Part 4 › Chapter 19 › Section 3: Tit. 3. Special Cases about Justice in Buying and Selling., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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:8892p. 122

Answ. To the first case: You must distinguish between an act of Justice and of Charity: and between your need of the thing, and the worth of it to you. Though you have no need of the poor mans goods, yet if you buy them, both Justice and Charity require that you give him as much as they are worth to you, though not so much as they are worth in the market: yea, and that you buy them of him in his necessity: For if you give him but what they are worth to you, you are no loser by it: And you should do another good, when it is not to your own hurt or loss. By (what they are worth to you) I mean, so much as that you •e no loser. As if it be meat or drink, though you have no present need, perhaps you will shortly have need, and if you buy not that, you must buy as much of somewhat else. In strict Justice you may be a saver, but not a gainer, by buying of the poor in their necessity. 2. But if you buy a durable commodity, for less than it is worth, you should take it but as a pledge, and allow the seller liberty to redeem it, if he can, that he may get more after of another. 3. And to the poor in such necessity, Charity must be exercised as well as Justice. Therefore if you are able to lend them money to save them the loss of underselling, you should do it: (I account that man only able who hath money which no greater service of God requireth). And if you are not able your self, you should endeavour to get some others to relieve him, if you can without a greater inconvenience.

Answ. To the first case: You must distinguish between an act of Iustice and of Charity: and between your need of the thing, and the worth of it to you. Though you have no need of the poor mans goods, yet if you buy them, both Justice and Charity require that you give him as much as they are worth to you, though not so much as they are worth in the market: yea, and that you buy them of him in his necessity: For if you give him but what they are worth to you, you are no loser by it: And you should do another good, when it is not to your own hurt or loss. By (what they are worth to you) I mean, so much as that you •e no loser. As if it be meat or drink, though you have no present need, perhaps you will shortly have need, and if you buy not that, you must buy as much of somewhat else. In strict Iustice you may be a saver, but not a gainer, by buying of the poor in their necessity. 2. But if you buy a durable commodity, for less than it is worth, you should take it but as a pledge, and allow the seller liberty to redeem it, if he can, that he may get more after of another. 3. And to the poor in such necessity, Charity must be exercised as well as Iustice. Therefore if you are able to lend them money to save them the loss of underselling, you should do it: (I account that man only able who hath money which no greater service of God requireth). And if you are not able your self, you should endeavour to get some others to relieve him, if you can without a greater inconvenience.

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Answ. There are some cases in which you may not do it, and some in which you may. You may not do it out of greedy covetousness; nor to the injury of the poor: nor when the other hath gone so far in the bargain that it cannot be honestly broken: For then you injure the third person, and tempt the other to a sin: nor may you do it so as to disturb that due and Civil order, which should be among moderate men in trading. And it is a great matter how the thing is accounted of by the custom of the Country or Market where you bargain: For where it is of ill report, and accounted as unjust, the scandal should make you avoid such a course. But yet in some cases it is lawful, and in some a needful duty. It is lawful when none of the foresaid reasons (or any such other) are against it: It is a duty when Charity to the poor or oppressed doth require it. As e. g. a poor man must needs sell his Land, his Horse, his Corn or Goods: A Covetous oppressor offereth him less than it is worth. The poor man must take his offer if he can get no more: The oppressor saith that it is injustice for any one to take his bargain out of his hand, or offer money till he have done: In this case it may be a duty, to offer the poor man the worth of his commodity, and save him from the oppressor. A covetous man offereth a Servant or Labourer less than their service or labour is worth; and will accuse you, if you interrupt his bargain and would offer his Servant more: In this case it may be your duty to help the servant to a better Master. A Chapman is ready to be cheated by an unconscionable Tradesman, to give much more for a commodity than its worth: Charity may oblige you in such a case to offer it him cheaper. In a ⟨p. 123⟩word, if you do it for your own gain, in a greedy manner, it is a sin: But if you do it when it is not scandalous or injurious, or do it in charity for another's good, it is lawful, and sometime a duty.

Answ. There are some cases in which you may not do it, and some in which you may. You may not do it out of greedy covetousness; nor to the injury of the poor: nor when the other hath gone so far in the bargain that it cannot be honestly broken: For then you injure the third person, and tempt the other to a sin: nor may you do it so as to disturb that due and Civil order, which should be among moderate men in trading. And it is a great matter how the thing is accounted of by the custome of the Countrey or Market where you bargain: For where it is of ill report, and accounted as unjust, the scandal should make you avoid such a course. But yet in some cases it is lawful, and in some a needful duty. It is lawful when none of the foresaid reasons (or any such other) are against it: It is a duty when Charity to the poor or oppressed doth require it. As e. g. a poor man must needs sell his Land, his Horse, his Corn or Goods: A Covetous oppressor offereth him less than it is worth. The poor man must take his offer if he can get no more: The oppressor saith that it is injustice for any one to take his bargain out of his hand, or offer money till he have done: In this case it may be a duty, to offer the poor man the worth of his commodity, and save him from the oppressor. A covetous man offereth a Servant or Labourer less than their service or labour is worth; and will accuse you, if you interrupt his bargain and would offer his Servant more: In this case it may be your duty to help the servant to a better Master. A Chapman is ready to be cheated by an unconscionable Tradesman, to give much more for a commodity than its worth: Charity may oblige you in such a case to offer it him cheaper. In a ⟨p. 123⟩word, if you do it for your own gain, in a greedy manner, it is a sin: But if you do it when it is not scandalous or injurious, or do it in charity for anothers good, it is lawful, and sometime a duty.