night by casualtie of fire then I had gotten before by my fraudulent dealings in twentie winters And yet verie certaine I am the Lord be mercifull to me that euen by such deceitfull practises I haue wronged from men not so little as fortie poundes by the yeere No-bodie That good God who hath opened your eyes to sée your sinnes giue you also his grace that you may freely forsake the same Ingroser Oh graunt it good Lorde for the glorie of thy name But Sir such is the vnreasonable enhaunsing of graine and of victualles in euerie place that verie necessitie enforceth many a man to doo that which in his owne conscience he vtterly dislikes No-bodie Accursed be that necessitie whatsoeuer which constraineth a man to make shipwracke of conscience For a Math. 16. 26. Mar. 8 25. Luc. 9. 25. what shall it profite any man to winne the whole Worlde and loose his owne Soule Ingroser Verie true it is If therefore you could by any your godly perswasions so bring it to passe that the rich Farmers and Husbandmen who are to fraught the Markets with corne and victualles would sell the same at a reasonable reckoning for my part I promise you that as thereby I should haue lesse occasion to vse any deceite in my dealings so would I vtterly renounce the same for euer And I beléeue my fréend Pedler would do the like Pedler Yea be you sure with all my heart No-bodie I haue none authoritie you knowe to reforme things amisse neyther will I challenge so much to my selfe My duetie is onely to reproue and to denounce the iudgements of God against all outragious enormities wherein by Gods grace I will not cease to doo my best endeuour leauing the reformation of matters whollie vnto them whose callings the same more properlie concernes But what if those men you spake of before will neuer bee brought to any better dealings shall the waywardnesse of those wicked ones withdrawe your selues from dooing your duties Oh beware I beséeche you for this is the subtill perswasion of Satan to make you beleeue that you may as well offend therein as another But remember the word of the Lord a Exod. 23. 2. Thou shalt not followe a multitude to doo euill neyther shalt thou agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrowe the truth Hauing therefore the example of good Ioshua before youre eyes saye one to another in the sinceritie of your soules b Iosh 24. 15. Let the wicked this day choose what Gods they will serue as for vs and our housholds we will serue the Lord. Ingroser Nay by Gods grace howsoeuer the wicked doo still welter and wallowe in their impieties for my part I rest fullie resolued for euer héereafter to abhorre all fraudulent dealings in my selfe and in others And I beséeche the Lorde God to make me continually thankefull for these his good graces which by your meanes I haue receiued this day Pedler And surely for my part I doo with an vnfained hart protest the same But Sir if it might please you to take the paines to conferre also with those men as you haue done alreadie with vs I doubt not but that good God who hath begunne this good worke by you will bring the same to some excellente ende Eueri-bodie Vndoubtedly I beléeue no lesse For he that had heard these men in the morning would hardly haue thought that they woulde euer haue béene brought vnto this No-bodie Such you sée is the great goodnesse of God and such also is the efficacie and power of his heauenly word when it pleaseth his Maiestie to worke with the same Then is it in déede a liuely a Heb. 4. 12. word and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged Sword and entreth through euen to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intentes of the heart Ingroser Oh blessed be God therefore And the Lord graunt the same word a like effect in the rest Pedler So be it good Lord if it be thy will No-bodie Well sith you séeke this thing thus earnestly at my handes I promise you both so soone as any occasion is offered to put the matter in practize leauing the successe thereof to the Lord. Ingroser Gods name be blessed for it But we beséeche you Sir linger not the time ouer long for as the zeale of a Psal 69. 9. Gods house hath euen eaten vs vp so we pray you remember withall that the b Pro. 13. 