Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler commoditie and profyte of childre[n] and yong people. Set forth by the mooste reuerende father in God Thomas Archbyshop of Canterbury, primate of all England and Metropolitane

The seuenth sermon

¶An exposition of the seuenth commaundemente.

Thou shalt not steale.

[illustration]

* 1.1

YE haue hearde in the exposition of the syxte cōmaun∣demente howe we shuld behaue our selfes toward our owne wifes and oure neyghbours wifes also, by the which commaū∣demente, as God hathe fortifyed wedlocke that no man shal besyge or assaut it, so by the vertue and strength of this seuenth commaū∣dement. Thou shalt not steale, he

defendeth oure neyghbours goo∣des and riches, wherby he lyueth himselfe, his wife, children and fa∣milie. For this precepte teacheth vs, howe we should ordre our sel∣ues towardes oure neyghbours goodes, and cattell, that by fraud or stealth we conuey nothinge frō him, that by violence or extorcion we take nothynge from hym, but study to defende and encrease hys riches, with as good a wyll, as we would do oure owne.

And here note good children, that this worde, thefte, doeth not onely signifie open robberies, ex∣torcions and manyfest poollyng but also all maner of craftes, and subtile wayes by the whyche we conuey our neyghbours goodes from him, contrarye to his know∣ledge or wyll althoughe the gyle haue neuer so fayre a coloure of

vertue and honesty. And to then∣tente you maye the better vnder∣stande this thinge, I shall declare it vnto you by certen examples. And fyrste I wyll begynne wyth Magistrates or commen officers. God hathe commaunded vs to paye to prynces and gouernours of the commen wealth, rentes, ser∣uices, tributes, customes, toll, sub∣sidies, pensions and other yerelye reuenewes, wherby they maye be the more able to susteine and beare the charges of the commen admy∣nistration, and also to punyshe theim that be yll, and to defende those that be good. But when the magistrates do ouercharge theyr subiectes, and exacte more of them then is nedefull to the maynte∣naunce of the commen charges, and so empouerishe and oppresse them, whome they ought from all

iniury and wronge to saue and defende, then thys sore exaction is a notable and haynouse kynde of thefte, in the sight of God. Lykewise it is whā they do wring monye out of theyr subiectes han∣des vniustly and agaynste theyr wylles. And tributes or subsidyes yf they take none but suche onely as of ryght are due vnto them, yet yf they bestowe not the same as they ought to do, but wastfullye spende that monye whiche was gathered for the maintenaunce of the commē charges, and consume it in riot and vnlawful pleasures than they committe thefte before God. Also God shall iudge them theues, when for couetuousnesse they leaue suche thinges vndone, whiche be necessarie to be done for the commen profite. As when thei appoynt not good and mete men

to be rulers vnder them, byshop∣pes, persons, curates, and schole∣maysters, because they grudge to gyue theym an honest and suffici∣ent lyuyng, but wyll take out of the commen sort to minister suche hygh offices, those that will serue for lest monie. And rulers of cities be theues when they suffer the ne∣cessarie buildinges of the citie, as churches, yelde halles, the towne walles, commen brydges, com∣ductes or suche lyke to decaye or fall to ruyne. For so thorow their neglygence or couetousnesse the commen money is not employed to such vses, for the whiche it was gathered.

Also Byshoppes, pastors, prea∣chers and curates be theues, whē for mennes fauour and their owne lucre they hydde the truethe of Goddes woorde, and teache lyes

and theyr owne dreames, and sell all thinges for monie. As of late tyme here in Englande, manye of theym had great gaynes by diri∣ges, seruices to synge for sowles, trentals, pylgrimages, pardons and suche lyke deceytes. This kynde of deceyte, in vttryng false ware for good, is thefte before God. For menne therby be de∣ceyued, whiche woulde gyue no monye at all for suche marchan∣dise, yf they were taught and war∣ned of theyr abuses.

Likewise Lawers, aduocates, sergeants, attorneis and procters are theues before God, when they for their owne gaynes do coun∣sell a man to wage the lawe, ma∣kynge hym to beleue that hys mater is good, when in dede they thinke it naught. Or when for mo¦nye they wil so craftely handle or

plead a matter, that thei with their shiftes and colors will purposely hyde the trueth, and make a good cause to seme bad, and a bad cause to appeare good: wherwyth they shal so deceyue the iudge that they wyll cause hym vniustely to gyue sentence on theyr syde. And the iudge himselfe is a thefe before God, when he for brybes or anye corrupcion doth wittingly & wyl∣lingly gyue wronge iudgemente.

