A Lookingglass FOR WOMEN, OR, A Spy for Pride: SHOWING The unlawfulness of any outward adorning of any attire of Hair, either in laying forth the Hair, or in crisping of the Hair, or in broidered Hair in all Women, but especially in godly Women, declared fully by the Scripture.  
Also those Scriptures and carnal Objections answered, which are seemingly made for it.  Prov. 22. 23. 
Buy the Truth, and sell it not.  Col. 2. 6. 
As you have therefore received the Lord Jesus Christ, so walk you in him.  
London Printed for R. W. 1644.   

To the Christian READER.  
I Have a long time sat down in my thoughts, to admire awhile, to see the strain of the world, how that there is nothing wanting in them to make up their destruction, they will take pains to be drunk, to whore, to cousin, to lie, to steal, to murder, to be proud, and a thousand sins more, which they are faithful unto him to do who reigns in them as a Prince, in all the Children of disobedience, yea, they would rather sink down presently into hell, then to leave one sin; and the reason is, because they walk according to the principles which rule in them.  
And truly, upon the sad consideration of this particular, to see and observe that wicked men should be so at every command to him in whom they serve, and do walk according to their own destruction.  
It caused me to consider, how that godly men and women had need to walk according to the pattern which jesus Christ hath left us, who ruleth in all his Elect; as their only King, Priest and Prophet, and because my love is so dear unto the Saints, that I would have them walk according to the rule which jesus Christ hath left unto his Saints in his Word: It pleased the Lord to stir up my heart to consider upon the lawfulness, or unlawfulness of wearing any outward attire of hair in women, whether laying forth, or any other attire else, and found it by the Word to be utterly unlawful, against the the mind and rule of the Apostle Peter, and of the Apostle Paul; and one great reason which made me wave into this work, was, because that I saw many godly women do now adays wear it, yea, those whom we call Ministers wives, who should have given better example unto other women, besides many other godly women of particular Congregations, who have given up their names unto Christ both in heart and mouth, Covenanting to walk with jesus Christ among his members, in all the known truths of God, as it shall be from day to day revealed unto them by his spirit from the Word of God.  
Therefore I finding this outward attire of any outward adorning of hair to be unlawful in any woman whatsoever, but more especially among godly women. Considering likewise that many learned godly men have taken but little notice of it, who might have written for more better than my weak capacity am able to understand.  
Considering likewise that any godly man or woman would not live in any known sin, if that they knew it: Upon these three considerations it moved me to declare my mind touching the unlawfulness of laying forth the hair in women, and truly I should not have so fully declared my mind unto the world, if I had not found the spirits of godly women affected to it so much as they are: Therefore desiring such whom it may concern, to accept of these few lines, or short epitome, as the tendering and earnings of my love unto all those that desire to live godly in this present evil world, and in their willing acceptation of it, will my love be requited, not looking at any gain hereby, except it be the calumnies and reproaches, which may be of my friends, as well as of my enemies, but I shall wave whatsoever comes by, as looking more at the good which I intended thereby, then at the evil which may come upon it, desiring the Lord that he would direct all our hearts, both of men and women, so to walk, that we may see jesus Christ in all our walking:  
Your servant in Jesus Christ, T. H.   

A Lookingglass FOR WOMEN, OR, A SPY for PRIDE.  
SIn commonly carries a fair gloss with it, and I have observed that the devil, when he would present a sin unto any godly man or woman, he never presents it in the same shape as it is in its own nature, but masks it over with some seeming pretence or colour for it, I could instance it divers ways wherein he doth it; but because we are upon this subject only; namely to prove its utterly unlawful for any woman to go in any outward adorning of attire of hair, in laying it forth in any fashion whatsoever, under that seeming pretence of a covering, and that it was given to them for an ornament to deck themselves withal, which to say plainly, is but pride, and cometh from him who is the author of all sin.  
Therefore I shall begin this work from that portion of Scripture, which the Apostle Peter hath laid down as a pattern for every godly woman to walk by, which is out of the first of Peter 2. 3. in these words, Whose adorning let it be, not that outward adorning, as of plaiting the hair.  
