A discourse of auxiliary beauty. Or artificiall hansomenesse. In point of conscience between two ladies.

* 1.1THe point of scandall, (which your LaP now makes your refuge in this dispute) either given or received, hath like a Labarinth so many windings and turnings, so may perplexed cautions and distinctions, that it seems rather a maze to loose the mind in, than any fair retreat, where judgement and conscience may repose and secure them∣selves; None is so simple a sophister in dis∣puting, about things of dubious and indiffe∣rent nature, but when he is driven by reason and scripture, from his strong holds, of preju∣dices and confidences, when he sees the thun∣dering Canons of his censures and Anathemas dismounted, or cloyed, he then retreats to this of Scandal, and earths himself in this burrough: pleading, that he is scandalized with

what you do, (or if he but suspect you do it) though he give you no reason, against what you do; nor can indeed prove, that you do, what (it may be) he suspects; Thus igno∣rance, superstition and suspicion, will be ever overawing truth and Christian liberty, both in private persons, and in publicke Societies, or Churches; Imperiously injoyning others to forbear the use of thei liberty, meerely be∣cause this or that poor soul saies they are offended, though they give no reason why.

Thus the Pleaders of Scandall, I ke Soldiers of Fortune are ingaging in every quarrell, where they stake nothing against the liberty, peace, order, and decency of others, but onely their private fancy, opinion, and dislike; Who yet are many times, most prodigall in giving others great and publike scandals, by using or disusing such things, as others no lesse quarrell at; oft denying obedience to publike and lawfull authority, in those things of which they make any scruple, imperiously challenging this liberty to themselves; yea glorying in their scandalous refractories to publike order and constitutions; yet, they deny this liberty to others in the same, or like cases; about things dubious and indif∣ferent, concerning which there is no precise, or expresse will of God declared, but they are left to prudentiall freedomes, as to private

mens use; till the consent and wisdome of the publike hath confined and determined them to one way for order sake, and uniformity, whereto private freedome (still free as to the opinion of the nature of things) ought yet humbly and charitably to conforme it self, as to publike practise; For the avoiding of publike scandall, and dissention; by reason of their deformity.

Between superstitious and insolent spirits, (who either dislike all that others do different from them, or enjoyne others to tread in none but their steps and to dance after their pipe) true Christian liberty (as between two thieves) is crucified; Between the upper and the neither milstone, of Scandall given, or taken, it is (together with Christian Charity) so ground to powder, that a sober Christian hath litle left him, to do, say, or injoy, where∣at some or other will not take offence.

Not onely bad things, or doubtfull, but even good things, and the very best, are some∣times to some persons scandalous: So was * 1.2 the believing, yet ceremonious Jew, to the believing Gentile, and the believing but in∣ceremonious Gentile to the believing Jew, Christ himself, and the whole tenour of the Gospel was a stumbling block to the Jew, and foolish∣nesse * 1.3 to the Gentile; Papists are offended with many things which protestants hold and do,

and contrarily, Protestants cry out of the scandals Papists give them; So the most factions and schisines in the Church shelter their rents and dissentions under the sheild of Scandall by them taken, lesse minding the scandals by themselves given to others; by which (as madmen with swords) they lay about them, and smite all that come neer them.

There is nothing so sober and modest, so civill and decent, so sacred and solemne, at which ignorant, or capricious, or proud, and impe∣rious spirits will not take offence, who like nothing in use and custome, never so ancient and innocent, unlesse they have first enacted or setled it, they must be fathers or godfa∣thers to it, either begetting or confirming it, else they will cry it down as scandalous, spurious, impious, popish, and antichristian; Pretending they have more cause to be sca∣red with other mens shadowes, and ceremonies, which they fancy to be shaped, like Beares and Lions, than others have to be offended with their pawes, and jawes, the sharp teeth, and nailes of those reall beasts and birds of prey, which they carry about them, calling their own rapines religious, and their very sacriledges sacred: Yet highly offended, if others do by word or deed vindicate their own liberties, customes and constitutions,

never so decent and ingenuous, against the rude novelties, and riotous invasions of the others supercilious fiercenesse and in∣juriousnesse: one is scandalised at my using my liberty though without any prescribing, urging, or injoyning upon them; I am no lesse offended at their invading my liberty, by needlesse stricknesses and uncharitable cen∣sures; which though they wound not my conscience, yet they seek to weaken my cre∣dit.

