SO in the Gospel according ho John Desmond Sheridan (January 29) the right to private property is part of the natural law and older than Aristotle, as well as .being enshrined in two of the Ten Commandments.
Seemingly the early Christians were unaware of this striking fact: or being aware, decided to ignore it. For in Acts 4 : 32-35, we read: Now the nutltitude of believers were of one heart and one soul and not one of them said that anything he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the Apostles gave testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Our Lord: and great grace was in them all.
Nor was there anyone among them in want. For those who owned lands or houses would sell them and bring the price of what they sold and lay it at the feet of the Apostles, and distribution was made to each according as anyone had need.
One can forgive these primitive people their ignorance of Aristotle, John Desmond Sherickm, and the natural law. But what about those two Commandments forbidding theft and covetousness? Did they not see the right to private property enshrined therein? Evidently not. Perhaps Communists were at work among them? That principle To each, according as anyone had need is sufficiently Marxian to sug
gest it. Gabriel Fallon Dublin, 9.
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