These words are a direction by the Apostle, setting forth the carriage of a Christian woman in her outward adorning toward the gaining in of an unbelieving husband, as if the Apostle should have said, you that have husbands in the state of nature, and you being in the state of grace, your conversation of life should be such, while they beholding of it being coupled with fear, might be won without the word, by the conversation of the wife; which cannot be saith the Apostle in vain, and outward aadorning, and in the hidden man of the heart, but there will be such a conversation that every thing will be answerable unto it, both in your words, gesture, & attire, or outward adorning: as if he should have said, be your speech never so gracious, and your gesture never so meek, yet if your outward adorning be light or gaudy, what a contradiction will here be, between light and darkness, and we know that light and darkness can never dwell together until they be agreed, Amos 3. 3.  
Now saith the Apostle, in the consideration of this, what a hindrance will it be in the drawing in of a yoke fellow here unto Christ, when as he shall see that you are half for God, and half for the world, when as he shall see your speech and gesture is after the mind of God, and your attire and outward adorning to be after the fashions of the world, which is contrary to the glorious light of God, which once if the Lord be pleased to let it shine in men or women, it will shine in every part of their conversation, now you cannot see the glorious light of God's truth to shine in your outward adorning of attire of hair, as in your speech and gesture, not that my meaning is that you should place any godliness in it but that it may show forth to the world that godliness is in you, and truly the Apostle Paul would not have bid us, fashion not ourselves according to the world, if that the Spirit of God by him had not put a difference both between our speeches and gesture, and outward adorn, to testify unto the world that you are such whom he hath chosen out of the world.  
And truly those godly women that do use this outward adorning of laying forth the hair, a man can hardly know them from the women of the world, nay and moreover, to other godly Christian men, and women, that hear that such as are Christians that do were it, they not knowing of them, they will be but unto them as seeming Christians; and they will ground it from this, that if the heart were stable and sound, their attire of laying forth their hair would not be light and gaudy, because that Christ saith, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, Mat. 12. 34. that is whatsoever cometh forth out of the heart from man or woman, either in word or action, it doth declare the heart to be more holy, or less holy, that is, seeming holy, or real holy, and this was that which the Apostle James drove at, Jam. 2.17, 18, 19, 20, 21. that godly men should declare their faith by their works, as if he should have said, though it be not works that you can be saved by, yet is it such that must give that testimony to the world, that you are such whom the Lord hath been pleased for to call from among them (that is) you cannot be a believer and a drunkard too, a believer and a proud person too, a believer and a wanton person too, in your words, gesture and attire, for this end he hath made a difference between you, and the world, that you should walk more holier before him, which must be seen in your outward adorning, as well as in your speech and gesture.  
Now that we may see the odiousness of this unlawful attire, the better it will appear in these four particulars.  
First your outward adorning, or laying forth the hair, is a light attire, for the Prophet Esay brings it in among the rabble of those particulars which made up a light gesture, as you may read Esay 3. 24.  
Secondly, laying forth of the hair, or any such like outward adorning, it is a vain attire, it is of no substantial use, but to please the fancy, it is so far from drawing men to see God in you by it, as it provokes them more to lust, by seeing such wear it.  
Thirdly, it is a proud attire, it was brought in among those particulars of pride, in the place we mentioned before, Esay 3. 24. as a judgement on those particularly that had misused their hair, in these words, Instead of well set hair baldness, as if the Lord should have spoke by the Prophet, you that have abused your hair, by taking more delight in it, then in me, I will take this Idol out of your way, and instead of well set hair, place baldness.  
Fourthly, it is an unseemly attire, not befitting grave and holy women, and this will appear also to be a truth, if we shall consider, if it be unseemly for a woman for to go in man's apparel, how much more is it unseemly for grave and holy Christian women to go in Strumpet's attire, and take ye no exception at this kind of term, for the Apostle Saint Paul speaks of the unseemliness of it, especially in godly women, as you may read 1 Tim. 2. 9 where it is said, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness, and sobriety, and he gins first with broidered hair, as if it were both an immodest, and a bold, and audacious attire, and do you not think because the Apostle speaks of broidered hair, and I being against laying forth the hair, that this is not to the purpose: I suppose it is, for it was that fashion of hair that those women did use in them days, as you know in every age fashions do alter, and this your laying forth the hair, though it be the fashion now, comes under that, and the Apostle would have reproved it as the other, if it had been worn in them days, as an immodest attire, very unseemly becoming holy gracious women.  
Secondly, if we do but consider those dangerous inconveniencies which doth attend this outward adorning of attire of hair, it will appear unto you to be utterly unlawful.  