Out of which perplexity or streights of scandals, both on the right and left hand, I know no shorter or safer way to redeem a sober Christian, that desires to live void of offence before God and man: Than seriously to consider every thing (before he either practise it himself, or censure it in an other) by the true notions and internall principles of good or evill, as morally and conscienti∣ously considered: The onely way, as David tells us to clense our own (or others) waies, * 1.4 is by taking heed to Gods word, regarding what in his precepts negative or affirmative, either pleaseth or displeaseth him, whose revealed will is a sufficient and infallible rule of all requisite holinesse: According to which, as I have just cause to be offended with my self, and others, in what I see my self or they do, against the expresse will of God: So, where

this doth not appear by any Scripturall reason, and demonstration, I have no cause, either to scruple in my self, or to suspect as a scandall in others that, against which I see nothing declared by God, but a naturall, civill and ingenuous liberty left me and others; which is alwaies to be kept within bounds of mo∣desty and discretion, which sober and unbla∣mable conversation is enough to satisfy minds truely humble and charitable, who love not as Salamanders to live in the flames of con∣tention, or like Caterpillars to make their cobwebs on bushes and thornes.

And however in things assuredly lawfull, (as to my private conscience) a charitable and discreet tendernesse becomes the modesty and gentlenesse of a Christian, toward others, in those things which have possessed and perswa∣ded men either by contrary customes, or prejudi∣ces, & (it may be) by temporary precepts of God, as in the case of Jewish ceremonies and externe observations, (of whose abrogation some were not soon or easily satisfied) Also in the case of eating things offered to Idols, (which some scru∣pled out of an abhorrence of all Idolatry) which God had strictly forbidden: In these * 1.5 and the like cases (I say) a condescending, for a while, and private forbearance for fear of giving scandall is very fit, till I have used those means which might best convince and

instruct them of mine and their liberty, given us now by God; Yet, if they carelesly, proudly, peevishly, and obstinately resist or repell the pregnancy of my reasons, without giving any valid answer to them, or producing ought of right reason, or scripture for their con∣tinued scruples, scandals, and jealousies: They are henceforth to be looked upon and trea∣ted, not as weak, but wilfull.

Nor can I think it the duty of a Christian, for ever to indulge their folly, fondnesse, and pertinacy of such forbearing to use those things, for which he brings many pregnant reasons, from the nature, end, and aptitude of things, from their own want, and capacity, also from Gods permission, of which I presume where I find no prohibition, when as they pro∣duce little or nothing, beyond a blind credulity a bayardly confidence, or animperious insolence, which delights to find fault with others, and to domineer over them in some petty things, for which at best they urge passion, prejudice, custome, other mens opinions, or such popular stuffe, of which there is no end, in which, what reason cannot (at present) time will afterward easily confute, that crosnesse and peevishnesse which oft transports men against many things beyond the measure of Reason or true Religion. As I have heard for certain of a Minister of no small print and repute among the people,

who took great offence at the great sleeves of a Ladies new fashioned Gown, calling them antichristian, ungodly, strange apparell, and such, as the Lord was displeased with; yet within one year this good mans wife was in the same fashion, without any scandall to her supercilious husband; So crasie are some mens judgements, and so easie their censures, as to matters of scandall: where Novelty or wontednesse sway more with them, than either Reason or Religion. Nothing lesse becomes a grave and godly Christian than to multi∣ply needlesse scruples and scandals.

