A. The eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our Neighbour's Wealth, or outward Estate. Q. 1. What is prefuppofed in this Commandment? A. It prefuppofeth that God hath given every Man a propriety in his Eltate, and that no Man's Goods are common to others, except by his Confent in Times and Cafes extraordinary, Acts ii. 44. And all that believed were together, and had all Things common. Q. 2. What is required in this Commandment? Prov. xiii. 11.' A. It requires of every Man diligence in a lawful Calling, to get and preferve an Estate for his own and others good, He that gathereth by Labour, shall increaje, But rather let him labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Eph. iv. 28. - Q. 3. What elfe is required in this Commandment? A. It requires us not only to get and keep the Things of the World in a lawful Manner, but to distribute and communicate them to those that are in Want, and not caft them into Temptations of Sin or inevitable Ruin, Ifa. lviii. 10. And if thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry, and fatisfy the afflicted Soul: then fhall tky Light rife in Obfcurity, and thy Darkness be as the Noon-Day, 1 John iii. 17. But whofo hath this World's Good, and feeth his Brother hath Need, and shuttethup his Borvels of Compaffion from him, how dwelleth the Love of God in him? Q. 4. What elfe is required in this Commandment? A. It requires in every Man a publick Spirit to procure and promote the Good and Profperity of others, 1 Cor. x. 24. Let no Man feek his own; but every Man another's Wealth Q5. What elfe is required in this Command? A. It requires Reftitution of all Goods unjustly gotten,. or taken from others, Levit. vi. 4. Then it skall be because he hath finned and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the Thing which he hath deceitfully got ten, &c. And the restoring of Pawns and Pledges, when it's. due, Ezek. xviii. 7. And hath not oppressed any, but hath refored to the Debtor his Pledge, &c. Or Things loft, if we can difcover the true Owners. Q. S. What is the first Sin forbidden in this Command ? A. It forbids all couzening and cheating of others in our Dealings and civil Commerce with them, 1 Theff. iv. 6. That no Man beyond and defraud his Brother in any Matter, &c. Prov. xxvi. 28. A lying Tongue bateth thofe that are afflicted by it, and a flattering Mouth worketh Ruin. Q7. What's the fecond Thing forbidden in this Command? A. It forbids all Exaction and Oppreffion of our Neighbour, by going beyond them, or working on their Neceffities, or detaining their Dues, Lev. xxv. 14. And if thou fell ought unto thy Neighbour, or buyeft ought of thy Neighbour's Hand, ye shall not oppress one another, Prov. xxiv. 28, 29. Be not a Witness against thy Neighbour without Caufe: and deceive not with thy Lips. Say not, I will do fo to him, as he hath done to me. I will render to the Man according to his Work. Q. 8. What is the third Thing forbidden in this Command? A. It forbids all unlawful Weights and Measures, which is no better than Theft in God's Account, Mic. vi. 10, 11, Are there yet the Treasures of Wickedness in the House of the wicked, and the seant Meafure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked Ballances, and with the Bag of deceitful Weights? Q. 9. What is the fourth Sin forbidden in this Command? A. It forbids all Family Frauds by Children, Prov. xxviii. 24. Whofo robbeth his Father, or his Mother, and faith, it is no Tranfgreffion, the fame is the Companion of a Destroyer. Or Servants, Tit. ii. 9, 10. Exhort Servants to be obedient unto their own Masters, noi purloining, but shewing all good Fidelity, .&c. Q. 10. What is the fifth Thing forbidden in this Com·mand ? A. It forbids all tempting of, or encouraging others to defraud thofe who have any Truft committed to them, Pfal. 1. 18. When thou farweft a Thief, then thou confentedft with him, Prov. xxix. 24. Wbofo is Partner with a Thief, hateth bis own Soul, &c. Q.11. What is the fixth Thing forbidden in this Conimand? A. It forbids the taking away of another's Goods by open Robbery, by Sea or Land, Job v. 5. And the Robber fawalloweth up their Subftance. Or clandeftinely and privately, 1 Pet. iv. 15. But let none of you fuffer as a Murderer or as a Thief, &c. Q12. What is the Danger of this Sin? A. It brings Mens Souls, Bodies and Estates under the Curfe of God, Zech. v. 2, 4. Then faid he unto me, This is the Curfe that goeth forth over the Face of the whole Earth: for every one that fealeth shall be cut off, as on this Side, according to it:-I will bring it forth faith the Lord of Hofts, and it fall enter into the Houfe of the Thief, &c. Q. 13. What is the first Inftruction hence? A. Let all that are guilty of this Sin repent, and restore, as they expect Mercy from God, Eph. iv. 28. Let him that ftole, fteal no more, &c. Luke xix. 8. And Zaccheus ftood, and faid unto the Lord, Behold Lord, the Half of my Goods I give to the Poor, and if I have taken away any Thing from any Man by falfe Accufation, I restore him four-fold.. Q. 14. What is the laft Inference from hence? A. To excite all to whom God hath given a Competency of the Things of the World, that they blefs God for keeping them from the Temptations of this Sin, Prov. xxx. 8, .9. Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, feed me with Food convenient for me: left I be full and deny thee, and fay, who is the Lord? or left I be poor and steal, and take the Name of my God in vain. Of the ninth Commandment. Quest. 76. W HICH is the ninth Commandment? A. The ninth Commandment is, [Thou fhalt not bear falfe Witnefs against thy Neighbour.] Quest. 77. What is required in the ninth Commandment? A. The ninth Commandment requireth, the maintaining and promoting of Truth between Man and Man, and of our own and our Neighbour's good Names, especially in Witnessbearing. Queft. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth Commandment? A. The A. The ninth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to Truth, or injurious to our own, or our Neighbour's good Name. Q. I. What is the general Scope and Aim of the ninth Commandment? A. The ninth Command aims chiefly at the Prefervation and promoting of Truth amongft Men, Zech. viii. 16. — Speak ye every Man the Truth to his Neighbour, &c. This being of indifpenfable Neceffity to the Subfiftence and Welfare of human Society, Eph. iv. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, Speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour, for we are Members one of another. Q. 2. What is the firft Thing required particularly in this Command? A. This Command requires every Man to take Care of preferving his own good Name, by ordering his Converfation in univerfal Integrity, 1 Pet. iii. 15, 18. But sanctify the Lord God in your Hearts, and be ready always to give an Anfwer to every Man that afketh you a Reafon of the Hope that is in you, with Meekness and Fear: Having a good Confcience, that whereas they speak Evil of you as of evil Doers, they may be ashamed that falfly accufe your good Converfation in Chrift. Q3. What's the fecond Thing required in this Commandment? A. It requires all due Care to preferve the good Name and Honour of other Men, as well as our own; for Christians are not to be of narrow and private Spirits, which center only in their own Interefts and Concernments, Phil. ii. Look not every Man on his own Things; but every Man also on the Things of others. 4 Q. 4. How are we to preferve the good Names of others? A. We are to preferve the good Names of others by an inward Esteem of all the good that is in them, Phil. ii. 3.In Lowlinefs of Mind let each efteem other better than themselves. And manifefting our inward Efteem of them by a wife and feasonable Expreffion thereof for their Encouragement in the ways of Godliness, Rom. i. 8. First I thank my God through Fejus Chrift for you all, that your Faith is Spoken of throughout the whole World. Q. 5. How elfe are we to defend other Mens Names ? A. By 1 A. By our readiness to receive with Joy the Reports of that Good that is in them, 3 Epift. John iii. For I rejoiced greatly when the Brethren came and teftified of the Truth that is in the, even as thou walkeft in the Truth. And difcountenancing all Reproaches maliciously vented against them, Pfal. xv. 3.-Nor taketh up a Reproach against his Neighbour. Q. 6. But what if the Report be evidently true? A. In that Cafe we are to grieve for their Mifcarriages, as the Effect and Fruit of our Love to their Souls, 2 Cor. ii. 4. For out of much Affliction and Anguish of Heart, I wrote unto you with many Tears, not that ye fhould be grieved, but that ye might know the Love which I have more abundantly unto you. And to difcharge our Duties privately and faithfully in Order to their Recovery, Mat. xviii. 15, 16, 17. Moreover, if thy Brother shall trefpafs against thee, go and tell him his Fault between thee and him alone, &c. Winking at and concealing in Love their leffer and common Infirmities, 1 Pet. iv. 8. And above all Things have fervent Charity among your felves: for charity fhall cover a Multitude of Sins. Q. 7. What is forbidden in the ninth Commandment ? Q. 8. What else is forbidden in the ninth Commandment? A. It efpecially forbids Perjury or falfe Swearing, whereby not only the Names, but Eftates and Lives of the innocent are injured and ruined, Pfal. xxxv. 11. Falfe Witnesses did rife up: they laid to my charge Things that I knew not, Prov. xix. 5. A falfe Witness fhall not be unpunished: and he that Speaketh Lies fhall not escape. A Sin which God will punish, Mal. iii. 5. And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a fwift Witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers, and against falfe Swearers, &c. Q. 9. What elle is forbidden in this Commandment? A. It forbids all Whisperings and Back-bitings of others fecretly, 2 Cor. xii. 20. Left there be Debates, Envyings, Wraths, Strifes, Back-bitings, Whisperings, &c. And all Tale-carrying from one to another to our Neighbours Injury, Levit. xix. 16.1 Thou shalt not go up and down as a Talebearer |