First, in regard of themselves this outward adorning of attire of hair will prove very inconvenient, because it is one of the greatest instruments that Satan hath to set pride on work; we commonly say a Peacock is a proud creature, and our reason is not taken from the turning of his head, for so other creatures do, but from the variety of colors of his feathers, which we suppose is the cause of the turning of his head, and hence comes that old phrase, to be as proud as a Peacock, and truly such godly women that go in such a gaudy attire, it must needs be a great instrument of stirring up of pride in them, because is is so near unto the eye, and it will be most an end upon it.  
Secondly, this attire of laying forth the hair, it will be a dangerous inconvenience in regard of others, two ways, either unto godly persons, or else unto wicked men.  
First, this kind of outward adorning will be a very inconvenient attire in regard of godly men and women, and because it will be one great cause of their judging of them to be seeming holy, when as it may be they may be really holy, and so by this means it may cause the love that should be among the Saints, to be abated, and instead of love to grow strange unto each other.  
Secondly, this kind of outward adorning of laying forth the hair is a very inconvenient attire, in regard of wicked men to, because it will rather provoke them to lust by beholding of such, then by seeing any thing in that attire to draw them unto any good.  
Now having discovered the unlawfulness of any outward adorning of attire of hair in all women, but especially among godly women, I now am come to answer these objections, which are seemingly made for it.  
The first objection is this, oh but your ground work, which you have builded all this while upon, is a rotten foundation, and not taken in that sense which you understand it for to be, for read you but the mind of the Apostle in the place of Peter, 1.3.3. and you shall find that his meaning is clean contrary, in that he saith let not your conversation lie in your outward adorning of plaiting the hair, or of wearing apparel, but let it be in the hidden man of the heart, even the ornament of a quiet, and meek spirit, implying thus much, not that we should not lay our hair out, but that we should not place any Religion in the plaiting of the hair, or any other adorning, but only in the hidden man of the heart.  
Answer, indeed in one sense it is to be understood so, because it was all the drift of the Apostle Peter to beat men from placing Religion in any thing here below, not only in any outward thing, but in any thing that was corruptible, as in gifts or graces, or the like, but now if this were all the meaning of the Apostle here, than this place of Scripture would seem to prove that a woman might wear her hair plaited, or gold, or any kind of apparel, so that they did not place any Religion in it, which if this exposition should stand, than it would break that rule which godly men holds, that one place of Scripture, if it be understood a right, it never thwarts another, but this exposition doth two places of Scripture; first 1. Cor. 11.16. that of the Apostle Paul, Her hair is given her for a covering, now a woman cannot be said to be covered, when as it is broidered and plaited, or laid forth, again it contradicts that place which the Apostle speaks of in 1 Timothy in 2. 9 where he saith, let women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness, and sobriety, not with broidered hair or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but 10. ver. which becometh women professing godliness, and good works, implying, that the outward adorning of laying forth the hair, is a very unbeseeming thing, becoming women professing godliness.  
Secondly, you may object and say my hair is not plaited nor crisped, but only laid forth, and therefore all the conclusions which you draw from the Apostle Peter's words is of no purpose, for he speaks not so much to me, as to those who wear their hair crisped or plaited, etc.  
I answer, the word plaited here used by the Apostle is taken for a general expression, concluding all sorts in one term, as if he should have said, let not your conversation be in your outward adorning, as plaiting of the hair, or any such like fashion, so that whatsoever fashion it be, either crisped or broidered, or plaited, or laid forth, if it come under this term of an outward adorning, it is utterly unlawful from the rule of the Apostle Peter, as you cannot deny but your attire of laying forth your hair, comes under the term of outward adorning.  
Thirdly, you may object from the Apostles words 1. Cor. 11.16. that hair was given of God unto you for a covering, and you use it for no other end.  
Answer; first, that way you use it, it is but a seeming covering, and no real covering, and it will appear that it is rather an uncovering as you use it, than a covering, in that you take it out of its proper place, to hang it down in another place. Secondly, it's against the rule of the Apostle so to do, for he saith you must be covered, or else you must be shorn; the Apostle doth not mean here, that your hair should only cover your head and ears, but that your clothes should cover your hair, and therefore this was the reason that men must have their hair cut, because men was to wear no clothes to cover their head, therefore saith the Apostle, if you will not cover your heads, that part which is uncovered must be shorn or shaved, implying, that his meaning is, that their clothes should cover their hair. Thirdly, if you would have the meaning of the Apostle, that your hair should be given you for an outward covering, then by this rule it were unlawful for any woman to wear any covering upon her hair, which to understand it so will be ridiculous. Fourthly, if you should take the Apostles meaning, that her hair was given her for an outward covering, then by this rule she might wear it of any fashion, so that it covers her head, though that it hang down all her neck, ears, and forehead, being tied up neatly, to which you will say this is like more unto a mad, frantic woman, then to a sober, grave, and holy woman. Fiftly, your laying forth of your hair, cometh under that admonition, which the Apostle Peter gives of an outward adorning, for why may not that part of the hair be tied up as well as all the rest, or why do you not let all the rest of your hair hang down about your head, as well as that?  
