By this you may see, that it is not so much the bare fashion itself that is to be regarded, as the signification and the consequents of it. The same fashion when used by sober persons, to better signification and consequents, may be lawful, which otherwise is unlawful. Therefore those fashions that can hardly ever be supposed to have a good signification and consequents, are hardly ever to be supposed lawful.
Note also, that any one of the aforesaid evils maketh a fashion evil, but it must be all the requisites concurrent that must prove your fashions good or lawful.
_Quest._ IV. Is it not sometimes lawful to follow the fashions? _Answ._ It is always lawful to follow the sober fashions of sober people; but it is not lawful to follow the vain, immodest, ill-signifying fashions of the riotous, proud, and wanton sort: unless it be in such cases of necessity as David was in, when he behaved himself like a mad-man, or as Paul when he told them that he was a Pharisee, Acts xxiii. 6, to escape in a persecution, or from thieves or enemies. 2. Or unless for a time it prove as conducible to the good of others, as Paul's circumcising Timothy was, or his becoming all things to all men, that he might win some.[611] But to follow ill-signifying fashions, unnecessarily, or for carnal ends, to avoid the disesteem or evil speeches of carnal persons, or to seem to be as fine as they, this is undoubtedly a sin.
_Direct._ VI. Be sure to avoid excess of costliness in your apparel. Remember that you must answer for all your estates. And one day it will prove more comfortable to find on your accounts, So much a year laid out in clothing the naked, than, So much a year in bravery or curiosity for yourselves or your children. Costly apparel devoureth that which would go far in supplying the necessities of the poor.
_Direct._ VII. Be sure you waste not your precious time in needless curiosity of dressing. I cannot easily tell you how great a sin, and horrible sign of folly and misery, it is in those gallants that spend whole hours, yea, most part of the morning, in dressing and neatifying themselves, before they appear to the sight of others; so that some of them can scarce do any thing else before dinner time, but dress themselves. The morning hours that are fittest for prayer, and reading the word of God, are thus consumed. They spend not a quarter so much time in the serious searching and adorning of their souls, nor in any holy service of God; but God, and family, and soul, and all is thus neglected.
_Direct._ VIII. Next to the usefulness of your apparel for your bodies and labours, let your rule be to imitate the common sort of the grave and sober persons of your own rank. Not here and there one that in other things are sober, who themselves follow the fashions of the proud and vain; but the ordinary fashion of grave and sober persons. For thus you will avoid both the levity of the proud, and the needless singularity of others.
_Direct._ IX. Regard more the hurt that your fashion may do, than the offence or obloquy of any. For proud persons to say you are sordid, or not fine enough, and talk of your coarse attire, is no great disgrace to you, nor any great hurt; but it is a greater disgrace to be esteemed proud. It signifieth an empty, childish mind, to be desirous to be thought fine: it is not only pride, but the pride of a fool, distinct from the pride of those that have but manly wit. And you ought not thus to disgrace yourselves, as to wear the badge of pride and folly, any more than an honest woman should wear the badge and attire of a whore. Moreover, mean apparel is no great temptation to yourselves or others to any sin; but proud and curious apparel doth signify and stir up a lustful or proud disposition in yourselves; and it tempteth those of the same sex to envy and to imitate you, and those of the other sex to lust or wantonness. You spread the devil's nets (even in the churches, and open streets, and meetings) to catch deluded, silly souls. You should rather serve Christ with your apparel, by expressing humility, self-denial, chastity, and sobriety, to draw others to imitate you in good, than to serve the devil, and pride, and lust by it, by drawing men to imitate you in evil.