J12 _[afes abolft' Theft. Anfw. This is your duty according to the fixth CorU111andment, :which~ b~ndLth you t-o prtfcrve your Neighbours life: So be: it thcf~ condi1ions be abrervcd: r. Thlt you keep not his fwordfor your benefic and advanuge, nor claim a propriety in it : . b~t give it his fri<.nds, or deliver it to the: Magillra(e. 2· That you do nothing without the Magillrate, in which you may fafcly tlay for his Authority and help: But if two be fighting, or thieves be robbing or mur<kring a man~ or anorhers life be in prcfcnt danger, you mull help them without flaying for the Magillratcs authority. 3· !hat you n:ake not this _a pretence for the ufurping .of Aurhori.r¥, or for ntiHing or dtpoGug your hwful Prmce or, Mlglilrate, or P.nent, or Mafler, or of CiXerc1lmg your own will and paffioJ}s againJL yam Supcriours; pretending that you take -away their fwords eo fave themftlvts or o1hers from their nge, when it is indeed bi.u to hinder junicc. · } • 2 r. ~ell. r4· Nl:zy I not tben mucb mort ta~ away that by which he would dcjlroy hH orvn or otblr menJ fouiJ: AI w take aw.:~y Card1 or T?ic~ from 6amc(f_~r;; or heretical or[iditioJH hook;; or Play-book,.t 11nd B..orrz.mcu, or tn p:4ll donm ldoit whzcb. tiJ~ Id(!l.lttrJ. do adore; or are wjlrumtntJ of Idolatry? An[w. There is much difference in the cafes, though the foul be more precious than the body; For, z, Here there is fuppofed to be fo much Jcifure and fpace as that you may have time eo tell the M~giflrate of it, whofc duty primarily it is: Whereas in the other cafe it is fuppofcd that fo much delay would be a mans death. Therefore your duty is to acquaint the Magifirate with the fin and danger; and not to anticipate him, and play the M41gifirate your fclf. Or in the cafe. of Cards and Dice and hurtful books, you may acquaint the perfons with the fin, and perfwadc them to call them away thcmfdves. 2· Your taking away thefe infiruments is not like to fave them: For the love of the fin, and the Will to do it, remaincth flill : and the finner will but~ hardened by his indigna– tion, againt1: your irregular courfc of charity. 3· M~n arc bound to favc mens bodiu whether they will or not; becaufe ir may be fo done : But no ma;l can fave anothcrs foul ·againft his will! And it is Gods will that their fllvation or darnn~tion fha}l bt; more the fruit of their own rriU1, than of any orhers. Therefore though it's polfMc tb devife an infia_nce, in which it is lawful to ileal apoyfonous book or idol from another ( when it is done fo fecrnly .as will encourage no difobediencc or difor~ der; nOr is like to harden thefinner, but indeed to do"'him .~o'd, &c. ) yec ordinarily all this is unlawful, for private men, that have no Government of others,_ 1 or extraordinary interefi in thqn. "1 , ' AWife or oearfrienJ! tha• jsunder no•fufpicion of ~\icnating the thing eo their -o>\n Hranger. commcdity, nor of ill delignes, m:t.y go fomcwhat furth{'r in fuch cJE•s , than ln inferiour or a ~· 2• Q<o<ll. 15· May not a MagijlraJe take thefuhjr[/J gocd1, when it i< >Jectjf'Jry f" their own pre– {ttvation l Anfw. I anfwered this quefiion once heretofore in my Political Aphori[mJ : And becaufe I repent of medling with fuch fubjects, and of writing that Book, I will leave fuch catcs hereafter for titter perfons (o rcfolve. Quefi: r6. But may I not tak,_t from another f~r a holy tt[e: AJ to ,g)vt to the Chllfch or maintain t1bt Bijhop1: If Da.vjd 1110~ the balJowed brtad in bu necrffity, may "ot haUr~wcd prrfom ta~ commQn bread muchmorel .., . . _j ;. • J An[w. If holy perfons be in prefent da,n~er ~f defth, the1r l1ves may be faved as other mens oa the terms mentioned in the firft cafe. Ocherw1fc God bathqo need of theft or violence ; nor mull you rob the Laity to cloath the Clergy: But to do fuch evil'on pretence of piety and good, .is an ag– gravation of the fin. ., CHAP. 'I
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