The Westminster Divines on Property

As I've noted before, there is a strong historic Christian tradition upholding the sanctity of private property. Participants in the tradition include, Augustine, Francis Wayland, and Basil Manly to name a few. A strong Reformed Protestant tradition affirming the right of property exists as well. We see this in the work of the Westminster Divines who produced the Westminster Standards: the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Longer and Shorter Catechisms. While the Confession and the Shorter Catechism are more well known, one of the chief virtues of the Longer Catechism is its exposition of Christian ethics in its section on the Ten Commandments.

The Westminster Divines saw the Ten Commandments as a summary of God's moral law, so each commandment is read as having many implications. The questions and answers concerning the eighth commandment are as follows:

Q. 140. Which is the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

Q. 141. What are the duties required in the eighth commandment?

A. The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof; giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others; moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods; a provident care and study to get, keep, use, and dispose these things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition; a lawful calling, and diligence in it; frugality; avoiding unnecessary lawsuits, and suretiship, or other like engagements; and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.

Q. 142. What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen; fraudulent dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust; oppression, extortion, usury, bribery, vexatious lawsuits, unjust enclosures and depredation; engrossing commodities to enhance the price; unlawful callings, and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves; covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods; distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them; envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate, and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.

There is a lot here to take in. The breadth of their thought is remarkable. One challenge in applying these ethical standards is that personal ethics is intermingled with social ethics.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Westminster Divines had a high view of property. For them, Christian ethics demand "truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof. . ." It also prohibits "theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen; fraudulent dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust. . . "