For he taketh from the partie that hath the good cause, hys iust title and interest, and gyueth it to the other partie that hath no right to it at all. And thys is also no small theft, when men craftely de∣fraud the trew heyres of their in∣heritance, or forge false testamen∣tes, and wyll not brynge to lyghte the trewe wyll, but hyd and sup∣presse it.

Furthermore marchaunt men, brokers, chapmen, marchauntes factors, are theues, when they re∣quire vnreasonable gaynes, in sellyng of their marchaundyse, or when they vtter corrupte and naughty ware for good, when thei deceiue their neyghboure w^t false weyght and measure, when with forged letters and fayned newes they perswade other to be hasty to sell that kynde of ware good chepe, whiche they knowe wyll be dere shortely after, or elles by suche lyke crafte, entice men to bye of them great plentye of that kynde of marchaundyse, of the whiche they knowe that the pryce wil shortely after decay. Or when wyth their lyes and periuries they cause a man to gyue more monye for any stuffe, then he wold haue donne yf that he had kno∣wen

that they had lyed. Also when the riche marchaunte men and v∣serers, haue the heads of the poore handy craftes men so bounde vn∣der their girddels, that the poore men of necessitie are compelled to brynge their ware to theim, and when y^e handy craftes mē do come to them and offer their stuffe than they fayne that they haue no nede of suche wares at that tyme, and by suche meanes compell theym to sell their wares better chepe thē they be able to aforde theim, not regardyng what greate losse theyr poore neyghbore doth suffer ther∣by. Also when by forstallynge, re∣gratyng, agrementes in haules to rayse the price of thinges, ingros∣synge of marchaundise, when one man or one companye getteth all in their awne hādes, that no man maye haue gayne but they onely,

when by these or suche lyke decei∣tes they compell the poore to bye at their own price, suche wares as they must nedes occupie, thē they be arrant theues before God. For by suche fraude they begyle theyr poore neyghbors, & poolle theym of their monie agaynst theyr wyl∣les. The handycraftes men and daylye laborers also are theues, when they do not applye theyr wourke diligently and faythful∣ly, but sell counterfeyted & slyght∣ly wrought wares for substanti∣al stuffe, or require more for their labor and paynes then they haue deserued.

Lyke wyse it is of husbande men in the countrey, to whome Lordes and gentle men let theyr lande to ferme to thentente y^t they should plowe and tyl it, that ther∣by the commen welthe maye haue

plentye of corne, and dearth maye be auoided: than if they be negli∣gent or slouthful in plowyng the grounde, or sel their corne, cattal or other vitayle, at vnreasonable prices, to enriche themselues ther∣by, they be veraye theues before the face of God. For Kynges lordes and gentle mē do not giue to their fermors the proprietie or inheritaunce of their landes, but onely for certein rentes and ser∣uices do let their grounde out by lease, for this entent and pur∣pose, that the fermors should tyl the same. And the fermour or husbande man, to whome suche lease is made, is nothynge elles but a seruaunt appointed by the lorde so to occupie his grounde, y^t ther by the commen people may be fedde & nourished. Now ther∣fore yf he do not diligently plowe

and sow the ground as he is ap∣poynted, or elles yf he set so exces∣siue a price vpon hys corne that the multitude (whome his deutye is to feade) is not able to bye it, then he his gyltie of thefte before God. For yf fermers and hus¦band men were so owners of their fermes and landes, y^t they might chose whether they woulde plowe them or no, then they shoulde ne∣ther be able to pay theyr rent due vnto their landlordes, & the com∣men people shoulde perchaunce dye for hunger.

Lykewyse this commaunde∣mēt is to be vnderstand of house∣holde seruaūtes, whether they be men or women prentises, iourney men, or hyred labourers. For all these receaue wages for this in∣tente, that they shoulde laboure and wourke for their maysters

profyte, and helpe their maysters in true gettyng, and faithfull ke∣pyng of their goodes, to y^e mayn∣tenance of their householde. But when suche seruātes be vntrusty, negligent or slouthful in doynge their dutie, when they wastfullye spende or consume their masters goodes, when they require grea∣ter wages then they be worthye to haue, when they start or runne from their maisters, or tarye not so longe as they were bounde by their couenant, then they breake this commaundemente. Thou shalte not steale, for asmuche as thei withdrawe frō their maisters that profyt, whiche of dewtie they owe vnto them, and do asmuche as lyeth in them to empoueryshe and vndo their maisters. And to be shorte, they that paye not to their seruauntes or wourkemen

their wages in dew tyme, accor∣dyng to their couenante. They which wil not at the day appoin∣ted restore that monye which thei haue borowed. They which can, and wil not pay their dettes, for their awne lucre. They y^t do not render thinges whiche they haue found, as farre as they can come to knowlege of the trew owners. They that do not gyue agayne suche thinges as be committed to their custodie for a tyme. And generally all they that do hawke and hōte for other mens goodes against the wil of the owners, or do hurte them in any parte of the same, or elles yf they seke not their neighbours profyte, as thei ought to do. Al these (I saye) are theues before God, although the worlde dothe not so iudge them, nor punyshe them for the same.

