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.
