A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 197 (Questions 73-74)
SERMON CXCVII.
QUESTION LXXIII.
WHICH is the Eighth Commandment?
ANSWER.
THE Eighth Commandment is, Thou ſhalt not Steal.
WE have taken a brief View of thoſe Duties which require Love to our Neighbour, in reſpect of his Perſon, under which his Life and Chaſtity are conſidered.
IT follows that we proceed to thoſe which refer to his outward Concerns; and theſe alſo are reduced under Two Heads, the one pointing to his Eſtate, and is directed in the Eighth; the other to his Good Name, purſued in the Ninth. We are now to paſs over to the former of theſe: Concerning the Order of which, I ſhall only Remark, That altho' a Man's Good Name be of very great Concern, and highly to be valued, according to, Eccl. 7.1. A good name is better than pre…ious ointment. Yet his Livelihood is of more abſolute Neceſſity; and therefore this is put before the other.
NOW this Command is, as the former, expreſſed Negatively; yet it hath an Affirmative part properly belonging to it, the right Conſideration whereof will give light to the other: It is therefore moſt proper and Methodical that we begin with that. Hence
QUESTION LXXIV.
WHAT is required in the Eighth Commandment?
ANSWER.
THE Eighth Commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering of our own, and our Neighbour's Wealth, or outward Eſtate.
THE Word uſed in the Command for Stealing, firſtly and properly signifye, a Cloſe or private taking a thing … another, without his Privity: But it is here uſed Synecd…al… … all manner of wrong done to another in …; which may be done many ways as will be hereafter conſidered.
IN general … is reckoned to comprehend all Unlawful …arpation of another's Property.
THE ſeveral Duties enjoyned under this Command, are generally referred to the Head of Commutative Juſtice.
JUSTICE is generally diſtributed into Diſtributive and Comm…tati…. But whether this be a diſtribution of a Gen…t into Species, or of a whole into it's parts, or wherein the true difference between them conſiſts, is matter of Diſpute.
I ſhall not here Commorate, only obſerve, that Juſtice is ſometimes uſed for that Univerſal Obedience which we pay to the whole revealed Will of God, and hath reſpect to the Commands of both Tables; it being righteous that we render both to God & Man that which is due to them, by vertue of the Law of Special Government; Matth. 22.21. Render unto Ceſar, the things which are Ceſar's: and unto God, the things that are God's. Sometimes it is put diſtributively with Holineſs, Luk. 1.75. And then, as Holineſs refers to the Duties of the Firſt Table, and Righteouſneſs to thoſe which belong to the Second; ſo it is wont to be Deſcribed, A Vertue by which we are diſpoſed to diſcharge thoſe Of…ces to our Neighbour, which we owe to him, by Vertue of the Precept: And ſo it graſpeth all the Duties of Love to our Neighbour, comprized in each Precept of the Second Table: And this ſeems to be the moſt genuine Notion of Diſtributive Juſtice, and ſo it cannot ſtand diſtributively with Commutative Juſtice, as an oppoſite Species, but rather as a Genus to it, which refers properly to the Eighth Command: But I ſhall not inſiſt further here. Commutative Juſtice, if we ſpeak of it as a Vertue, is, A Principle obliging & diſpoſing of us to give every one his own, in the outward Good things of this Life: And the Object which is comprehended in it, is both our ſelves and others; for there is a Juſtice which a Man owes to himſelf in this regard, as well as to his Neighbour: And this hath not only a reſpect to the Civil Laws of Governments, which can hardly be ſo Conſtituted, but that ſometimes, Summum jus, eſt ſumma injuria: But it hath a main reſpect to the Rule of Equity; which tho' Civilians may diſtinguiſh from Juſtice, and accordingly have their ſeveral Courts for one and the other, and theſe Neceſſary, becauſe of our Imperfection; yet in Divinity and Conſcience, Juſt & Equal are Synonimical.
IN order to a more clear and diſtinct laying open of the ſeveral Duties comprized under this Precept, I ſhall in the firſt place offer ſome general Rules or Concluſions.
I. THAT God made this lower World, and the th…n…s of it, for the uſe of Man, and the Benefit of his preſent Life. It is true, His la… …al in all His Works is His own G…ory, Prov. 16.2. The Lord hath made all things for …ſelf. Rom. 11. ult. For of him, and tho' …, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. A…en. …ut there is alſo a ſub…r…ina…e End or Uſe for which God made, and to which He appointed them; and that is it which is under Conſideration.
