And the iudge himselfe is a thefe before God, when he for brybes or any corrupcion doth wittingly and wyllingly giue wrong iudgement. For he taketh from the partie that hath the good cause, hys iust title and interest, and gyueth it to thother partie that hath no right to it at all. And this is also no small theft, when men craftely defraud the trew heyres of theyr inheritance, or forge false testamentes, and wyll not brynge to lyght the trewe wyll, but hyd and suppresse it.

Furthermore marchant men, brokers, chapmen, marchauntes factors, are theues, when they require vnreasonable gaynes, in sellyng of their marchaundise, or when they vtter corrupte and naughty ware for good, when thei deceiue their neighboure with false weyght and measure, when with forged letters and fayned newes thei perswade other to be hasty to sell that kynde of ware good chepe, whiche they knowe wyl be dere shortely after, or elles by suche lyke crafte, entice men to bye of them great plentie of that kynde of marchaundise, of the whiche they knowe that the price wil shortely after decay. Or when with their lyes and periuryes they cause a man to gyue more monie for any stuffe, then he wolde haue donne yf that he had knowen that they had lyed. Also when the riche marchaunt men and vserers, haue the heds of the poore handy craftes men so bounde vnder their girddels, that the poore men of necessitie are compelled to bryng their ware to theim, and when the handy craftes men do come to them and offre their stuffe than they fayne that thei haue no nede of suche wares at that tyme, and by suche meanes compell theim to sel their wares better chepe then they be able to aforde theim, not regardyng what great losse their poore neyghbor doth suffer therby. Also when by forstallyng, regratyng, agrements in haules to rayse the price of thinges, ingrossyng of marchaundise, when one man or one com

panie getteth all in their awne handes, that no man may haue gayne but they onely, when by these or suche lyke deceites they compell the poore to bye at their own price, such wares as they must nedes occupie, then they be arrant thefes before God. For by suche fraude they begyle their poore neighbors, and poolle theim of their monie agaynst their willes. The handycraftes men and dayly laborers also are theues, when they do not applye their wourke diligently and faythfully, but sel counterfeyted and slyghtly wrought wares for substantial 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 their lande to ferme to thentent that they shoulde plowe and tyll it, that therby the commen welth maye haue plentye of corne, and dearth may be auoided: than if they be negligent or slouthful in plowyng the grounde, or sel their corne, cattal, or other vitayle, at vnreasonable prices, to enriche themselues therby they be veray theues before the face of God. For kynges lordes and gentle men do not gyue to their fermors the proprietie or inheritaunce of their landes, but onely for certein rentes and seruices do let their grounde out by lease, for this entent and purpose, 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, that ther by the commen people may be fedde and nourished. Now therfore yf he do not diligently plow and sow the ground as he is appoynted, or elles yf he set so excessiue a price vpon his corne that the multitude (whom his deutye is to feade) is not able to bye it, then he is gyltie of thefte before God. For yf fermers and husband men wer so owners of their fermes and landes, that they might chose whether they

would plowe them or no, then they shoulde nether be able to pay their rent due vnto their landlordes, and the commen people shoulde perchaunce dye for hunger.

Likewyse this commaundement is to be vnderstand of householde seruauntes, whether they be men or women prentises, iourney men, or hyred labourers. For all these receaue wages for this intente, that they shoulde laboure and wourke for their maysters profyt, and helpe their maysters in true gettyng, and faythful kepyng of their goodes, to the maintenance of their householde. But when suche seruantes be vntrusty, negligent or slouthful in doyng their dutie, when they wastfully spende or consume their masters goodes, when they require greater wages then they be worthye to haue, when thei start or runne from their maysters, or tarye not so long as they were bounde by their couenant, then they breake this commaundement. Thou shalt not steale, for asmuche as they withdrawe from their maysters that profyt, which of dewtie they owe vnto them, and do asmuche as lyeth in them to empouerishe and vndo their maysters. And to be shorte, they that paye not to their seruauntes or wourkemen their wages in dew tyme, accordyng to their couenante. They which wil not at the day appointed restore that monie which thei haue borowed. They which can, and wil not, pay their dettes, for their awne lucre. They that do not render thinges which 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 al they that do hawke and honte for other mens goodes against the wil of the owners, or do hurte them in any part of the same, or elles if they seke not their neighbours profyt, as they ought to do. Al these (I say) are theues before God, although the worlde doth not so iudge them, nor punyshe them for the same. Hereby you may perceaue good children, how great mi

sery reigneth in this wretched world, and that men swimme (as it wer) in a floode of synne. For the world is full of priuie theues, and ther is almost no state or kynde of lyfe, from the highest to the lowest, of the whiche there be not manye that haue broken this commaundement. And yet we count it a vyllanie, to be called a thefe, and not without good cause. For thefes be punished with most shameful death, hangyng on the galowes or gybbyt. And although they escape hangyng in this worlde, yet many tymes God punysheth them, so that they lyue wretchedly all their lyfe tyme. For commenly euel gotten goods is ill spent, and the thyrde heyre doth scasely enioy theim.

And when it chaunseth that suche vntrusty and slouthfull seruauntes, as I haue heretofore spoken of, shal kepe house of theyr owne, then God scourgeth theym wyth the same rodde, wyth the whyche they whipped other. For he sendeth theym vnfaythful and negligent seruauntes, whiche runneth awaye from theym, and serueth them as they were wonte to serue other. Wherfore good children, kepe well this commaundement. Absteyne frome all kyndes of thefte, steale no thing from no man, hurte no bodye, gyue and rendre to euery man that whiche is due vnto hym, accordynge to his degre, state and call. yng. And when you be put in trust with other mennes gooddes, handle them faythfully. 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. Therfore 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 ignorance. 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

commaundement forbyddeth you to hurte youre neyghbour, eyther in acte, worde or thoughte, it commaundeth you neyther pryuely nor openly, 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 with flatterie, fayre wordes, craftye communication we defraude circumuent or begyle our neyghbour, neyther by threatnyng we cause him to depart from any portion of his goodes, 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, compasse, and imagine howe we maye deceaue our neyghbour, and by hoke or by croke to get that thing whiche we couet to haue. But contrary wise this commaundementè 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 possible) we maye healpe and comforte oure neyghboure, hertely to loue and fauour all men, and to enuye no man. Also thys precepte wylleth 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. Giue to Luc. xi. 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 Mat. xxvii. the lest of myne (sayth Christ) that you do to me.

Wherfore good children, when you shall be demaunded, howe vnderstande you the seuenth commaundement ? 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 no