The Christian Life Part 3 Volume 4, Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Justice, in reference to the Rights acquir'd by Compact.
V. FIfthly and Lastly, THERE are other Rights acquir'd by Bargaining and Compact: for Compacts being a mutual transferring of Rights, wherein the Person with whom I bargain maketh over such a Commodity to me for so much mony or other valuable thing, the Right whereof I make over to him; we mutually owe this Right to one another, to deal truly and honestly in making, and sincerely and faithfully in discharging our Compacts, and mutual Engagements with each other. For since the end of Commerce, and Buying and Selling is mutually to assist and furnish one another with the Necessaries and Conveniencies of Life; both Buyer and Seller must thence have a Right accruing to them so to buy and sell, as that they may be mutually assisted by one another; as that the Buyer may have the worth of his Price, and the Seller the worth of his Commodity: for otherwise instead of mutually assisting, the one must necessarily depress and damnifie the other. What the exact Measure is, which in matter of buying and selling ought to be observed between Man and Man, is, I confess, a difficult question, and hardly capable of being nicely determined; especially by us who are so little acquainted with the Affairs of the World, the necessities of things, and the particular and hidden Reasons of some sorts of Traffick and dealing: and therefore that I may not venture beyond my depth in the Determination of this matter, I shall only prescribe such general Rules of Righteousness to Conduct our Bargains and Contracts, as being impartially applied to particular Cases, may secure Men from dealing wrongfully and injuriously with one another. And they are these, first, Use, Plainness and Simplicity in all your Dealings. Secondly, Impose upon no Man's Ignorance, or Unskilfulness. Thirdly, Take no advantage of another's Necessities. Fourthly, Subtract not from the Commodity or Price, for which you have Contracted. Fifthly, Go not to the utmost Verge of what thou conceivest to be lawful. Sixthly, In doubtful Cases choose the safest Part.
I. USE Plainness and Simplicity in all your Dealings: Do not by disparaging another Man's Commodity, or over-valuing your own, endeavour to draw on an advantageous Bargain; neither ask far beyond, nor bid much below the worth of Commodities. Say not, you cannot take less, or give more, when you know you may with fair Advantage and Profit. Pretend not what is false, cover not what is true; but so far as in you lyeth, fit your Affirmations and Denials to the understanding of the Person you deal with; and do not lie in Ambush behind your words to trap and ensnare him. For in Bargains not only that which is false is unjust, but also that which deceives.
II. IMPOSE upon no Man's Ignorance or Unskilfulness. Whilst you keep within the latitude of lawful Gain, you may use your Skill against another Man in driving a Bargain; for in an ordinary Plenty of Commodities there is an ordinary Price, which those that deal in them know and understand; and when the Contractors equally understand the Price, there can be no Deception or Injustice on either side. But if he whom I Contract with be ignorant or unskilful, I must not rate his want of understanding, or set a Tax upon his Ignorance, but use him not only justly, but ingenuously, as one that reposeth a trust in me and casteth himself upon my Equity; considering that to take advantage from his Simplicity to abuse and defraud him, would be not only Injustice but Inhumanity.
III. TAKE no advantage of another's Necessities. Do not wring and squeeze a poor Man when he is driven to your Doors by his Wants, and forced to Sell his Wares to supply his Necessities; but give him the same Price you would have done, supposing he wanted your Mony no more than you need his Commodity. And if the poor Man be forced to Buy of you upon Trust, increase your Price no higher, than what is necessary to make you recompence for the Loss, which according to the Rules of Trade you must sustain by your Forbearance; reckoning in also the hazards you run, which ought to be charitably as well as prudently estimated. For he who makes advantage of another's Necessities, robs the Spittle, and adds Oppression to Misery; which is not only Injustice but Barbarity▪
IV. SUBTRACT not from the Commodity, or Price, for which you have Contracted. For he who buys a Commodity by Weight and Measure, hath a Right to as much of it as the Common Standard allows him; to have a full Standard, Pound, or Pint or Bushel according as he Bargains or Contracts. And to subtract any think from what he hath bargained for, whether it be by false Weights or Measures, ot by falsly weighing or measuring, is no better than Theft and Robbery. And so on the other hand, he who sells a Commodity hath a Right to the Mony for which he sold it; and therefore for the Buyer either knowingly to pay him uncurrent Coin, or forcibly to detain from him any part of the Price agreed on, is a manifest Violation of the Eternal Rules of Righteousness.
V. GO not to the utmost Verge of what you conceive to be lawful; for he who goes to the utmost of what is lawful, ventures to the brink of a Precipice, where he stands in imminent danger of falling headlong into it. For it is a short and easie Passage from the utmost limits of what is lawful, to the nearmost of what is sinful; so that he, that will go as far as he may, will never be able to avoid going sometimes farther than he should; especially when he is led on by Interest, and hath a tempting prospect of Advantage before him; which is wont to blind the Eyes of Men, to warp their Judgment, to tincture their Minds with false colours and undue apprehensions of things. Wherefore in that Latitude of lawful Gain which is allowed you, use Favour towards the poor and necessitous, Ingenuity towards the ignorant and unskilful, and Moderation towards all.
VI. Sixthly and Lastly, IN doubtful Cases choose the safest Part: for not only a good, but a quiet Conscience is to be valued above the greatest Gain; and that Man hath but little regard of his Conscience, that will venture to expose it to a wound to get a Shilling more in a bargain. Wherefore if we would be safe, we must make this a constant Rule of Action, in matters of Duty to do the most, in matters of Priviledge and divisions of Right, or proportions of Gain, in all doubtful Cases, to choose the least, which to be sure is always the safest. For if in buying and selling I make any Advantage which I doubt is unlawful, I stake my Conscience at a Lottery, and throw Cross and Pile whether I shall be guilty, or innocent: and thus to play and dally with my Innocence is but one degree of Presumption from being wilfully Guilty.
THESE are the General Rules by which we ought to conduct our selves in our Compacts and Bargains, if we mean to avoid that crying Sin of defrauding and over-reaching one another; which how Crafty and Politick soever it may seem to Men that do not regard the Issue and Event of things, it will in the end be found to be one of the greatest and most unprofitable Follies. For alas, while I am over-reaching my Brother in his Estate, there stands an invisible Cheat at my Elbow that is chousing me out of my Heaven and my Soul! So that in fine the whole Scene of Knavery resolves into this; the Devil is Angling with a less Fish to catch a greater, baiting his Hook with my Brother's Property, that so when I have taken and devoured that he may take and devour me. And so I have done with the first thing proposed in handling this great and comprehensive Duty of Iustice, or Honesty between Man and Man, which was to shew what it is and how far it is extended.