Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-25
THE TEN COMM ANDMENTS.
Thou Shalt Not Steal" the Subject
OF Last Nights Discourse.
Rev. +. w. Merrell's Series Mt the
First M. Il. ChDrch-The Larg-
est Congregation Yet
Present

last evening to llsten-tO the Eighth Com.
mandment as presented by the pastor,
Rev. F, w. Merrell. After song SER
vice which was heartily participated in
by all, the speaker announced his text
from Exodus 20:15
'ThOu shalt not stealn
Pope in his Essay on Man." has said,
remarked the preacher, that sn honest
man is The modest work of God. and
Shakespeare makes Hamlet observe that
Ito be honest as this world goes is to be
one man picked out of ten thousand. s"
IL is great thing to be strictly honest
This world would be a far different ard
better place of existence if this command
ment were obeyed.
Stealing was defined as sn interference
win property rights--taking by force or
fraud what belongs tG another. Society
as at present constituted is based upon
private rights in the possession of prop
erty. And this seems to be the natural
method of cor slitutilg society, for the
distinction of "mine" and thine" seems
to be an instinct. Man shares it in COM
mon with the lower animals. The very
beasts have their private rights in bones
and food and kennels To interfere with
this principle is TO destroy society as now
constituted without sffording the hope of
reconstituting it according TO any other
principle. Where theft is common and
property rights are not protected, there
civilization cannot flourish. The very
thieves regard this pr nciple among Them
selves, whence comes the proverb Honor
among thieves" Communities like
the Shakers are only apparent exceptions.
They are really large families.
Then again the recognition of property
rights secures the moral development of
man. Industry, prudence, self-denial,
patience, perseverance,, regard for the
rights of others, benevolence, all ere
either originated or largely stimulated
and developed by recognition of rights of
property. HeuCe We see the necessity for
This commandment.
The question is often asked in great
seriousness, lis it ever right to steal?'
The case in mind 8 the alternative of
starvation or theft. In this favored land
there is little occasion for such an alter
native, but eases dc sometimes occur in
our great cities. For instance, en- &C.
count " as recently published of hus,
band and father who had been in good
circumstances, hut was so reduced as
that he chose to commit suicide that his
family might come % the notice of char
ity. Far he it from me to pronouce judge
ment on such enc. By the law of
Moses it was permitted to take what was
necessary to satisfy hunger without the
Implication of stealing.
In This country by application 10 the
proper authorities In nearly all our com
munities this fearful alternative of star
walton or stealing nav be avoided. The
consideration of this commandment in its
breadth involves:
/. ROBBERY of solf-We do not com.
monty consider this commandment in
this light, but it is as possible to rob self
SIS Others. A great many are committing
the worst pos sible rebberies in their
own homes, and from their own mouths,
and the mouths and backs and brains of
their families. A man earning barely
enough to keep his family comfortably
will often spend a large portion of his
earnings on tobacco, and let his family
suffer or else appeal to charity. Or such
an individual will spend nearly all his
earning in the saloon and say, "Hav'nt |
the right to do what will with my own?"
The answer is, NO" most emphatically.
You have no right to rob your wife and
little ones of what you owe them as hus-
band and father, viz, a support Such
conduct, St. Paul says, makes a man
worse than an inioel. 1t is also possible
to break this commandment by sinful
miserliness, by boarding money that
ought to be spent for education, books
and the comforts and necessaries of life
The miser is self-robber.
g Robbery of others-TheTe is less
need to speak OF those sins VIII ich society
abhors and the law Furnishes, of house,
breaking, and pocket picking, and bank
robbing, etc, for the reason that such
violatcIs of this law are rarely found in
church. Christianity has no affinity for
such sinners. Christianity demands re-
pentance of al men, and the genuineness
of this repentance is measured by the
honesty of their lives. When the burg
lar will deposit bis kit of tools with the
preacher, as they did sometimes with
Jerry McCsuley, then there is hope.
Idleness is the most ordinary and res pect-
able way OF breaking this commandment.
The man who says THE world owes me
living" snd then proceeds to play the
tramp and live " thout work should be
soon made TO feel the truth of PauPs
words. If any man will not work, Meth
shall he eat"
Adulteration is form of stealing that
shows how comm only this law is broken.
Hardly an article of food or clothing that
is not adulterate6 This is a heinous sin