cing fin where God never meant it; That I may therefore lay fome grounds of this my juft determination, know firft that in the ufe of garments and these outward appendances of the body there is much latitude and variety according to the feverall guifes of Nations, and degrees of perfons: there are Countries the extremity of whofe cold climate is fuch that it is no boot to bid both fexes be covered, yea muffled up, for their own fafety; there are others fo fcorching that will hardly admit of any covering either for head or body; there are fome whofe hair is fo large, that is able to hide them, there are others whole curled heads are alike fhort in both fexes, and give no advantage to the covering of either he that made thefe differences of climates and people hath not thought fit to confine them to one univerfall rule, only contenting himself with a generall prefcription of decency which in all Countries must be regulated according to the custom or convenience of the place.For certainly these facred ceremonies must fol. low the rule ofthe civill,for that which is held a token of fubjection to our Princes and other fuperiors, in all Countries is so used in the fervice of the King above all Gods : the Turks and all Mahumetans therefore not uncovering their heads to their Bafhaes, or their Grand Lord; keep their heads covered in their devotions: and only by bowing or proftration teftifie their humble fubjc&tionto God. The French Divines preach with their hats onjours uncovered ; both pretend good reafon; and cuftom for thefe contrary fashions ; neither are either of them to be cenfured as faulty,and exorbitant : and with us we hold the head uncovered if thehat be off, though the cap be on: others make no difference if there be ought at all on the head.

Confider, Secondly, that the hair was given by God both to Men and Women for an ornament: for which cause though it pass in our account for no better then an excretion, yet it was created together with Man and Woman in their firft Perfection; Were it not thus, furely Baldneffe would be held a Beauty, and not a Blemish; Neither would the Prophet Elifba have taken it for fo haynous an affront that the children cryed, afcende calve. Neither would God have exprest it, as an intimation of his fevereft judgment upon Ifrael; on every head shall be baldness, Fer. 48. 37. Neither would God have ordained it for a law to Ifrael that he who was enamoured of a

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captive woman should first shave her hair to take off the edge of his affection, Deut. 21. 12. Neither would Nehemiah have taken this revenge of the hair of his mil-married Countrymen, Nekem. 13. 25. It was but a just question that Augustus Cefar askt his Daughter Julia, when he had her white hairs pulled out daily: whether within a few years he had rather be gray, or bald.

And our fory tells us that when it was askt why the Spartans fuffred their hair to grow. Agefelaus anfwerd, that was the cheapeft ornament that belong'd to the body: In a word therefore if. our hair were given for a deformity to us, it could but be all hidden.

Let it be Thirdly confidered that our Apostles main drift here is to give order for the habiting of women in the publique affemblies, and exercises of their devotions, not for their ordinary and domestique attire.

Which appears plainly in the 5th. verfe: Every woman that prayeth or prophefyeth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head ; he faith not, every woman that walkes abroad upon civill occafions, or, that staies at home upon her houshold affaires, without a vail on her head, difhonors her head; and verse 13. Judge in your felves, is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? It is a publique prayer that is there meant, parallel to the prophefie before mentioned; both which in these first times of the Church were in extraordinary ufe; without the danger of a precedent to us, upon whom the of the Church, and the ends of the World are at once come. And if there were no more proofs, my Text were enough, which in joynes the vayling of the head is to be ufed because of the Angels; relating (as all interpreters give it ) to the publique Congregations of the Saints of God, as we shall fee in the fequele.

Laftly it must be known that this covering of the head hath prin→ cipall relation to the face, which is the best and moft confpicuous part of the head; fo as it is fuppofed that the humility and modefty of the woman doth most show it felf in the vayling of the face from the view of beholders; the back parts of the head not giving fo much caufe of note and diftinction, nor fo much occafion of temptation to any eye; thofe therefore who by vertue of this place would have all their hair hid, muft much more, and upon

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better reafon contend that their face thould be alwayes covered; wherein one abfurdity, and fervile inconvenience would eafily draw on another.

Shortly then, it followes irrefragably from all this; that however the garish,and wanton fashion of the womans diffheveling her hair, and the lafcivious turning it into nets for the catching of fond and amorous eyes, be juftly forbidden both to grave matrons, and to chaft, and well governd Virgins, yet that no law of God, or good reafon difallowes fuch a moderate laying out of fome part of the hair,as may give a fafe comclinefs to the face, without the just scandall of any wife beholder.

Neither doth that other Text make ought for this fancy; where the Apostle tels us that the womans hair was given her for a covering: but rather evinces the contrary.

The meaning is, it was given her for a covering, actively to cover her, not paffively to be covered by her.

For St. Paul intending to fhow how unfeemly it was for women to show themselves in publique exercises, with a bare face, an open brow, an uncovered hair before the multitude, fetches an argument from nature it felf, which plainly points her what the ought to do in that it hath furnished her with a native vail, which is her hair: fince therefore provident nature hath given her a long hair purposely to be a cover unto her, it therein fhowes how fit it is,that her modefty and difcretion fhould provide her fuch a covering for her head when she will be opening her mouth in the publique affembly, as may teftifie her womanly bashfulneffe, and humble fubjection.

