Pride
SEQEKEBATIOX.
man is suflScient fully to manifest and lay open the same, according to the proper nature and being thereof: yet notwithstanding I will do my endeavour to lay them open in some measure, that all men may the more loathe them.
PRIDE.
Phil.
I pray you then, first of all begin with pride.
Theol. You say well: for that indeed may well stand in the fore-front, since it is a master-devil, and the master-pock of the soul.
Phil. Shew me out of the scriptures that pride is so grievous and loathsome.
Theol. Solomon saith, "Every one that i« proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord,"
Prov. xvi. 5; which plainly sheweth that God doth detest and abhor proud men.
And is it not a fearful thing, think you, to be abhorred of God?
And in the same chapter, verse 18, he saith, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an high mind before the fall;" wherein he sheweth that pride is the forerunner of some deadly downfall, either by disgracing or displacing; for it is an old and true proverb, "pride will have a fall."
And oftentimes when men are most lifted up, then are they nearest unto it: as the examples of Haraan, Nebuchadnezzar, and Herod, do plainly declare.
When the milt swelleth, the rest of the body pineth away: even so, when the heart is puft up with pride, the whole man is in danger of destruction.
Moreover, the Holy Ghost saith.
PEIDE OF GIFTS.
" The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,"
Prov. XV.
25, Job saith of such kind of men, "The spark of his fire shall not shine; fear shall dwell in his house, and brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation," xviii.
5. 15.
And in another place, he saith, " The fire which is not blown shall devour him," xx. 26.
Methinketh, therefore, if there were any spark of grace in us, these terrible speeches of the Holy Grhost might serve to humble us, and pull down our pride; especially as the scriptures do affirm that God resisteth the proud, and setteth himself, ex professo* against them; and therefore woe unto them : for if God take against a man, who can reclaim him? f6r he doth whatsoever he will,"
Job xxiii. 13.
Phil. But tell me, I pray you, when you speak against pride, what pride it is that you mean ?
Theol.
I mean all pride, both that which is inward in the heart, and that also which breaketh out in men's foreheads :
I mean that which apparently sheweth itself in men's words and works.
Phil.
Do you mean also pride of men's gifts?
Theol.
Yes, surely ; for there is no pride worse or more dangerous than that.
Beware, saith one, of spiritual pride, as to be proud of our learning, wit, knowledge, reading, writings, sermons, prayers, godliness, policy, valour, strength, riches, honour, birth, beauty, authority; for God hath not given such gifts unto men, to the end they should make sale-ware of them, and set them a sunshining, to behold, seeking only themselves with their gifts, the vain praise of the multitude,
* Professedly, avowedly.
PBiDE or GirTs.
and applause of the people, so robbing God of his honour, and proudly arrogating to themselves that which is due unto God, which is the praise of his gifts ; but he hath given his gifts to another end, namely, that we should use them to his glory, and the good of others (either in church or common-wealth) especially of those which do most concern us.
Phil. Yet we see commonly men of greatest gifts are most proud.
Theol. True indeed: for the finest cloth is soonest stained.
And as worms engender sooner in soft and tender wood than in that which is more hard and knotty, and as moths do breed sooner in fine wool than in course flocks, even so pride and vain-glory do sooner assault an excellent and rare man in all kind of knowledge and virtue, than another of meaner gifts.
And therefore pride is said to spring out of the ashes of aU virtues : for men will be proud, because they are wise, learned, godly, patient, humble, <fec.
Pride, therefore, may very fitly be compared to the crabstock speins, which grow out of the root of the very best apple-tree.
Therefore to say the truth, this is one of the last engines and weapons which the devil useth for the overthrowing of God's own children; even to blow them up with pride as it were with gunpowder.
For as we see it come to pass in the siege of strong-holds, when no battery or force of shot will prevail, the last remedy and policy is to undermine it, and blow it up with trains of gunpowder; so when Satan can no way prevail against some excellent servants of God, his last device is, to blow them up with pride, as it were with gunpowder.
Phil. I see it is a special grace of God for men
PEIDE OF GIFTS.
of great gifts to be humble-minded; and he is an old man of a thousand, which excelling in gifts doth excel in humility; and the more gifts he hath, the more humbly he walketh; not contemning others, but esteeming them better than himself: for commonly, we are the worse of God's gifts, because we have not the right use of them; and again, because they engender so much proud flesh in us, that we had need daily to be corized.*
Therefore God sheweth great favour and mercy to that man whom he humbleth and taketh down by any afflictions or infirmities whatsoever; for otherwise, it is sure proud flesh would altogether overgrow us.
Theol. You have spoken the truth; for the apostle himself eonfesseth that he was tempted and troubled this way, (2 Cor. xii.) I had like to have been puffed up out of measure with the abundance of his revelations; but that God, in great mercy sent him a cooler, and a rebater; to wit, a prick in the flesh, (which he calleth the messenger of Satan) whereby the Lord cured him of his pride.
And even so doth he cure many of us of our pride, by throwing us to Satan, leaving us to ourselves, and giving us over to commit some gross evil, even to fall down and break our necks; and all to the end he may humble us, tame us, and pull down our pride, which he seeth we are heart-sick of It is good for us, therefore, to be humble in the abundance of graces, that we be not proud of that which we have, or that which we have done.
For humility in sinf is better than pride in well-doing.
* Cauterized. f It is better to lie humbled for our sins, than proud of well-doing,
2 Ckron. xxxii. 31.
fBIDE OP GIFTS.
Phil. Herein surely appeareth the great wisdom and mercy of God, that he so graciously bringeth good out of evil, and tumeth our afllictions, infirmities, falls and downfalls to his glory and our good.
Theol. It is most true.
For even as of the flesh of a viper is made a sovereign medicine, to cure those which are stung of a viper;* and as physicians expel poison with poison; so God, according to his marvellous wisdom, doth, of the infirmities which remain in us after regeneration, cure other more dangerous diseases; as pride, vain-glory, and presumption.
Oh, blessed therefore, be his name for ever, who thus mercifully causeth all things to work together for the good of his own people: of whom these things are specially to be understood!
Phil.
Is there no cause why men of great gifts should glory in their g^fts?
Theol. No, surely, none at all.
For the apostle saith, "Who separateth thee? and what hast thou, that thou hast not received?
If thou hast received it, why boasteth thou, as though thou hadst not received it?" 1 Cor. iv. 7.
Where the apostle plainly sheweth, that no man is to be proud of his gifts, because they are none of his own; he hath but receive them to use.
We count him worthy to be laughed at as a fool, who having borrowed brave apparel of others, (as a silk gown, a satin doublet, a chain of gold, velvet breeches, &c.) should proudly jet in the streebs in them, as if they were his own; even BO they are worthy to be chronicled for fools, which are proud of good gifts, which are none of * Flesh of the viper, anciently reckoned a sorereign remedy for the viper's bite.
PEIDE or GIFTS. their own.
Therefore the prophet Jeremiah saith, ix. 23, "Thus saith the Lord: let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, neither the rich man in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth me.'
To this point also, well saith the heathen poet, Theocritus, "No man can escape the punishment of pride, therefore, in greatest prosperity be not puffed up."
Phil. Yet it is a world to see how proud, surly, haughty, stately, insolent, and thrasonical some be, because of their gifts; they think they touch the clouds with their heads, and that the earth doth not bear them; they take themselves to be petty angels, or some wonderful wights.*
They contemn and disdain all others which have not the like gifts.
They do contemptuously overlook . them, as a lion would overlook a mouse, a king a beggar; or, as we say in a proverb, "as the devil overlooked Lincoln."
Theol. Oh proud dust!
Oh haughty worm's meat!
If they would bring their hearts before God, and their consciences, thoughts, and affections to be judged by this law, it would soon cool them, andtake them down well enough; they should see their wants and imperfections to be so great, that they indeed should have no more cause to boast of their gifts, than the black Moor hath of his whiteness, because his teeth are white.
The Holy Grhost cuts all our combs, and pulleth down all pride of flesh, when he saith, "How small a thing doth man understand of God!"
JBMl. I pray you, let us proceed to speak of • Creatures, beings.
PB£D£ Of S££SS.
the outward and gross pride of the world : and first of all, tell me what you think of pride in apparel.
Theol.
I think it to he a vanity of all vanities, and a folly of all follies; for to he proud of apparel, is, as if a thief should be proud of his halter, a heggar of his clouts, a child of his gay toys, or a fool of his bauble.
JPhil. Yet we see how proud many (especially women) be of such baubles.
For when they have spent a good part of the day in tricking and trimming, pricking and pinning, pranking* and pouncing,t girding and lacing, and braving up themselves in most exquisite manner, then out they come into the streets, with their pedlar's shop upon their back, and carry their crests very high, taking themselves to be little angels, or at least somewhat more than other women.
Whereupon they do so exceedingly swell with pride, that it is to be feared they will burst with it, as they walk in the streets.
And truly we majthink the very stones in the street, and the beams in the houses do quake, and wonder at their monstrous, intolerable, and excessive pride.
For it seemeth that they are altogether a lump of pride, a mass of pride, even altogether made of pride, and nothing else but pride, pride.
Theol. You seem to be very hot in the matter.
Asun. Marry, sir, I like him the better: for the world was never so full of pride as it is nowa-days.
Theol. Alas! alas! indeed, who can hold his peace at the pride of this age!
What a thing is it, that flesh and blood, worms' meat, dust and ashes, dirt and dung, should so brave it out with * Dressiiig op smartly, t CnttiiigiB andont injags oractdlops.
PEIDE OF DEESS,
their trim clouts, and that in the sight of God, angels and men!
For the time will come, when both they, and all their gay clouts shall be buried in a grave: yea, as Job saith, xvii. 13, 14, " The grave shall be their house, and they shall make their bed in the dark.
And then shall they say to corruption, thou art my father; and to the worm, thou art my mother and my sister."
What then shall it avail them thus to have ruffled it out in all their bravery, when as suddenly they shall go down to destruction ?
What did it profit the rich man to be sumptuously clothed, and fare deliciously every day, when his body was buried in the dust and his soul in hell fire?
Asun.
I pray you, sir, what say you to these great ruffs, which are borne up with supporters and rebatoes,* as it were with post and rail?
Theol. What should I say ? but God be merciful unto us.
For such things do draw down the wrath and vengeance of God upon us all: and as the apostle saith, Col, iii. 6, "For such things' sake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience,"
And truly, truly, we may well fear that God wiU plague us for our abominable pride, Asun. What say you then to these doubled and redoubled ruffs which are now in common use, strouting fardingales,t long locks, fore tufts, shag hair, and all these new fashions which are devised and taken up every day?
Theol.
I say, they are far from that plainness, simplicity, and modesty which hath been in former ages: our forefathers knew no such things.
It is recorded of William Rufus, some- * Head dresses. t Hoops.
PBIDE OF DBESS.
time king of this land, that when his chamberlain on a time brought him a new pair of hose, he demanded of him what they cost: who answered, three shillings.
Whereat the king, being somewhat moved, commanded him to prepare him a pair of a mark.
If kings were then thought to exceed that bestowed more than a mark upon a pair of hose, what is to be thought of many mean men in these our days (yea, such as have n& li\Tng, and are scarce of any good calling) which bestow as much upon one pair as the king did upon two, when he was thought most of all to exceed?
But, alas! alas! we have passed all bounds of modesty and measure : there is no hoe* with us.
Our land is too heavy of this sin.
For the pride of all nations, and the follies of all countries are upon us: how shall we bear them?
And as for these new fashions, the more new they be the more foolish and ridiculous are they: for with our new fashions we are growing clean out of fashion.
If we had as many fashions of our bodies as we have of our attire, we should have as many fashions as fingers and toes.
But vain men and women do apparently shew their vain minds by following so greedily such vain toys and fashions.
Asun.
It was never good world since starching and steeling, busks and whalebones, supporters and rebatoes, full moons and hobby-horses, painting and dying, with selling of favour and complexion, came to be in use; for since these came in covetousness, oppression, and deceit have increased.
For how else should pride be maintained ? And sure it is, within these thirty years
* fixt measure.
'36
PBIDE OF DRESS.
these things were not known, nor heard of. And what say you then to painting of faces, laying open of naifed breasts, dying of hair, wearing of perriwigs, and other hair coronets and top-gallants? And what say you to our artificial women, which will be better than God hath made them?
They like not his handy-work : they will mend it, and have other complexion, other faces, other hair, other bones, other breasts, and other bellies than God made them.
Theol. This I say, that you and I, and all the Lord's people, have great and just cause of mourning, weeping, and lamentation, because such abomination is committed in Israel, Psalm cxix. 119.
David's eyes gushed out with rivers of tears because men kept not God's laws; and an horrible fear came upon him because men forsook the law of God.
Jeremiah (ix. 1) did sigh in secret, wishing that his head were full of water, and his eyes a fountain of tears, because of the sins of the people.
Nehemiah mourned for the transgression of God's people.
Lot's just soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites ; and shall we mourn nothing at all for these things? shall we be no whit grieved for the pride of our land ? shall we shed no tears for such horrible and intolerable abomination ?
They are odious in the sight of God and men: the air stinketh of them.
It is God's marvellous patience that the devil doth not carry them away quick, and rid the earth of them; or that fire and brimstone doth not come down from heaven and consume them.
Antil. You are too hot in these matters of attire: you make more of them than there is cause.
FBEDS OT DRESS.
A^un. 1 con* him thanks.
God's blessing on his heart:
I shall love him the better while I know him, because he is so earnest against such shameful and detestable pride.
Is it not a shame that women, professing true religion, should make themselves such pictures, puppets, and peacocks, as they do ? and yet I hear few preachers in the pulpit speak against it.
Antil.
I marvel you should be so earnest in matters of apparel.
You know well enough that apparel is an indifferent thing; and that religion and the kingdom of God do not consist in these things.
Theol. I know right well that apparel in its own nature is a thing indifferent; but lewd, wanton, immodest, and offensive apparel is not indifferent; for aU such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them, and maketh them sinful and evil by circumstance ; for, otherwise, why should the Lord threaten by his prophet that he would visit the princes, and the king's children, and all such as were clothed with strange apparel, that is the fashions of other countries, Zeph. i.
Again; why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and mincing minions of Jerusalem for their pride and vanity in attire, if there were no evil in such kind of abuse ?
The Lord saith thus, in the third of Isaiah, against those brave and gallant dames, " Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-out necks, and with wandering eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and make a tinkling with their feet: therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Zion bald, and the Lord shall discover their
* I give.
PEIDE OF DEESS.
secret parts.
In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the calls, and the round tires, the sweet balls, and the bracelets, and the bonnets, the tiers of the head, and the stops, the head-bands, and the tablets, the ear-rings, the rings, and the mufflers, the costly apparel, and the veils, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, and the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the lawns.
And instead of sweet savour, there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of dressing of the hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty.
Then shall her gates mourn and lament: and she, being desolate, shall sit upon the ground."
Thus we see how terribly the Lord threateneth the gallant dames of Jerusalem for their excessive and abominable pride.
And this may well be a mirror for the proud minions of our age, which assuredly may well fear the Lord will bring some such judgment upon them as he did upon the daughters of Jerusalem
: for their sin is as great in this kind as was the daughters' of Zion; and God is the same
God now that he was then to punish it.
Antil. Tush: never speak so much of these matters of apparel; for we must do as others do, and follow the fashion, or else we shall not be esteemed.
Theol.
If you follow them not you shall be more esteemed of God, of his angels, saints, and all good men.
As for all others, if you esteem them more than these you shew what you are.
Antil. Well, for all that, say you what you will, pride is in the heart, and not in the apparel ; for one may be proud of plain apparel, as well as
PEIDE OF DEES8.
of costly; and some are as proud of their falling bands, and little sets, as others are of their great ruffs.
Theol. You speak foolishly.
For how know you that you can judge men's hearts and inward affections?
Can you say, when men's and women's apparel is sober, modest, and Christianlike, that they have proud hearts, and are proud of that attire?
You go very far, indeed, to judge the heart.
You ought to judge charitably of such as go soberly and modestly attired; even that their heart is according to their attire.
As for you, we may rather think your heart is vain, light, and foolish; because your attire doth strongly argue it; and as the prophet saith, "The shew of your countenance testifieth against you; you declare your sins as Sodom, and hide them not," Isa. iii. 9.
Antil. I pray you then set down some rules for apparel out of the scriptures.
Theol. I may well set down what I will; but surely most men and women will do what they list.
For verily it may be thought that many of this age have forsworn God, and his word, and all goodness; for they are come to this point, let God say what he will, they will do what they list.
For as the prophet saith, "They have made a covenant with hell, and with death, and are grown to an agreement," Isa. xxviii. 15.
And I do verily think, if God himself should come down from heaven in his own person, and dissuade men and women from this vanity of apparel yet would they still use it, as it were in despite of God and as it were to anger him the more.
For they are so extraordinarily enamoured, and so immoderately delighted with it, and do so continually, and
PRIDE OF DRESS.
altogether dote on it, and are so wood mad* of it, that they will have it, though men and angels, and all the world say nay; nay, which is more, though they should go to the devil quick with it.
And therefore it is but lost labour to speak against it, preach against it, or write against it.
It is but even to plough the sea, or knock at a deaf man's door; for there is no hope of any reformation.
Only this we gain, that the world is reproved and convicted of sin; and these things shall stand in record against them in the last day: so that they may say, they had a fair warning, and that there was a prophet amongst them.
Fhil. Yet for all this, I pray you set us down some directions and rules, out of God's holy book, concerning attire.
