q6 [a{es of Conjcience. bccaufc we may not haue aboue one coate A For Iohn g1ues this rulc,Luk. 3.11. Leth;m that htJth tr¥~coatu,giue to himtbM b~Jthmnc. Aif. !ohmmeaning mufl needsbe this; He that hath not onely necelfarie1·aymeur, but more rhen nccetfarie, he muG giue ofhis a~ bundance to them char \Vanr. For orhcrwife1 his rule lhould not agree wirh ChrHls owne prad:tfe,who hadhimlelfcrwocoatcs)an inner and an vpper garmenr,which he kept & wore: nor with S. Pauls,who had both acloakeand acoate. This Rule, difcoumrhecommonfinfull praCbfcofmany men in tbc world.T be greater fortofmen are excccdinglycarefull,by all meanes andwaies,ro fol low thcfafhion,and to B . rake vp cu~ryncwfJ.ngkd attire, whcnfocucr it comes abmad. Acourfe fiat comrade to Chrifls doCtrme, which commandeth an ha~ nefl carconefy forncce!Ilricornamcnts, and condemnerh thccontraric, &rhatvp:>n fpc– daiJ reafon;becaufethisinordin:ate&affetled carc,is comruonlyagrear pick~purfe. It fiflcs mens bc.1d~ and hearts with vamcandfoollfl1 thoughts: it makes them waafully 10 abufc rhcCldfings of God giucn \.•nto rhern,whereby they arc d1fablcd from helping others rim arc in necdc. VVhercas, rhe firfl and principa!Jcarf',ought to bee for the adorning of the foule w1th grace, and putung on the Lord Ieft!S; and this is it which will yeeld · morecomfort ro rhc minde and confcience, rhenany exccmall formalirierothc ourw>rd C llarcof man. I I. Rule. All apparell muCl bee 6ucd to the body,inacomelyanddecent maner;fuch as becommcth holmctfe,Ta.z.;. If ir bee here dcmaunded,How wee fi10uld rhus (rame and fafhion our attire?Theanfwcr is 1 By obferumg the rules ofdecencic& come– Hnetfc,whlch arc innumber fcauen. FirH, c!Jar it be accordmgto the fexc: for men mu!l prepare :appareJI.tOr men, women for women. This rule isnorccrcmomaJl, but grounded vpon the law ofnature,& common ho!tcfly, Dl!ur.zz.s. The we~man fullt not weare thttt whidJpertAinetb vnto themaPI, nfir:hf'r P.nt/1A manputon womamraiment:forn/i thJJt doe fo>are D abominatie~nto the L1rdthyGod. Secondly, our app~rell muCl beemadeac– cording toour office; thar is,fuch as may be fitrc and conucnieot for vs, in refpeCl of our calling: rbar it may nor hinder or difablevs, m rhe performance of the duties rhtreof. VVhereupon comes iu!Hy robe condemned the kindeof apparell, (fpce~ally of women) that !svfed in thls :~ge.For it makes them l1kc roan image in a (ramclet boltvptight; wher– by itc0mes topatfe,thartbeycannorgowcll) and wuh cafe or conuenicncie, about any good bufincs, but munofneccffiry, either fit, or !land. Thirdly, our atrlrerr.ufl bee according ro our ab1hrtc, and maint~naccl!',cither m lands, or in goods and (ubfiance. VVc mufi(::~s the common prouerbc is) J11ape our coate accor– ding toourcloath,thatfo wee may notbeetn wanr, but haue (ufficicntwhercwith tomam· taine our families, and to rele:ue thepoore. VVhich aifo feruerh to condcmnerhc finne of many perfons,wholay vpon rheir backcs, wharfocuer rhey can fcrape and gather roge· rhor;in rhe mcane whilc,neglectingrhe honell md.intenancc ofthcirowne eltates for ttmc: to come, and the nccelfarie releefeofthem that arc in diflrclfeandwant. Fourthly, it mull beanfwcrable ro oure– l!areand digniry,for Jil!inC!ion of order and desree in rhefoc1etics ofmeu. This vfe ofar– tire !lands by the very ordmance of God; who,.a~ he !lath not forted all men to all pfa· ccs, to bew1JI hauemen to fie thcmfelues and their attirc,totb~qualityof their proper pla– ces, to put ad1ffercnl c berweene themfcJues and others. Thus we reade,thatIofeph Demo by Phara~hferouer all 'hela~d ofEgypt,wa~ arrayed wuhgarm~nts of fine lmr.l'n, 11ntJ hlld a golden cl14ine pm vpo» htJ neck._~) to put adiffe– rence bC'twcc·nhim and the infCriour princes ofPharaoh,Gen.41.4Z. Thus in auncienr rimes,the captaincsandchccfeofthearmies) didwearc fine garments of diuerscoJours of needle work,todifiingutOJ them from others, Iud. >· 3o. Tl]us in kings courts, rbey went in fofrraymenr, and the poorer people in bafer and rougher attire,Mar.t 1. 8. Bywhich ir ap– peares, rnarmanyinrhefe Jaies doegreatly otfcnd. For men kecpe not themfciueswab~ h1 iheirowne order: but the Artificer com~ monly goes cla~ likerhc Yeoman: rheYeo– man 11kc rhc Gentleman: rheGentleman as the NobieRJan:the Noblemanas rhe Prince: which bringeth great confulJon, and v·ttcrly ouerrurneth rheorder which God h~rh fer in rhe flares and conditions ofmen. Fifrly, mens arrire is robe framed andpre– pared,according totheauncientand rccciucd cuflome of rhe coumrey, wherein they ate brought vp and dwell. . Touching this Rule, iris dcmaunded, ~>hcrher,ifa man fee a fafl1ion vfed in orhercoun– rrics,hemay not rake it vphere,and vfcit l Anfw. He may nor.For God harh rhrear– ned roviure all fucb,as •re doth<d with{/rang< •pp.rdi,Zeph. 1.9. And Paulraxethirasa great diforder in rhe Church ofCorinth,and cuen againU natme, that men went iu long h~tire~ and womenwentvncomred, 1. Cor. 11. r3,I4. And1f thisbefo, rhcn whara diforder is tha~, when men of one countrcy, frame thcm{elues to the falhions andattires, both of men aud women ofother nations? This one linnc is fo common among vs, th;at it harh branded our Englilh people wirb the blacke markcof the vainell and mofl new· fangled people vnder heaucn. Ifa flraunger comme[h into our land,heckccpcrhhasaun· cicnr and cuilomable attire, without varying (Jf alteration. Wee on the contrary, c~n fee no fa01ion vfed either by the French,Iralian, or'
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