Part II, The Commandments: The Seventh Commandment of God

1. What does the Seventh Commandment forbid?

The Seventh Commandment forbids us to injure our neighbor in his property by robbery or theft, by cheating, usury, or in any other unjust way.

2. Who are gtiilty of robbery or theft?

Not only those who are properly called robbers and thieves, but also all those, 1. Who give them advice or assistance; 3. Who buy, sell, hide, or keep stolen goods; 3. Who do not return the things they have found or borrowed; 4. Who do not pay their debts; and 5. All those who beg without need, and thus defraud the real poor of their alms.

3. How is fraud committed?

1. By injuring, openly or secretly, our neighbor's property or business ; 3. By giving false weight or measure, or bad money, or practising any other deceit in buying or selling; 4. By refusing to pay our lawful debts when we can do so.

4. How, also, may servants and employees be guilty of fraud?

1. By disposing of their employer's property without his consent; 2. By wasting time or material; and by disregarding just agreements or contracts which they have made with their employers.

Servants may not give alms of the property of their employers without their consent.

5. In what other ways may we sin against the Seventh Commandment ?

1. By gambling and other extravagances injurious to one's family; 2. By evading our just share of public burdens, such as paying taxes; 3. By wasting or appropriating public money unjustly; 4. By usurious practices.

6. Who are guilty of usurious practices?

1. Those who exact unlawful interest for money loaned; 2. Those who purchase in large quantities articles of food and other necessaries, in order to obtain more than a just price for them; 3. In general, those who in trade take unfair advantage of their neighbor's ignorance or necessity.

7. May we also grievously sin against the Seventh Commandment by petty thefts or frauds?

Yes : 1. When we so often repeat them that the owner suffers a considerable loss, and even when we have only the intention of thus repeating them; and 2. When the loss of a thing, trifling in itself, causes our neighbor a considerable injury.

8. What must we do when we are in possession of illgotten goods or have unjustly injured our neighbor?

We must restore the ill-gotten goods, and repair, as far as we are able, the injury done ; without this we cannot obtain pardon from God.

9. Who is bound to make restitution or reparation?

1. He who is in possession of the thin,o-s stolen, or of their value, or who has really done the injury.

2. If he does not do it, the obligation devolves on those who, by counsel or action, were accessory to the sin, or who did not hinder it, although they were able to do so, and were bound by the duties of their station or office to hinder the wrong.

10. How much must be restored?

1. If one has hnowingJy and unjustly taken or de-

tained his neighbor's goods he must fully compensate him.

2. If he did it unhnowingly and unwillingly, he must, as soon as he comes to know that it is another man's property, restore all that is still left and as much more as his wealth has increased by it.

In the former case, full restitution must be made not only of the things stolen, or, if they are gone, of their value, but also of that which, in the meantime, they have produced; those expenses, however, being deducted which even the owner would not have been able to avoid. And, in general, the owner must be compensated for all the profits which he has been deprived of, and for all the losses he has suffered. In the latter case, we are bound to restore all that which, after deducting the expenses, is still remaining of the ill-gotten goods and of their produce, and, in general, as much as, by their possession and temporary use, we have become the richer.

11. To whom must restitution of the ill-gotten goods be made?

To the owner or to his heirs ; but if this be not possible, they must be given to the poor or be appropriated to religious and charitable purposes.

12. What must they do who cannot immediately make restitution?

They must sincerely have the intention of doing so as soon as they can ; and, in the meantime, they must employ all reasonable means to enable themselves to perform this duty.

13. What should we bear in mind in order to guard against stealing, or against neglecting to make restitution?

1. That death will at length wrest the ill-gotten goods from us, and perhaps sooner than we expect ; 2. That the stolen property will bring us, not happiness and blessing, but misfortune and malediction, uneasiness and a miserable end; and 3. That there is no greater foolishness than to forfeit Heaven for the perishable things of

this world, and to plunge our soul into unquenchable fire.

'He who soweth iniquity shall reap evils' (Prov. xxii. 8). ' ' What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soulf (Matt. xvi. 26).

14. What are we commanded by the Seventh Commandment?

We are commanded to give to every one his due, and to be charitable to our neighbor.

Application. Give to every one his own, and be contented with what you have. ' A little, justly gained, is better than much, gained unjustly.' Never steal anything, be it ever so little, and mind this true saying: ' Small beginnings make great endings.' Beware of daintiness, drunkenness, idleness, gambling, vain show, and finery ; for all this leads people to robbery and theft, and brings them to ruin.