A Scripture Catechism, Chapter 15
Chap. 15. Of Womens painting themſelves.
Q. IS the face the cheif part, by which we are commonly known one to another?
A. Galath. 1.22. And was unknown by face unto the Churches of Judea, which were in Chriſt.
Q. Is the face one of our comely parts, which hath no need, as others, of any ſuperadded honour?
A. 1 Cor. 12.23, 24. And thoſe members of the body, which we think to be leſſe honourable, upon theſe we beſtow more abundant honour, & our uncomely parts have more abundant comelineſſe. For our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
Q. Did lewd Women uſe to paint?
A. Ezek. 23.40. And furthermore, that ye have ſent for men to come from far, unto whom a meſſenger was ſent, and loe they came, for whom thou didſt waſh thy ſelfe, paintedſt thy eyes, and deckedſt thy ſelfe with ornaments.
Q. Was that Queen a good or a wicked Woman, who ſtood in a window painting her ſelfe, when Jehu came to Jezreel?
A. 2 Kings. 9.30. And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and ſhe painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.
Q. Were the daughters of men, in the old world, really faire, that the Sons of God were ſo taken with their beauty, or did they paint, and ſo only ſeem beautifull?
A. Gen. 6.2. The Sons of God ſaw the Daughters of men that they were faire, and they took them wives, &c.
Q. Were Job's three Daughters naturally faire, or were they painted ſo?
A. Job. 42.15. And in all the land were no women found ſo faire as the Daughters of Job.
Q. Was it uſuall for the Blackamore to chang his skin by painting it white, any more than for the Leopard to chang his ſpots? or was it uſuall for men to change their haire white or black from it's naturall colour?
A. Jerem. 13.23. Can the Ethyopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? Mat. 5.36. Neither ſhalt thou ſweare by thy head, becauſe thou canſt not make one haire white or black.
Q. Is it probable that Chriſt was naturally of a beautifull countenance, that the Son of David was like David, yea fairer then the children of men?
A. Pſal. 45.2. Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is powred into thy lips. Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand.
Q. Was our Saviour's countenance much marred by reaſon of ſorrowes and ſufferings, that he ſeemed older than he was, and not ſo lovely as he was before?
A. Iſa. 53.2.—He hath no forme nor comelineſſe, and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him.
Q. When Chriſt's countenance was ſo marred, did he recover his complexion and beauty by art? or when our Saviour's countenance was transfigured, and made outwardly glorious, was it done by any art of man, & did that brightneſſe of his countenance continue?
A. Mat. 17.1, 2, 9. And after ſix dayes Jeſus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them, and his face did ſhine as the ſun, and his raiment was white as the light: And as they came down from the mountaine, Jeſus charged them ſaying, tell the viſion to no man, untill &c.
Q. Doe we find Vermilion, or the paint, amongſt all the ſtore and furniture, for ornament and bravery, which the delicate dames of Judah had in the dayes of the Prophet Iſaiah?
A. No: Iſa. 3.18. to the 24. In that day, the Lord will take away the bravery of their trinckling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, the chaines, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, the bonnets, & the ornaments of the legges, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings, the rings and noſe-jewels, the changeable ſuits of apparrel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the criſping pins, the glaſſes, and the fine linnen, and the hoods, and the vailes.
Q. How did religious women of old time adorne or beautify themſelves? did they paint to gaine or keep the affections of their husbands?
A. 1 Pet. 3.3, 4, 5. Whoſe adorning let it not be the outward adorning, of plaiting the haire, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparell: but let it be the hidden man of the heart — For after this manner in old time the holy women alſo who truſted in God adorned themſelves.
Q. Is it probable that Chriſtian women, to whom the Apoſtle Peter wrote, or concerning whom the Apoſtle Paul wrote to Timothy, did uſe painting, as well as gold and ſilver and plaiting the haire?
A. 1 Pet. 3.3. Whoſe adorning let it not be that outward adorning, of plaiting the haire, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparrell. 1 Timoth. 2.9. In like manner alſo, that women adorne themſelves in modeſt apparell, with ſhamefaſtneſſe and ſobriety, not with broided hair, or gold, or pearles, or coſtly array.
If painting had been uſed then by Chriſtian women, that had been lyable to have been abuſed too, and if ſo, 'tis not improbable that the Apoſtles would have mentioned it, as well as other things wherein were exceſſe.
Q. Would it be better for a religious Woman to come into the Congregation vailed or painted?
A. 1 Corinth. 11.5. But every woman that prayeth or propheſieth with her head uncovered, diſhonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if ſhe were ſhaven.
