Circumspect walking describing the seuerall rules, as so many seuerall steps in the way of wisedome. Gathered into this short manuell, by Tho. Taylor, preacher of Gods word at Aldermanbury Church in London.
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Title
Circumspect walking describing the seuerall rules, as so many seuerall steps in the way of wisedome. Gathered into this short manuell, by Tho. Taylor, preacher of Gods word at Aldermanbury Church in London.
Author
Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.
Publication
London :: Printed [by J. Beale?] for Iames Boler, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Marigold,
1631.
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Subject terms
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"Circumspect walking describing the seuerall rules, as so many seuerall steps in the way of wisedome. Gathered into this short manuell, by Tho. Taylor, preacher of Gods word at Aldermanbury Church in London." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a13534.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 4, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 217
CHAP. XXVII.
Concerning ornament in ap∣parell:
wherein three que∣stions
are resolued.
THE third and last ci∣uill
vse of Garments is
ornament: where con∣sider
two or three que∣stions.
Quest. 1. Whether be or∣naments
lawfull to be vsed,
seeing the Apostle com∣mands
women, that their
apparell be not outward,
with broydered haire, and
gold, nor pearles; nor cost∣ly
apparell, which hee op∣poseth
to comely apparell?
1 Peter 3. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 9.
Answ. They are: for the A∣postle
simply condemneth
descriptionPage 218
not the things themselues,
which are the good crea∣tures
of God; nor all vse of
them in ornament, which
Rebecca and Ioseph being ad∣uanced,
and all the Israeli∣tish
women, ware in eare∣rings
and bracelets, which
was not their sinne. But he
condemnes in them, 1. The
ouer-common and vnsea∣sonable
vse: for ornaments
are not sit for all persons
and times, but must be v∣sed
sparingly, not com∣monly,
hauing respect to
times and solemnity. They
bee for great, not for com∣mon
men, neither for those
euery day: the rich man in
the Gospell is condemned,
for going in fine purple e∣uery
day. 2. He condemnes
descriptionPage 219
the affected and excessiue
vse of them; for they more
affected the adorning of
the body, than of the mind,
to which the Apostle in
both places calleth them:
whereas a Christian must
chiefly prouide for the a∣dorning
of the minde in∣wardly.
3. He condemnes
their offensiue vse of them,
who did not vse them as
the sober and graue ma∣trons
of their yeares and
age; but being newly con∣uerted
from the heathens,
still retained the heathe∣nish
ornaments, and would
not, being Christians, bee
put down by the heathens,
but retained the former
manner of adorning them∣selues.
4. Hee condemnes
descriptionPage 220
their end in wearing these
things, which was to set
forth their bodies, and
pride vp themselues with
their ornaments; whereas
all ornaments must be vsed
to Gods glory, while wee
adorne his Temple, and
not to draw mens eyes vp∣on
vs.
Quest. 2. May not a man
weare long haire for orna∣ment.
Answ. The ornament of
a mans head is short haire:
long haire is an effeminate
ornament. 1 Cor. 11. 14.
Doth not nature it selfe teach,
that if a man haue long haire,
it is a shame for him? but if a
woman haue long haire, it is
a praise to her. Obiect. We
may vse other things for
descriptionPage 221
ornament, and why not
our haire? Answ. In orna∣ment
we must looke we be
without offence, and that
is when wee frame our
selues to the example of
the graue and sober, who
amongst vs count the fa∣shion
of flaring lockes, ef∣feminate
and ruffian-like.
Againe, in ornament, as in
euery thing else, wee must
expresse godlinesse, mode∣sty,
and sobriety: whereas
this fashion of men is re∣ceiued
as a badge of a light
mind, and an intemperate
person. Obiect. The Naza∣rits
did nourish their haire.
Answ. That was by the spe∣ciall
law of their professi∣on
which profession, and
law, and all, is now ceased.
descriptionPage 222
If thou wilt be a Nazarite,
thou must drinke no wine,
nor strong beere; a hard
law to many of our lock∣sters.
That of Absolom doth
not necessarily conclude a∣gainst
it, that his haire be∣came
his halter: yet it is
not to be passed lightly:
Compare his pride with
his fall, and wee may ob∣serue
that God doth ordi∣narily
punish vs in that
wherein we sinne.
Quest. 3. May not a wo∣man
paint her face, and
mend her complexion?
Answ. No, euery one ought
to bee content with their
owne feature and com∣plexion:
and to deuise ar∣tificiall
formes and fauors
to set vpon their bodies or
descriptionPage 223
faces, is a most abominable
practice. For, 1. They are [ 1]
not content with their
forme which God hath gi∣uen
in them, either because
they are proud and would
not be inferiour to others
in beauty; or because they
are vnchaste, and would by
art allure louers, when na∣ture
hath failed them.
2. The forme of it is a lye; [ 2]
it is no beauty, but a pi∣cture
of it, no sincerity, no
truth in it. They dissemble
themselues to bee other
than God made them.
What truth may wee ex∣pect
within, when a man
may reade in their faces,
lying and dissimulation?
How is this to abstaine from
the appearance of euill?
descriptionPage 224
[ 3] 3. What a dishonour is it
to God, that a wretched
worme should goe about
to correct and mend his
workmanship? How would
a meane workeman take
it, that a bungler should
offer to correct or alter his
[ 4] worke? 4. What an indig∣nity
is it to take the face of
that which they say is a
member of Christ, and
make it the face of an har∣lot?
We reade but of one
in the Scripture that pain∣ted
her face, and that was
Iezabel, an arrant strumpet,
and called the mother of for∣nications.
How much more
vnseemely was it in that
Vicar of Christ Pope Paul
the second, as Platina [ 5] writes? 5. Our Sauior plain∣ly
descriptionPage 225
tels vs, Mat. 5. that wee
cannot make one haire white
or blacke, that is, wee haue
not power of our haire to
make it, no not to colour
it: and yet these will make
as many white and blacke
as they list. 6. If thou be a∣shamed
of that face which
God hath made thee, hee
will one day bee ashamed
of that face thou hast made
thy selfe. And dare a Chri∣stian
carry a face in his life
time, which neither God
made at first, nor he dares
appeare withall in the re∣surrection?
Obiect. But I
must please my husband,
and hold his heart to mee.
Answ. Will it not please
him to behold the face
that God made? or canst
descriptionPage 226
thou please him in bring∣ing
a strange beauty to
couzen him withal, that he
knowes is not thine owne?
or if he take thee for beau∣tiful
when thou art defor∣med,
wouldest thou bee
thus deceiued in a hus∣band,
for a faire man to
marry a painted husband.
Obiect. But I may couer
a deformity in my body.
Answ. Yes, but not by set∣ting
a new forme vpon thy
face, nor by dissembling.
Obiect. Doth not the A∣postle
say, 1 Cor. 12. Wee
put couers vpon the members
that are least honest? Answ.
1. The Apostle speakes of
not contemning the poo∣rest
Christian, vnder that
similitude. 2. We couer vn∣comely
descriptionPage 227
parts, but with
what? with cloathes to
hide them, not with pain∣ting,
stibium, white lead,
purpurisse, or check var∣nish.
3. If thy externall
forme be not so beautifull,
beautifie it with grace, hu∣mility,
the feare of God,
and other Christian ver∣tues.
The Churches beau∣ty
is within, which God
and his Angels, and good
men respect in the person
that is most deformed and
contemptible.