Rome ruin'd by VVhite Hall, or, The papall crown demolisht

SECT. 3.

Obj. ALL things are yours (saith the Apostle to the Corin∣thians, 1 Cor. 3. 11. all things therefore ought to be common.

Ans. The Apostles meaning in that place is, that all things were ordained for their good, whether life or death, things pre∣sent, or things to come.

2. He speaketh not of a common possession of all things in right, but that they are common to use, they had Jus ad rem, non jus in ree; right to the thing, not in the thing.

Obj. He that gathereth much hath nothing over, and he that ga∣thereth little had no lack▪ 2 Cor. 8. 15.

Ans. The Apostle in that text thus inferreth; upon this con¦dition, out of your abundance at this time, supply their lack▪ that their abundance may be also for your lack, that there may be an equality, as it is written, he that gathereth much, &c. ver. 14. Now the Apostle in that place doth not speake of confused com∣munity, and equality in possession of things, but in the use of them, and that not at all times, but when the necessity of our brethren requireth it, and such community is yet required; and therefore his exhortation is, that like as in the gathering of Manna, one helped another, and that which any gathered over went to make up his part which had gathered lesse; so the super∣sluity, and abundance of the rich, should supply the necessities

and wants of the poore; for otherwise, if it were Gods will, that all things should be common amongst men, then would it be no sin to steale, nor could there theft be committed, seeing that no man could take any thing, wherein he had not as good an in∣terest as him he tooke it from; which is contrary both to the Law, and the Gospel. To the Law, as in Exod. 22. 1. where it saith, If any man steale an Oxe, he shall restore five Oxen; and the doctrine of the Gospel forbiddeth all kinde of theft and stealing, Ephe. 4. 28. Let him that stole, steale no more, but rather labour with his hands, &c.

Again, that it is lawfull for Christians to retaine a severall right and property, in those things which they possesse, may thus appeare; 1. In that the Scripture alloweth Contracts, as buying and selling; as Abraham bought a burying place of Ephro••, Gen. 23. David the threshing-flore of Araunah, 2 Sam. 24. but there can be no such Contract, where there are not distinct pro∣perties in things.