NOW there is a double L…fe of Man conſidered in the Scriptures viz. Natural & …; and it is the former of theſe, for which theſe things were purpoſely made. On this Account Man was made the Laſt of the Viſ…ble Creation, having an Houſe Built, and every way furniſhed for his ſu…table Entertainment: And he had a Right to, and Dominion … them beſt … upon him by God the Crea… and great Landlord; and he was to be God's Tenant, and hold under Him, and for … reaſon he was to do Homage for them: We have therefore his Charter that was granted to him, recorded, Gen. 1.28. And God … them, and God ſaid unto them, be fru…ful, and …ltiply, and repleniſh the earth, and ſub…: and have dominion ever the … of the ſea, and …ver the f…wl of the air, and over every thing that moveth upon the earth. And hence that Obſervation, Pſal. 115.16. — The earth hath be given to the children of men. Only it was under a Reſtraint, which is clearly intima… in that Sovereign Exception and Prohibition, mentioned in, Gen 9. beg. Hence every thing in this lower World, was ſo diſpoſed, and fitted with ſuch a Nature and Operation, as ſhould be ſerviceable to the Comfort and Support of his Natural Life: The Coeleſtial … dies for their Light and Influence to Succe… him; and the Air for his Reſpiration; the Meteors to cauſe the Earth to Fructify for him; the Fruits of the Earth, and the Animals in the Land and in the Water to Support his Life, and render it Comfortable: Hence that in, Pſal. 8.6, 7, 8. Thou modeſt him to have dominion ever the works of thy hands; thou haſt put all things under his feet: All ſ…ee… and oxen, yea and the beaſts of the field: The ſ…el of the air, and the fiſt of the ſea, and whatſoever paſſeth through the paths of the ſe…s. Which tho' it hath a Typical Reference to Chriſt, yet in the Type, it points to the fiſt Charter given to Man in his Creation; tho' the Forfeiture made in the Apoſtacy was again recovered by Chriſt, and is reſtored this' Him to His Redeemed: And hence God hath promiſed that as a New-Covenant Privilege to His People Hoſ. 2.22.
II. THAT Man's Nature requires the Uſe of theſe things for his Supp…rt and Comfort, and hath a dependence on them, under God, ſ…r his Bodily Supply. There go in a Body and a Soul to the Conſtitution of Humane Nature; and for the preſent Support of the Union between theſe, it is requiſite that the Body be upheld in Li…e, for by the Death of that, a Separation is made: Now the next End and Uſe of theſe things is for the preſerving of this Union, and the affording to the Body the neceſſary and convenient Relief. Now God doth not uſually do this by Miracles, but by the ordinary Supplies of His Mediate Providence; not are we to meaſure our … by what God can do, but by the Cours;e wrath He hath put Nature into: And tho' theſe as … have an abſolute Dependance … God's Influence and Bleſſing to make them reach the End; for which reaſon we are told, Matth. 4.…. … ſhall … dive by bread a…ne, but by every … that pre…e…deth out of the …th of God. And accordingly we have that Threatning. Iſa. 3.1. For behold, the Lord, the Lord of … d…h take away from Jeruſalem and from J…ah, the play and the ſ…ſt, the whole ſtay of …, and the whole ſtay of water. Which ſeems rather to … at the Vertue of them, than the things themſelves: Yet theſe are things ordinately …ceſ…ary for the Continuance … our Lives, the p…ſerving or reſtoring of our Health, and making our Lives comfortable. Hence that, Job ….12. — … neceſſary Food. And God hath for this End, put ſuch a Vertue into theſe things, whereby they may anſwer this End: As, Pſal. 104.14, 15. He …aſeth the graſs to gr… for the …, & … for the ſervice of …an: th… be … being forth food … of the earth: And mine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oyl to make b… face to ſhine, and broad which ſtrength… man's heart. And they are accommodated for all the Uſes which are for the outward Man: ſome things for Food, in both Al…a… and Drink, others for Raiment and Ornament, others for Tr…ſ…e… and mutual Commerce, others to … them, others to ſerve for U…nſils to ſupply their many Occaſions, others for M…i…: And there are none of theſe, but in their Creation, were ſome way or other ſerviceable for the Benefit of the outward Man: Tho' ſince the Fall, many of them are became Next as to Man, by the Curſe which Sin hath brought upon the lower part of the Creation; yet in their Primitive Creation they were all Benefi…, Gen. 1 ult.
