of that colour; one of cloth, another of filk or damask. We must have change of apparel, one afore dinner, and another after; one of the Spanish fashion, another Turkey : and to be brief, never content with fufficient. Our Saviour Chrift bade his difciples they fhould not have two coats: Matt. x. but the moft men, far unlike to his fcholars, have their preffes fo full of apparel, that many know not how many forts they have. Which thing caufed St. James to pronounce this terrible curfe againft fuch wealthy worldlings: Go to, ye rich men; weep and bowl on your wretched- James v. nefs ibat fhall come upon you: your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth-eaten: ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and in wantonnefs; ye bave nourished your hearts, as in the day of flaughter. Mark, I befeech you, St. James calleth them miferable, notwithstanding their riches and plenty of apparel, forafmuch as they pamper their bodies to their own deftruction. What was the Luke xvi. rich glutton the better for his fine fare and coftly apparel? Did not he nourish himfelf to be tormented in hellfire? Let us learn therefore to content ourselves, having food and raiment, as St. Paul teacheth, left, defiring to be 1 Tim. vi. enriched with abundance, we fall into temptations, fnares, and many noifome lufts, which drown men in perdition and deftruction. Certainly, fuch as delight in gorgeous apparel are commonly puffed up with pride, and filled with divers vanities. So were the daughters of Sion and people of Jerufalem, whom Ifaiah the Prophet threaten- Ifa. iii. eth, because they walked with ftretched-out necks and wandering eyes, mincing as they went, and nicely treading with their feet, that Almighty God would make their heads bald, and difcover their fecret fhame. In that day, faith he, fhall the Lord take away the ornament of the Aippers, and the cauls, and the round attires, and the fweet balls, and the bracelets, and the attires of the head, and the flops, and the bead-bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings, the rings, and the mufflers, the coftly apparel, and the veils, and wimples, and the crifping-pins, and the glaffes, and the fine linen, and the boods, and the lawns. So that Almighty God would not fuffer his benefits to be vainly and wantonly abufed, no not of that people whom he most tenderly loved, and had chofen to himfelf before all other. No lefs truly is the vanity that is ufed among us in thefe days. For the proud and haughty ftomachs of the daughters of England are fo maintained with divers difguifed forts of coftly apparel, that, as Tertullian, an an- Apolog. cient father, faith, there is left no difference in apparel con. Gen. between

S 3

tes, c. 6.

Acts xii.

between an honeft matron and a common ftrumpet. Yea, many men are become fo effeminate, that they care not what they spend in difguifing themfelves, ever defiring new toys, and inventing new fashions. Therefore a certain man, that would picture every countryman in his accustomed apparel, when he had painted other nations, he pictured the Englishman all naked, and gave him cloth under his arm, and bade him make it himfelf as he thought beft, for he changed his fafhion fo often, that he knew not how to make it. Thus with our fantastical devices we make ourfelves laughing-ftocks to other nations; while one fpendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts, another beftoweth more on a dancing fhirt, than might fuffice to buy him honeft and comely apparel for his whole body. Some hang their revenues about their necks, ruffling in their ruffs, and many a one jeopardeth his beft joint, to maintain himself in fumptuous raiment. And every man, nothing confidering his estate and condition, feeketh to excel other in coftly attire. Whereby it cometh to pafs, that, in abundance and plenty of all things, we yet complain of want and penury, while one man pendeth that which might ferve a multitude,

and no man diftributeth of the abundance which he hath received, and all men exceffively waste that which should ferve to fupply the neceflities of other. There hath been very good provifion made against fuch abufes, by divers good and wholefome laws; which if they were practifed as they ought to be of all true fubjects, they might in fome part ferve to diminish this raging and riotous excefs in apparel: but, alas! there appeareth amongst us little fear and obedience, either of God or man. Therefore muft we needs look for God's fearful vengeance from heaven, to overthrow our prefumption and pride, as he overthrew Herod, who in his royal apparel, forgetting God, was fmitten of an angel, and eaten up of worms. By which terrible example, God hath taught us, that we are but worms meat, although we pamper ourfelves never fo much in gorgeous apparel.