Q. Is it expedient for a religious woman to paint?
A. Philip. 4.8. Finally brethren, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things are lovely, whatſoever things are of good report, if there be any vertue, and if there be any praiſe, think on theſe things.
Q. Were common Harlots uſually known, or diſtinguiſhed from ſober and modeſt women by their cloathes or outward Garbe?
A. Prov. 7.10. And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an Harlot, and ſubtill of heart.
Q. In caſe religious women ſhould not be diſſwaded from painting, would it not be expedient that they ſhould doe it either with other colours, or in ſome other manner then lewd women uſe to doe; that ſo they might be known to be honeſt and modeſt women?
A. Rom. 12.2. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, &c.
Q. Will painting or auxiliary beauty certainly, and continually win, or conquer others affections?
A. See Jerem. 4.30. And when thou art ſpoiled, what wilt thou doe? though thou clotheſt thy ſelfe with crimſon, though thou deckeſt thee with ornaments of gold, though thou renteſt thy face with painting; in vaine ſhalt thou make thy ſelfe faire; thy Lovers will deſpiſe thee, they will ſeek thy life.
Q. What is the beſt meanes for a woman to have and hold her husbands affections? is not the feare of God, and meek & diſcreet carriage towards her husband?
A. Prov. 31.30. Favour is deceitfull, and beauty is vaine: but a woman that feareth the Lord ſhe ſhall be praiſed. 1 Pet. 3.1, 3, 4. Likewiſe ye wives be in ſubjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they alſo may without the word be won by the converſatiō of the wives, whoſe adorning let it not be that outward adorning, of plaiting the haire, & of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparrell, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek & quiet ſpirit. Pr. 11.22.
Q. Had the Virgins who were prepared for, and preſented to Ahaſuerus any paint, as well as perfumes, allowed them?
A. Eſther. 2.12. Now when every Maids turne was come to goe into King Ahaſuerus, after that ſhe had been 12 moneths, 6 moneths with oyle of myrrhe, and ſix moneths with ſweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women.
Q. But doth not the Scripture ſay Pſal. 104.15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oile to make his face to ſhine. And Eccleſ. 9.8. Let thy garments be alwaies white, and let thy head lack no oyntment.
A. In thoſe Eaſterne hot countryes they did uſe oile frequently to anoint themſelves withall, poſſibly to make their skin ſmooth and cleare, free from beeing too much dried and parched, and ſo wrinkled before 'its time, and to make them have a chearfull countenance; they took oile perhaps inwardly, and they uſed it outwardly, anointing their heads, and perhaps their faces too for the purpoſes aforeſaid, & it may be too, to perfume themſelves, and this was the practiſe of men, and of good men too. 2 Sam. 12.20. Of David.
And we read that one powred out a box of precious ointment on our Saviour, and was commended for it.
This uſe of oile was common to men, but who ever heard of a man's face laid in oile colours? of ſuch a picture of a man you may have heard.
The Picts I ſuppoſe painted their whole bodyes, ſee Camdē. If of naturall ſurely of auxiliary beauty we may take up that ſaying, favour is deceitfull, and beauty is vaine, &c. Prov. 31.30.
Q. Should Chriſtians doe well to conforme themſelves to the modeſt faſhions of good people where they dwell?
A. See 1 Cor. 11.16. But if any man ſeem to be contentious, we hauehave no ſuch cuſtome, neither the Churches of God. 1 Pe. 3.3, 4, 5. Whoſe adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparrell. But let it be the hidden man of the heart.—For after this manner in old time the holy women alſo, who truſted in God, adorned themſelves.
Q. Is it not fitting by any art to paint, or counterfeit the fruit of repentance, or to hide, or hinder the evidence of it in our countenance Is it then expedient to paint our faces?
A. Ezrah 9.5, 6. And at the evening ſacrifice, I aroſe up from my heavineſſe, and having rent my garment, and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and ſpread out my hands unto the Lord my God, and ſaid, O! my God, I am aſhamed, and bluſh to lift up my face to thee, my God, Jer. 6.15. and chap. 8.12.
Q: If a woman have no evill intention, or deſigne in painting her face, or in going with naked breſts, doth that certainly free her from all fault, blame, and puniſhment for her ſo doing, in caſe this be an occaſion of ſin and fall to others, that behold her?
A. 1 Cor. 8.13. If meat make my Brother to offend, I will eate no fleſh while the world ſtandeth. Exod. 21.33.