The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.

SECT. 4. Of superfluous Garments.

4. PRide appears in the superfluity of Appa∣rel. There may be superfluity herein.

Quantum ad magnitudinem, Et quantum ad multitudinem.

1. For the greatness of Garments; Cato speaks of one that was called Grando, because he would have every thing great, a great Hat, great Shooes, and all his garments very great. Thus women are to be taxed, that wearing costly garments, do draw long tails after them, sweeping the ground, and raising the dust there∣with: Much of that superfluity might be spa∣red to cloath the backs of many poor Christi∣ans, whom they see half naked before their eyes. God taxeth the Jews for this superfluity by the Prophet Jeremiah; In thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. The good things which they had in great abun∣dance (with which they ought to have relieved and cloathed the poor) they consumed in the skirts of their garments; but such kind of gar∣ments as these shall be consumed with burning and fuel of fire, or Cibo ignis, meat of fire, ac∣cording to the Hebrew, Isa. 9.5.

2. Superfluity consisteth in the multitude of garments. Great was the pride of Heliogabalus;

that would not wear a garment twice: but in the Countrey of Licaonia, none might wear but one garment in one whole year. When Christ sent out the Disciples to preach the Go∣spel, he bids them not to have two coats a∣peice, and to take nothing with them for the journey.

Object. But is it not lawfull for a man to have two coats, to have change of raiment?

Answ. You are to know, that this inhibiti∣on of Christ was onely temporary, not per∣petual, but onely till the Apostles had preached to the Jews, which to do, one suit would serve their turn (for they were commanded not to go into the way of the Gentiles, nor to enter in∣to any City of the Samaritans, but to go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Is∣rael) And either their journeyes should be so short, as they might ea∣sily reach from place to place with one coat, and without refreshing themselves by the way; or else he would extraordinarily strengthen them, and provide for them, that they should in the strength of what they had eaten at one place, go to another, as he did Elijah: If Christ had not allowed them to have had two coats at other times, as well might they say that they should never preach to the Gentiles, because Christ forbade them for a time to go into the way of the Gentiles; which is cancelled, Mat. 28.19. when he bids them go teach all nations:

Mark 16.15. and so was this cancelled also by the practise of Christ and his Apostles; for Ju∣das was his Almoner, and purse-bearer, and his Disciples had two swords in his company: And in all probability, Paul had two cloaks, for we reade of one that he left behind him at Tro∣as, and it is likely he had another with him.

But that which I am now speaking of, is a su∣perfluity in respect of the multitude of gar∣ments: Take not two coats; that is, saith Lyra, superfluous garments: many there are, that have such variety of gar∣ments, that they will rather let the moths eat them, than give away any of them to clothe the poor and nee∣dy. To such James speaks, Go to now you rich men, weep and boule for the miseries that are coming upon you: your riches are corrup∣ted, your garments moth-eaten: the very moths shall witness against such abusers of apparel.

Object. Doth not John Baptist, (when the people came to his Baptism, asking him what they should do) say unto them, Let him that hath two coats impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise; this is no great variety, nor any superfluity, to have two coats; doth not this seem to set open a wide gap to Anabaptistical parity, and equality, and Plato∣nical community?

Answ. I must confess that it is an hard task, to walk with an even foot in this argument, but either the rich or the poor will abuse some∣thing as shall be taught them: let a man teach

that it is lawfull to possess goods, cloaths, mo∣ney, land, and other goods that a man hath left him by his Ancestors, or gotten by his ho∣nest industry, and rich men will soon conclude, that they are absolute owners of their wealth, and may use it, yea even abuse it, at their own pleasure: Let a man on the other side stir up men to charity, the poor are apt presently to think themselves more than quarter-masters of their rich neighbours goods; and if they be somewhat slow in giving, they will be quick enough in taking them before they be given.

Quest. A question may arise then, Whether there is any propriety, any meum and tuum in goods and cloaths, &c. because the Baptist here speaks of an equal division?

Answ. 1. We must answer affirmatively, that there is; and it may thus be proved: What God giveth, man may possess, Psal. 104.28. That thou givest them, they gather: the blessing of God maketh rich, Prov. 10.22.

2. They are not onely given to men as ge∣neral blestings, but as peculiar favours to his own children: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, &c. Psal. 112.1. Wealth and riches shall be in his house, ver. 3. Many of the godly have had great riches, as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jo∣seph, Job, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, Nichodemus, and others, whose faith Christ commendeth to us; therefore the possession of abundance is lawfull.

3. Christian piety doth not overthrow but maintain a civil policy, which alloweth possessi∣ons;

else to what use be all Laws about weights, measures, buying, selling, usury? yea, else what use is there of the eighth Command∣ment? But I must not stay here: for though it be lawful for rich men to possess and enjoy those things that God hath given them, or (more truly) lent them, yet they must remember, that they be but stewards of them, and must come to account for them, and must use them well. Under these two kindes of provision for back and belly, John prescribeth liberality in every kinde, signifying unto us, that eve∣ry one must out of his superfluity, and what he may spare, supply his brothers necessity, and what he seeth him want. Lyra saith, that in those hot Countreys men needed but one coat; therefore we must give what others need, and what we may spare.

Notes

• Jer. 2.34.
• Mat. 10.10. Luke 9.3.
• Mat. 10.5, 6.
• Non proibisse il possedere quaeste tali coseima com∣manda lor qüaesto, non solo perche, non stano ro∣tardat i da nifs uno im∣pedimento, ma ancora à fincche gustando ali∣quanto il benefitio de la divina providenzia sia∣no preparati à questo of∣ficio Apostolico.
• 2 Tim. 4.13.
• One man weares e∣nough on his back at once to cloath two naked wretches all their lives. Adams.
• Jac. 5.1, 2.
• Luk. 3.11.
• Object. Are not all things the Saints?
• 1 Cor. 3.21. Answ. Theirs by right, but not by pos∣session; a right to all things, not in all things. Jus ad rem, non in re.