Knowledge and Practice, Part 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Concerning just dealing in Traffick, Trading, and Commerce.
OBſerve a ſtrict integrity, and uprightneſs in all occaſions of intercourſe, matters of traffick, commerce, and bargaining; making Conſcience to be true in thy words, faithful in thy promiſes, punctual in thy performances, and in all things, dealing juſtly and uprightly; doing to others (according to our Saviours Golden rule, Luke 6.31.) As thou wouldſt that others ſhould do to thee, Mat. 7.12. Whatſoever ye would (with a rectified judgment, and an honeſt heart) that men ſhould do to you, even ſo do ye to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. In all contracts, and acts of commerce with others, 'tis good to put our ſelves in their ſtead; and to make frequent appeals to our own Conſciences, and to ask our ſelves, Would I be thus dealt with? Would I be content to have this meaſure meaſured to my ſelf? Should I (if it were my own caſe) think this fair dealing, if uſed towards my ſelf? Paul ſaies Gal. 5.14. All the Law is fulfilled in one word (that is, all that part of the Law which concerns our duty towards man) Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf. This expreſſion preſcribes the manner of our love, not the meaſure of it; a parity or likeneſſe for kind, not for degree or proportion.
That therefore the black art of defrauding may be abhorr'd, and all deceit in traffick and commerce avoided; I ſhall give ſome Directions both to buyers and ſellers, which (if carefully obſerved) will exceedingly tend to their comfort and advantage: For light and honeſt gains make a heavy purſe, whilſt great and diſhoneſt make a heavy heart.
Directions to buyers.
1. Let not the buyer debaſe or diſpraiſe a good commodity that he is about to buy, to bring down the price, and to get it for leſſe than he knows it to be worth, Prov. 20.14. It is naught, it is naught, ſaith the buyer, but when he is gone his way, then he boaſteth.
2. Let not the buyer peremptorily ſay he will give no more for a commodity, than he offers, and yet intend to give more, rather than go without it. 'Tis too frequent with buyers to ſay they will not give a farthing more, and with ſellers, to ſay, they will not take a farthing leſs, and yet uſual with both to go from their words.
3. Give good and currant money for what you buy, Gen. 23.16. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the ſilver which he had named in the audience of the Sons of Heth, four hundred Shekels of ſilver, currant money with the Merchant. To put away braſſe or falſe money, (when you know it to be falſe, though perhaps you took it for good, except you return it to the perſon of whom you received it) is a branch of deceit. 'Tis better to ſuffer wrong, than to do wrong.
4. Do not work upon the weakneſſe or neceſſity of the ſeller, and ſo give him leſſe than in your Conſcience you apprehend the thing to be juſtly worth between man and man. Some will not buy, except they may have that they are dealing for, at their own price; though the ſeller cannot ſo afford it. We ſhould be willing to give to the worth of the thing we buy, according to common eſtimation. If the buyer give a price (knowingly) far inferiour to the true value, he is an Over-reacher: If he work upon the neceſſities of the poor, who must ſell to buy bread, he is an Oppreſſour.
5. In your buying a commodity, do not take any advantage of any overſight, or miſtake in the ſeller, Gen. 43.12. And the money that was brought again in the mouth of your ſacks, carry it again in your hand, peradventure it was an overſight.
6. Buy not any thing on the Lords day, except upon abſolute neceſſity. Let God have the time conſecrated to his Worſhip. Let there be no bargaining nor dealing on that day.
7. Buy not any ſtollen goods (if you know them to be ſtollen) though the price be never ſo low.
Directions to Sellers.
I. Do not multiply words in ſelling, Prov. 10.19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not ſin. Zach. 11.12. If ye think good, give me my price, if not forbear.
II. Do not highly commend and over-praiſe a commodity you know to be faulty; nor ſell that for good, which you know is not ſo. Do not lie, nor equivocate. How many are there, that in this caſe, to deceit, add lying; and (too often) bind all theſe ſins together with an oath, ſwearing their commodities are good, when they know they are not? And then what an heap of ſin is here gathered together? abundantly enough to ſink any poor ſoul into Hell: And all this, to skrew a little more money out of their neighbours pockets; and that ſomtimes ſo very little, that it is an amazing wonder, how any man that thinks he has a ſoul, can ſet it at ſo miſerable and contemptible a price.
