Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 61

LX.&#8212;To the Same Again.

Hear my voice, thou who wishest to remain a Christian woman, in what way the blessed Paul commands you to be adorned.&#160; Isaiah, moreover, the teacher and author that spoke from heaven, for he detests those who follow the wickedness of the world, says:&#160; The daughters of Zion that are lifted up shall be brought low.&#160; It is not right in God that a faithful Christian woman should be adorned.&#160; Dost thou seek to go forth after the fashion of the Gentiles, O thou who art consecrated to God?&#160; God&#8217;s heralds, crying aloud in the law, condemn such to be unrighteous women, who in such wise adorn themselves.&#160; Ye stain your hair; ye paint the opening of your eyes with black; ye lift up your pretty hair one by one on your painted brow; ye anoint your cheeks with some sort of ruddy colour laid on; and, moreover, earrings hang down with very heavy weight.&#160; Ye bury your neck with necklaces; with gems and gold ye bind hands worthy of God with an evil presage.&#160; Why should I tell of your dresses, or of the whole pomp of the devil?&#160; Ye are rejecting the law when ye wish to please the world.&#160; Ye dance in your houses; instead of psalms, ye sing love songs.&#160; Thou, although thou mayest be chaste, dost not prove thyself so by following evil things.&#160; Christ therefore makes you, such as you are, equal with the Gentiles.&#160; Be pleasing to the hymned chorus, and to an appeased Christ with ardent love fervently offer your savour to Christ.