Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
Wise. You reckon too fast, if you count these all his bad tricks to get
money: For he had more besides. {114a}
If his customers were in his Books (as it should goe hard but he would
have them there; at least, if he thought he could make any advantage of
them,) then, then would he be sure to impose upon them his worst, even
very bad Comodity, yet set down for it the price that the best was sold
at: like those that sold the Refuse Wheat, or the worst of the wheat;
making the Sheckle great, {114b} yet hoisting up the price: This was
Mr. Badmans way. He {114c} would sell goods that cost him not the best
price by far, for as much as he sold the best of all for. He had also
a trick to mingle his comodity, that that which was bad might goe off
with the less mistrust.
Besides, if his customers at any time paid him money, let them look to
themselves, and to their Acquitances, for he would usually attempt to
call for that payment again, specially if he thought that there was
hopes of making a prize thereby, and then to be sure if they could not
produce good and sufficient ground of the payment, a hundred to one but
they payed it again. Sometimes the honest Chapman would appeal to his
servants for proof of the payment of money, but they were trained up by
him to say after his mind, right or wrong: so that, relief that way, he
could get none.
Atten. It is a bad, yea an abominable thing for a man to have such
servants. For by such means a poor customer may be undone and not
know how to help himself. Alas! if the master be so unconscionable,
as I perceive Mr. Badman was, to call for his money twice, and if his
servant will swear that it is a due debt, where is any help for such a
man? he must sink, there is no remedy.
Wise. This is very bad, but this has been a practice, and that hundreds
of years agoe. But what saith the Word of God? I will punish all those
that leap upon the threshold, which fill their masters houses with
violence and deceit. {115a} {115b}
Mr. Badman also had this art; could he get a man at advantage, that
is, if his chapman durst not go from him, or if the comodity he wanted
could not for the present be conveniently had elsewhere; Then let him
look to himself, he would surely make his purse-strings crack; he would
exact upon him without any pity or conscience.
Atten. That was Extortion, was it not? I pray let me hear your Judgment
of Extortion, what it is, and when committed?
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