III. Do not diſguiſe and hide the faults of the commodities you ſell, by uſing ſome art to them, to make them look fairer and better than indeed they are. This is acting a lie though it be not ſpeaking one) which has ſurely as much of the intention of cheating and defrauding as the most impudent lying can have. Hereby thou makeſt thy neighbour pay for ſomewhat which is not in the thing thou ſelleſt him; he preſuming there is that good quality in it, which thou knoweſt is not.
IV. Do not ſell commodities by falſe weights or meaſures, Amos 8.5. When will the new Moon be gene, that we may ſell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may ſet forth wheat, making the Ephah ſmall, and the Shekel great, and falſifying the ballances by deceit? Prov. 20.10. Divers weights, and divers meaſures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord, Deut. 25.14, 15. Thou ſhalt not have in thine houſe divers meaſures, a great, and a ſmall. But thou ſhalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just meaſure ſhalt thou have; that thy daies may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, Micah 6.10. Are there yet the treaſures of wickedneſſe in the houſe of the wicked, and the ſcant meaſure, that is abominable?
V. In ſelling, do not work upon the ignorance or unskilfulneſs of the buyer: If you diſcern him to be unskilful, uſe him rather the better, than the worſe. Zeph 1.9. In the ſame day alſo will I puniſh thoſe that leap on the threſhold, and fill their Maſters houſes with violence and deceit. 1 Theſ. 4.6. That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter, becauſe that the Lord is the avenger of all ſuch, as we alſo have forewarned you, and teſtified Neither take advantage of his preſent urgent neceſſity: Do not make him pay unreaſonably, becauſe thou ſeeſt he extreamly wants it, and muſt have it. An unreaſonable price is that which exceeds the true worth of the thing, conſidered with thoſe moderate gains which all tradeſmen are preſumed to be allowed in the ſale of their commodities. Conſider ſoberly what the thing is worth, and for what thou wouldſt afford it to another (of whom thou hadſt no ſuch advantage) and accordingly rate it to him. Do nothing to any man, but what thy ſelf, or any honeſt-minded man (according to right reaſon, and common juſtice) would be content to have done to him. The truth is, in the whole buſineſſe of traffick, there are ſo many opportunities of deceit, that a man had need fortifie himſelf with firm reſolutions, and have in his heart a great love of juſtice, or he will be in danger to fall under temptation.
VI. Do not ingroſſe corn in a time of ſcarcity, Prov. 11.26. He that withholdeth corn, the people ſhall curſe him. And that both buyers and ſellers may be perſwaded to make Conſcience of theſe things, let them conſider,
1. The commonneſſe of injuſtice is a reproach to Chriſtianity. The Name of Chriſt is blaſphemed among Turks and Infidels, by the injuſtice, fraud, and deceit that is practiſed among too many that call themſelves Chriſtians: And methinks, this very reaſon ſhould make us abhor it.
2. A ſecret curſe uſually goes along with ill gotten goods, and a ſtrange unproſperouſneſſe (for the moſt part) attends ill gotten eſtates: Whereas the bleſſing of God doth wonderfully accompany juſt and righteous dealing; and makes that which is ſo got to proſper.
3. What will it profit a man to gain never ſo much, and loſe his ſoul? Thou thinkeſt (may be) thou haſt been very cunning, when thou haſt over reached thy Neighbour, but conſidereſt not, there is another all the while overreaching thee, and cheating thee of that which is infinitely more precious, even thy immortal ſoul. And alas! What will it eaſe thee in Hell, to think thou haſt left a great deal of wealth behind thee upon Earth?