As to the pretended scandall which some say they take from womens use of any Auxiliary beauty, truely where modest and sober persons use it discreetly, the scandall cannot arise, either from the nature of the thing done, or the mind and manners of the doer; (which in all things appear worthy of a good Christian:) Nor can it arise easily from the certainty of their knowledge, who are offen∣ded, but onely from their impertinent curi∣osity, and suspicion: As the first is rude and unwelcome; so the other many times false, alwaies unnecessary: It is seldome that any ownes their art to them, nor is it oft, that these inquisitive prayers can certainly conclude that to be used, which they are so jealous of: So that if they could forbear their uncomely

inquisitivenesse, and impertinent curiosity, their scandall taken would soon cease; which is more in their own eyes, than others faces, where any such thing is soberly and discreetly used, without any haughtinesse and affectation of looks, or wantonnesse of manners; I believe for the most part, such things are so used by all ingenuous persons, that these morose Inspectors of Ladies faces, are never the wiser, unlesse they have more perceptive eyes than ever I had: But if it were owned and confessed to them, what I pray are they the worse, or why offended? Since neither have any of them as yet pro∣ved it to be a sin; either from any posi∣tive Law of Gods word, or from any ne∣cessary inordinacy and immorality of mind inseparable from the use of such things: Nor are they by anothers use of it either urged, or tempted to use it, further than they want or approve it: As for that depra∣vednesse of mind which they fear may at∣tend the use of these helps of handsomenesse: It is as objectable against all those things, which either native beauty, or art afford; whereof no wise man makes any scruple, yet may they be as much occasions to sin as this, whereof they are so cautious: Evill minds as fowle stomacks turn the best food to corrupt humors; But wee must not

therefore starve our selves, by forbearing good victuals.

§. The work then that grave Ministers and other sober Christians have to do in this and the like cases, of externe use of things; is not presently to cry down every thing as wicked and abominable, because they are at first, through inconsideration or unwonted∣nesse scandalized at them, but seriously to examine, what cause they have to be so scared and scandalized as from any morall evill pregnant and inherent in the nature, or use of things: And accordingly to state both their own censures, and others consciences: If no∣thing be found justly offensive, they may not from fancy, or custome call that unclean, which God hath made clean: But rather * 1.6 banish away those sinister and silly scandals, which arise from the darknesse, weaknesse, or wilfulnesse of their own minds, which are no just barres against anothers liberty, in things lawfull; At which no wise person will be, nor good body ought to be offen∣ded.

And in cases of so private and retired use of such things, as these are by which women preserve or advance the handsome∣nesse of their looks, wherewith none are acquainted, and of which none can be assu∣red, unlesse they list who use them, as I see

no cause to own the use of any such thing to them, (whom I find not to have judgement or charity sufficient to interpret, or bear such things well) so nor have I any reason to ask their leave, nor more to be shaken with these scandals, which are needlessely taken by them, not willingly given by me: Though others, rather out of obstinacy than sorupulosity, out of peevishnesse, more than tendernesse, do pretend scandall, more than they prove it; yet, my care must be, in the use of such things seriously to assert my own freedome as to my conscience; by be∣ing rightly perswaded both of the Lawful∣nesse of the thing, and looking to the innocen∣cy of my own intentions in the use of it: Thus the Apostle tels us; Some Christians * 1.7 lawfully might observe a day to the Lord, and eate meats offered to Idols, as to their private practise, notwithstanding others doubted, and would be offended, if they were acquainted with their so doing: Which yet was no hinderance to anothers private liberty, grounded on Gods grand charter and donation, which is, The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof; Nor is any thing in nature denyed us, where the use of it falls under the regulation of reason, grace and virtue, which in these things of artificiall beauty as in all externe ornaments

and enjoyments are strictly required, and being exactly observed, do abundantly vin∣dicate both the goodnesse of the things in nature and the lawfulnesse of them as to mine or any others use of them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Answ.
• * 1.2

  Gal. 2.
• * 1.3

  1 Cor. 1.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 119. 9.
• * 1.5

  1 Cor. 10.
• * 1.6

  Acts 10. 15.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 14. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 25.