Three Treatises, Part 3 – Title page 4
III.
Such must know, that as the kingdome of God standeth not in any of these outward things,1 Cor. 88. so they must not bee suffered to hinder the kingdome of God in our selues or others: And though they being things so indifferent in themselues, as they commend vsus not to God; yet in the vse of them all, wee must exercise certaine vertues in which wee must be acceptable to God; and auoyd such vices in the abusing of them, as will else discommend vsus before him. For suppose they be things in their nature neither good nor euill, neither commanded nor forbidden; as, Whether I should weare cloth or leather, whether a plaine band or a ruffe, whether single or double, whether white or yellow; yet in the vse of any of these outward and indifferent things, my action is either good or euill, according to my exercise of vertue or vice in it.How indifferent things become euill to vsus. Neither can any thing be so indifferent in it selfe, but it may become euill and sinne in me many wayes: as,
1. By my election and choyce of it without assurance of my liberty in Christ, or with doubting whether I doe well in vsing it, or no.
2. By my intention, which may be corrupt and vicious in my selfe, and preiudiciall to others.
3. By many accidentary euents: as, if others bee by my vse of lawfull and outward liberties occasioned to sinne, or thrust forward in carnal licentiousnesse. All which I rather propound to be wisely considered for the remouing of that common obiection and conceit, That the things are not great, and God cares not so much for the dressing of the body, so I keepe my heart to him and giuegive him content in my soule. As if these persons conceiued, that the body is not the Lords as well as the soule, or that that soule can bee Gods, when the diuell hath the dressing of the body.
IV.
We must know, that although the Word of God af…ord not particular directions for eueryevery particular habit and artire, yet we may not thinke it a defectiue rule, or short and wanting to guide vsus euen in the least or lowest action of our liues: because it supplyeth vsus with many generall rul…s, to all which wee must reduce eueryevery particular action of common life, for the allowance or refusall of it. And therefore for the help of such as are teachable, I thought it might be profitable to apply vntounto those generals, and bring to their triall, this particular of habits, and attires; vntounto which, while they are squared, none hauehave so much right to vse them as women fearing God: but if they depart from those rules, they are not so vnseemely in any, as in them.
The generall Rules are these, reduced to foure heads.
1. Some concerne God: 2. Some our selues: 3. Some our brethren: 4. Some the ornament it selfe. For vntounto all these wee must hauehave respect euen in our Attires and Ornaments.
I. In respect of God, we must attend three rules:
1. The first concerneth our warrant, and is this: No ornament must be vsed, but by warrant and leaue from God. Our warrant is from the Word; our loaue is by prayer: the rule for both is expresse, 1 Tim. 4. 5. EueryEvery creature of God is good, sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Whence it followeth, that whatsoeuer ornament, attire, or fashion, is not warranted to the heart by some part of the Word, the ground of faith, or for which it cannot send vp a prayer of faith for Gods blessing vponupon it: that cannot be warrantable to a godly heart. Which of our Gallants, in their strange fashions, ponder that of the Apostle, Whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deed, Col. 3. 17.doe all in the name of Christ: that is,
1. By the warrant of his Word.
2. With inuocation of God in the name of Christ.
2. The second rule concerning God must looke to the right end, namely,
No ornament or attire of any fashion or colour may bee vsed till the heart be assured that this be the proper end, That in adorning the body, it honour God. 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether yee eat or drinke, or whatsoeuer ye doe, doe all to the glory of God. The word whatsoeuer, being a word of vniuersality, fetcheth in the smallest action of life, in which we are bound chi…fly and principally to intend, and set vp the glory of God, for which end hee created not our selues onelyonly, but all his workes, first to himselfe, and then for vsus. Whence it followeth, that whatsoeuer fashion, attire, or ornament doth spot or staine the glory of God, the Gospell of God, or our holy profession, that is vnwarrantable and vnlawfull.
3. The third rule concerning God, is, That
No ornament may be vsed to correct Gods workemanship, which euen a skilfull Artificer would take il at any mans hands. It is true, a woman may nourish her haire, for it is her glory; and may seemely adorne her selfe with her owne, for so was the Church in Christs eyes; yea, and in want of their owne, if for seemelinesse they borrow of oothers,Cant. 4. 3. it may be excused (so modesty be not exceeded:) but of very wantonnesse or pride to dislike their owne, or to affect such ornament of strange haire as their naturall and proper haire will not reach vntounto, argueth vanity and discontentment with the worke of God, saying vntounto God, Why hast thou made me thus, or why hast thou made my haire of this colour, and not of that?
