Couetise of anothers. / The rewarde of y• godly aud vngodly.
The Tenth Commandment: Coveting Our Neighbor's Goods
The Master introduces the last commandment against covetousness, and the Scholar explains that it forbids all evil lusts and commands contentment with one's estate.
Master. Now there remains the last commandment, about coveting anything that belongs to our neighbor: what does that mean?1 Scholar. This law generally forbids all kinds of evil desires, and it commands us to bridle and restrain every greedy, insatiable desire of our will that doesn't keep itself within the bounds of right and reason; and it wills that each person be content with his estate.✦2
The Consequences: Punishment for the Covetous, Reward for the Obedient
The Scholar warns that those who covet more than right break the bond of charity and face God's punishment, while those who live by the law find mercy and bliss.
But whoever covets more than is right, to the loss of his neighbor and to the wrong of another, utterly breaks and loses the bond of charity and fellowship among people—yes, and unless he amends, the Lord God, the most stern avenger of the breaking of his law, will execute most grievous punishment upon him.34 On the other hand, whoever lives according to the rule of these laws will find both praise and bliss—and God also as his merciful and bountiful good Lord.
Read the original English
Master. Now remaineth the last cōmaundement, of … coueting any thyng that is our neighbours: what meaneth that?
Scholer. Thys lawe dothe generally forbyd al sortes … euell lustes: and commaundeth vs to bridle & restraine al greedye vnsatiable desire of our wyl, whyche holdeth not it selfe wythin the bondes of right and reason: and it wylleth that eche man be cōtent wyth his estate. But who so euer coueteth more then ryght▪ with the losse … hys neighbour, and wrong to an other: he breaketh & vtterly looseth the bonde of charitie, and felowshippe amonge men, Yea and vpon hym (vnles he amende) the Lorde God, the most sterne reuenger of the breakynge hys law, shall execute moste greuous punyshmente. On the other side, he that liueth accordynge to the rule of these lawes, shal fynde both prayse and blysse: and God also hys mercyful and boūtyfull good Lord.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Exod.20.17;Deut.5.21 — You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deut.5.21 — You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source has an ellipsis gap after 'of' ('of … coueting'). Rendered as the tenth commandment concerning coveting a neighbor's goods, matching the chapter title and the following section's sense; the missing words are not recoverable from this payload alone.
- 2 ↩Source has an ellipsis gap between 'al sortes' and 'euell lustes'; rendered as 'all sorts of evil lusts' as the most plausible intended reading in context of the tenth commandment.
- 3 ↩Source has an ellipsis between 'losse' and 'hys neighbour'; rendered as 'to the loss of his neighbor' as the most plausible intended sense.
- 4 ↩'charitie' kept as charity (theological virtue / bond of love), not flattened to mere friendliness.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit