“Innocency at first was man's comely robe, in comparison of which the richest clothes are but nasty rags. Ah, how lovely did he look in that heaven-spun attire! In his primitive splendour, the most gaudy and costly apparel would have been but as a cloud over the face of the sun, or a coarse curtain over a beautiful picture. But sin caused shame, and shame called for clothes to cover it”
-George Swinnck Works Vol.1
“Our richest clothes are characters of reproach ; and as Adam's livery, they are an implicit confession of our sin and shame. The dim-sighted person is not proud of his spectacles, nor he who hath lost one eye, of the plaster which covereth it. When the thief looketh on his fetters, he thinketh of his felony, which was the cause of them. When we behold our habits, we may well be humble, reflecting upon our apostasy, the cause of them. Before the fall Adam and Eve were both naked, and were not ashamed, Gen. ii. 25. A murderer hath as much reason to be proud of his halter as a man of his habit.”
-George Swinnck Works Vol.1
“Pride is manifested outwardly by men's readiness to follow new fashions.”
-George Swinnck Works Vol.1
“ ‘I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all as are clothed with strange apparel’ Zeph. i. 8. God speaketh of them, who in their clothes imitated the Egyptians, or the Babylonians. Though they were never so high, (princes' and kings' children,) yet being vain in their habit, they were sure to feel the weight of God's hand. ' I will punish them.' Idolaters are no fit measure for God's people to make their clothes by.”
-George Swinnck Works Vol.1
"As, then, in the fashioning of our clothes, we must keep clear of all strangeness, so in the use of them we must beware of extravagance."
—Clement of Alexandria (c.150 - 211/216)
As quoted in Golden Treasury of Patristic Quotations
"Clothe yourselves with the silk of honesty, the fine linen of righteousness, and the purple of chastity. Thus painted you will have God for your lover."
—Tertullian (c. 160 – c. 225)
As quoted in Golden Treasury of Patristic Quotations
"Love of display is not for a lady, but a courtesan."
—Clement of Alexandria (c.150 - 211/216), The Instructor
As quoted in Golden Treasury of Patristic Quotations
"If lustful looking be so grievous a sin, then those who dress and expose themselves with desires to be looked at and lusted after...are not less, but even more guilty. In this matter it is only too often the case that men sin, but women tempt them so to do. How great, then, must be the guilt of the great majority of the modern misses who deliberately seek to arouse the sexual passions of our young men. And how much greater still is the guilt of most of their mothers for allowing them to become lascivious temptresses."
-A.W. Pink The Sermon on the Mount
