Essay on Head Coverings, Essay · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Backs the Propoſition with ſome further Reaſons and Conſiderations.
IF all that hath been hitherto ſaid, be yet too little to reduce the Worſhip of God to the Apoſtolical Rule in this particular; I ſhall offer but theſe few things more, and leave them to conſideration.
1. Suppoſe that Chriſt himſelf, the ſupreme Lord and Maſter of the Aſſembly, were preſent in perſon among you in your places of Worſhip, Would you be covered or uncovered? I hope you will allow him the reverence that you allow your earthly Maſter or Prince. This Argument is but what God himſelf urges in onother Quarrel about his Worſhip, Mal. 1.8. Offer it now unto thy Governour, will he be pleaſed with thee, or accept thy perſon? If the beſt that we have, muſt be taken for an offering to a Governour or Prince, who is but a man, is the beſt too good for God? And if the humbleſt tokens of Reverence be due to a Creature whom God hath ſet in Authority over us, is it not much more due to God, who is our Abſolute and Supream Governour and Lord?
Ob. But perhaps you may ſay, This is the way to bring in Superſtition into the Church; and makes, as if all thoſe Modes of civil Worſhip or Reverence which are due to Man, are much more due to God; ſo we may bring in Cirching, and Bowing, and making a Leg, and a hundred other phantaſtical Geſtures, and quaint Goggles into the Worſhip of God, which are uſed in mens Courtly Addreſſes to their Superiors.
Anſ. 1. This Propoſition is as far from favour of Superſtition or any uninſtituted Ceremony, as that of the Prophet, before quoted, is from Idolatry; where God ſays, Offer it now to thy Governour.
2. There are Ceremonies in Gods Worſhip, which are common, as was ſaid before Chap. 1. that is, ſuch as are equally uſed in Civil and Religious Matters, as bowing the knee, uncovering the head, &c. which ſignifie the Reverence that is due to God in his ſolemn Worſhip, and yet the ſame Ceremony is lawfully uſed alſo toward the Magiſtrate; ſo that though it be in it ſelf a civil Ceremony, yet in the Worſhip of God it is ſacred. And yet for all this it doth not follow, that all civil Ceremonies are ſo; but only ſuch as God, by the Law of Scripture or Nature, hath made neceſſary or proper to expreſs the inward Reverence and Worſhip of the mind by.
3. Both Scripture and Nature (as hath been ſhewed before) hath claimed this Ceremony in queſtion, as due to Gods ſolemn Worſhip; therefore it is a Wickedneſs to neglect it. Now the Argument runs thus: If Reverence be due to the preſence of a Magiſtrate, much more is it due to God, whom he doth but repreſent, and by whom it is that he rules; and if thoſe external ſhadows and ſigns of Reverence, which Nature and Cuſtom hath made proper to ſignifie the Reverence of the mind by, be due to a Creature, much more is that which God and Nature hath made proper to expreſs it by, due to God; Or, if you will, thus: The Worſhip that we offer unto God, muſt be performed, as in the preſence of that God whom we worſhip (unleſs we hope to go behind his back to Worſhip him) therefore if his viſible preſence would make us to be uncovered, his ſpiritual and inviſible preſence ſhould do no leſs. Yea, Chriſt is viſibly preſent in his Ordinances, though not perſonally, yet Repreſentatively, as the King is in all his Courts of Judicature by his Officers that repreſent him; ſo that what is done in the preſence of Chriſts Ordinances and Officers, is done in his preſence. And if by the Angels, 1 Cor. 11.10. we are to underſtand the Meſſengers of the Goſpel, (as ſome will have it) then this is but the ſame Argument which the Apoſtle here urges, and muſt be allowed.
