Essay on Head Coverings, Essay · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Concludes all with a ſerious and ſhort addreſs to the Non conforming Brethren, both Miniſters and People.
I Shall now ſhut up this Diſcourſe (wherein I doubt I have not been very welcome to ſome of my Readers) with a few words to my Brethren, both Miniſters and People.
1. To thoſe that are in the Miniſtry. Reverend and Dear Sirs! It is notoriouſly known, what hard things our Mothers Children, that are angry with us for not complying with all their impoſing-humours in ſacred things, have been long charging us with, and filling the ears of Authority with their harſh Declaimings againſt us, as a company of heady, high-minded, ſchiſmatical, ſelf-wil'd, and ungovernable Creatures; as if we were ſuch as pleaſed not God, and were contrary to all men. And very uneaſie it would be to bear it, did not the Conſcience of our ſimplicity make it light. But while we talk of Conſcience, and think to bear our ſelves upon the Goſpel-rights and Priviledges of it, we do but abuſe our ſelves, and harden them; and proſtitute the very name of Conſcience to open contempt, while we plead Conſcience to juſtifie our Diſobedience in the caſe of a ſew harmleſs (as they ſay) and gray headed Ceremonies; and yet make no Conſcience of that open prophanity and irreverence, which the very light of Nature would teach the poor Heathens to condemn and abhor in their Worſhip. Partiality in the matters of Conſcience, is one of the greateſt Scandals and Reproaches of Religion, and that which gives the Adverſary the greateſt advantage.
—pudet haec opprobria nobis,
Et dici potuiſſe, & non potuiſſe refelli.
I have long wiſhed for a Rebuke to this irreverent, unſcriptural practice, from ſome graver, and more venerable hand or other; For I ſaid, days ſhould ſpeak, and multitude of years ſhould teach wiſdom. But I have not found any that have hitherto medled in this matter. And perhaps I ſhall be cenſur'd too, for being buſier than doth become me; but that (as far as it reſpects my ſelf) ſhall be put on the private ſcore, and be one of my leaſt concerns; yet this is that which is my defence. The Apoſtle himſelf hath ſpent no leſs than 16. Verſes upon the caſe before me; and I have not ſpent half ſo many ſheets. If then I muſt paſs for a Trifler, let it be becauſe I have ſaid no more, or ſaid it no better; which fault, I hope ſome wiſer man or other will ſhortly mend; and I ſhall patiently ſubmit to any reaſonable Correction.
Sirs! when I hear that voice of God himſelf to his Servant Moſes, from Exod. 3.5. Put off thy ſhooes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou ſtandeſt is holy ground; and the ſame to Joſhua too, Joſh. 5.15. I dare not make light of the external ſigns of Reverence in the ſpecial preſence of the holy One, who hath declared, that he will be ſanctifyed of all that come nigh to him. What was it that made thoſe places holier than others, but Gods ſpecial preſence there, which alone was able to conſecrate it? I do not think that one place is holier under the Goſpel, than another, with what pompous Ceremonies ſoever men may pretend to conſecrate it; nor that there is any Reverence due to one place more than to another, on the account of its ſuppoſed Conſecration; but Gods Ordinances, I am ſure, are as holy as ever they were; and God is as much to be reverenced as ever. Holy and Reverend is that name of his, which he will never change. The uncovering of the feet was among ſome people a token of Reverence and Subjection, and uſed in ſacris; whence they had their Nudipedalia ſacra: and in token of their Reverence and Homage, this Ceremony was religiouſly obſerved. The uncovering of the head is with us a token of the ſame thing; therefore by a parity of reaſon, is due to Divine Worſhip. Is it not a ſhameful thing, and hard to be born by any that are tender of Gods Honour, to ſee how every ill-manner'd Boy, and daring Youth, that neither regard nor underſtand their Duty to God or Man, ruſh into the preſence of the great Jehovah, with that wanton levity and unconcernedneſs, as if they were come about ſome of their own Puerilia, their Games and Sports; and behave themſelves with that bold irreverence, which would be thought intolerable in the preſence of their Superiors? as if the places of Gods publick Worſhip were the allowed Theaters of Prophanity, and rudeſt Liberty? And for all this, they will plead the toleration, yea, the example of their Seniors. Pudet haec opprobria, &c.