12. hope whiche is deferred is the fainting of the hart but when the desire commeth it is a trée of life No-bodie Well assure your selues there shall be no want of good will in me so soone as the Lord shall offer occasion vnto it Euerie-bodie And for my part be you bolde I will so further the matter that I doubt not to bring your selfe and them verie presently together I knowe where are at this houre a couple of as gréedie Cormorants as liue in the land Walke you on your way all thrée together and let me alone for this once They promised to tarrie my comming at yonder Towne goe you faire and softly before till wée ouertake you Ingroser With all our hearts Come Sir we will gladly accompanie you still in your iourney although we are alreadie wandred fiue or sixe miles out of our way No-bodie Are you so in déede now truly I am sorie therefore Pedler But so are not we Nay rather we haue both great cause to reioyce for by loosing the way a little to our earthly homes wée haue lighted at length on that way whiche leadeth directly to our heauenly habitation Ingroser Verie true it is Gods name be blessed for it And blessed be his Maiestie also for you who were the good meanes thereunto No-bodie All the honour a Psal 115. 1. héereof be giuen to his name But sure as I am hartely sorie you haue wandered alreadie so farre from your way so will I not haue you to goe one steppe farther with me partly for that when the other and I shall be alone by our selues they will the more franckly afoorde mée theyr mindes and partly also because I woulde not haue the night ouertake you or euer you get to your homes And therefore for this present I commend you both to the mercies of God Ingroser Séeing for any thing you will haue it so we leaue you likewise to the Lord himselfe most humbly beséeching him of his infinite mercies to blesse the labours which you haue in hand Pedler So be it good Lord if it be thy gratious will So be it Lord Iesu Amen FINIS
themselues to be such as hauing a 1. Tim. 4. 2. their consciences seared vp with hote irons are wholly solde ouer b 1. King 21. 25. to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord e Ephes 4. 19. and béeing past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnesse to worke all manner of vncleannesse yea euen with greedinesse But continue the course you haue taken No-bodie Another argument to disswade men from all deceite in buying and selling 4. Arguments drawne from the title or name that is giuen them may be fitlie drawne from that title or name which the holy Ghost ascribeth couertly vnto it in these wordes Of all such a 1. Thes 4. 6. thinges The which words of his hauing a verie Emphaticall or forcible relacion to that wicked oppression and guile forbidden before in the former part of the verse do signifie as much in effect as those euils themselues whereunto they haue such speciall relacion and therefore may fitly beare the selfesame denomination or name of euils As if he should say by vsing such fraudulent fetches in buying and selling you shew your selues to bee wonderfully besotted with the deceitfulnesse of sinne who coloureth her bewitched baites with a most beawtifull brauerie who vnder the pretence of some pleasant potion doth proffer vnto you a most pestilent poison who maketh you beléeue that this your guilefull dealing is nothing else but a prouident thriftinesse when it is in verie déede a most horrible euill and wickednesse So then how excellent soeuer the same séemeth vnto you it is you sée an euill a most pestilent euill yea and the Lorde himselfe is the auenger of all suche euill with whome also you shew a dayly dissimulation in that you do euerie day offer vp your praiers against it saying a Math. 6. 3. Luc. 11. 4. Deliuer vs O Lord from euill and yet notwithstanding doo still make the same your dayly and continuall practise Pedler Without doubt you say true For this I knowe in my selfe that the selfe-same day wherein I hartely besought the Lord to send me a good Market I haue vsed I confesse the most fraudulent dealings No-bodie And euen thereby also you made that most holie action of Prayer accursed vnto you For he that b Pro. 28. 9. turneth his eare from hearing the Lawe his Prayer shall be abhominable Ingroser Verie true it is the Lord be mercifull to all them that knowe not the euill they doo But proceed in your purpose No-bodie Another argument also to driue men from all fraudulent dealings in buying and selling 5. Arguments drawen from the vncertainty of their punishmentes may be drawne from the vncertaintie of that punishment which the Lord in iustice alotteth to those that deale loosely therein For whereas the Apostle sayth plainely The Lorde is the auenger of all such things yet hath he héere assigned no one certaine kinde of punishment vnto it Teaching men thereby that as the Lord is at libertie to plague when where and in what manner he please so you Chapmen should tremble and quake at euerie punishment as at a iust recompence of such your sinister dealings according to that which the Lord himselfe doth testifie saying a Mich. 6. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Are yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abhominable Shall I iustifie the wicked Ballances and the Bagge of deceitfull waightes For the rich men of Ierusalem are full of crueltie and the inhabitants thereof haue spoken lyes and their toong is deceitfull in their mouthes Therefore also will I make thee sicke in smiting thee and in making thee desolate because of thy sinnes Thou shalt eate and not be satisfied and thy casting downe shall be in the middest of thee and thou shalt take holde but shalt not deliuer and that which thou deliuerest will I giue vp to the sword Thou shalt sowe but not reape thou shalt treade the Oliues but not annoynt thee with Oyle and make sweete Wine but shalt not drinke Wine In these words the Lord you sée both reproueth the enormities and sinnes of such fraudulent dealers and also denounceth against them not one but sundrie kinds of punishments due for the fame Namely an vtter consumption and wasting by famine by inward greefes and sorowes by making frustrate their hope of helpe by spoiling their goods within and without Séeing therefore the Lord hath not assigned any one speciall plague vnto such their subtill and sinister dealings but maketh the same subiect to so many sorts of punishments this me thinke should be a sufficient reason to remoue farre off from Chapmen all fraudulent fetches in buying and selling For that as the Lord will surely be auenged of all such things so hath he made this sinne subiect you sée to euerie punishment Wherein men are to remember that not onely euerie sinne hath some punishment attending vppon it howsoeuer the execution thereof be delayed at time but that like sinne is commonly recompenced with the like punishment according as it is written Because of a Wisd 11. 13. the foolish deuises of their wickednesse wherewith they were deceyued and worshipped Serpentes b Wisd 12. 24. Rom. 1. 23. that had not the vse of reason and vile beastes thou didst send a multitude of vnreasonable beastes vpon them for a vengeance to the end they might knowe that wherewith a man sinneth by the same also he shall bee punished Eueri-body What is your meaning heerein No-bodie My meaning héerein is to let you vnderstand that as these fraudulent dealers haue oft times oppressed their brethren in bargaining so they themselues are oftentimes by the iust iudgements of God most iustly oppressed of others againe through théeuerie and stealing As they oft times by their guilefull dealings haue made their poore brethren to walke with a thread-bare Coate so they themselues according to their due desarts haue béene by others againe stripped naked and bare And as they by their falsehood haue made men poore soules to goe heauily homewardes with trickling teares so they themselues are sometimes most iustly sent homewards that selfesame day by wéeping Crosse and this also according to the righteous iudgements of God who is a righteous reuenger of all suche things Pedler Vndoubtedly Sir I suppose the same to be true A profitable application of the former arguments For on a time I remember how that I deceiuing a sielie soule a little before with the sale of some wares was in the way homewardes robbed my selfe Eueri-bodie I pray you Goodman Pedler if a man might be so bolde as to aske you the question what came your gaines clearely vnto that Faire Pedler To tell you the truth they came fully to lesse then nothing For sure I am that for euerie pennie which I gote that day by vniust deceit I lost a pound by due desart Ingroser And for my part also I must néedes confesse that I lost more in one
haue spoken therein let the other prophets therefore determine as the Lorde shall direct them And whereas it hath beene a vsuall practise drawen from the scriptures them selues and the primitiue church to dedicate euerie treatise to some one man or other and that for diuers respects I thought it also a thing verie conuenient for mee to recommend these slender traueiles of mine to some suche sincere patrons as I was sure would willinglie vndertake the protection thereof If now therfore you demaūd what should moue mee among many others to make special choise of your selues thinke not I pray you but that I haue reason sufficient to lead mee vnto it For first I assuredly know you are able to iudge of the matter Both because you professe the faculty of bying and selling your selues and for that you are also those good Marchants in deed who for the pretious Perle of the Gospell can bee content to forgo whatsoeuer you haue wherupon it followeth that you are the better able to ballance all the afternamed abuses by the estimation therof Secondly for that by reason of our auncient acquaintance I haue bin more specially beholding to you both then to anie other besides therefore although I am detter to all in Christ more speciallie abound to you both then to manye other besides Being therfore so strongly confirmed herein it makes mee the bolder speciallie to present you both and generallie in you the whole companie there with this my poore Ioseph Most humblie beseeching you to accept thereof as a speciall meanes to renew that our old and ancient loue Which loue of ours being both begun and continued in Christ and for Christ maye bee one principall argument of our eternall election in Christ Iesu our Lord to whose grace I commend you all Amen Yours in the Lord and the Lord his vnvvorthie Iohn Deacon TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader grace in Christ THE apostle S. Paule good christian reader preaching on a time at a Act. 19. 