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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 8

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

8. You call yourself wealthy and rich; but Paul meets

‹ Section 7 Section 9 ›

your

riches

,

and

with

his

own

voice

prescribes

for

the

moderating

of

your

dress

and

ornament

within

a

just

limit

.

“

Let

women

,

”

said

he

,

“

adorn

themselves

with

shamefacedness

and

sobriety

,

not

with

broidered

hair

,

nor

gold

,

nor

pearls

,

nor

costly

array

,

but

as

becometh

women

professing

chastity

,

with

a

good

conversation

.

”

Also

Peter

consents

to

these

same

precepts

,

and

says

,

“

Let

there

be

in

the

woman

not

the

outward

adorning

of

array

,

or

gold

,

or

apparel

,

but

the

adorning

of

the

heart

.

”

But

if

these

also

warn

us

that

the

women

who

are

accustomed

to

make

an

excuse

for

their

dress

by

reference

to

their

husband

,

should

be

restrained

and

limited

by

religious

observance

to

the

Church’s

discipline

,

how

much

more

is

it

right

that

the

virgin

should

keep

that

observance

,

who

has

no

excuse

for

adorning

herself

,

nor

can

the

deceitfulness

of

her

fault

be

laid

upon

another

,

but

she

herself

remains

in

its

guilt

!

Notes

24
1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.
25
1 Pet. iii. 3, 4.