III. THAT God hath not given theſe things … Men to be …e…d in Common; but …ath app…ted that every Man ſhould have his Share at them, wherein he holds a proper Right in them, … they are his own and not another's. I am not here Diſcourſing what Men may do in a way of Partnerſhip, by mutual Conſent, tho that doth not in a true ſenſe Contradict our Aſſertion; nor yet what may and ought to be … up in a common Stock for the publick Uſe of a Community, who are in that regard one Body Politick. But the meaning is, that God hath Ordained that Men ſhould have a Property in ſuch a Portion of theſe things, which no other particular Perſon can lawfully Diſp…ſe of at his Pleaſure, without the tree Conſent of the Proprietor, ſo long as it abides his; but he hath a Dominion over it, as his own proper State: Hence that in Deut. 32.8 When the moſt High divided to the nations their inherit once, when …e ſeparated the ſons of Ad…m, he ſet the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Iſrael. And we have that of Da…id in 1 Chron. 21.3. And were it not for this Appointment of God, there could be no ſuch thing as … in the … of this Command, and ſo it had been … as.
AS to the Enquiry, i… b…th…r th… …, … ment were from the … or was … as … the Apoſtacy? … there being ſome … this as one difference between the … Man in Integrity, and new ſince the … and thereupon ſome have pretended to be …, on preſumption that it is proper to a State of Perfection … I ſhall only Reply, That …, if Man had kept his Uprightneſs, there would have been no Wrong and … pract…ed by care upon another: Nevertheleſs, this doth not infer that they would have held all in … nor doth it make this Command to be brought in upon the Neceſſity occaſioned by the Son of Man, any more than the other Comma… of the Second Table, for there is the ſame reaſon for them all upon this account. If therefore this was a Moral Precept, and ſo perpetual, and founded in the Law of Nature, it muſt needs be from the Beginning; and by a juſt and neceſſary Conſequence there muſt be a diſtinguiſhing between Mean & Ta…, becauſe on this, the very Reaſon of the Command is grounded.
AS to the Plea which ſome make, from the Opinion of the Wiſeſt of Heathen, who pleaded for a Comm…n…y of Eſtates, as … did in his … in Comm… …ea…th; it is a poor Pretence to oppoſe to the expreſs Command of God: And we know that he urged it, to have Wives alſo in common, which is certainly Contradictory to right Reaſon, and the Reſentment of all Sober Men. Beſides, other of the Gentile Philoſophers oppugned him in it, and gave ſolid Arguments to Conſute him. And as to the matter in hand, tho' their Arguments have a reſpect to the State of Fallen Man, (for they were not acquainted with his …rimitive State,) yet they ſhew the Inc…ſiſ… of it with the Peaceable and Well-ordered Society of Mankind, one with another.
AS to the Plea bro…t from the Practice of the Primitive Church in the Apoſtle's Times, mentioned, Acts 2.44, 45. All that … …ved were t…gether, & had all things common; And ſo… their … and goods, and parted … to all men, as every man had need. And the Precept given by our Saviour to the Young Man, in Matth. 1… 21. I… … wilt be p…ſe… … go and ſed at that … ha…, and give to the poor, and thou … treaſure in beaver: and come and … me. It is replyed, that this Precept was … and Probationary; and we know that … Diciples of Chriſt upon His Call … their C… l…gs, and their all, to follow Him, as …, But this was Extra…n…ry, and was not C… m…n, n…r was it Per… to the… for we … what He ſaid to them, I like 22.37, … ſai…unt them, When … you without purſe, and ſ…rip and …, …ed ye …, thing A…d they …ata, N…ing. … B…t now … that hath a …, and likewiſe his … his garment, and …. And … to the …er, it is evident, …. That … only at Jeru…m, and …, and th…t in a Time of great Diſtreſs on the Church; and then, that it was but Voluntary, and according to what they determined in their own Purpoſe, according to Acts 3.4. But this no way Contradicts the Right which the Law of God did from the beginning confer on Men to be Proprietors in that Eſtate which they came by in an Honeſt way.
AND whereas ſome of the Ancients pretended for a Community of Goods, they only intended, that no Man ought to count any thing ſo his own; but that he ought when need required, to beſtow it liberally, as a Debt which he owed to God.