And much more to grow out of liking with Gods workmanship on their faces, and by painting to refine them to their own fancies, is an immodest sinne condemned in whorish Iezabel. 2 Kin. 9. 30▪We deny not but it is lawfull to couer a blemish, or hide an hurt or deformity in seemly manner: but by defacing Gods workmanship, and by stamping pride on their faces by painting and colours, can by no colour be warranted. Say not, It is custome; for all custome must bee ruled by the word of Christ, who said, I am Truth; and not, I am Custome. Nor say, I must bee handsome and comely, and therefore I may; for this is but to couer pride vnderunder this pretence. Neither say, I am young, and may take liberty;Tit. 2. 4. 6. for young men and women must be sober as well as other. Nor say, I must please my husband. True; but it must bee in the Lord, and in things honest and lawfull. Or can it please any husband, to come before him in a visard, a borrowed and adulterate face and fashion?
II. The second sort of rules respecting our selues, are fiue.
1. No ornament or attire may be worne, till the heart be resolued that it will bee fitting and pleasing to the holy Ghost, whose Temple the body of eueryevery beleeuer is. 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know yee not that your bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost? Now because this holy Spirit cannot take pleasure in any ornament but such as becommeth holinesse, neither indeed can any other beseeme this Temple; therefore all good Christians will make conscience of what they offer to adorne this Temple withall, and be sure it be no light, strange, odde, or swaggering fashion or attire, taken from light and wanton persons, that they present the blessed Spirit of God with, for the beautifying of his temple.
And besides, seeing eueryevery beleeuer hath put on Christ as a garment, Rom. 13, 14. it will be the wisedome of eueryevery Christian to see that his ornament be sutable to his apparell, that neither his ornament shame his suit, nor his suit disgrace his ornament. EueryEvery thing in a Christian, from a Christian, on a Christian, or about him, should sauour of Christ, and expresse him. Be sure that thy ornament suit with the same minde that was in Iesus Christ.Phil. 2. 5.
2. No Ornament may be vsed with affection, or affectation. 1 Pet. 3. 3. the Apostle forbiddeth broydred haire: and 1 Tim. 2. 9. he forbiddeth not that only, but gold, and pearles, and costly apparell. Which wee must not vnderstand as if hee simply and absolutely did forbid and condemne the wearing of gold, or chaines, rings, bracelets, billimen…s, spangles, and the like: but the thing forbidden, is the affecting and study of these things.
When women (for to those he writeth in both places, as being more impotently carried away with this vanity than the other sexe) not onelyonly take pleasure in outward ornament, but study brauerie, and striue to be as braue, or beyond others, at least not behinde them in vaine and new-come fashions, which is a signe of a sluggish and delicate minde, giuen vp to the delights of the flesh, and farre from mortification.
Our Lord, in Matth. 6. 28. allowes not Christians to bestow their thoughts on apparel which is more needfull than ornament. And his Apostle commands vsus to vse the most necessary things as not vsing them, 1 Cor. 7. 31. Then must wee restraine our selues euen in lawfull liberties, when wee finde our selues prone to bee brought vnderunder the power of any of them, as 1 Cor. 6. 12.
3. No ornament or habit may be worne against shamefastnestnesse and modesty. 1 Tim. 2. 9. The women must array themselues in comely apparell, with shamefastnesse and modesty. We know, that since the fall, nakednesse is a shamefull thing, and sinne hath cast shame on eueryevery part, and calleth for a couer ouer al but for necessity; and garments were ordained to hide nakednesse, not to display or discouer it. And me thinks it cannot stand either with religion, or modesty, or with the shamefastnesse of that sex, so to attire themselues, as to display their naked breasts, and some somewhat lower; or bare their armes beyond that which is fit for eueryevery one to behold. I cannot enter into the heart to iudge any: but I much feare whether they are, or hauehave euer beene deiected with a deepe sense of their soules nakednesse, and therewith ashamed and confounded before God, that are not ashamed to vncouer their bodily nakednesse (beyond that which is comely) before men.
