A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

1. Is there any Property yea or no? or must all Goods lie in common? This was Plato's fancy. Some Men think that if all were levelled, and reduced to a Parity, and we did live as Fishes in the Sea, there would be less Confusion in the World. But this is contrary to God's Appointment, who by his Wisdom hath cast the World into Hills and Valleys. God is the Maker of Rich and Poor; Prov. 22.2. The Rich and the Poor meet together, the Lord is the Maker of them all. And Christ saith, Mat. 22.11. Ye have the Poor always with you. A World of Mischief would follow otherwise; if there were no Property, there would be no Justice, whose chief Property is to give every Man his own: there could be no Charity; How can we give, if we have nothing that we can call our own? It would hinder Diligence and prudent Administration; the Idle would have as great a share as the Industrious and Diligent: Rewards of special Eminency and Virtue would be taken away; Who would undertake the hardest Labours, and the condition of Servants? Superiority and Inferiority is the Bond of human Society; it is God's Wisdom to dispose of the Conditions and Estates of Men, that one should need another, and supply each others Wants and Defects: the Poor need the Bounty of the Rich, and the Rich the Labour and Service of the Poor. Obj. But what shall we say to the Example of the Primitive Times? Acts 4.32. And the Multitude of them that believed, were of one Heart, and of one Soul; neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed, was his own, but they had all things common. Answ. This was extraordinary, and it was done freely, and not by virtue of any Precept, as appears by what Peter said to Ananias, Chap. 5.4. Whilst it remained, was it not thy own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own Power? still they kept a Property to dispose of it as they saw cause. And pray mark, it is not said, that they did equally divide among them all the things that were sold; but, Acts 2.44, 45. All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their Possessions and Goods, and parted them to all Men, as every Man had need. Here was no levelling, but an orderly Charity; there was great necessity, and they believed the Destruction and Desolation of Judea, and therefore in wise fore-sight took this course.