Hereby you maye perceaue good children, howe great misery reig∣neth in this wretched worlde, and that men swimme (as it wer) in a floode of synne. For the worlde is full of priuie theues, and there is almoste no state or kynde of lyfe, from the highest to the lowest, of the whiche there be not manye that haue broken this commaun∣demente. And yet we counte it a villanie, to be called a thefe, and not w^t out good cause. For thefes be punyshed with most shamefull death, hangynge on the galowes or gybbyt. And althoughe they escape hangynge in this worlde, yet many tymes God punysheth them, so that they lyue wretched∣ly all their lyfe tyme. For com∣menly euell gotten goodes is yll spent, and the thyrde heyre doth scasely enioy theim.

And when it chaūseth that suche vntrusty and slouthfull seruaun∣tes, as I haue heretofore spoken of, shall kepe house of their owne, then God scourgeth theim with the same rodde, with the whyche they whipped other. For he sen∣deth theim vnfaithfull and neg∣lygente seruauntes, whiche run∣neth awaye from theim, and ser∣ueth them as they were wonte to serue other. Wherfore good chil∣dren, kepe well this commaunde∣ment. Absteine frome all kyndes of thefte, steale no thinge from no man, hurte no bodye, gyue and rendre to euery man that whiche is due vnto him, accordynge to his degre, state and callynge. And when you be put in truste with o∣ther mennes gooddes, handle them faithfully. You oughte to be muche better nowe than whan

we were vnder the Byshoppe of Rome, for asmuche as we haue nowe receyued the ghospell and haue newely professed the pure truth of Goddes worde. Ther∣fore yf we be now not better then we were before, surely God wyll more greuously punishe vs than he did before when we were in ig∣norance. For the Lorde sayeth in the ghospell. The seruaunte that knoweth his maysters wyll, and doeth it not, shalbe beaten wyth many strypes.

Now good children ye haue heard how this seuenth commaū∣dement forbyddeth you to hurte youre neyghbour, eyther in acte, worde or thoughte, it commaun∣deth you neyther pryuely nor o∣penly, to steale or take awaye an other mannes goodes agaynste his wyll, it willeth you to commit

no theft in wordes, that is to say, to beware that neyther with lyes, swering, forswering nether w^t flat¦terie, fayre wordes, craftye cōmu∣nication we defraude circumuent or begyle our neyghbour, neyther by threatnyng we cause him to de¦part from any portion of his goo¦des, or other wayes to noy him. Also it prohibiteth vs to commit theft in heart or thought, whiche we doo, when thorow the counsell of couetousnesse, we studie, com∣passe, and in agine howe we maye deceaue our neyghbour, and by hoke or by croke to get that thing whiche we couet to haue. But con¦trarywise this commaundemente chargeth vs to gyue and rendre to euery man that whiche is due vnto him, wyllyngly to serue and profyt all menne, to defende oure neighbour from al maner of hurt

losse, and damage, (asmuche as it shall lye in vs,) so to ordre oure wordes and communication that therby (asmuche as shalbe possi∣ble) we maye healpe and comforte oure neyghboure, hertely to loue and fauour all men, and to enuye no man. Also thys precepte wyl∣leth vs to be so farre absent from takynge awaye an other mannes good, that it byddeth vs to gyue parte of oure owne riches to them that lacke and desire it, according to the commaundement of Christ, whiche sayeth.* 1.2 Giue to euery man that doeth aske the. And agayne he sayeth. Gyue almes and all thynge shalbe cleane vnto you.

And in an other place, That whiche you do to one of the lest of myne (sayth Christ) that you do to me.* 1.3

Wherfore good children, when

you shall be demaunded, howe vnderstande you the seuenth com¦maundement? you shall answere. We ought to feare and loue our Lord God aboue al thinges, and for hys sake willingly to absteine from our neyghbors goodes and cattell, to take nothing from him, but to helpe him in his neede, and to defende and augment his ry∣ches and commodities.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iosua. vii.
• * 1.2

  Luce. xi.
• * 1.3

  Mat xxv••