Essay on Head Coverings, Essay · Introduction
The INTRODƲCTION.
CUSTOM hath of old been fam'd, and always is found to be one of the touchy Deities, as one calls it; he that preſumes to prophane her Altars, muſt expect the ſevereſt Thunderbolt that her angry fiſt can diſpenſe. And though ſhe pretends a claim in almoſt every thing that concerns humane life, and often to the prejudice and diſturbance of diſcretion, yet in no caſe is ſhe obſerv'd to be ſo tender and froppiſh as in the concerns of Religion, of what kind or conſtitution ſoever the Religion be. 'Tis true, it is but a pedling kind of Deity, occupied, for the moſt part, about the minutes and punctilio's of greater affairs, but exceſſively fond of thoſe her ſmall Wares. He that ſets himſelf againſt a Cuſtom, takes a Bear by the ear, and meddles with the Diana, which is enough to pull the whole world, eſpecially the intereſſed party, upon his head.
It is now my hard Task (becauſe I ſee no other that hath or is about) to appear againſt one of the younger Brats of this monſtrous thing Cuſtom. I confeſs it is ſome encouragement, that it is a Brat of a late birth, for old age is the main thing that gives this creature ſtrength; wherein it is unlike to moſt others. When it is grown gray-headed, it begins to claim a veneration, and is held Sacred. And the truth is, till it be full-grown, it is but a novelty, or faſhion; and deſerves not the name of Cuſtom.
Yet of Cuſtoms or Uſages, as of moſt other Species, there are ſome good, ſome evil, and ſome adiaphorous, or as chips in pottage. By how much the more any Cuſtom hath of truth, of real decency, of neceſſary order, or tendency to edification, by ſo much the more venerable and legitimate, of what age, complexion, or ſex ſoever it be; but by how much the more remote from theſe, by ſo much the leſs to be regarded, yea by ſo much the more to be oppoſed. And though the courteſie, or rather the corruptions of time have honoured it with gray-hairs, it is but like the hoary muſtineſs of many other things, the proper livery or ſymptome of putrefaction.
As for thoſe petty Novelties and Protean Modes that never pretend to ſoar higher in their nature or uſe, than the orb of Civil converſation, they are without the lines of our preſent conſideration. Theſe like the ſpawn of Frogs, are ſent out every ſpring, and brooded by an old wandring Hag, the ghoſt of an indeterminate cuſtom, or humour of keeping tack with the preſent faſhions, which like Almanacks or Inſects, muſt change their ſhapes, and expire with the year. Theſe Butter-flies are not the things that I am now about to purſue, though the poor Quaker thinks it as bad as the plague of Pharoahs flies; but yet by their flaps and ſcuffles to drive them away, they have but ſtorm'd the peeviſh ſwarm the more about our ears. It were well indeed if ſome wiſer heads knew how to antidate this piece of levity.
The matter of the propoſed Queſtion is a Ceremony, or geſture appertaining to the external Worſhip of God, or at leaſt, now on the Teſt, whether it ſo appertain de jure, or no. And ſeeing it belongs not to Caeſar, nor falls under the cognizance of his Cuſtom-Office, but appeal is made to an higher Court, of Conſcience, to Conſcience we will go, where the Word of God is the ſole Judg, and infallible determiner of all ſuch Queſtions as concern God, or another world. And indeed it is the ſingular priviledg and dignity of the Church, that thoſe unerring Oracles are committed to it, which may moderate and conclude thoſe endleſs wrangles and diſputes, which the capricious humours, the differing ſentiments, and various intereſts of men diſpoſe them to.
That God hath diſcharged his Goſpel-worſhip from the burdenſome Law of beggarly Ceremonies, is moſt evidently aſſerted in Scripture, and thankfully accepted by all his true Worſhippers. But therefore to abandon all Ceremonies, would be at once to explode the Chriſtian Religion, and baniſh the worſhip of God out of the world; that is, all external worſhip, which cannot poſſibly exiſt in actu exercito without the uſe of ſome ſuch things as we have no better name for than Ceremonies.
But of Ceremonies there are divers kinds, ſome of a Civil, others of a Religious uſe; with the firſt we have not to do at preſent. The Religious Ceremonies are either of Humane or Divine Inſtitution and Original. The Humane are either Decretal or Traditional; the Decretal are ſuch as on ſome pretence or other have receiv'd the ſtamp of humane Authority or Injunction, of which there are more than a good many; and in the rigid Impoſition of which, Church-tyranny doth mainly conſiſt. The Traditional are ſuch as ſteal in, as other faſhions do, without the midwifry of any Authority, Humane or Divine, and grow up with time into a cuſtom or uſe, and are various according to the variety of Times and Places; and ought to be called in queſtion by thoſe that deſire to preſerve the Worſhip of God in its due chaſtity and integrity, and that dare not miſcere ſacra prophanis.
Thoſe of Divine Inſtitution are either Judaical, or Evangelical. The Judaical are ſuch as were appointed of God, and calculated for the Church and Polity of the Jews, and all dyed with it at the coming of the Goſpel-miniſtration. The Evangelical Ceremonies are either natural or inſtituted. The natural either common or proper. The common natural ceremonies of Religion, are ſuch as are equally uſed in Civil and in Religious matters, as bowing the knee, uncovering the head, and ſome other things which reſpect that civil order, reverence, and decency, which ought to be obſerved in the external (and eſpecially in the publick) worſhip of God. The proper are ſuch as are not uſed but in the matters of Religion. The Inſtituted ceremonies of the Goſpel ſtrictly and properly taken in contradiſtinction to natural, and which are deſigned to be of perpetual uſe, are only the two Sacraments, unleſs perhaps we may add the Impoſition of hands in Ordination. Tho' the Sacraments indeed are Ceremonies, and ſomewhat more, viz. Seals of the New Covenant; yet in a large ſenſe even natural ceremonies, and matters of real decency and order, that is ſuch things as are ex naturâ rei, pro hic & nunc, neceſſary hereunto, and acceptable in the Worſhip of God, are inſtituted too, i. e. commanded either implicitely or explicitely; for nothing offered by man, eſpecially in Worſhip, which is not in obedience to God, by virtue of ſome command, is honourable or acceptable to God; but what God hath commanded, he hath thereby inſtituted.
So then, the matter in hand will fall under the notion of a common, natural ceremony of Religion, pertaining to the Decency or Reverence of Gods Worſhip in the publick Aſſemblies of his Saints. And what authority it brings from the Supreme Lord and Lawgiver, we ſhall next enquire.