confirmed by human and divine laws. Hence these words of the Apostle," Neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God." [1] The long train of evils, however, which theft entails upon society, are an attestation at once of its mischievousness and enormity. It gives rise to hasty and rash judgments: it engenders hatred: originates enmities; and sometimes subjects the innocent to cruel condemnation.
What shall we say of the necessity imposed by God on all of satisfying for the injury done? " Without restitution," says St. Augustine, " the sin is not forgiven." [2] The difficulty of making such restitution, on the part of those who have been in the habit of enriching themselves with their neighbour's property, we may learn not only from experience and reflection, but also from the testimony of the prophet Habaccuc: "Wo to him that heapeth together what is not his own. How long also doth he load himself with thick clay?" [3] The possession of other men's property the prophet calls " thick clay," from which it is difficult to emerge and disengage one-self.
Such is the variety of thefts, that it is difficult to enumerate them: to theft and rapine, however, as to their sources, all others may be traced; and the exposition of these two will therefore suffice. To inspire the faithful with a detestation of them, and to deter from such enormities, are objects which will engage all the care and assiduity of the pastor. But to proceed They who buy stolen goods, or retain the property of others, whether found, seized on, or pilfered, are also guilty of theft: "If you have found, and not restored," says St. Augustine, "you have stolen." [4] If the true owner cannot, however, be discovered, whatever is found should go to the poor; [5] and if the finder refuse to yield it up for their use, he gives evident proof, that, were it in his power, he would make no scruple of stealing to any extent. Those who, in buying or selling, have recourse to fraud, and lying words, involve themselves in the same guilt: the Lord will avenge their frauds. But those who for good and sound merchandize sell bad and unsound, or who defraud by weight, measure, number, or rule, are guilty of a species of theft still more criminal and unjust: it is written, "Thou shalt not have divers weights in thy bag:" [6] " Do not any unjust thing," says Leviticus, " in judg ment, in rule, in weight or in measure. Let the balance be just, and the weights equal, the bushel just, and the sextary equal:" [7] to which passages we may add these words of Solo mon: " Divers weights are an abomination before the Lord: a deceitful balance is not good." [8]
It is, also, a downright theft, when labourers and artizans