Fourthly, you may object end say, oh but my hair is given me for an ornament, and I take no pride in my laying it forth.  
Ans. I do not deny but that your hair is an ornament to your head, because the Lord created it for that proper place, but that your hair is given you as an ornament to deck yourself withal, that is against the rule of both the Apostles, for that the Apostle Paul saith your hair is given you for a covering, and not to deck yourself withal, and the Apostle Peter condemns it for an outward decking, for if it had been given an ornament to deck yourself, the Apostle Paul, 1 Tim. 29. would not have condemned it, an unseemly attire, not befitting grave and holy women.  
Fiftly, you may object and say, though I have no absolute rule for it from the word of God, yet I have the examples of many godly grave and holy women for it.  
Ans. First you must never follow the example of any godly man or woman then their example is regulated by the word.  
Secondly, if you shall ask any of them upon what ground they do were it, they can give you no Scripture for it, but one of these two reasons, or some other such like carnal reasons, either they will say it was a fashion that I was brought up in from my parents, who went in the same fashion before me, or else they will say, why may not I wear it as well as such and such women, poor answers to satisfy conscience in such a case.  
Sixtly, you may object and say, why do you think they are all godly women, that goes close covered in their hair, or do you think that they be all but seeming Christians, as you term them, that lays their hair forth?  
Answ. I neither say they are the one or the other, but suppose a godly woman were walking with a wicked woman abroad, the godly woman she having her hair forth, the carnal woman she is close covered, you following of them, you meeting with a friend and say, I pray Sir do you know those two women that passed by us? Yes, saith he very well, I pray saith he, what is that woman that went in that modest attire? oh saith he she is a very carnal woman, and what is the other woman that had her hair forth? she is a very precious godly woman; good lack saith he, it did not appear so to me by her gaudy attire, well saith he, let the other carnal woman be what she will she goeth more modester, than the other godly woman, so that even nature may teach women to be more modester in their attire of hair, but more especially godly women.  
Seventhly, you may object and say, oh but all this while you have but drawn it out by consequences, that woman's laying forth their hair is a sin, you have brought never a place of Scripture flat against it, and therefore it may be your own brain meaning more than the meaning of the Scripture.  
Ans. Although there is no such place of Scripture as this, thou shalt not lay thy hair forth, yet doubtless, though it was not spoken against by God himself, yet in so much as it was spoken against by the Apostle Paul, who had the Spirit of God; whatsoever he spoke then, was the mind of God, for whatsoever that was spoken against the mind of God had been a sin, but such a one as Paul, who had such a measure of the spirit, could not sin in such a case, as to speak his own judgement when as it was not the mind of God, therefore it must needs be the mind of God, that laying forth of hair is unlawful, in that he used the apostle Paul & Peter to mind us of it.  
Eightly, you may object and say, oh but my birth requires is, and the company I keep withal daily requires it or else, I shall not be fitting for such company.  
Ans. first will you prefer your natural birth, before your spiritual birth? Secondly, if you can discern what a natural birth requires in your attire of hair, why cannot you as well then discern by the rule of the Apostle what a spiritual birth requires, which is plainly discovered to be against your laying forth the hair. Thirdly, as for the company you are with according to your rank, you must not be guided more by their rule then by the pattern of the word, as the Lord hath put a difference between them, and you in their soul's condition, so the Lord hath put a difference between you and them, in your attire.  
Ninthly, you may object and say, why may not I as well go in this attire of hair, as to go in gold and silver, seeing that is lawful for me to do, if it be according to my rank and place.  
Answ. For your gold and silver it is lawful for to wear, by such persons in whom the Lord is so pleased to bestow this worldly wealth upon, as you may read in the book of Exodus, and in Job 32. 11. but they that wear their hair out, have no rule for it, but a flat rule against it.  
Tenthly, you may object and say, oh but God requires that our adorning should be decent and comely, and I never wore my hair but decent, civil and comely.  