18. 19 Ephesus against their grosse idolatrie and therein also verie mightilie preuailing it fell forth that one b Act. 19. 18. 19 Demetrius a siluer-smith and other the craftsmen confederat vvith him perceiuing as they thought their profits vvould verie shrevvdlie abate if by the preaching of Paule their great goddesse Diana should grovv in contempt they therefore c Act. 19. 27. pretending the onelie defense of their state and religion procured foorthvvith d Act. 19. 29. 34 a vvoonderfull tumult throughout the citie vvhereby the dealings of Paule his companie vvere causleslie called in question For the sequell shevves it selfe that the preaching of Paule tended neither to the dispraise of their art neither yet to the ouerthrovv of religion notvvithstanding Demetrius and his companie e Act. 19. 27. pretended both No he onelie reprooued that superstitious abuse of their facultie and labored to bring them vvithall vnto the sincere religion in deed So surelie my selfe on a sabboth daye preaching not long since at a certeine faire againste those sundrie abuses vvhich the common sort of chapmen doo vsuallie practise in their buieng and selling verie manie of them vvere meruellouslie offended therevvith as though I had vvith the anabaptisticall heretiks euen vtterlie condemned the verie facultie it selfe or had beene some professed enimie vnto the religion of Christ VVheras the sequell shevves you may see hovv that both I indeuored to reuiue the ancient integritie of buiing and selling the same being novv a daies verie dangerouslie ouerspred vvith the contagious infection of beastlie abuses and that I labored vvithall to mainteine the sincere religion of Christ vvhich by meanes of those beastlie abuses began novv in a maner to be generallie despised as a religion tending onelie to a verie licencious and carnall libertie But as Demetrius and the rest of that couetous crevv hovvsoeuer they pretended the publike state religion vvold neuer haue so vvinched at the preaching of Paul if so be their vnlavvful commodities themselues had not by circumstance thereof bin called in question so surelie it is to be thought that those fellovves vvhich frovvned so furiouslie against that sermon of mine vvhatsoeuer they outvvardlie pretended vvould neuer haue kicked thereat as they did had not some other secret and inordinat affections of theirs by such a maner of preaching beene verie shreudlie spur-galled Hovvbeit I for mine ovvne part doo not yet certeinelie knovv the cheefe cause in deed of this their sudden conceiued choler against me and therefore dare not certeinelie set dovvne the same For vvhether it vvas because in their ovvn consciences they felt themselues verie roundlie rubd on the gall or vvhether it vvas for that they doubted their great goddesse Diana I meane that dissimulation of theirs Act. 19. 24 vvhich brought before such gaine to their arts being thus plainelie displaied vvould novv be easilie espied euen of the simpler sort Act. 19. 27. and so by consequence the reproouing thereof become the more dangerous to that their estate verie sure I am they had no iust cause at all to be greeued therevvith VVell vvhether it vvas the spirit or spite or vvhatsoeuer accident else that disquieted their splentike passion the issue you may see dooth turne to the glorie of God Ierem. 23. For heereby appeareth the povver of his vvord vvhich as a hammer is able to breake vnto povvder such hardened hearts as hearten themselues against the orderlie course thereof And novv being often persuaded by some that the publishing thereof in Print vvould greatlie grovv to thy good I could not vvith anie reason at all dissent from that their earnest desire For although it should vvorke none amendement at all in the minds of miserable catifs vvho being too too far muzled vvith the contagious practise of such cankred abuses cannot by anie possible meanes recouer themselues from the custome thereof yet may it fullie suffice both to display their deuises and to make thee the more throughlie acquainted vvith some knovvledge of those their deceits