Of our Duty with Relation to bis Goods

Of Theft,
Robbery,
Cheating,&c.

Lev. xix. 11,

33.

a Lev. xix. II, 13.

Rom. ii. 21.

ftrate now, as We are fure it shall be punish'd by God hereafter.

SECT. XXX.

1.2. WHAT is the Eighth Commandment?

A. Chou shalt not Steal. 2. 2. What do you here understand by Stealing?

A. Not only the fecret, and fraudulent taking away of what is Another's; but all kind of Unlawful Getting,or Detaining of any Thing, where by another is injured, or oppreffed, in what of Right belongs, or ought to belong, to him.

3.2. What are the principal Ways whereby this Sin may be Committed?

A. a Chiefly by thefe Three: 1. By Stealth, and Robbery; as the One implies a fecret Thievery, Eph. iv. 28, or Conveying away of Another's Goods; the Other a more violent, and forcible Taking of Them.

b Exod.

xxiii. 9.

Lev. xxv.

14.

got

2. b By all those other ways which Men have of doing the fame thing: * By Cheating in Buying and Selling: * By Borrowing, or otherPfal. xxxvii. wife Contracting of Debts, which they are not Able, or never Intend to pay; which is in truth Prov. xx. 10. Stealing. By* Extortion upon, or * Oppression of thofe who are in Need: or whom we are Otherwife able by our Power, or Authority, to Overbear, which is the fame thing with downright Robbery.

xxii. 16. xxviii. 8.

Luk. xviii.

II.

1 Cor. v. 10,

11. vi. 10.

Theff.iv.6.

Jam. v. 4.

*

*

3. By Aiding, Advifing,* Encouraging, or Otherwife Communicating with Others in any of thefe Crimes: By Receiving, * Buying, or *Concealing what we know to have been Stolen: By Helping any One to Cheat, or Over-reach Another: By Serving any Great and Violent Oppressor, in Crushing and Ruining a Poor Man.

*

4.2 Are there yet any Other Vices forbidden by this Commandment?

*

*

Tim. v.5.

Prov. vi. 1.

xxii. 26.

19, 20.

A. There are feveral Others that may fairly be Reduced to it: Such as Prodigality, in fpending a Man's Eftate, and Beggaring his, Family. Negligence in making an honeft Provifion, according to a Man's Station, and Opportunities, for his Children. *b Engaging b for Others, beyond what we are able, or it is xi. 15.. fitting for us to answer. * Taking Ufury, Deut. xxiii. or an Undue Increase, of Any, but especially of a Needy Man. To which may be added Pfal. xv. 5. the whole Mystery of Ruining Estates and Fa- Prov. xxviii. milies, by the exceffive Rates of Procuring, & Prov. x. 2 Continuing, Advancing of Money, and Intereft; xiii. 11. * By Buying Mens Goods, or Eftates, at Under- xx. 21. rates; By taking Advantage of Gain by Jer. xvii, I Mens Private Wants, or by the Publick Neceffities; * The Trade of Pawns, as it is commonly managed, and the Exactions depending thereupon; And lastly, all fuch other Trades as live upon the Vices and Extravagancies of Men; with all manner of Unlawful, and Injurious ways of Gain.

*

*

5. 2. What think you of Going to Law?

8.

A. That as it may be managed both by Mat. v. 40. the Counsellor, and the Client, it is as much 1 Cor. vi. Theft as ever the Law punish'd; and will, as 6, 7• fuch, be Required of Both by God. And therefore, tho' fuch Cafes there be in which a Chriftian may Go to Law without Violating this, or any other Command; yet is it cer tainly the laft Refort, and not to be used till all other Means have proved ineffectual, to fecure our Property, or to Recover our Right. And, for the moft part, it is in Law as in War, where One fide is certainly in the Wrong, and Generally Both are to Blame: And let those who by their Purse, their Tongue, or

Pfal. xv. 1,2.

their Art, defraud another of His Right, know affuredly, that however they may build up their Houfes by Iniquity, and escape the Punishment of Man for what they do, yet they fhall not be acquitted at the Tribunal of God for it.

6. 2. What are the Duties which this Com mandment Requires of Us?

A.

Prov.xvi. 11. ings;

15, 16.

To be fair and upright in all our DealNor willingly to wrong, or be acceffary Ezek. xxxiii, to the wronging of Any. If we fhould hapMicah vi. 8. pen to have unwillingly injured any Man, to be Eph. iv, 28. Ready, as far as We are able, to make him a 2 Theff. iii. full and ample Reftitution for it. * To be free and charitable to the Poor: * Careful to provide a Competent Subfiftence for our Families; and diligent in purfuing fome Honeft and Ufeful Calling, in Order thereunto.

