The Young Mans Guide, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. Sheweth the necessity of restoring ill-gotten Goods.
VI. CArefully restore what thou hast stoln, or unjustly got. It is very sinful to get things wrongfully, and no less to keep what is wrongfully gotten; therefore the Law requireth restitution of stoln and ill-gotten goods; as Exod. 22. 1. Lev. 6. 2, 3. &c. Restitution is not an arbitrary thing, left to our will to do, or not to do, but an act of Justice, to the performance whereof we are bound by the express letter of the Law. Whosoever he be that hath wronged another, either by detaining what he hath borrowed, or by getting by fraud or oppression; ought to make satisfaction, by restoring either the thing it self, or the value and worth of it: yea, not only the bare value, but likewise the damage done to the person wronged by detaining his goods.
Q. What if the party be not able to make full satisfaction for the wrong he hath done?
A. If he be not in truth able to make full satisfaction, yet he must restore so far as he is able, and his Estate will reach; and God will accept the will for the deed, according to that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
2. He must humbly acknowledge the wrong he hath done. If satisfaction cannot be made by Restitution, then it must be by Humiliation.
3. He must shew himself willing to restore whatsoever he hath unjustly and fraudulently gotten; and promise satisfaction whensoever God shall inable him thereunto.
Q. What if the Party wronged be dead?
A. Then restitution ought to be made to his Executors' or Administrators, or Heirs; and if they cannot be found then to the poor, making them his Heirs; and thereby thou wilt turn thy Debt into an Alms; and in shewing thy self just, do a work of Mercy.
What thou dost herein, let it be done speedily. As thy Repentance must be speedy without delay, so must thy Restitution: For what true Repentance can there be without Restitution? Zacheus, we read, upon his Conversion made present Restitution, Luk. 19. 8. knowing his Repentance without it was but counterfeit and vain. It is not sufficient to purpose and promise Restitution, but it must be presently done. For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth: thou mayst either be taken from thy riches, or thy riches may be taken from thee, and thou thereby be altogether disinabled to restore according to thy purpose.
Though for the present thou mayst please thy self with thine ill-gotten goods, yet if ever thy Conscience be enlightened, and made sensible of the evil of sin, thou wilt find no quiet therein, till thou hast made restitution. Ill-gotten goods will be to thy Conscience, as the Canaanites were to that good Land: It is said, the Land groaned till it had spewed them out. So thy Conscience will travel with grief, till it be delivered of thine ill-gotten goods. Seneca tells us of a Philosopher at Athens, who having bought a pair of Shooes upon trust, and afterwards hearing that the Shoo-maker was dead, flattered himself, for a while, with a conceit, that the Money due for the Shooes was his own, and that he should never be called upon for the same. But his Conscience being afterwards awakened, he was so terrified with the thought of his injustice, that as one affrighted, he ran with all speed to the mans Shop, and finding the door shut, he flung the Money in at the Window, saying, Though the good man be dead, yet the Money is due from me. If an Heathen made such conscience of restoring what was anothers, and not his own; how much more shouldst thou, who art a Christian, make Conscience of restoring whatsoever thou hast stoln, or fraudulently gotten from another, and doth not properly belong unto thee?
Obj. Happily thou wilt say, I am willing to make restitution, but unwilling to have the thing known, because thereby my Credit and Reputation will be exceedingly blasted.
A. For the preservation of thy Reputation, thou mayst make choice of some honest, faithful friend, who will deliver the Money, or Goods, and conceal thy name. Be sure restitution be made one way or other, of thine ill-gotten goods.
1. Because otherwise they will prove a Moth to consume the rest of thine estate.
2. It is the only way and means whereby thou canst make recompence and satisfaction for the wrong thou hast done unto thy Neighbour.
3. Common Justice and Equity requireth restitution so far as thou art able. Cicero, and divers others amongst the Heathens, by the Light of Nature acknowledged as much. What a shame then must it needs be for Christians, who have the light of the Gospel added to the light of Nature, not to acknowledge and practise this necessary duty!
4. This is the fruit worthy of repentance which we are commanded to bring forth, Mat. 3. 8. And which will evidence the truth thereof. Hereby Zacheus testified the truth of his repentance, Luk. 19. 8. It is not thy confession unto God of the wrong done to thy Neighbour, nor thy mourning and sorrowing for the same, that will obtain the pardon of the sin, without restitution, so far as thou art able: where that is wanting, all thy sorrow and repentance will do thee little good. This was the Judgment of S. Austin confirmed by all Divines to this day, that Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur oblatum, No remission of sin, without restitution of goods, or money, so far as the party is able.
Hast thou therefore, O Young Man, in the time of thine Apprenticeship been unfaithful to thy Master, and stoln any thing from him, or any other, as thou expectest to find mercy from God, and to obtain the pardon of thy sin, resolve forth with to restore the same; otherwise it will prove not only a Moth in thine estate, but the ruine of thy Soul. If thou part not speedily with thine ill-gotten goods, thy Soul is like to go for them. And what will it profit thee to save thy goods, and lose thy Soul?