Answ. There can be nothing said to be decent and comely, which is displeasing unto God, and it is as undecent in God's sight for a woman to wear their hair out, as it is undecent in man's sight for a woman for to go in man's apparel, and surely the Apostle Paul and Peter would never have troubled themselves so much in speaking of it, if it had not been both displeasing unto God and man, nay the Lord would not threaten such a judgement on them for it, that did abuse their hair, as you may read Esay 3. 24. instead of well set hair, baldness; read but out all the words in that verse, and you shall find that in every particular wherein they offended, and displeased God, the Lord sent them a particular judgement for it, as you may read instead of sweet smell, a stink, implying it was displeasing, & instead of beauty, burning or tanned, so that for every particular sin the Lord had a judgement for it: for no doubt that the Lord was not displeased with their natural beauty, for than he should despise his own creature that he made, but that artificial beauty which they put upon themselves, and so we must understand the Lord sent a judgement of baldness upon those women that had well set hair, not because it was his own workmanship, but because they abused their hair, etc.  
Eleaventhly, oh but this dressing in my hair becometh me more better than my dressing in  doth, and therefore I wear, and for no other end.  
Answ. First, take heed that this fashion blind not your eyes, that you cannot see the ugliness in it, for pride and self love blinds one that they cannot see, that which another seethe in them to be unseemly.  
Secondly, do not persuade yourself it is a seemly fashion best becoming of you, for if you do but look upon it, you are in your apparel more like an Hermaphrodite, that is to say half man and half woman, that is, when as you shall be like to a woman downward in your apparel, and you should be like to a man upward in your Hat, and hair.  
Thirdly, your wearing of hair forth is no such comely dressing, because it takes away that modesty, and shamefastness, which would if you were godly women appear in you, and to say the truth, those seem to be more viragines or men like women that do werae it, then modest grave and holy women.  
Twelfthly, oh but you may say, though you may prove it is unlawful for a woman to lay forth her hair, yet I hope it is not unlawful for one to go close covered wearing some locks of hair forth, doing it only for the setting forth of my person, as I do wear my dressing for that end.  
Answ. First, if it be unlawful to do the greater, it must needs follow to be unlawful to do the less, if it be unlawful for a man to swear a great oath, it is as unlawful for a man to swear a little oath, & my reason is this, because the least sin in God's sight is as heinous unto him as the greatest sin, because in the least sin we do blemish the Image of God, though in the greater sins it be in a greater degree, and truly a small sin given by a Saint unto God, is more hainouser than a greater sin given by a wicked man, because he that doth not the will of God ignorantly shall not be excused, but he that knoweth how to do the will of God, and doth it not, he shall be left to be punished, without excuse: Luke 12. 47, 48.  
Secondly, to wear your locks forth, it comes under the same admonition as the Apostle Peter speaks of, and outward adorning, and under the Apostle Paul's rule of, an immodest Attire, not beseeming gracious holy women, professing godliness, and therefore utterly unlawful.  
Thirdly, it is an object of pride, to set it a working in those that do wear it, though perhaps all present may not do it for that end, I instance thus: you will say it were a very unbeseeming thing for a man to pray unto God to give him power over his lust of uncleanness, and yet you to see him daily to use lascivious pictures, and wanton gestures, truly it is one and the same case in godly women, who prayeth daily unto God for power over their sins, and among all the rest, prayeth against the sin of pride, and against all those Instruments which may be a means of stirring up of it in them, and yet shall daily Lock forth their hair, which is not only as great an instrument to stir up pride in them, if there should be none, as it giveth cause unto other godly persons, to be but pride itself, and truly in conclusion, if there were no sin to be found in it, yet in so much as it hath been this many years, such a great affence given unto so many godly men and women, which by their wearing of it, hath been a great cause to Censure them, though it may be they never deserved it, if it were but only upon this ground and none other, it were enough to beat you from your pleading for it, and to lay it down, as a thing both offensive unto God and man, and though your knowledge may be very much, I know Paul had as much as you, and yet his spirit came so low, as you may read, 1 Cor. 8. 13. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, which was a greater matter to abstain from that food which was so nourishing to his body, then for you to lay in your head of hair, or lock of hair, and to be close Covered, seeing you have a Rule, In case you give by any means any offence, to a weak Brother or Sister, and so by this means make them to offend that Great God, to whom be praise through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer, for ever, world without end.  
Amen.  
FINIS.