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CHAPTER V. THE FIFTH PRECEPT, IN WHICH THE DECEITFUL ERROR OF THE RICH OF
THIS WORLD IS EXPOSED.
IN addition to what has been already said, I must add the refutation of a certain error very prevalent
among the rich of this world, and which greatly hinders them from living well and dying well. The
error consists in this: the rich suppose that the wealth they possess is absolutely their own property,
if justly acquired; and that therefore they may lawfully spend, give away, or squander their money,
and that no one can say to them, "Why do you do so? Why dress so richly? Why feast so
sumptuously? Why so prodigal in supporting your dogs and hawks? Why do you spend so much
money in gaming, or other such-like pleasures?" They will answer: "What is it to you ? Is it not
lawful for me to do what I will with my own ?"
Now, this error is doubtless most grievous and pernicious: for, granting that the "rich" are the
masters of their own property with relation to other men; yet, with regard to God, they are not
masters, but only administrators or stewards. This truth can be proved by many arguments. ...
There is another passage in the same Gospel of St. Luke, which may be considered as a kind of
commentary on the unjust steward: "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and
fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who
lay at his gate, full of sores. Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man s table,
and no one did give him; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and
he was buried in hell." This Dives was certainly one of those who supposed he was master of his own
money, and not a steward under God; and therefore he imagined not that he offended against God,
when he was clothed in purple and linen, and feasted sumptuously every day, and had his dogs, and
his buffoons, & c. For he perhaps said within himself: " I spend my own money, I do no injury to any
one, I violate not the laws of God, I do not blaspheme nor swear, I observe the sabbath, I honour my
parents, I do not kill, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness, nor do I covet my
neighbour's wife, or anything else." But if such was the case, why was he buried in hell ? why
tormented in the fire ? We must then acknowledge that all those are deceived who suppose they are
the "absolute" masters of their money; for if Dives had any more grievous sins to answer for, the
Holy Scripture would certainly have mentioned them. But since nothing more has been added, we
are given to understand that the superfluous adornment of his body with costly garments, and his
daily magnificent banquets, and the multitude of his servants and dogs, whilst he had no compassion
for the poor, was a sufficient cause of his condemnation to eternal torments.
Let it, therefore, be a fixed rule for living well and dying well, often to consider and seriously to
ponder on the account that must be given to God of our luxury in palaces, in gardens, in chariots, in
the multitude of servants, in the splendour of dress, in banquets, in hoarding up riches, in
unnecessary expenses, which injure a great multitude of the poor and sick, who stand in need of our
superfluities; and who now cry to God, and in the day of judgment will not cease crying out until we,
together with the rich man, shall be condemned to eternal flames.
CHAPTER VI. THE SIXTH PRECEPT, IN WHICH THREE MORAL VIRTUES ARE EXPLAINED.
...
There now remaineth the third virtue, which is called sobriety, to which "worldly desires" are no
less contrary than to justice. And here we not only understand by sobriety the virtue contrary to
drunkenness, but the virtue of temperance or moderation in general, which makes a man regulate
what regards his body according to reason, not according to passion. Now this virtue is very rarely
found among men; "worldly desires" seem to possess nearly all the rich of this world. But those who
are wise should not follow the example of the foolish; although they are almost innumerable, they
should imitate only the wise. Solomon was certainly the wisest of men, and yet he besought God,
saying-: "Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not before I die. Give me neither beggary nor
riches, give me only the necessaries of life."(chap. xxx. 7, 8.) The apostle Paul was wise, and he said:
"For we brought nothing into this world, and certainly we can carry nothing out; but having food
and where with to be covered, with these we are content." (Epist. to Tim. vi. 7.)
These words are very wise, for why should we be solicitous for superfluous riches, when we cannot
take them with us to that place, towards which death is hurrying us. Christ our Lord was not only
wiser than Solomon and St. Paul, but He was wisdom itself, and yet He also hath said, "Blessed are
the poor, and woe to the rich;" and of Himself, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests,
but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (St. Luke ix. 58.). If then "in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word shall stand," how much more shall every word be true in the mouth of
three most wise men ? And if to this we add, that our unnecessary riches are not our own, but belong
to the poor, (as is the common opinion of the holy fathers and scholastic writers,) are not those
foolish men, who carefully hoard up that by which they will be condemned to hell?
-St. Robert Bellarmine, Art of Dying Well
"...how will it be possible for those to be saved, who spend their income on dogs and horses, rather than on the poor, unless they see that they are actually perishing for want?"
--Fr. Paolo Segneri http://books.google.com/books?
It is not enough for a rich man, for instance, not to
rob the poor in order to secure his salvation : he must also
clothe them. Therefore, observe that our Lord declares that
on the Day of Judgment He will inquire particularly concerning
what are called sins of omission, saying, "I was a stranger,
and ye took Me not in; naked, and you covered Me not;
sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me," because such
sins are least noticed. --Fr. Paolo Segneri http://books.google.com/books?id=WtFDAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=segneri&lr=&ei=f-3uR6_0FIzWiwGwhZ2wDQ#PPA577,M1
In a word, all the glory of the labours we have undergone
in this world, in order to acquire a large income, a high
character for valour, for learning and genius, shall end
in our being thrown into a pit to become the food of
worms. The miserable worldling then shall say at
death : My house, my garden, my fashionable furniture,
my pictures and rich apparel, shall, in a short time,
belong no more to me; "and only the grave remaineth
for me."
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