Here we may learn that which Jefus the fon of Sirach Ecclus. i. teacheth, not to be proud of clothing and raiment, neither ta exalt ourselves in the day of bonour, because the works of the Lord are wonderful and glorious, fetret and unknown, teaching us with bumbleness of mind, every one to be mindful of the vocation whereunto God bath called him. Let Chrif tians therefore endeavour themfelves to quench the care of pleafing the flesh, let us ufe the benefits of God in this

world,

world, in fuch wife, that we be not too much occupied in providing for the body. Let us content ourselves quietly with that which God fendeth, be it never fo little. And if it pleafe him to fend plenty, let us not wax proud thereof, but let us ufe it moderately, as well to our own comfort, as to the relief of fuch as ftand in neceffity. He that in abundance and plenty of apparel bideth his face from bim that is naked, defpifeth bis own flefb, as Isaiah the Pro- Ifa. Iviii. phet faith. Let us learn to know ourselves, and not to defpife others; let us remember that we ftand all before the majesty of Almighty God, who thall judge us by his holy word, wherein he forbiddeth excels, not only to men, but also to women. So that none can excuse themfelves, of what eftate or condition foever they be. Let us therefore prefent ourselves before his throne, as Tertullian exhorteth, with the ornaments which the Apostle fpeaketh of, Ephefians the fixth chapter, baving our loins Ephef. vi. girt about with verity, having the breaft-plate of righteoufnefs, and food with fhoes prepared by the gofpel of peace. Let us take unto us fimplicity, chastity, and comeliness, fubmitting our necks to the fweet yoke of Chrift. Let women be fub- Matt. xi. ject to their husbands, and they are fufficiently attired, faith Tertullian. The wife of one Philo, an Heathen philofopher, being demanded why the wore no gold, fhe anfwered, that the thought her husband's virtues fufficient ornaments. How much more ought Christian women, inftructed by the word of God, to content themfelves in their hufbands! Yea, how much more ought every Christian to content himfelf in our Saviour Chrift, thinking himself fufficiently garnished with his heavenly virtues! But it will be here objected, and faid of fome nice and vain women, that all which we do in painting our faces, in dying our hair, in embalming our bodies, in decking us with gay apparel, is to please our husbands, to delight his eyes, and to retain his love toward us. O vain excufe, and moft fhameful anfwer, to the reproach of thy hufband. What couldst thou more fay to fet out his foolishness, than to charge him to be pleafed and delighted with the Devil's attire? Who can paint her face, and curl her hair, and change it into an unnatural colour, but therein doth work reproof to her Maker, who made her? As though fhe could make herfelf more comely than God hath appointed the measure of her beauty. What do these wonien, but go about to reform that which God hath made? not knowing that all things natural are the work of God, and things disguised and unnatural

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Prov. xi.

