The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-16
The Christian Law OF Dress,

A correspondent asks us what is the
Christian law of dress, referring us to
Peter 8: a, and I Tim. 2 %. eff these
directions" she says, "are to be followed
literally, it is wrong for woman to friz
or curl her hair or to wear ornaments of
gold or jewels, though pearls only arc
mentioned. If it means all this, should
not the whole of ones style of living be
included-house and grounds, furnish
ings, cquipage and everything"
Let us say at first, as explicitly and
emphatically as possible, that the Bible
IS not book of statutes or rules, by
which We are to govern the details Of
our lives. Our correspondent herself un-
consciously points out the utter made
quacy of the Bible for this purpose it
forbids pearls, but not diamonds /; it
mentions articles of drcs, but not arti-
clcs of furniture. If the texts to which
she refers are to be interpreted as stat
utes, ones dress might blaze with dia-
monds, and one might ride in carriage
and four, with out-ridcrs and livcricd
servants, disrcgardful of'all claims of the
suffering poor, and still not violate the
law. The Bible is q book of general
principles, not of specific rules and
those utterances in it which seem like
specific rules are to be regarded only as
illustrations of great principles. This is
necessarily characteristic of any book in
tended for all peoples and all times.
Principles are eternal but the methods
for their application change.
Now, the general principal is that all
we possess we hold as trustces-rcccivcd
at the hand of God, and to be so used in
his service and for the good of his chill
dren. Any one who actually believes
this princip pie cannot spend any large
proportion of her time or any large pro-
portion of her means in any form Of self
indulgence. The strength of her life
will be spent in doing good; the strength
of her money will be spent in the service
of love. Doubtless great deal of time
is wasted by Christian people in consid-
Grafton of dress; but the tendency of
civilization and culture is clearly in the
other direction. In the 18th century
the cavaliers dressed in colors, and the
gentlemen probably spent almost as smuch
time in matching colors to their own
compilations rs do the invcterate lady
shoppers of our own day. Now the gen.
tlemen dress in sober colors-blacks,
browns and grays. The street costumes
of ladies appear to be following along a
line of similar evolution; and as dress
grows simpler, attention to and thought
about it will grow less, and more time
and thought will be left to higher
themes. 1t is not possible to
draw an absolute line-to for
bid pearls and permit sapphiIcs;
to forbid diamonds and permit
opals. The Christian woman should re-
member also that no institution renders
a higher service to the community than
Christian home; that culture and refine
ment are seen in furniture and dress as
we'll rs in books and conversation; that
furniture and dress are themselves edu-
Gators. A bald and barren room tends
to make bald and barren character; an
ostcntatious, luxurious and snowy home
tends to make j vain and encrvatcd char
acter; a cultured, tasteful home tends
to produce refinement in character. There
IS one sharply defined line which should
never be transgresscd in attire. No Or
nament, whether it be of diamond or Of
glass, ought to be worn for the sake of
0stcntation; and none which is worn for
the sake of its intrinsic beauty, need be
wrong if its value is proportioucd to the
means OF the wearcr. Whatever minis
ters to life is, or at least, may be, lcgiti-
mate whether it be life of muscle, blood
or Drawn, or the life of the intellect,
imagination, motion, taste, sentiment or
spiritual nature. Whatever ministers to
mere scIf-indulgencc, whether of body
or OF pride and vanity, can never be
right.