THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
The seventh behest is this: ‘Thou shalt do no theft.’ This behest forbids us to take and withhold other men’s thing, whatever it be, from wicked cause, against the will of him that owns it.
In this behest is forbidden robbery, theft, stealing, and usury, and unfair dealing with others, in order to have for his own. And he that acts against this behest is bound to give up what he has wrongly of other men’s, if he knows to whom. And if he knows not, he is bound to give it for God’s love, or to act by the advice of holy Church. And he that wrongly withholds other men’s thing for a sinful reason sins deadly, unless he give it up, where he owes, if he knows it and can do it, or unless he acts by the advice of holy Church.