vvherevvith I vvas deeplie deceiued my selfe Neither could I at anie hand finde out their footings vntill by dailie experience the schoole-mistresse of fooles I espied their pranks and paid for my knovvledge The principall cause vvhich draue me to dispose the matter dialog vvise vvas therby to let thee vnderstand both vvhat they vvere able to say for themselues to shevv thee vvithall hovv to ansvver the same So that thou nedest not novv no more be deceiued by anie their subtle deuises vnlesse thou purposelie suffer thine eies to be blindfolded by such pratling dissemblers as purpose to play vvith thy pursse The speakers produced in this present treatise are principallie foure presenting vnto thee foure seuerall estates of people The Ingroser he comprehends our principall merchants The Pedler dooth signifie the inferior sort of buiers and sellers No-bodie stands for the state of our painfullest preachers And Euerie-bodie puts vpon him the person of the comminaltie Novv because the best
And why so I pray you No-bodie Because they are commaūded to buy and sell according as the yere of Iubilie shal be either sooner or later encreasing the price therof if it be longer to that yéere séeing the buyers commoditye should be the more and abating the price therof if the saide time be shorter for that the buyers commoditie must be so much the lesse Eueri-bodie What vse of this Lawe with vs that be Christians No-bodie A most notable and necessarye vse For from the equity therof may be drawne the two former moste perfect rules wherby we are taught both to discerne aright of true buying and selling and which waies also we may buy sell in the feare of God with the warrant of vpright conscience Ingroser What rules I praye you are those No-bodie Firste that our couetous affections set not the price of our wares for heere you sée we should haue a speciall eye vnto that time wherin the others commoditie must cease Secondlye that in all our buying selling we doo driue the comoditie giuen receiued as neare to equalitie as we possible maye a Leuit. 25. 16. For saith the Lord the number of fruites thou sellest vnto him and the number of fruites he can now no longer enioy As if he should say sith the nearenes of time will not suffer him to make any more cōmoditie of that which he bought at thy handes therfore the price therof must be abated accordingly that so there may be a mutuall benefit and that neither parte be founde oppressing another (a) Exod. 20. 17. b For no man is licensed by the Lord to take so much from his Christian brother as one peney for nothing Pedler Then belike sir you would not haue men to sell foorth their wares any dearer at all then they boughte the same No-bodie Although for some considerations as was tolde you before I meane nothing lesse yet if héer you would haue me simplye to answere the matter setting other causes and consideratons apart I might boldely affirme that they may not Pedler And why so I beseech you No-bodie Because b Math. 7. 12. the Lawe of the Lord requireth euermore an equalitie of Iustice to be proportionably obserued of all men in their buying and selling Now for that c Ezech. 18. 4. 10 Rom. 6. 23. the Iustice of God dispenceth with no sinne be it neuer so little and seeing the manner also and forme of those his iudgements against sinne are euerye way made appliable to that equitie vpright deling which we our selues do seem to obserue with others who séeeth not how that we in kéeping this equalitie of Iustice must euer doo vnto others as we woulde be doone vnto our selues But no man him selfe would willingly be oppressed with the ouerprizing of wares And therefore it behoueth him also to measure the price vnto others in a fellowe like feeling of bothe their estates Thus then you sée that if we be rightly carefull in déed to shun the saide Iudgements of God we maye in no wise take twelue pence for sixe pence For why should not the others twelue pence in monye be fully as good as thy twelue penywoorthe of wares Iustice therefore requireth that if in the exchange of these temporall commodities the one party be founde to haue more then the other he which hath the more should willingly returne for a recompence as muche of his owne to the other and so there shal be an equalitie obserued according to Arithmaticall proportion Eueri-bodie What proportion I praye you is that No-bodie Euen the same which hath euermore an especiall regard vnto the excesse As for example Fiue is the meane you knowe between fower and six the which euen by adding vnto it but one both excéedeth and is also excéeded it self If therfore either of the parties hauing only fiue at the first the one of thē doth take but euen one frō the other this man that so taketh should haue sixe to