11, 12.

Of our Duty

with Relation to bis Good Name, and

Reputation: of Calumny, Evil-speak

1.2.

SE C T. XXXI.

HAT is the Ninth Commandment? A. Thou halt not bear Falle ing, &c. Witness against thy Neighbour.

2.2. What do you here understand by BearProv.vi. 18, ing of Falfe Witness?

19.

Luke iii. 14.

A. The Falfe-accufing of, or Witneffing against Him in Judgment; which is commonly attended with Perjury, as well as Lying; and fo becomes an Offence at once against the Third Commandment, by our taking God's Name in Vain; and against this of Injuring our Neighbour, by Bearing Falfe Witness against Him.

3. 2. Is there any thing elle forbidden in this Commandment?

A. There is; namely, all fort of Calumny, and Evil-Speaking, against any; whether it be in, or out of Judgment. Tit. iii. z.

4.2. How

4. 2. How do you diftinguifh between Calumny, and Evil Speaking?

A. By Calumny, I mean, a Reproach falfly Raifed upon, and Reported againft, an Inno- Exod. xxik. cent Perfon. When we are the Makers, as 1. well as Spreaders, of an Untruth; at leaft, do Pfal. xxxi. know what we fay of our Neighbour to be 19, 20. falfe, or have juft Reafon to believe it to be

xxvi. 22.

fo. By Evil-peaking, I understand, the Re- Lev. xix. 16. lating of what is or has been told to Us, as Pfal. xv. 3. true; when we do it not to the Perfon con- Prov. xi, 11, cerned, for the better difcovery of the Truth; xvii, 8. Or to fome Friend of his, in Order to his being admonish'd of it; but to our Indifferent Acquaintance: And that whether it be done with a Defign to defame him; or only in the common way of Difcourfe; which makes but little difference with Refpect to our Neighbour's Reputation; how much foever it may leffen our own Guilt.

5. 2. Is there any thing more forbidden in this Commandment?

A. To this Commandment must be Reduced 1 Kings xxi. all* Subornation of Falfe-Witnesses in Judgment; 10. all* Credit, or Countenance, that is given to Mat. xxvi. Them, all* Counterfeiting of Hands, and Seals, 59. or any other Writings to his Prejudice: All

*Tale-bearing, Rafh-speaking, and * Cen Pfal. xv. 1,3, furing: All Credulity, or being ready to be- Mat.vii. 1,ž. lieve what is Evil of our Neighbour: All * En- Eph. iv. 25. couragement that is given to thofe who are apt to fpeak Evil of Other Men.

6. 2. What is required of Us by this Commandment?

a

A. To be Religioufly ftrict in speaking Truth of our Neighbour; *Not only to take care that what we fay be true, but that by our manner of delivering it, by our defcanting upon it, or otherwise Circumftantiating of it, we do G 2

not

5, 7.

not give Occafion to any to Miftake Us. b To be charitable both in what we hear, and fay of Other Men. c* To Vindicate their Reputa

C

*

Luke xxiii. tion as far as fairly we can ; and to hold our Tongues, d at leaft not to Aggravate their

41.

d Acts xxv. Faults where we cannot.

7.

Of the Sin of Coveting what is our

SECT. XXXII.

Neighbour's. 1.2.WHAT is the laft Commandment?

A. Chou halt not Covet thy Neighbour's House; Thou shalt not Cobet thy Neighbour's Wife; Nor his Servant, nor his Maid, nor his Dx, nor his Als, nor Any thing that is his.

2. 2. What is the Sin forbidden in this Commandment?

A. The Unlawful Defire of what is Another Man's.

3. 2. When is fuch a Defire Unlawful? A. When it puts Men upon any deliberate Thoughts and Contrivances to obtain that which our Neighbour cannot part with to us, as his Wife; or to get any thing which is Another's (tho' he might part with it) without the Confent, and Allowance of Him to whom it belongs.

4. 2. What if a Man's Defire be fo bounded, as not to put him upon any undue Means to Obtain what is Another Man's?

A. If it be fo bounded within the Ufe of lawful Means, that He is determined not to make ufe of any other, though he should never obtain Kings xxi. it, it is not Sinful. As if Abab had only defired Naboth's Vineyard for the Convenience of it; and as foon as he faw that Naboth would not part with it, had rested in the Refufal, and gone

no