To fhut up this point therefore, there can be no juft pretence from this,or any other Scripture for this mis-rayfed fcrupuloufneffe. Rather for the contrary the holy Ghoft feemes to make, in that his Divine Epithalamion, wherein he brings in Chrift the Heavenly Bridegroom magnifying his bride the Church with this fweet allufion. Behold, thou art fair my love, Behold thou art fair, thou haft doves eyes within thy lecks; thy hair is as a flock of goates that appear from Mount Gilead. Cantic. 4. 1. Lo, the dove-like eyes of the Church are within her locks; and her hair is not as an hidden flock, but appears; and that in a glorious beauty. Let no well affected Chriftian bring her felf under the bondage of an obfervation which

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God never in joyned, or paffe a groundless and rafh verdict upon others for that which God hath never forbidden; but with a due care of an holy outward decency, Let every one in the fear of God look to the hidden Man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. 1 Pet. 3. 4. And fo I have done with the Rufe or Canon of the Apostle: Come we now to the grounds of it ; The former whereof hath reference to what he had concerning the eminent condition of the Man in refpect of the Woman; fetched from both the materiall and finall caufe: Materiall, the woman is of the Man; Finall, the woman is created for the man; not the contrary; but because this point is coincident with that which we have formerly touched, concerning the husbands fuperiority, I fhall not need to renew my difcourfe upon this fubject, but choose rather to defcend to that fecond ground, which by the vulgar and fome Fathers quoting the place, is brought in by way of a copulative, And, because of the Angels: a ground fo deep, that great wits and judgments have profeffed not to fadom it: Quid hoc fit faith learned Beza) nondum intelligo and our no leffe learned Cameron confeffes,that herein Interpreters differ, at qui maxime. For those late writers which have read the words (dà cô úzóṛus) Because of the young Men, I muft needs fay they would make a clear fenfe, if we might take their words for the use of any fuch word in the Greek Tongue; which for my part I must confefs never to have met with. To pafs over the improbable gueffes of many ;The words are taken by fome in a borrowed fenfe; by fome others in a naturall. In a borrowed fenfe by thofe either who by Angells here underftand Gods Minifters; or, as those that take it for holy men of what ever profeffion.

Thefe latter feem not to have any fair warrant for their interpretation, fince, however we find fomewhere that the Saints fhall be in a condition like to the Angels, yet no where do we find them called Angels: the former want not good probability for their conftruction; neither is it an unusuall thing with the Spirit of God to call his Minifters by the name of Angels. So Malachy 2. 1870 for he is the Angel or Meffenger of the Lord: and of John the Baptift the fame Prophet can fay Malac. 3. 1. 870 Mbo I will fend my messenger or Angel: yea the very name of the

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Prophet that writes is no other then Malachy My Angel. And ye know in the Apocalypfe how oft the prime Governors of the Church are called Angels; whereupon St. Chryfostome (as I remember ) makes the reafon of that full expreffion of St. Paul (If an Angel from Heaven, Galat. 1.) to allude unto this diftinction that even Gods Ministers are his Angels too, though upon Earth, a title given them both in regard of their miffion and of their nearrelation to God; and of thofe qualities which these Men of God should imitate in those bleffed Spirits.

The very name is doctrinall, and teacheth us both what God expects from us both to himfelf and you; and what he expects from you to us; From us faithfullneffe and diligence in his holy crrands, whereabouts we are fent to the World; from you, love and reverence to thofe Meffengers which he imployes about your Salvation; but, it was my meaning only to call to this fenfe at the window in my paffage; as that which I hold not within the compaffe of the Holy-Gholts intention; Doubtlefs the fenfe is naturall and proper; not of men by way of allufion; but of those which are Spirits, by effence: and yet even in this fenfe there is fome variety of judgment, whiles fome take this to be fpoken of evill Angels, others of good; Those which apply this to evill Angels are likewife in a double opinion; For fome take it paffively; leaft even thofe Angels fhould be tempted; others actively, leaft they fhould take occafion to tempt.

The former conceit is as grofs as it hath been ancient, of Tertullian and fome others, that even fpirits (to whom they ascribe a kind of materiality) may be taken with the immodeft venditation of a fleshly beauty; to which purpose they do ignorantly mistake that of Genef. 6. 2. That the Sons of God faw the Daughters of Men that they were fair; not confidering the fequel, that they took them wives of all that they chofe; Surely, if ever fpirits have affected thefe fleshly fins, yet of marryed Spirits there was never dream in any fober head.

This fancy is too abfurd to merit a confutation: No doubt wicked fpirits take delight in drawing the Sons of men to inordinate affections, and beaftly practises; but that themselves place any pleafure in bodily obfcenities is a matter not cafie to be believed; Or, if they should be obnoxious to thofe carnal defires, that the in

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