we are in a difcourfe of this, give me leave a little to go on. We have a great many people in the country too that live all their days in the practice, and fo under the guilt of extortion: People, alas! that think scora to be fo accounted.

Who are extortioners.

As for examples: There is a poor body that dwells, we will fuppofe, fo many miles from the market; and this man wants a bufhel of grift, a pound of butter, or a cheefe, for himfelf, his wife, and poor-children: But dwelling fo far from the market, if he goes thither he fhall lofe his day's work, which will be eight pence or ten pence damage to him, and that is fomething to a poor man. So he goeth to one of his masters or dames for what he wanteth, and asks them to help him with fuch a thing. Yes, fay they, you may have it; but withal they will give him a gripe, perhaps make him pay as much (or more) for it at home, as they can get when they have carried it five miles to a market; yea, and that too for the refuse of their commodity. But in this the women are efpecial ly faulty, in the fale of their butter and cheese, &c. Now, this is a kind of extortion, it is a making a prey of the neceffity of the poor, it is a grinding of their faces, a buying and felling of them

Hucksters.

Eut above all, your huck fters, that buy up the poor man's victuals by wholefale and fell it to him again for unreasonable gains, by retail, and as we call it, by piecemeal, they are got into a way, after a flinging rate, to play their game upon fuch by extortion. I mean fuch who buy up butter, cheese, eggs, beacon, &c. by wholefale, and fell it again (as they call it) by penny worths, twopenny worths, a halfpenny-worth, or the like, to the poor, all the week after the market is past. Thefe, though I will not condemn them all, do,

many

many of them, bite and pinch the poor by this kind of evil dealing. Thefe destroy the poor, because he is poor, and that is a grievous fin: "He that oppreffeth the poor to increafe his riches, and that giveth to. the rich, fhall furely come to want." Therefore he faith again, "Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither opprefs the afflicted in the gate; for the Lord will plead their caufe, and spoil the foul of them that fpoil them."

Oh, that he that gripeth and grindeth the face of the poor, would take notice of these two fcriptures! Here is threatened the deftruction of the eftate, yea, and of the foul too, of them that opprefs the poor. There foul we shall better fee where and in what condition that is in, when the day of doom is come; but for the eftates of fuch, they ufually quickly moulder; and that fometimes all men, and fometimes no man,, knows how.

Befides, thefe are ufurers; yea, they take ufury for victuals; which the Lord hath forbidden. And because they cannot fo well do it on the market day, therefore they do it, as I said, when the market is over; for then the poor falls into their mouths, and are neceffitated to have, as they can, for their need, and they are resolved they shall pay foundly for it Perhaps fome will find fault for my meddling thus with other folks matters, and for my thus prying into the fecrets of their iniquity. But to fuch I would lay, Since fuch actions are evil, it is time they were hiffed. out of the world: For all that do such things offend against God, wrong their neighbour, and, like Mr Badman, do provoke God to judgment

Atten. God knows, there is abundance of deceit in the world!

Wife. Deceit ay; but I have not told you the thousandth part of it; nor is it my business now to N 3

rake

rake to the bottom of that dunghill What would you fay, if I fhould anatomize fome of thofe vife wretches called pawn brokers, that lend money and goods to poor people, who are by neceffity forced to 'fuch an inconvenience; and will make, by one trick or other, the intereft of what they fo lend, amount to thirty, forty, yea, fometimes fifty pound by the year, notwithstanding the principal is fecured by a fufficient pawn, which they will keep too at last, if they can find any shift to cheat the wretched borrower ?

Atten Say! why fuch mifcreants are the pest and vermin of the commonwealth, not fit for the fociety of men.. But methinks by fome of thofe things you difcourfed before, you feem to import that it is not lawful for a man to make the best of his own.

Wife. If by making the beft, you mean, to fell for as much as by hock or crook he can get for his commodity, then I fay it is not lawful. And if I fhould fay the contrary, I should juftity Mr Badman, and all the rest of that gang: but that I never fhall do, for the word of God condemns them. But that it is not lawful for a man at all times to fell his commodity for as much as he can, I prove by thefe refons.

}

1. If it be lawful for me always to fell my commo'dity as dear, or for as much as I can, then it is lawful. for me to lay afide in my dealing with others, good conscience to them, and to God; but it is not lawful for me, in my dealing with others, to lay afide good confcience, &c Therefore it is not lawful for me always to fell my commodity as dear, or for as much

as I can.

Good confgi

That it is not lawful to lay afide good confcience fin or dealings, has already been proved in the former part of our difcourfe; But hata man muft lay it afide that will fell his commodity always as dear,

ence nuft.be fed in feiling.

or for as much as he can, is plainly manifest thus.

(1) He that will (as is mentioned before) fell his commodity as dear as he can, must sometimes make a prey of the ignorance of his chapman; but that he cannot do with a good confcience, for that is to overreach, and to go beyond my chapman, and is forbidden, 1 Theff. iv. 6. Therefore he that will fell his commodity, as afore, as dear, or for as much as he can, mult of neceffity lay afide a good confcience.

(2.) He that will fell his commodity alway as dear as he can. must needs fometimes make a prey of his neighbour's neceffity; but that he cannot do with a good confcience, for that is to go beyond and defraud his neighbour, contrary to 1 Theff iv. 6. Therefore he that will fell his commodity as dear, or for as much as he can, must needs caft off and lay afide a good con.. fcience.

(3.) He that will (as afore) fell his commodity as dear, or for as much as he can, muft, if need be, make a prey of his neighbour's fondnefs; but that a man cannot do with a good conscience, for that is ftill a going beyond him, contrary to Theff. iv. 6. Therefore he that will fell his commodity as dear. or for as much as he can, must needs cast off, and lay afide a good confcience.

We must use

The fame alfo may be faid for buying. No man may always buy as cheap as he can, but must alfo use good confcience in buying; the which he can by no means ufe aud keep, if he buys always as cheap as he can ; and that for the reafons urged before. For fuch will make a prey of the ignorance, neceffity, and fondness of their chapman, the which they cannot do with a good confcience'.

good confcience in buying.

When Abraham would buy a burying-place of the fons of Heth, thus he faid unto them: "Intreat for

me

me to Epron the fon Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Mach pelah, which he hath in the end of bis field; for as much as it is worth thall he give it me," Gen xxiii. 8, 9. He would not have it under foot, he fcorned it, he abhorred it; it flood not with his religion. credit, nor confcience. So alfo, when David would buy a field of Ornon the Jebufite, thus he said unto him, "Grant me the place of the threshing floor, that I may build an altar there unto the Lord; thou fhalt give it me for the full price." He alfo, as Abraham, made confcience of this kind of dealing: He would not lie at catch, to go beyond, no not the Jebufite, but will give him his full price for this field : For he knew that there was wickedness, as in felling too dear, fo in buying too cheap, therefore he would not do it.

There ought therefore to be good confcience used, as in felling fo in buying; for it is alfo unlawful for a man to go beyond or to defraud his neighbour in buying; yea, it is unlawful to do it in any matter, and God will plentifully avenge that wrong; as I also before have warned and teflified. But,

Charity muft

be used in our dealings.

2. If it be lawful for me always to fell my commodity as dear, or for as much as I can, then it is lawful for me to deal with my neighbour without the use of charity; but it is not lawful for me to lay afide, or to deal with my neighbour without the ufe of charity: Therefore it is not lawful for me always to fell my commodity to my neighbour for as much as I can. A man in dealing fhould as really defign bis neigbour's good, profit, and advantage, as his own; for this is to exercife charity in his dealing.

That I should thus use, or exercise charity towards my neightour in my buying and felling, &c. with him,