The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a…

6. The Veracity in the Tradesman extends to the Restraining the multiplicity of Words. The Scripture doth every where condemn a multitude of Words, and saith, Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of Words there wanteth not Sin: but he that refraineth his Lips, is wise. And Eccles. 5. 3. That a Fools Voice is known by multitude of Words: Yea, Prov. 29. 20. Seest thou a Man that is hasty in his Words? there is more hope of a Fool, than of him. And on the contrary, Prov. 17. 27. He that is wise, spareth his Words. And yet what a flood of Words are commonly poured out about the smallest Traffic? Amongst which, there must needs be many vain and unprofitable. The Seller commonly asking unreasonably high, while the Buyer doth as commonly bid unreasonably low; and a long ado ere they can come near one another. Yea oftentimes he that sells, shall peremptorily affirm, he will take no less than he hath spoken; and he that is buying as positively concluding, that he will give no more than he hath offered; and yet both of them shall recede from their Words, ere they have done. Now tho I ⟨p. 152⟩cannot say that every altering of a Man's Price, either in the Seller or the Buyer, is a Lie; for you have heard that a Lie is a falsifying the Truth with an Intention to deceive, whereas this when it is justifiable is only to ask too much, that the Chapman may give just enough, or only to bid too little, that the Tradesman may not have too much; iniquum petere, ut aequum ferat: Yet great Caution must herein be used, lest you take an unjust Price as well as ask it, or at least occasion others to think you do so: but as our Saviour saith in a like case, Mat. 5. 37. Let your Communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil: So certainly these Methods proceed from that Injustice, which Men either have in themselves, or suspect to be in others; or else why might not any such Traffic be dispatched in two Words, as well as in two hundreds? And this shows how far we are degenerated from the Primitive Simplicity; for there in one Verse,