4. Remember, what is unrighteouſly got by defrauding and injuring another, muſt not only be repented of before God, but reſtitution thereof, or other ſatisfaction made to the party wronged. For God pardons no ſin we will pertinaciouſly retain and live in, Prov. 28.13. He that covereth his ſins, ſhall not proſper, but whoſo confeſseth and forſaketh them, ſhall find mercy And he that reſtoreth not ill gotten goods, liveth ſtill in his ſin, and repenteth not of it; ſeeing reſtitution is an inſeparable fruit of true repentance. Take heed therefore of all unjust getting, and all unjuſt detaining: For in ſuch caſes, reſtitution is to be made in kind or value to the perſon wronged, if alive: If he be dead, to his heirs: If they cannot be known, to the poor. And equity requireth that the time be conſidered, wherein his right has been detained from him.
For reſtitution we have,
1. Gods Command. God requireth if any thing be gotten either by violence, fraud, or deceit, reſtitution ſhould be made to the true owner, Lev. 6.2. If a ſoul ſin, and commit a treſpaſſe against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowſhip, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; V. 3. Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and ſweareth falſly, in any of all theſe that a man doth, ſinning therein: V. 4. Then it ſhall be, becauſe he hath ſinned and is guilty, that he ſhall reſtore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the loſt thing which he found.
2. We have examples for it. Joſephs brethren reſtored the money found in their ſacks, Gen. 41.12. Zacheus practiſed it, Luke 19.8. And Zacheus ſtood, and ſaid unto the Lord, behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by falſe accuſation, I reſtore him fourfold. Yea, Judas himſelf, being convinced of his ſin, made reſtitution, Matth. 27.3. Then Judas which had betraied him, when he ſaw that he was condemned, repented himſelf, and brought again the thirty pieces of ſilver to the chief Prieſts and Elders.
3. There is this great reaſon for it: For our repentance is not ſincere, if we do not labour to undo our ſins again: Now he that reſtoreth not ill gotten goods, liveth ſtill in his ſin, and doth not labour to retract and revoke it, as he ought to do. And becauſe many are loath to come to this hard duty of reſtitution, for fear of ſhame or reproach that may acrue to them thereby; they may deſire ſome Godly Miniſter, or ſome faithful Chriſtian friend to tranſact that buſineſſe for them; who (if they ſee cauſe) may conceal their names, and yet preſent the ſatisfaction or reſtitution by them ſent to the injured perſon. And whoever in ſingleneſſe of heart, and as in the ſight and preſence of God, do thus labour to retract their ſin, and clear their ſouls of guilt by chooſing rather to part with ſome of their ſubſtance, than to retain what they ought not; I am moſt confident will find abundance of comfort in ſo doing.
Upon all theſe conſiderations labour to mortifie that which is the root of all injuſtice, namely, Covetouſneſſe. And remember, that upon all rational accounts, true Piety and exact Honeſty is the beſt policy. A little righteouſly got is better then the great treaſures of the wicked.
1 Tim. 6.6. Godlineſſe with contentment is great gain.
V. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a ſnare, and into many fooliſh and hurtful luſts, which drown men in deſtruction and perdition.
V. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while ſome coveted after, they have erred from the Faith, and pierced themſelves through with many ſorrowes.
1 Theſ. 4.6. Let no man go beyond, or defraud his brother in any matter, becauſe that the Lord is the avenger of all ſuch, as we alſo have forewarned you, and teſtified.
Eph. 5.5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean perſon, nor covetous man who is an Idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Chriſt, and of God.
Lev. 25.14. And if thou ſell ought unto thy neighbour or buyeſt ought of thy neighbours hand, ye ſhall not oppreſſe one another.
Ezek. 33.15. If the wicked reſtore the pledge, give again that he hath robbed, walk in the Statutes of life without committing iniquity, he ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall not die.
Numb. 5.6. Speak unto the Children of Iſrael, when a man or woman ſhall commit any ſin, that men commit, to do a treſpaſs againſt the Lord, and that perſon be guilty,
V. 7. Then they ſhall confeſſe their ſin which they have done, and he ſhall recompenſe his treſpaſſe with the principal thereof, & add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath treſpaſſed
Exod. 22.2. If a thief be found breaking up, and be ſmitten that he die, there ſhall no blood be ſhed for him.
V. 3. If the Sun be riſen upon him, there ſhall be blood ſhed for him; for he ſhould make full reſtitution: If he have nothing, then he ſhall be ſold for his theft.