Tomline on Article XXXVIII: Of Christian men's Goods, which are not common

This article consists of two parts ; tue former declares that private property is not inconsistent with the profession of the Gospel ; and the lat- ter asserts the Christian duty of charity to the poor.

The riches and goods of christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain anabaptists do falsely boast. The admonitions in the New Testament to the practice of charity ; the particular precepts ad- dressed to the high and to the low, to the rich and to the poor ; and the commendation of those

O o 2 virtues,

j64 Eayxmium of the {pa&t tiu,

virtues, which can be displayed only in the lower ranks of life, all plainly prove that the Gospel was not designed to introduce a commu- nity of goods. It appears, , that in the days of the Apostles several of the new converts deli- vered up all their wealth and possessions for the use of their Christian brethren (a) ; but this was a voluntary act ; a charitable contributioD sDiinging irom their own zeal, and not com- manded by their inspired teachers ; on the con- trary, St Pter said to Ananias, ” While it re- nained, was it not. thine, Qwn ? After it was sold, was it not in thine own power (b)’ Thus St. Peter admitted the right of Ananias to have retained the whole of his property, although he reproved and punished him fqr his 4isimulttioi and falsehood. It is evident that private pro- perty is essential to the very existence of civil society; and it is not to be believed that the Gospel, which ” has the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come (c),’ would de- stroy, or in any respect weaken, a principle which is the foundation of every social comfort ; and indeed none of the early sectaries ever thought of maintaining such an opinion. But in the beginning of the sixteenth century the Anabap- tists of Germany, among other absurd and dan- gerous

(a) Acts, c.4. v. 3a. (b)Acts, c. 5. v. 4.

c ) I Tim. G. 4. V. 8.

ART. XXXVIII.] Thirty-nhie Articles. 565

gerous tenets, contended for the necessity of a commanity of goods among Christians. This doctrine was warmly and successfully opposed by the most enlightened part of the Reformers upon the continent ; it made but very little progress in this country; and our present Anabaptists entirely reject it. Luther gives the following account of the Anabaptists of his time : ” Do- centes Christiano nihil esse possidendum, non ju- randum, nullos magistratus habendos, non exer- oenda judicia, neminem tuendum aut defenden- dam, uxores et liberos deserendos, atque id genus portenta quamplurima (c)J^

No duty is more frequently or more earnestly inculcated in the New Testament than charity ; abd therefore every man ought, of such

LITY. No Specific rule is laid down in Scripture concerning the proportion which a man is bound to give of his property in acts of benevolence : bat the great importance annexed to the pei^- foitnance of this duty by Christ and his Apostle, mukes it highly ineumbetit upon ev^ 6tit t6 flractice it to the utmost of his means.

(c) Pref. ad Ex. in Mat. 5> 6> 7.

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566 ExposUion of the • [part in.