unnatural are the works of the Devil: and as though a
wife and Chriftian husband fhould delight to fee his wife
in fuch painted and flourished vilages, which common
harlots moft do ufe, to train therewith their lovers to
naughtiness; or, as though an honeft woman could de-
light to be like an harlot for pleafing of her husband.
Nay, nay,
these be but vain excufes of fuch as go about
to please rather others than their husbands. And fuch
attires be but to provoke her to fhew herfelf abroad, to
entice others: a worthy matter. She muft keep debate
with her husband to maintain fuch apparel, whereby the
is the worfe housewife, the feldomer at home to fee her
charge, and fo neglect his thrift, by giving great provo-
cation to her household to wafte and wantonnefs, while
the muft wander abroad to fhew her own vanity, and her
hufband's foolishnefs. By which her pride, the turreth ̧
up much envy of others, which be as vainly delighted as
the is. She doth but deferve mocks and fcorns, to fet
out all her commendation in Jewish and Ethnic apparel,
and yet brag of her Chriflianity. She doth but wafte fu-
perfluoufly her husband's flock by fuch fumptuoufnefs,
and fometimes fhe is the caufe of much bribery, extortion,
and deceit, in her husband's dealings, that the may be the
more gorgeoufly fet out to the fight of the vain world, to
pleafe the Devil's eyes, and not God's, who giveth to
every creature fufficient and moderate comelinefs, where-
with we fhould be contented, if we were of God.
other thing doft thou by thofe means, but provokeft
others to tempt thee, to deceive thy foul, by the bait of
thy pomp and pride? What elfe doft thou, but settest out
thy pride, and makeft of the undecent apparel of thy
body, the Devil's net, to catch the fouls of them which
behold thee? O thou woman, not a Chriftian, but worse
than a Paynim, thou minifier of the Devil! why pam-
pereft thou that carrion flesh fo high, which fometimes
doth ftink and rot on the earth as thou goeft? Howfo-
ever thou perfumeft thyfelf, yet cannot thy beaftlinefs be
hidden, or overcome with thy fmells and favours, which
do rather deform and mishape thee, than beautify thee.
What meant Solomon to fay of fuch trimming of vain
women, when he faid, A fair woman, without good man-
ners and conditions, is like a fow which bath a ring of gold
upon her fnout; but that the more thou garnith thyfelf
with thefe outward blazings, the lefs thou careft for the
inward garnishing of thy mind, and fo doft but deform
thyfelf by fuch array, and not beautify thyfelf? Hear,

What

hear,

hear, what Chrift's holy Apoftles do write: Let not the Pet. iii. outward apparel of women, faith St. Peter, be decked with the braiding of hair, with wrapping on of gold, or goodly clothing: but let the mind and the confcience, which is not feen with the eyes, be pure and clean; that is, faith he, an acceptable and an excellent thing before God. For fo the old ancient boly women attired themselves, and were obedient to their bufbands. And St. Paul faith, that Women should 1 Tim. ii. apparel themselves with jhamefacedness and foberness, and nut with braids of their hair, or gold, or pearl, or precious clothes, but as women fhould do, which will exprefs godliness by their good outward works. If ye will not keep the Apoftles' precepts, at the leaft let us hear what Pagans, which were ignorant of Chrift, have faid in this matter: Democrates faith, "The ornament of a woman ftandeth in fcarcity of fpeech and apparel." Sophocles faith of fuch apparel thus; "It is not an ornament, O thou fool, but a flame and a manifeft thew of thy folly." Socrates faith, "That that is a garnifhing to a woman which declareth out her honefty." The Grecians ufe it in a proverb, "It is not gold or pearl, which is a beauty to a woman, but good conditions."

And Ariftotle biddeth that a woman fhould use less apparel than the law doth fuffer. For it is not the goodlinefs of apparel, nor the excellency of beauty, nor the abundance of gold, that maketh a woman to be efteemed, but modefty, and diligence to live honeftly in all things. This outrageous vanity is now grown fo far, that there is no fhame taken of it. We read in hiftories, that when King Dionyfius fent to the women of Lacedæmon rich robes, they anfwered and faid, that they fhall do us more fhame than honour; and therefore refufed them. The women in Rome in old time abhorred that gay apparel which King Pyrrhus fent to them, and none were fo greedy and vain to accept them. And a law was openly made of the fenate, and a long time obferved, that no woman fhould wear over half an ounce of gold, nor fhould wear clothes of divers colours. But perchance fome dainty dame will fay and anfwer me, that they must do fomething to fhew their birth and blood, to fhew their husband's riches: as though nobility were chiefly seen by thefe things, which be common to thofe which be molt vile; as though thy husband's riches were not better beftowed than in fuch fuperfluities; as though, when thou waft chriftened, thou didst not renounce the pride of this world, and the pomp of the fleth. I fpeak not against