Life and Death of Mr. Badman by John Bunyan (most life changing books TXT) 📕

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?

Wise. Extortion {115c} is a screwing from men more than by the Law of God or men is right; and it is committed sometimes by them in Office, about Fees, Rewards, and the like: but ‘tis most commonly committed by men of Trade, who without all conscience, when they have the advantage, will make a prey of their neighbour. And thus was Mr. Badman an Extortioner; for although he did not exact, and force away, as Bailifs and Clarks have used to doe; yet he had his opportunities, and such cruelty to make use of them, that he would often, in his way, be Extorting, and forcing of money out of his Neighbours pocket. For every man that makes a prey of his advantage upon his neighbours necessities, to force from him more than in reason and conscience, according to the present prizes of things such comodity is worth; may very well be called an Extortioner, and Judged for one that hath No inheritance in the Kingdom of God. {115d}

Atten. Well, this Badman was a sad wretch.

Wise. Thus you have often said before. But now we are in discourse of this, give me leave a little to goe on. We have a great many people in the Countrey too that live all their dayes in the practice, and so under the guilt of Extortion: people, alas! that think scorn to be so accounted.

As for Example: {116a} There is a poor body that dwells, we will suppose, so many miles from the Market; and this man wants a Bushel of Grist, a pound of Butter, or a Cheese for himself, his wife and poor children: But dwelling so far from the Market, if he goes thither, he shall lose his dayes work, which will be eight pence or ten pence dammage to him, and that is something 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 such a thing: Yes, say they, you may have it; but withall 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 carryed it five miles to a Market, yea and that too for the Refuse of their Commodity. But in this the Women are especially faulty, in the sale of their Butter and Cheese, &c. Now this is a kind of Extortion, it is a making a prey of the necessity of the poor, it is a grinding of their faces, a buying and selling of them.

But above all, your {116b} Hucksters, that buy up the poor mans Victuals by whole-sale, and sell it to him again for unreasonable gains, by retale, and as we call it, by piece meal; they are got into a way, after a stingeing rate, to play their game upon such by Extortion: I mean such who buy up Butter, Cheese, Eggs, Bacon, &c. by whole sale, and sell it again (as they call it) by penny worths, two penny worths, a half penny worth, or the like, to the poor, all the week after the market is past.

These, though I will not condemn them all, do, many of them, bite and pinch the poor by this kind of evil dealing. These destroy the poor because he is poor, and that is a grievous sin. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. {116c} Therefore he saith again, Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate; for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of them that spoile them.

Oh that he that gripeth and grindeth the face of the poor, would take notice of these two Scriptures! Here is threatned the destruction of the Estate, yea and of the Soul too, of them that oppress the poor. Their Soul we shall better see where, and in what condition that is in, when the day of Doom is come; but for the Estates of such, they usually quickly moulter; and that sometimes all men, and sometimes no man knows how.

Besides, these are Usurers, yea they take usury for victuals, which thing the Lord has forbidden. {117a} And because they cannot so 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 necessitated to have, as they can, for their need, and they are resolved they shall pay soundly for it. Perhaps some will find fault for my medling thus with other folks matters, and for my thus prying into the secrets of their iniquity. But to such I would say, since such actions are evil, ‘tis time they were hissed out of the world. For all that doe such things, offend against God, wrong their neighbour, and like Mr. Badman doe provoke God to Judgment. God knows, there is abundance of deceit in the world!

Wise. Deceit! Aie, but I have not told you the thousandth part of it; nor is it my business now to rake to the bottom of that dunghill: what would you say, if I should anatomize some of those vile wretches called Pawn-Brokers, that lend Money and Goods to poor people, who are by necessity forced to such an inconvenience; and will make, by one trick or other, the Interest of what they so lend, amount to thirty, forty, yea sometimes fifty pound by the year; nothwithstanding the Principal is secured by a sufficient pawn; which they will keep too at last, if they can find any shift to cheat the wretched borrower.

Atten. Say! Why such Miscreants are the pest and Vermin of the Common-Wealth, not fit for the society of men; but methinks by some of those things you Discoursed before, you seem to import that it is not lawful for a man to make the best of his own.

Wise. If by making the best, you mean, to sell for as much as by hook or crook he can get for his comodity; then I say, it is not lawful. And if I should say the contrary, I should justifie Mr. Badman and all the rest of that Gang: but that I never shall doe, for the Word of God condemns them. But that it is not lawful for a man at all times, to sell his commodity for as much as he can, I prove by these reasons. {118a}

First, If it be lawful for me alway to sell my commodity as dear, or for as much as I can, then ‘tis lawful for me to lay aside 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 aside good conscience, &c. Therefore it is not lawful for me always to sell my commodity as dear, or for as much as I can.

That {118b} it is not lawful to lay aside good conscience in our dealings, has already been proved in the former part of our discourse: but that a man must lay it aside that will sell his commodity always as dear or for as much as he can, is plainly manifest thus.

1. He that will (as is mentioned afore) sell his commodity as dear as he can, must sometimes make a prey of the ignorance of his chapman: {118c} but that he cannot doe with a good conscience (for that is to overreach, and to goe beyond my chapman, and is forbidden, 1 Thess. 4. 6.) Therefore he that will sell his commodity, as afore, as dear, or for as much as he can, must of necessity lay aside good conscience.

2. He that will sell his commodity always as dear as he can, must needs, sometimes make a prey of his neighbours necessity; {118d} but that he cannot doe with a good conscience, (for that is to goe beyond and defraud his neighbour, contrary to 1 Thess. 4. 6.) Therefore he that will sell his commodity, as afore, as dear, or for as much as he can, must needs cast off and lay aside a good conscience.

3. He that will (as afore) sell his commodity as dear, or for as much as he can, must, if need be, make a prey of his neighbours fondness; but that a man cannot doe with a good conscience, {119a} (for that is still a going beyond him, contrary to 1 Thess. 4. 6.) Therefore, he that will sell his commodity as dear, or for as much as he can, must needs cast off, and lay aside good conscience.

The same also may be said for buying; no man may always buy as cheap as he can, but must also use good conscience in buying; {119b} The which he can by no means use and keep, if he