, exceſſiue prices of things, not obſeruing a proportion and equalitie in the contract, to be according to the need and profit of the buyer, as the Law doth ſpecially prouide: When ſLeuit. 25. 14, 15, 16.thou ſellest ought to thy Neighbour, or buyeſt at thy Neighbours hand, ye ſhall not oppreſſe one another: But according to the number of yeeres after the Iubile, thou ſhalt buy of thy Neighbour: alſo according to the number of yeeres, thou ſhalt increaſe the price thereof, and according to the fewneſſe of yeeres thou ſhalt abate the price of it: for according to the number of increaſes doth he ſell vntounto thee.
Secondly, Vſury condemned, Pſal. 15. 5. He that giueth not his money to vſurie. And hereof alſo there is a Law, Exod. 22. 25. If thou lend money vntounto my people; that is, to the poore with thee, thou ſhalt not bee as a Ʋſurer vntounto him; ye ſhall not oppreſſe him with Vſurie.
Thirdly, Monopolies, Ingroſſing, Fore-ſtalling, &c. tEſay 5. 8.Woe to them that ioyne houſe to houſe, and field to field, till there be no more place, that you may be made the onelyonly dwellers in the middeſt of the Land.
The lawfull vſe ſtands in two things; Frugalitie andAnd in the vſe of them to doe it frugally, Liberalitie.
Frugalitie, I call a keeping together of that which God hath giuen vsus, for the better beſtowing of it, to good and profitable vſes, that u2. Cor. 8. 14.our abundance may ſupply other mens wants, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh. Our Sauiour in his owne example doth herein goe before vsus, when he biddeth, xIohn 6. 12.Gather together the fragments, that nothing be loſt. Which Leſſon Iudas the Traytor had learned of his Maſter, though hee vſed it but ill-fauouredly, as an Hypocrite, to ſerue his owne turne: To what end, ſaith yMat. 26. 8, 9.he, is this waſte? for this oyntment might hauehave beene ſold for much, and giuen to the poore. The contrarie is,
Firſt, Vnneceſſarie and cauſleſſe ſuretiſhip. He zPro. 11. 15.ſhall certainly be cruſhed, that is ſuretie for a ſtranger: But he that hateth ſureties, is ſafe. Be aPro. 22. 26.not thou of them that clap hands, of them that are ſuretie for Debts.
Secondly, In waſtfulneſſe: when a man in dyet, apparell, furniture of his houſe, building, or ſuch like, goeth beyond his degree or calling: He bPro. 21. 17.ſhall be a poore man, that loueth i…llitie; he that loueth wine and oyntment, ſhall not be rich.
Liberalitie is a cheerful communicating of our goods,and liberally, by a cheereful communicating of them all both in giuing and lending. by giuing or lending as the caſe requireth: Communicate cRom. 12▪ 13.to the neceſſities of the Saints. If dLeuit. 25. 35.thy brother bee impoueriſhed and fallen in decay with thee, thou ſhalt releeue him. The ePſal. 37. 19.righteous man is mercifull and giueth. Lend, fLuk. 6. 34, 35.looking for nothing thereof againe: that is to ſay, though it be with loſſe of the principal: wherfore theſe works of beneficence are in the Scriptures called gPro. 11. 18. 2. Cor. 8. 9.Iuſtice: for then doth God in thy brothers neceſſitie make him in right the owner of thy goodst, and thee onelyonly the Steward and Diſtributer. So ſaih SALOMON, Hold hPro. 3. 27, 28not backe goods from the owners thereof: meaning thoſe that hauehave need of it. When it is in the power of thine hands to doe them good, ſay not vntounto thy Neighbour, Goe, and come againe tomorrow, I will giuegive thee, if thou now hauehave it. For this cauſe the iRom. 15. 27.Apoſtle telleth the Romanes, that albeit the Macedonians Almes, which they beſtowed vponupon the poore Saints at Ieruſalem, were voluntary and free, yet it was ſuch, as by the Law of brotherly louelove they did owe, and were debtors of vntounto them. And to this dutie of liberalitie we are the rather to bee incouraged, by that which our Sauiour is reported to hauehave kActs 20. 3… ▪had as a common ſaying in his mouth, It is a more bleſſed thing to giuegive, then to receiue.
One ſpeciall branch of this well imploying of ourOne branch whereof is Hoſpitalitie. goods, is Hoſpitalitie. Therefore it followeth in that place, Rom. 12. 13. Follow after Hoſpitalitie. And l1. Pet. 4. 9.Peter ſaith, Be harbarous one vntounto another without grudging. The contrary is Niggardlineſſe: He mPro. 11. 24.that ſpareth more then is meet, it onelyonly ſorteth to pouertie.