Now Sirs! the guilt of this is charg'd on us, who are their Teachers. And the truth is, I know not how we can clear our ſelves, either to God or Man, without our utmoſt and faithful endeavors to remedy it; which now will be the more difficult, becauſe by our long ſilence we have encouraged and ſetled them in it. But ſeeing the difficulty is much of our own procuring, this ſhould be ſo far from diſcouraging, that it ſhould quicken us to more. How can we expect that God ſhall bleſs his word in our mouths, while we can ſee it thus diſhonour'd, and be ſilent? And what though you may expect the unjuſt Cenſures and Frowns of ſome of your froward Hearers? it is not for the Meſſengers of the Lord of Hoſts to fear the diſpleaſure of men. Nay, in the diſcharge of your Duty, you have not only the peace of your own Conſciences, but the promiſe of Gods bleſſing. God may ſubdue mens wills to the obedience of the truth, beyond what you expect. For my own part, I bleſs God for the ſucceſs I have had, and that with very little labour, and which hath encouraged me to recommend it unto others. And what if your Congregations ſhould be the thinner? a handful of humble, ſerious, reverent Worſhippers, are better than a multitude of proud, rude, prophane, phantaſtical ones. Nor will this weaken the Intereſt you ſhould uphold; a few that lap, are a ſafer guard, and ſurer of victory, than a whole Army of ſuch as God doth not chuſe. Nor need you fear of making more Diviſions, or raiſing fires among thoſe, whoſe intereſt it is, eſpecially at ſuch a time, to be united. 'Tis mens luſts and imperious wills that make Diviſions, and not Gods Law, nor the zealous preſſing of Duty. As for thoſe that will depart on ſuch a ſcore, let them depart; we need them no more than the Wheat doth need the Chaff in the floor, or the good Figs needeth the bad. I know no good ſuch Worſhippers do in an Aſſembly, but hinder Prayers. God is now refining us, and let us be refined. But perhaps all theſe fears may be but falſe ſuggeſtions of the evil one, who is ſo pelaſed to ſee holy things prophaned. For my own part, I can teſtifie, that I have found the quite contrary of theſe fears. But I muſt conſider to whom I am ſpeaking. Pardon, Dear Sirs! this plainneſs and liberty of Speech. Verbum ſat ſapienti. I will ſay no more, I could ſay no leſs.
2. To the people; If I have not yet anſwered all your Objections, I wiſh I knew them, that I might endeavour to anſwer them; but if I have anſwered them, I hope you will be perſwaded. Sirs! Perhaps you ſtill look on the matter I have been now imployed in, as a ſmall thing; and truly were it not that, wherein the Honour of Gods Worſhip and Ordinances were intereſſed, it would for me paſs for a ſmall thing. Could we ſecure the glory of God, by taking the contempt to our ſelves, it ſhould be as little a thing, as you would have it to be. But alas! theſe arrows of ſcorn fly over our heads, and wound that which is above us. Oh Sirs! take heed, you have to do with a jealous God, and in a matter wherein his jealouſy hath always been moſt tender. Never tell me of any awe or reverence you have upon your hearts, while I ſee no viſible ſigns of Reverence to atteſt it. Judge in your ſelves; is it a comely thing, that the Meſſengers of Chriſt that ſtand in his ſtead to you, and come on his meſſage, and repreſent his perſon, ſhould ſtand bare before you, (as indeed we ought to do) and you ſit upon your ſeats covered, as if ye were ſet there to be our Judges, not our Hearers? as if we ſtood to beg your approbation, and not to teach, and admoniſh, and reprove you? Sirs! the credit of our Miniſtry is not ours, but Chriſts; therefore we are bound to magnifie our Office. Are we your Teachers? are not you then our Scholars? Shall the Maſter read his Lectures bare, and every Boy in the School be covered? Would this be a decent ſight? But that which is not decent in Morality, is much more indecent in Religion. I confeſs I am aſham'd that the World ſhould know, that any of thoſe that call themſelves Chriſtians, and Profeſſors, ſhould need ſo much ado to be reduced to Reverence and good Manners in the Worſhip of their God. Methink I would beſpeak you, as the Servants of Naaman did their Maſter, 2 King. 5.13. If the Prophet had bid thee do ſome great thing, wouldſt thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he ſaith unto thee, waſh and be clean? If the Lord ſhould bid you ſell your Poſſeſſions, and lay down the price at your Teachers feet; if he ſhall call you to mingle your Blood with your Sacrifices, will you not do it? how much rather then when he bids you to be uncovered in his Worſhip? Certainly he that will not uncover his head for-Chriſt, will hardly part with his head for him. 'Tis true, ſome will rather part with their blood, than with their ill humours; but with ſuch Sacrifices God is not well-pleaſed. And now Reader! having thus briefly, in the name of Chriſt advertiſed thee, I ſhall leave thee to conſider it; expecting either thy Obedience, or thy Reaſons to the contrary. I ſhall … all with the words of the Apoſtle, Heb. 12.28, 29. Let us have grace whereby we may ſerve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a conſuming fire.
—ſiquid noviſti rectius iſtis
Candidus imperti, ſi non, his utere mecum.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Stodden, Essay on Head Coverings (1682)