The Third Decade of Sermons, Written by Henry Bullinger. Of the Fourth Precept of the Second Table, Which Is in Order the Eighth of the Ten Com-mandments, Thou Shalt Not Steal. Of the Owning and Possessing of Proper Goods, and of the Right and Law-ful Getting of the Same; Against Sundry Kinds; of Theft. The First Sermon
For the sustaining and nourishing of our lives and families, we men have need of earthly riches. Next therefore after the commandments touching the preservation of man’s life, and the holy keeping of wedlock’s knot, in this fourth commandment a law is given for the true getting, possessing, using and bestowing of wealth and worldly substance; to the end that we should not get them by theft or evil means, that we should not possess them unjustly, nor use or spend them unlawfully. Justice requireth to use riches well, and to give to every man that which is his: now, since the laws of God be the laws of justice, they do very necessarily by way of commandment say, “Thou shalt not steal.” These words, again, in number are few; but in sense, of ample signification. For in this precept theft itself is utterly forbidden; all shifting subtilties are flatly prohibited; deceit and guile is banished; all cozening fetches are clean cut off; covetousness, idleness, prodigality, or lavish spending, and all unjust dealing, is debarred: moreover, charge is here given for mainof justice, and that especially in contracts and bargains. Wonderful turmoils, verily, are raised up and begun among men of this world about the getting, possessing, and spending of temporal riches: it was expedient therefore, that God in
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his law, which he ordaineth for the health, commodity, and peace of us men, should appoint a state, and prescribe an order, for earthly goods: as in this law he hath most excellently done. And that ye may the better understand itI will at this present, by the help of God’s Holy Spirit, discourse upon the proper owning and upright getting of worldly riches: in which treatise the whole consideration of theft in all his kinds shall be plainly declared.:
For the proper owning and possessing of goods is not by this precept prohibited; but we are forbidden to get them unjustly, to possess them unlawfully, and to spend them wickedly: yea, by this commandment the proper owning of peculiar substance is lawfully ordained and firmly established. The Lord forbiddeth theft; therefore he ordaineth and confirmeth the proper owning of worldly riches. For what canst thou steal, if all things be common to all men? For thou hast stolen thine own, and not another man’s, if thou takest from another that which he hath. But God forbiddeth theft; and therefore, by the making of this law, he confirmeth the proper possession of peculiar goods. But because there is no small number of that furious sect of Anabaptists, which deny this propriety of several! possessions? I will by some evident testimonies of scripture declare that it is both allowed and Tatified of old. Of Abraham, who in the scripture is called the father of faith, Eliazer, his servant, saith: “God hath blessed my master marvellously, that he is become great; and hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and asses; and to his son hath he given all that he hath.” Lo then, Abraham was wealthy, and did possess by the right of propriety all those things which God had given him; and he left them all, by the title of inheritance, as peculiar and proper goods unto his son Isaac. Isaac therefore and Jacob possessed their own and proper goods. Moreover God, by the hand of Moses, brought the Israelites, his people, into the land of promise, the grounds whereof he did by lot divide unto the tribes of [ several: separate, particular.)
[3 See Articles of Religion, Art. xxxvi. and Bullinger adversus a” Lib. 1. cap. 9, p. 22, and Lib. 1v. cap. 9, p. 143, Tigur.
> camels and asses, not in original Lat. of Bullinger.
Josue his servant, appointing to every one a particular portion to possess; and did by laws provide that those inheritances should not be mingled and confounded together. In Salomon and the prophets there are very many precepts and sentences tending to this purpose.