Sumptuary Laws. At an early period Chris- tianity controlled domestic habits in a great variety of ways both in food and dress. Excesses were condemn- ed. Thus Clement of Alexandria says, "Other men, like the unreasoning animals, may live to eat ; we have been taught to eat that we may live. For the nour- ishment of the body is not the work we have to do, nor is sensual pleasure the object of our pursuit, but rather the entrance into those mansions of incorruption whith- er the divine wisdom is guiding us. We shall there- fore eat simple food, as becomes children, and merely study to preserve life, not to obtain luxury. Great va- rieties of cookery are to be avoided. Antiphanes, the Delian physician, considers variety and research in cookery to be a main cause of disease; yet many have no taste for simplicity, and, in the vainglory of a fine table, make it their chief anxiety to have choice fish-
SUN"
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es from beyond sea." They might "use a little -wine for the stomach's sake," as the apostle exhorted Tim- othy; '"for it is good to bring the iiclp of an astrin- gent to a languid constitution; but in small (|tiantity, lest, instead of benetiting, it siionld be found to produce a fulness which would render other remedies needful; since the natural drink of a tliirsty man is water, and this simple beverage alone was sup|)lied from the cleft rock by tlie Lord for the use of the Hebrews of old. . . . Water is the medicine of a wise temperance. Young men and maidens should, for the most part, forego wine altogether; for to drink wine during the boiling season of youth is adding tire to tire. . . . Those wlio recjuire a mid-day meal may eat bread altogether without wine, and, if thirsty, let them satisfy themselves with water only. In the evening at supper, when our studies are over and the air is cooler, wine may be used without harm perhaps, for it will but restore the lost warmtli ; but even then it should be taken very sparingly, until the chills of age have ma<le it a useful metlicine; and it is for the most part best to mix it with water, in which state it conduces most to health." "Precious vases, rare to be acquired and ditlicult to be kept, are to be put away from among us," says the same writer that we have been quoting. " Silver spfas, silver ba- sins and saucers, plates and dishes; beds of choice woods decorated with tortoise-shell and gold, with cov- erlets of purple and costly stuffs, are to be reliiKpiished in like manner. The Lord ate from a humble dish, and reclined with his disciples on the grass, and washed their feet, girded with a towel. Our food, our utensils, and whatever else belongs to our domestic economy should be conformable to the Christian institutions." '• It is proper that both the woman and the man should come into the church decently dressed, with no studied steps, in silence, and with a mind trained to real benev- olence; chaste in body, chaste in heart, fitted to pray to God. Furthermore, it is right that the woman should be veiled, save when she is at home; for this is respectable and avoids offence." " It is enough to have the disposition which becomes Christian women," says Tertullian. '• God looks on the heart. The outward ap- pearance is nothing. Why make a display of the change that has been wrought in usy Kather are we bound to furnish the heathen no occasion of blaspheming the Christian name, and accusing Christianity of being ir- reconcilal)le with national customs." Yet he adds, "What reasons can you have for going about in gay apparel when you are removed from all with whom this is required'? Y'ou do not go the rountt of the tem- ples; you ask for no public shows; you have nothing to do with pagan festivals. You have no other than serious reasons for appearing abroad. It is to visit a sick brother, to be present at the communion or a ser- mon ; and if offices of courtesy or friendship call you among the pagans, why not appear in your own pecul- iar armor, that so the difference may be seen between the servants of (iod and of Satan V" Sumptuary laws have been passed by the State and Church, generally, however, to be disregarded. Koman laws prohibited certain luxuries in dress and food, but they were all habitually transgressed in the later times of the Kepub- lic. Such laws were in great favor in the legislation of England from the time of Edward III down to the Reformation (see statute 10 Edward III, c. '6, act 37 Edward III). In France they were as old as Charle- magne, but the first attempt to restrict extravagance in dress was under Philip IV. Scotland had also a simi- lar class of statutes. In all these countries, however, these laws seem to have never been practically ob- served. Most of the English sumptuary laws were re- pealed by 1 James I, c. 2.5, but a few remained on the statute-book as late as 18.5G.
Sun (prop. IT w'C;", sliemesh ; »jXiof). In the his- tory of the creation the sun is described as the "great- er light," in contradistinction to the moon, or " lesser