4. No ornament or attire may be vsed to the impeachment of our good name, which is better than the most precious oyntment, Eccel. 7. 3.or ornament▪ as if it carry a brand of pride, wantonnesse, lightnesse, or inconstancy, or a note to bee an inuenter or follower of new and strange fashions: whereas the Apostle would hauehave the outward habit and attire expresse the feare of God which they professe, 1 Tim. 2. 10. and would hauehave women to bewray the hidden man of the heart in all their outward attires, 1 Pet. 3. that is, the new creature, and diuine nature, which is hid and seated within, but shewed forth in vertuous behauiour, and sober carriage. But alas, how doe they prouide for their reputation, that (as Chrysostome complaineth of some women in his time) so lightly and wantonly tire themselues, that when they come into the Church or Oratory, they seeme rather to come into dance than to pray. And the euill is greater, that the hurt falleth not onelyonly on their owne names, but on the name of God also.
5. No ornament or attire may bee vsed to the wasting of our outward estate, or the abuse of Gods blessing in riot or prodigalitie, or the disabling vsus from being helpfull to others. The reason is, because wee sit not in our owne, but are stewards of these things, and must bee countable how we expend them. The godly heart must bee sure therefore to lay out nothing for attires, or fashions, but that which it may comfortably bring in accounts vntounto God.
Besides, the word of God layeth necessary iniunctions vponupon vsus to doe good, and distribute to the necessities of the Saints; to be rich in good workes, thereby both to testifie the truth of our faith, as also to be furthering our owne reckoning. Now what an vnanswerable ouersight were it, by excesse and superfluity in things (comparatiuely) vnnecessary, to disable our selues for so necessary duties, and preuent our selues of so large and comfortable retribution,
III. Now follow the rules concerning our brethren.
1, No ornament or fashion may be vsed to offend our Christian brother. Rom. 14. 21. It is not good to doe any thing (suppose it more necessary than attires) with offending the weake brother. If the heart suspect or discerne, that this or that attire may or doe offend any Christian; if the iust cause of the offence rise not out of the thing which may be allowable enough, but out of his weaknesse that takes the offence, the precept of the Apostle bindeth it, to tender the weaknesse of his brother, and now to forbeare his or her lawfull libertie; and vponupon very good and grounded reason. 1. Because charitie is better than outward ornament. 2. The nourishing of our brothers faith, is farre more precious than the nourishing of out owne flesh. 3. The edification of our brother is to be preferred before our owne pleasure. So, as a conscience well informed will bee very tender to offend a weake brother by vndue and vntimely vse of his liberty, although himselfe bee perswaded well of it.
2. No ornament, atire, habit, or fashion, may bee vsed to the strengthning of any vaine minds in their new-fangled and strange guizes. Rom. 12. 2. And fashion not your selues to this world. A godly minde may not like, or be like vaine-minded persons i… their fashions, forme, and courses; no not so much as enter into their way, Prou. 4. 17. nor bee companions with them in any of their works of darknesse, Eph. 5. 7. Now as it will bee a sorry plea for thyselfe in thine account to say, I thought I might doe this or that, because I saw some before me whom I thought well of; so will it iustly increase thy iudgement, that thou hast by thy practise strengthned the hand of sinners, and harde…ed them in their sinne, whom by thy sober and seemely carriage thou shouldest hauehave actually and really reproued▪ Yea, and in that rule of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14. 26. Lot all things be done to edification, thou art cast as guiltie, who hast destroyed him by thy example, whom thou shouldest hauehave edified.
3. No ornament or attire may be vsed, which may become either a share to our selues or others. There are some habits framed to draw▪ yes, to get louers, and to occasion vnlawfull desires. The daughters of Sarah detest such whorish habits, and are carefull that by nothing about them any eye or heart may bee entangled. Their endeuour is not to auoyd onelyonly apparent euils, but appearances of euill. To discouer by our habits some naked parts,1 Thes. 5. as many doe, is a danger of temptation to many beholders. And as in the Law, hee that digged a pit and left it vncouered, must answer for the oxe, or asse, or beast that fell into it: so here; although they are beasts that fall into the pit of lust vponupon such spectacles, yet are they not free, that couered not the pit. Neither will it excuse,Veneni poculum porrexit aspicientibus, et si nullas fit …nuentus qui …iberet, Chrysost, in Matth. to say, But I intend no such thing by my habit; for if thou knowest it may bee an occasion of mouing euill lusts, and doest not preuent the occasion, thou art blame-worthy as the first in that sinne. Thou hast filled a cup of poyson to the beholder, although there be none to drinke it, saith Chrysostome.
