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| Chapter XIV.
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Chapter XIV.
Much less may the Christian put the service of
idolatry on his own head—nay, I might have said, upon Christ,
since Christ is the Head of the Christian man—(for his head) is
as free as even Christ is, under no obligation to wear a covering, not
to say a band. But even the head which is bound to have the veil, I
mean woman’s, as already taken possession of by this very thing,
is not open also to a band. She has the burden of her own humility to
bear. If she ought not to appear with her head uncovered on account of
the angels,437
much more with a
crown on it will she offend those (elders) who perhaps are then wearing
crowns above.438
For what is a crown
on the head of a woman, but beauty made seductive, but mark of utter
wantonness,—a notable casting away of modesty, a setting
temptation on fire? Therefore a woman, taking counsel from the
apostles’ foresight,439
will not too
elaborately adorn herself, that she may not either be crowned with any
exquisite arrangement of her hair. What sort of garland, however,
I pray you, did He who is the Head of the man and the glory of the
woman, Christ Jesus, the Husband of the church, submit to in behalf of
both sexes? Of thorns, I think, and thistles,—a figure of the
sins which the soil of the flesh brought forth for us, but which the
power of the cross removed, blunting, in its endurance by the head of
our Lord, death’s every sting. Yes, and besides the figure, there
is contumely with ready lip, and dishonour, and infamy, and the
ferocity involved in the cruel things which then disfigured and
lacerated the temples of the Lord, that you may now be crowned with
laurel, and myrtle, and olive, and any famous branch, and which is of
more use, with hundred-leaved roses too, culled from the garden of
Midas, and with both kinds of lily, and with violets of all sorts,
perhaps also with gems and gold, so as even to rival that crown of
Christ which He afterwards obtained. For it was after the gall He
tasted the honeycomb440
and He was not
greeted as King of Glory in heavenly places till He had been condemned
to the cross as King of the Jews, having first been made by the Father
for a time a little less than the angels, and so crowned with glory and
honour. If for these things, you owe your own head to Him, repay it if
you can, such as He presented His for yours; or be not crowned with
flowers at all, if you cannot be with thorns, because you may not be
with flowers.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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