The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

but now it is crept into every house: then the rich glutton jetted in purple every day,¹ but now the poor unthrift jets as brave as the glutton, with so many circumstances about him, that if ye could see how pride would walk herself, if she did wear apparel, she would even go like many in the streets: for she could not go braver, nor look stouter, nor mince finer, nor set on moe laces, nor make larger cuts, nor carry more trappings about her, then our ruffians and wantons do at this day. How far are these fashions altered from those leather coats which God made in Paradise?² if their bodies did change forms so ⟨p. 436⟩often as their apparel changeth fashions, they should have more shapes then they have fingers and toes.³ As Jeroboam's wife disguised her self that the Prophet might not know her, so we may think that they disguise themselves that God might not know them, nay they disguise their bodies so, till they know not themselves: for the servant goeth like his master, the handmaid like her Mistress, the subject like the Prince, as though he had forgotten his calling, and mistook himself: like a man in the dark, which puts on another mans coat for his own, that is too wide, or too side for his body: so their attires are so unfit for their bodies, so unmeet for their calling, so contrary to nature, that I cannot call them fitter, then the monsters of apparel.⁴ For the Giants were not so monstrous in nature, as their attires are in fashion, that if they could see their apparel but with the glance of a spiritual eye, how monstrous it makes them like Apes and Puppets, and Vices, they would fling away their attire, as David flung away Sauls armour:⁵ and be as much ashamed of their clothes,⁶ as Adam was of his nakedness.

but now it is crept into euerie house: then the rich glutton ietted in purple euerie day,