For albeit some be very bad and outrageous in these things, yet there be some others which are well-disposed, and will (no doubt) make some conscience to frame themselves according to the rules of Grod's word.
TJieol. Well, then, for their sakes which are well-disposed, I will set down some few directions.
St.
Paul, in 1 Tim. ii. 9, willeth that "women should array themselves in comely apparel, with shamefacedness and modesty, as becometh women that profess the fear of Grod: and not with braided hair, or gold or pearls, or costly apparel."
The apostle Peter giveth like rules also: for he saith,
Pet. iii. 3-6, speaking of Christian matrons, and professors of holy religion, that their apparel must not be outward, that is, not consist so much in outward bravery, (as braided hair, gold put about, &c.) as it must be inward, that the hidden man of the heart may be clothed with a meek and * Furiously mad.
FBISE OT DEESS.
quiet spirit, which is a thing before God much " For after this manner," saith he, " in times past, the holy women, which trusted in God, did attire themselves:" as Sarah, Rebecca, Eachel, and such like ancient and grave matrons. set by.
Phil. Wherein doth this inward clothing specially consist?
Theol. In four things, which are set down in the forenamed places: to wit, shamefacedness, modesty, a quiet spirit, and a meek spirit.
Fhil. These be fine suits of apparel, indeed.
I would all women would put them on, and never put them off, but wear them continually.
For they are the better for wearing, though all other apparel be the worse.
Theol.
If women would deck themselves inwardly with these aforesaid virtues, they would be unto them as ornaments of gold, and jewels of pearl.
"For the women that feareth the Lord shall be praised," Prov. xxxi. 30.
Phil. But now I pray you, sir, set down your judgment for outward attire.
Theol. This is all that I can say, touching the point, that it must be as the apostle saith: comely, decent, handsome, neat and seemly: not hght, not wanton, not lascivious, not immodest, not offensive.
Phil. But who shall judge what is comely, sober, handsome, modest, &e.?
For every man and women will say, their apparel is but decent and cleanly, how gallant, brave, and flaunting soever they be.
Theol. Herein the examples of the most godly, wise, grave, and modest men and women are to be followed: for who can better judge what is comely, sober, and modest, than they ?
PEIDE OF DEESS.
JPhil. But we see some, even of the better sort, in this matter are a little infected, run out, and go beyond their bounds.
Theol. The more is the pity.
But alas! we see the sway of the time, and the rage of the stream is so violent, that it carrieth before it whatsoever is not settled, and very deep-rooted.
And some godly and well-disposed persons, whose hearts are not with these things, but with God, are, notwithstanding, perforce, carried away with the violence of the wind and tide; whose case, though it cannot be well defended, or excused, yet it is much to be pitied and lamented.
Phil. Have you any further directions touching this point.
Theol. There is one thing yet more to be added, to wit, that attire be according to men's places, callings, and degrees.
For that is not seemly for one that is seemly for another: that becomes not one man's place that becometh another's
: for that is not meet for poor men which is meet for rich men: nor that meet for mean men which is meet for men of note and great place.
Phil. Then you think it lawful for kings, princes, and great personages, to wear pearl, gold, silver, velvet, &c. ?
Theol.
Questionless; it is lawful for such in sober manner and measure, to wear the most costly and precious things which the earth can afford: and that, to set out the magnificence, pomp and glory of their places.
And therefore such things are in them most comely and decent.
Phil. But now-a-days few will keep within compass, few will know their places: but the
PBIOE OF DfiESS.
most part run beyond their bounds, and leap quite out of their sockets.
Theol. True indeed, for now-a-days, mean gentlewomen, yea, some gentlewomen of their own making, will ruffle it, and brave it out in their attire, like countesses and ladies of honour.
Plain folks also, in the country, wUl flaunt it like courtiers, and like good gentlemen and gentlewomen: and they seem to say in their he^s, fie of this plainness, we will no more of it, we will not take it as we have done.
So that now the old proverb is verified " every Jack will be a gentleman, and Joan is as good as my lady."
For now we cannot, by their apparel, discern the maid from the mistress; nor the waiting gentlewoman from her lady.
And thus we see, in this matter of apparel, how all is out of joint.
Phil.
Is there any more -to be said in this case ?
Theol. There is yet another thiiig to be respected in this matter of attire.
Phil. What is that?
Theol. That it be according to men's abilities.
For it is lamentable to consider, how poor men and women, poor hired servants, milk-maids, and such like, go quite beyond their abilities.
And more lamentable, to see what wretched and illfavoured shifts they make to compass these things, so sharp and so eagerly are they set upon them.