IV. THAT Ungodly Men have a true Civil Right to the ſhare of Good things, which God beſtows upon them in this Life. We muſt diſtinguiſh between a Civil and Spiritual Right, which Men may have claim to, in the outward Benefits of Time. We before obſerved, that God at the firſt put Man in Poſſeſſion of theſe things as His Tenant, and indented with him upon Terms; and this abode Firm ſo long as he ſtood to theſe Terms; but when once he brake them, he made a Forſeiture into God's Hands; for when he forfeited his Life, every thing elſe went with it, and God might have immediately Proſecuted him, and at once turned him out of all. And though this Right is recovered again by Chriſt, in the Purchaſe which He made and conferred upon His Redeemed in the New Covenant, upon their Believing on Him, (Rom. 8.16, 17. 1 Cor. 3.22, 23.) yet ſo long as any abide under the Firſt Covenant, the Curſe abides upon them; and whatſoever they enjoy Providentially or by Divine Permiſſion, yet they ly open to a Writ of Ejectment, whenſoever God ſhall ſerve it on them; and they do but Leiude themſelves, when they allot on a long Poſſeſſion: Hence that, Luke 12.19, 20. I will ſay to my ſ…ul, Soul, thou haſt much goods laid up for many years; take thine eaſe, eat, drink and home…ry. But God ſaid unto him, Thou fool, this night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee: then whoſe … theſe things he which thou haſt provided? And we are told, Prov. 3.33. The curſe of the Lord is in the …uſe of the wicked. Nevertheleſs, God hath ſeen meet to magnify His C…emency and Mercy towards Men, in this Lay of His Forbearance, in which He beſtows his common Favours upon them, as well Wicked as Godly Matth. 5.45. For he make thi…s ſun to riſe on the evil and on the good, and ſende… rain on the juſt and on the unjuſt. Acts 14.16, 17. And as His Bounty beſtows theſe things upon them, and favours their lawful Endeavours for them, ſo He hath confirmed a Right upon them, by His Word: And ſo long as they keep within the bounds of Civil Righteouſneſs, their Claim, ad Hominem, is as good as that of the Godly: And tho' God may, yet Men may not, lawfully make a Siezure of their Eſtates, on the ſcore of their being Pa…ans, Idolaters, or Strangers to the Goſpel Covenant. God indeed gave a ſpecial Order to Iſrael to diſpoſſeſs the Seven Nations of …atan, and take Poſſed … for themſelves, and He is Lord Propr…tor; but … they had done it of their own …, becauſe they were Heathen Nations, they had been unjuſti…able: We therefore had that God ſo … them from med…ing with …, though they were likewiſe Idolaters; and gives that Reaſon, becauſe He had given its them, i. e. by His over-ruling Providence, Deut. 2.5, 19. And this diſcovers the Error and Vanity … thoſe, who pretend that D…minion is …anded in Grace; and that on this account, all Ungodly Men are liable to be ſi…zed by the Godly and put out of their …; from the abuſing of ſuch Paſſages in the Word of God, as ſpeak of the Saints inheriting the Earth, as, Pſal. 37.29, Dan. 7.32. Matth. 5.5. and the like. Hereupon they think, that every Godly Man may Uſurp the Poſſeſſion of his Ungodly Neighbour, and that Chriſtians may make War upon Infidels, and Diſinherit them becauſe they are ſo; but this wholly centradi…s the Tenour of the Scriptures, and tends to ſubvert all Civil Order in the World.
5. HENCE God hath given Rules in His Word, to determine what is a … little to, and in … Way Man may get a Right in this … that Portion of theſe things. It is certain, that though God hath given to Mankind in general the Dominion over theſe things, yet then is neceſſarily a Partition to be made, and every one is to have his own Share, and not all to hold in Common. But now the Queſtion is, By what Law or Right Men are to account this or that to be their own? Or, If … Rule is preſcribed by God for the determining of each ones Property? Some refer it ſo jus Naturale, others to Jet Gentium, or the common Law and Reaſons which all Civilized Nations agree in; others to the Civil Laws of the Places where Men Live: To this I ſhall only ſay, that there are neceſſarily Civil Laws in the Governments which God hath ſet up in the World, for the determining of Men's Rights, elſe there would be endleſs Quarrels among Men. And for this end, that Men may know what is their own, there muſt be eſtabliſhed Laws by which all Diſputes on this account are to be determined. Nevertheleſs, there is a Rule of Equity, according to which theſe things are to be Regulated, and by which all ſuch Laws ought to be Calculated: And this Equity doth not depend upon Men's Pleaſure, but is founded in the Law of Nature and right Reaſon. And whatſoever a Man obtain by a pretence of Civil Law, yet it cannot ſuffice his Conſcience, unleſs he can reduce his Right to the Law of God. And tho' there is no particular Direction in the Law of Nature, or the Word of God, about this or that way of dividing to every Man his ſhare, but it is left to Prudence; yet all is to be reduced to the general Rules given by God, and either written upon Men's Conſciences, or in His holy Word: And the reaſon of this is manifeſt, becauſe there is a Rule of Juſtice which is the Standard, and is unalterable, and muſt need … from God, … is the