2. Let every one that yet reſolves to be of a contrary practice in this particular, conſider how he can be aſſur'd, that he doth not ſin in it. If it be matter of duty to be uncovered, then it is ſin to be covered; and if it be ſin, it can be no little ſin (were there any ſuch thing) it being an irreverent prophanation of Gods ſolemn Worſhip, of which the Holy God is always wont to be ſo very jealous. If it be ſuch a ſin, and wilfully perſiſted in after admonition, with what confidence can ſuch Worſhippers hope for acceptance with God? or indeed to eſcape his juſt vengeance? And who is there that would not tremble thus to mock and dare the Almighty? Therefore the only way is to tell us, as they do, that this is no matter of Duty, but of Liberty; and thus the Queſtion is eaſily anſwered, when it is well proved. We will not trouble our Brains at preſent, to conjecture by what unheard-of Medium they are ever like to make it probable; but rather adviſe the Objectors to conſider, whether their ſecurity be ſuch, as they dare venture the wrath of God, the loſs of all their religious Duties, and of their ſouls too, upon it. They ſuppoſe it to be a matter of liberty; it is their Opinion; yet they hear there is ſomething to be ſaid againſt it, and therefore but an Opinion and queſtionable; yea, they find ſome that are as confident, that it is a matter of Duty. We no where find it commanded to be covered, but here expreſly forbidden by the Apoſtle, if we underſtand him aright. Well! we will ſuppoſe the caſe to be doubtful, and the Queſtion ſhall be, which is the ſafer way; for in dubiis tutior pars eſt eligenda. Will any one that hath any regard to his ſoul, judge it ſafer to adventure upon a ſuppoſed Liberty (and that in ſo eaſie a task as uncovering the head) which is no where aſſerted in Scripture? or to comply with that which ſeems (though it did but ſeem) to be an expreſs command? If it be matter of Liberty, then there is no ſin on either hand. But what if this ſuppoſition ſhould be found falſe at laſt, and the great Judge determine againſt it? Where are the forward Objecters then? ſurely he is worſe than a mad man that will adventure his ſoul at ſo cheap a rate.
3. That which doth neceſſarily and per ſe, bring the Ordinances of God into contempt, muſt needs be a very great evil; but for the Man to have his head covered in any part of the publick Worſhip of God, is that which doth neceſſarily and per ſe, bring the Ordinances of God into contempt. Erg. I hope the Major will paſs for Orthodox in any part of the World, whether Chriſtian, Jewiſh, or Pagan. And I doubt not but the Minor will be prov'd to be altogether as true. Preaching is the Ordinance, and the great Ordinance of God; but this Ordinance it doth neceſſarily and per ſe bring into contempt. What is that keeps up the Honour and Credit of any thing in the World, but that viſible reſpect and reverence that is paid it in the ſight of men? The uncovering of the head is the great viſible ſign and token of Reverence; if this then be denied, how is the Reverence ſignified? And if there be no viſible Reverence, what follows but viſible contempt? and that as neceſſarily as darkneſs follows when light is gone. In vain is it to talk of the inward ſpiritual Reverence of the mind. For 1. where there is indeed this holy Principle, and good frame of Spirit within, it will naturally ſeek for vent, and expreſs it ſelf before men, in ſuch ways, and by ſuch means, as are commonly uſed, and taken to be the apteſt and moſt proper to expreſs it by. 2. Where there is this inward Reverence of the ſoul, it will ſeek (as all other gracious habits do) to propagate it ſelf to others. He that loves and ſears God, would have all others to love and fear him too; and he that reverences Gods Ordinances, would that all others ſhould do the like; and therefore will be zealous and forward to teach and encourage them ſo to do by his example, as well as precept. But now who will ſay or believe that ſuch a one doth reverence Gods Ordinance, when they ſee no more ſign of Reverence than if he were only among his fellows, or about his ordinary buſineſs in the World? and by this means others alſo are taught, not only to behave themſelves with the ſame irreverence, and ſo run into the ſame guilt; but, which is worſe, to have ſlight and baſe thoughts of Gods Ordinance, yea, and of God himſelf too, who hath appointed it. When the Honour of an Ordinance is loſt, the ſaving power of it is loſt, and ſo becomes to the wicked a matter of ſcorn. So that beſides the wrong that is done to God, how great is the wrong that is hereby done to ſouls! perhaps this hath not been the leaſt thing that hath help'd to bring both Preaching and Preachers into contempt in theſe our licentious days, while the elder ſort have taught their children to behave themſelves with leſs reverence in Gods preſence, than Parents or Maſters will allow them in theirs. What more effectual courſe could be taken to breed up a new Generation of Scorners, and to joyn iſſue with the Devil, to baniſh the Authority of preaching from among men? that it ſhould be the intereſt of any people ſo to do, is very ſtrange!