A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 4 That we must sell only things saleable.

More especially, there are divers duties required of us in our buying and selling. As first, that the seller be the true and lawful owner of that he selleth, or his deputy appointed by him; and that the buyer do not for private gain buy any thing from any man, whom he thinketh not to have any right to sell it. In which respect, they grievously offend, who buy or sell stolen goods if they know of it, and they who sacrilegiously sell and buy the livings of the Church, and such things as are freely consecrated to the service of God. Secondly, the seller ought to sell, and the buyer to buy such things only as are vendible, and may justly be bought and sold. In which regard, they offend, who sell or buy the gifts of the Spirit, as Simon Magus, or holy things which belong to God; and those who sell and buy Justice or injustice by bribery given or taken, either to fill their own purses, ¹or to pervert right. They also who sell and buy truth and lies, as false witnesses, and they that hire them to give false testimony. But they most of all, who for corruptible things sell their souls unto sin, as Ahab did, which Christ redeemed with his most precious blood. Thirdly, we ought to sell only such things as are fit for sale, or knowing them to be otherwise, to acquaint the buyer with it, and so to pitch a lower price, according to their lesser value. Otherwise we are not to sell things falsified in respect of their substance, and such as are mixed and corrupt, for such as are pure and good, which is a common fault among Merchants and Tradesmen in these days, who for their greater gain adulterate their wares, and jumble and intermingle things of a different degree in goodness, selling them all at the best rates. Fourthly, we are bound to sell those things only which are some way profitable for the Church and Commonwealth, either for necessary use, or for ornament and delight. Neither ought we to benefit our selves by such things as are unprofitable unto others, and much less by such as are in their own nature hurtful and pernicious, uncharitably raising our own gain out of our neighbours