Supream Law-giver. And this neceſſarily Infers that there muſt be ſame way, in which a Man comes to have an orderly Right to what he calls his own, and by which he poſſeſieth it: And ſo, if he comes to have it in any other way he becomes guilty of the Breach of this Command: For, for God to prohibit ſuch a Sin, and not ſet the Bounds to Duty, ſo as that he may know when he keeps within, and when he Tranſgreſſeth them, agreeth not to the Wiſdom of the great Law giver. What theſe particular Rules are, will be conſidered afterwards, when we come to lay open the Parts of this Duty. Here only obſerve, That as Mankind hath a Right in all Originally, ſo by this he can only challenge his ſhare in particular; becauſe his Neighbour hath a Right too. But this doth not Infer, that every one is to have … Equal Proportion, for there are many grounds in right Reaſon, and in the Word of God, way a Difference is to be made; and there are many ways in which a Man may alienate his Right, and it may righteouſly paſs over from him to another; and he may ſometimes in way of Violence or Injuſtice be deprived, and the Providence of God afford him no preſent Advantage to Recover it, as Experience makes it to appear: But ſtill it remains a Truth, That whether by Force or Fraud, and perverting of Judgment, a Man be put out of Poſſeſſion; yet his Title in the Court of Conſcience abides, and to Laws or Cuſtoms of Men can alter it. Now Men may come to have a Title to the things of this World, either by a juſt Diviſion of Inheritances, according to the beſt Rules of Prudence practiſed by Men, adjuſted by a due Proportioning, by Agreement, or by an indifferent …, which is Caſt without Fraud by them; or by a Right of Inheritance, derived from Anceſtors; or by a Gift of Conveyance from one that is in lawful Poſſeſſion, and had a Power to Diſpoſe of it; or by Exchange, or a lawful Purchaſe made, giving in Exchange for it that which is Valuable betwen Man and Man; or by taking Poſſeſſion of a Vacuum Domicilium, which was no Man's Poſſeſſion before, or was Deſerted; or by his lawful Induſtry, and God's …e…ing of his Labours added to it, whereby he enjoys it without any Wrong offered to another: And all theſe things may come afterwards to be Conſidered. Only here obſerve, that God hath given Rules of Righteouſneſs in all theſe regards, which Honeſty requires us to obſerve.
VI. HENCE the Affirmative part of this Command, or the Duties required in it, are, their cloſing with, and practiſing of, theſe Rules of righteouſneſs. That there are ſuch Rules, hath already been obſerved; and the principal of them may be afterwards conſidered in the ſeveral Parts of this Righteouſneſs, which appertains to this Precept: For tho' it is not to be denied, that Men may gain an Eſtate in this World in a way of Unrighteouſneſs, and by Unjuſt Practices; yet, this is not becauſe God approves of it, that He ſuffers it to be ſo, under … … that it … Judgment, and many times ſ…ffers th…ſe by it, … themſelves for Ruin, Pſal. 32.7. When the wicked ſpring a… the graſs, and when all th… workers of iniquity d…ſt ariſe: it is that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever. And for this reaſon, it is no Rule for Men to judge of the Love and Hi…ed of God, by their Succeſs or Diſappointments in regard of the things of this Life; for we are told in Eccl. 9.2. All things come alike to all, there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that ſacrificeth, and to him that ſacrificeth not: as is the good, ſo is the ſinner; and he that ſ…eareth, as he that ſeareth an …ath. But if we would have theſe things and enjoy a real Bleſſing with them, we muſt ſee that we obtain them, and uſe them in a way of Righteouſneſs: We are therefore aſſured, that tho' an Ungodly Man may have more of theſe Temporary Good things; yet, that which the Godly Man hath, though but a little in compariſon of the others, is incomparably better, and far to be preferred in a true Judgment, Pſal. 37.16. A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked. Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with righteouſneſs, than great revenues without right. And there is no little part of the Love which is required by God, to be exerciſed towards our Neighbour, in … great Care to carry it Honeſtly towards them in all our Concerns with them about theſe things; and we are told, 1 Joh. 4, 20. If a man ſay, I love God, and hateth his brother he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath ſeen, how can he love God whom he hath not ſeen. And the more ought we to obſerve it, becauſe God hath made Mankind to have a great Dependance one upon another in the way of Commerce or Exchange of one thing for another. So that the Violation of this Righteouſneſs tends to the Ruin of the Tranquillity of Humane Society. We ought therefore to Study much to be acquainted with theſe Rules, for our Regulation in this; becauſe we are every way concerned in it, and cannot pleaſe God in our Dealings, except our Demeanure be Right. And if Chriſtians would more Study the Rules of Conſ…ience, and leſs apply themſelves to find Advantages of Civil Laws, to over-reach one another, God would be more Honoured, and the Civil Happineſs more promoved.
[MARCH 6. 17…4…;]