himself and leaue the other but foure which were a meruelous excesse The Iustice therfore of God according to Arithmaticall proportion requireth for the better redresse héerof that either of thē both he brought againe to the meane which is fiue And this may easily be doone by taking one from him that hath six to giue it the other who hath but foure and so either of them both shal haue fiue you sée which is the meane betwéene foure and sixe as was tolde you before Ingroser And what if this equity were obserued in buying and selling No-bodie Then vndoubtedlye would cease all those vile and vnsauerie speeches which men spewe abroade to their owne reproche Namely I must néeds sell thus deare because of my losses or I will sell for so muche to prouide me a pennye against the raine Pedler And why should not wée bothe say it and doo it No-bodie As though you had commission from the Lorde to encroche vpon other mens coine for the supplye of your Shipwracke or as though it were lawfull to recompence your losse with other mens Labours or as though you had a speciall priuiledge very vniustly to laye those strokes vpon the shoulders of such as deale with your wares which your selues by your former losses had iustlye receiued before from the Lord or as though you might boldely prouide you a shilter for showres it skilleth not how Pedler Tushe this is a greate deale more nycenesse then néeds for poore chapmen you know must liue No-bodie As I dare not deny but that they must liue so dare I also affirm that they must séeke to liue none otherwaies at all then they may with the warrante and alowance of the Lord. For if this were enough for men to saye we must liue why then by the selfesame warrant euery felon also might say I must maintaine my charge with other mens costes Ingroser Nay that were too absurd But doo you think it then to be méerelye vnlawfull for a man to take more for his wares then he paied for the same No-bodie I say not so For as I affirmed before a man in some considerations maye lawfullye take a reasonable gaine in the sale of his wares Eueri-bodye What considerations are those No-bodie Verilye euen such as partly concerne the seller himselfe and partly also the wares which are solde For first concerning the seller him selfe a reasonable gaine is alowed vnto him when first his trauel in buying and selling dooth truly tend to a publike commoditie and not to a priuate aduauntage Secondly whē as by his owne endeuour those wares which he bought before are any thinge bettered either by adding vnto thē that thing which they wanted or otherwaies by a chargeable preseruing of them in their proper goodnes And thirdly when as he hath béene at charges by transporting his saide wares from place to place Now next concerning the wares which are to be solde Séeing one certaine one iust and vnchangeable price thereof hath not hitherto béene
a Deut. 10. 18. Gen. 18. 1. c. Iudg. 19. 17. 2. Tim. 5. 10. to the example of God him selfe and of all good men besides Ingroser And how also I praye you by an vnreasonable rackinge of wares for some respite giuen in the paiment No-bodie Verilie 2. By racking the wares for some respite in paiment and how when as the seller in a consideratioÌ„ only of giuing some respite or time for the paiment dooth strike vp his wares at an excessiue reckoninge without any regarde either of duetye to God Wherin a consideration must be had of the seller and buyer or of loue to his neighbour Ingroser Why sir is it vnlawfull for a man to take so much the more for those wares which he selles when he giueth a longer time for the paiment therof No-bodie For answere héereto 1. Considerations for the seller in giuing a respite some considerations must necessarilye be had as well of the seller as of the buyer Pedler What considerations are first to be had of the seller No-bodie For the seller 1. That he is to make present sale of his wares it behooueth him especially to remember that as he is presentlye to sell foorth his wares so he may not at any hand make a sale of time which is not his but the Lords Consider I beséeche you that time is no saleable Marchandise For who dare be so bolde as to saye he hath brought time into the Market to be solde or where is he that euer obtained leaue of the Lord to make any sale of monthes or dayes Pedler Oh yes sir a Ephe. 5. 16. the Apostle in one place as I remember dooth will vs to redéeme the time which he woulde neuer haue doon vnlesse the same might be bought and solde No-bodie Sée how greatlye you erre not b Math. 22. 29. knowing the scriptures neither the Apostles purpose in that place Who pursuing still this generall proposition vidêª videlicet that the electe in Christe must not only séeke to garnish their Christian profession with euerye kinde of vertue but also abstaining from all enormities what soeuer disgracing the same he sheweth nexte what those vertues are c Ephe. 4. 