Now,whoever is willing to be instructed let him know that this is the commandment of God,and that it must not be treated as a jest.For although you despise us,defraud,steal,and rob,we will indeed manage to endure your haughtiness,suffer,and,according to the Lord's Prayer,forgive and show pity;for we know that the godly shall nevertheless have enough,and you injure yourself more than another.
But beware of this:When the poor man comes to you (of whom there are so many now)who must buy with the penny of his daily wages and live upon it,and you are harsh to him,as though every one lived by your favor,and you skin and scrape to the bone,and,besides,with pride and haughtiness turn him off to whom you ought to give for nothing,he will go away wretched and sorrowful,and since he can complain to no one he will cry and call to heaven,--then beware (I say again)as of the devil himself.For such groaning and calling will be no jest,but will have a weight that will prove too heavy for you and all the world.For it will reach Him who takes care of the poor sorrowful hearts,and will not allow them to go unavenged.But if you despise this and become defiant,see whom you have brought upon you:if you succeed and prosper,you may before all the world call God and me a liar.
We have exhorted,warned,and protested enough;he who will not heed or believe it may go on until he learns this by experience Yet it must be impressed upon the young that they may be careful not to follow the old lawless crowd,but keep their eyes fixed upon God's commandment,lest His wrath and punishment come upon them too.It behooves us to do no more than to instruct and reprove with God's Word;but to check such open wantonness there is need of the princes and government,who themselves would have eyes and the courage to establish and maintain order in all manner of trade and commerce,lest the poor be burdened and oppressed nor they themselves be loaded with other men's sins.
Let this suffice as an explanation of what stealing is,that it be not taken too narrowly but made to extend as far as we have to do with our neighbors.And briefly,in a summary,as in the former commandments,it is herewith forbidden,in the first place,to do our neighbor any injury or wrong (in whatever manner supposable,by curtailing,forestalling,and withholding his possessions and property),or even to consent or allow such a thing,but to interpose and prevent it.And,on the other hand,it is commanded that we advance and improve his possessions,and in case he suffers want,that we help,communicate,and lend both to friends and foes.
Whoever now seeks and desires good works will find here more than enough such as are heartily acceptable and pleasing to God,and in addition are favored and crowned with excellent blessings,that we are to be richly compensated for all that we do for our neighbor's good and from friendship;as King Solomon also teaches Prov.19,17:He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord;and that which he hath given will He pay him again.Here,then you have a rich Lord,who is certainly sufficient for you,and who will not suffer you to come short in anything or to want;thus you can with a joyful conscience enjoy a hundred times more than you could scrape together with unfaithfulness and wrong.Now,whoever does not desire the blessing will find wrath and misfortune enough.
The Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Over and above our own body,spouse,and temporal possessions,we have yet another treasure,namely,honor and good report [the illustrious testimony of an upright and unsullied name and reputation],with which we cannot dispense.For it is intolerable to live among men in open shame and general contempt.Therefore God wishes the reputation,good name,and upright character of our neighbor to be taken away or diminished as little as his money and possessions,that every one may stand in his integrity before wife,children,servants,and neighbors.
And in the first place,we take the plainest meaning of this commandment according to the words (Thou shalt not bear false witness),as pertaining to the public courts of justice,where a poor innocent man is accused and oppressed by false witnesses in order to be punished in his body,property,or honor.
Now,this appears as if it were of little concern to us at present;but with the Jews it was quite a common and ordinary matter.For the people were organized under an excellent and regular government;and where there is still such a government,instances of this sin will not be wanting.The cause of it is that where judges,burgomasters,princes,or others in authority sit in judgment,things never fail to go according to the course of the world;namely,men do not like to offend anybody,flatter,and speak to gain favor,money,prospects,or friendship;and in consequence a poor man and his cause must be oppressed,denounced as wrong,and suffer punishment.And it is a common calamity in the world that in courts of justice there seldom preside godly men.
For to be a judge requires above all things a godly man,and not only a godly,but also a wise,modest,yea,a brave and bold man;likewise,to be a witness requires a fearless and especially a godly man.For a person who is to judge all matters rightly and carry them through with his decision will often offend good friends,relatives,neighbors,and the rich and powerful,who can greatly serve or injure him.Therefore he must be quite blind,have his eyes and ears closed,neither see nor hear,but go straight forward in everything that comes before him,and decide accordingly.