IV. Now followes the last ranke of rules, concerning the ornaments or attires themselues.
1. No outward ornameut or habit may be vsed vponupon the bodie, which is seuered from the inward ornament of grace vponupon the soule. The Apostles no where mention this argument, but they commend this to the chiefe care of Christian women, to bee more sollicitous and curious in adorning the soule with grace, than the body with gay clothing: and plainly teach that the true ornament of a Christian woman,1 Pet. 3. 3. is her sanctification,Prou. 1. 9. which beautifieth the hidden man before God. This is the ornament for her head, and chaynes for her necke. This is the borders of gold, and studs of siluer, which make her comely in the eye of Christ, Cant. 1. 10, 11. Yea, this is her grace among men, Pro. 31. 25. And when savour shall proue deceitfull, Vers. 30.aad beauty to be vanity, then shal a woman fearing the Lord, be praysed. All ornaments of nature, all artificiall colours and couers are but filthinesse, where this is wanting. See Prou. 11. 12. A iewell of gold in a swines snout, is a beautifull woman without inward comelinesse. Seuer this from outward ornament; and though shee may please her selfe a time in her conceit of brauery; I shall assure her, shee shall hauehave no reioycing in heart, no hope in death, no ioy in God, no boldnesse in iudgement. Take the counsell of Christ in time, Reu. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me white garments, &c.
2. No ornament or attire must be worne against the iudgment and example of the modest, frugall, and graue persons of our owne ranke. Phil. 49, Wee must thinke and doe whatsoeuer things pertaine to good report, and whatsoeuer things hauehave any vertue or praise in them. Now to imitate the most modest, sober, and vertuous of our ranke, is vertuous, and prayse-worthy, and of good report: whereas to inuentors of euill fashions, or imitators of light, wanton, garish, or proud persons, in their proud or fantasticall fashions, brings a iust blot vponupon the person, and a gash into the name and repu…ation, which will no… easily bee healed. And how iust is it, that such as will pride themselues, and glory in themselues, against the glory of Iesus Christ, and the Gospell of Christ which they professe, should meet with shame and contempt amongst men of sound iudgement, and be sent away with a little contemptuous flattery onelyonly of such wantons as themselues?
3. No ornament must be vsed which is not as well expedient as lawfull. 1 Cor. 10. 23. All things (meaning things indifferent) are lawfull for mee, but all things are not expedient. Euen such things as are lawfull, may be inexpedient for a meane estate and condition, whether it bee in degree, or in ability.
What an inconuenient excesse is it, to weare gold for ornament, when they want siluer for necessaries: now to weare iewels for pride, and then pawne them for need; to rufflle it in silkes, when they can scarce pay for cloth; to make an idle shew and ostentation of abundance, when indeed they are in great wants? Is it fit for such to follow fashions? No, but as we must eat according to that with which the Lord hath blessed vsus; so must we also in our attire and habits. The Lord hath called such persons to fr…gality and thriftinesse, and to suit their cloathes and ornrments to their present estate. Euen a ciuill wise man will fit his minde to his estate, if his estate be not fitted to his mind.
Besides, costly ornaments fit not eueryevery degree that are able. As it was a disorder for Nabal to keep … feast like a Kings, 1 Sam. …5.(although he was able) so in attires and ornaments, for meane persons to suit themselues with great personages, breeds a great deformity, and lets in a confusion in degrees, and a neglect of distinction of persons, offices, and dignities, which the God of order hath set amongst men.
Adde hereunto, that such things as are lawfull, may be iuconuenient at some times. It was noted riotous in the glutton, that hee went in purple, and fared deliciously …uery day. Luk. 16.There bee wedding garments for times of ioy and feasting; but some times are mournfull, and call for mouruing garments, Iohn 3. and Dan. 9. 3. It is more than inconuenient to be in pompe, excesse, and delicacie, when there should be weeping, humility, fasting, and renting of hearts and garments. I trust godly women will be content by looking vponupon the afflicted estate of the Church of God eueryevery where at this day, to restraine themselues in their excesses in their lawfull liberties, and follow the Lord calling them to consider the afflictions of Ioseph.
FINIS.
A SHORT INTRODVCTION to the worthy receiuing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper.
By THOMAS TAYLOR, Doctor in Diuinity, and late Preacher in Aldermanbury Church, London.
LONDON: Printed by I. B. for Iohn Bartlet, at the signe of the gilt Cup in Cheap-side. 1633.