32. vidêª videlicet first the forgiuenesse one of an other after the example of Christe Secondlye d Ephe. 5. 12. a mutuall loue not only in woord but also in déed which is the fufilling of the law This béeing doone he then contriueth a catologue of all such enormities as they are especiallye to eschewe namelye e Ephe. 5. 3. Fornication vncleannes couetousnes filthines foolish talking and vaine iesting which are vnséemely for their profession After all this to the ende they should not be suddenly allured vnto the participation of anye the aforesaide enormities by the wicked example of suche as licentiouslye practise the same he foretefieth theÌ„ a freshe with sundry other inuincible arguments As first a Ephe. 5. 8. from their former condition saying before your commission to the faith of Christe you liued in those enormities and therfore hauing now taken vpon you another profession another practise of life is also required Secondly from b Ephe. 5. 9. the sundrye effectes of the holy ghoast which must of necessitie appéere in the regenerate as his proper and peculiar vertues Thirdlye from c Ephe. 5. 10. the diligent endeuour of all the Children of God who séeke by all possible meanes to approue themselues to their heauenlye Father Fourthly from the nature of sinne which is d Ephe. 5. 11. to make vnfruitfull whomesoeuer it possesseth Fiftly from the filthy e Ephe. 5. 12. conuersation of the wicked who procure to themselues a shame yea euen of their secret sinnes Sixtlye from the f Ephe. 5. 13. euente therof which is to be discouered at length And lastly from a Ephe. 5. 14. the continuall crye of God who calleth vs euerye where to amendment of life Now from all the aforesaide reasons b Ephe. 5. 15. he driueth an exhortation to the studie of Godlines and confirmeth the same with an argument gathered c Ephe. 5. 16. from a consideratioÌ„ of the time Which time also and euery occasion therof he willeth them to redeeme with newnesse of life least by their carelesse ouerslipping therof they be like to those negligent husbandmen who omitting the occasion of seed time when others doo reap are themselues moste iustlye depriued of fruit Loe this is the verye purpose of Paule in that place And this also is that buying and selling of time wherof he entreateth being so farre from warranting the vnreasonable oppressioÌ„ of those which sel forth their wares the déerer for daies that rather it serueth euery way to ouerthrow the same as one of the most principall means to maintaine that their vnsatiable couetousnes which he before had so flatly forbidden Eueri-bodie I perceiue Goodman Pedler you triumphed a little before the conquest and that in alledging this scripture you are not vnlike to those foolishe Fencers who ofte times in a lustye ioylitie doo prepare Cudgelles for their owne shoulders But what other considerations I praye you are to be had in the seller No-bodie For the seller also 2. That there be an equality of gaine between him self and the other he must further consider whether there be an equalitie of commodities betweene himselfe and the other or no. Because in euerye such buying and selling men are commaunded as it was tolde you before to driue the commoditie giuen and receiued so neere to equalitie as possible they may which can in no wise be looked for in that excessiue racking of wares solde ouer for time True it is if a Coat cloth solde forth for dayes would be so muche the longer in wearing then that which is giuen for present monye or if a quarter of Corne deliuered out for daies would longer reléeue the poore man and his familie then that which he prouideth for present paimente then there were good reason the seller should more encreace the price of the one then of the other because buyers commoditie were liker to be greater by the one then the other But seeiug the one is no lesse subiect to wearing and wasting then is the other how should it otherwaies be but that this vnreasonable enhaunsing of the one in respect of the other must néedes carry in it a smacke of most blooddy and cruell oppression Pedler Tushe a strawe this is no reason at all séeing not onlye the seller but also the buyer him selfe dooth likewise make a commoditie of such sale of wares for dayes Séeing that he hauing still his stock wholie in his handes may imploye the same to his best aduauntage by the often returne thereof yea euen vnto the very time it self wherin he is to discharge the debt and an often returne we commonly say returneth some profit No-bodie Though this your replye were graunted you euery whit yet doth it answere the matter