Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

7z Queffions-and Anfwers 7. Command. howfinal caufe haue we to be proude offttch a liuerie ? Nay fee the dulneffe of our hearts'& the abfurdnes of our dealing. if a theefe fhould be hued from hanging,with this condition added that he fhould euerweare a halter, were it not a frange hardnts ofhis heart ,ifhe fhould fo forget his fal, and fo t!orie in his Maine teflificd day and night veto hits by that halter, that ht fhould begin to boafi of his halter, to be proud of it, and to make it offilke in fitmptuous fort , for ornament to his neck ? Truly it ire. And'fo iris hr man a very firange worke of fatan,that he fhoulde fo exceedein pride with this thing,the fight wherof fhould rather pinch his heart with forrow,thati be fo exaltedeucn out of his own knowledge, with apparel,w hich in truth (to fpeak as a göod heart fhould leek it) fhould humblevs , beat vs dowse, and make vs euen with the Pcacocke let our feathers fall for the fouleneffe of our feet. Therefore I fay one thing, use thinks to draw vs to mediocritìe in this matter fhould bee well ,wey- ing ofthe firff beginning of apparell.Secondly,the fpeedy wafle of it is fomething.For how can agood confcience warrantvnto vs fuch great charge , yea fuch exceeding charge in a thing fo changeable, when We flail glue an acccmpt how we bellowed our goods ? Thematter or theforme failes , ere euer our price behalfeanfwered with vfe. Ahdthereis'no eflatein earth that may warrant aChrifiian man or woman to be awilfull wafter of the Lbrds giftes vtito them. Thirdly, the miflikingof the word fhoitld make miiliking in my heart of carafe orvanity in this matter. Now,the Lord Dcut.t t. faith in the lawe : Th er fhalt not weareagarment of diners forts, m ofwollenand linen to- gether. The meaning where'ofwas this,he wotìld not haue them newfangled, wanton and fantafticall in their apparell.The fame God crieth out againfi the loves by his pro. 6faY3 phet, that hewool de rake away the ornament ofrheflipper s, and thecal'es, and the round artIr's,the fweeto bal ',the breeder" and the bonett, the attires of:l e head and the flops, the headbands , the tablets end the taring" , the rings .and fliers , the cofi y a pparell and the vailei,thewimples, Melthe cri iagpms,thegleles,riei cdesandtbelannes. With which ill extremity vied no doubt they had proucked the Lord , and daily did offend bin). roph.TS. Alfoby another Prophct, Iwi1i ìiftte the princes and th king" children , and allflecb.0 hre tlorhedwirh_grange apparell: thatis,as'imitatethe vaine fafhions ofother countries in any Vaine manner.And theApoflle Paul hath amoftpatine fpeech to women,wher. s.Tim. 2.9. by men alto mayknovre their duètie. Irvill(faith he) that the women Arrayrhemfelues nt Read she in comely apparel!withffiamefe fine" and{nod0yy,natiritb brodredhaireofgold,orpearlet, note ofçh*Li orcotlyapparell, butatberommethseainenthkx pro ehe the feareofGod withgoodivorket. word in the Which very words Peter alfo hath to thefame end. There with many moefuchplaces Tetlamcnt. Thew vs the millikingof the Lord ofdifordcritf apparrell, and they fhould I fay me I.P et. 3.3 thinke make vs meanie alto withit. Fourthly, the fentences of graueand godly fa- thers, which haue fpoken of this matter fhould not be negleaed of vs. And what are they ? If the matter of our apparrell bee roo redly, heare what S.Bernard faith :Exte. riar fuperfluitas vet/ am, inter:cris hominid indicium t The out wardfteperfluity and waft of garment, is an cuident token of the inwardman (that he is Unreformed.) if the forme end fafhion bee vnfcemely orwanton,then faith the fame father, Vefliumcuriofitasde- formitarismend" e,` martins indium eflì The cariofttieof thegarment bewrayethdefor- mityofmïnde and manners inthee. Thus chatter andformebeeingvnfecming ,eytherof themdifcredite manand wornati, and nuke their inward hidden corruption appeare to theworld. Fiftly, all the werrlde khowëth it and it cannot be denied that immo- derate apparrell is a vehement inticentent to the breach ofehis commaundement t and thetefdre wicked. Ceflitatis comes frugalitae , The companion e f chafiity is frugality, faith a learned man , and euen in apparrell. I would to God, if with a Chriflian heart any will not thinke of thefe two Taft reafons, yet that they would thinke of them with worldlywifedome, and in policit weigh them. For there is no man nor woman fo farce fallen out with rcli ion,and honcfly,but that iftheybe not fuch, yet they deflre to fame to bore/taken. Now , apparrell in matter or forme vnfecmely rob- bah them ofthls, that neither feeme nor are thought to bee of many: For touching religion,who can thinke themmortified to finne within in heart,who fo feeme to line to all vanity and exceffe without in bodie ? Who can thinke they are reformed in foule,

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