Divine Worship, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Of civill and religious Ceremonies in generall.
THE vſe of both theſe kindes of ceremonies, that is naturall and inſtituted, is either in civill ſervices of man to man, or in religious ſervices of man to God from whēce ceremonies receave a ſecond denomination, and are called (whether they be natural or inſtituted) either Civill or Religious Ceremonies.
2. Civill Ceremonies therfore are ſuch Rites and Ceremonies, as are performed in Civill offices and duties betweene man & man, as they are members of a civill body or incorporation. The right vſe whereof is called Civilitie, and the contempt rudenes; the end of civill Ceremonies is to ſignifie and ſhadow thoſe inward affections that one man deſireth to ſhew to another, in the due vſe of theſe ceremonies cō ſiſtes humanitie, lowlines, curteſie, good manners, civill ſtate and pompe, &c. becauſe the Ceremonies of this kinde are not controverted, we paſſe them by.
3. Religious Ceremonies are ſuch outward Rites as are perfourmed in religious duties and ſervices of man to God: and they are outward ſhadowes of zeale, devotion, faith, holynes, reverence of the maiestie of God, &c.
4. In the vſe of theſe Ceremonies eſpecially doth externall worſhip cō ſiſt whether true or falſe.
5. Religious Ceremonies are either Common or Proper: common Ceremonies are ſuch as are equally vſed in civill and religious matters: bowing the knee vſed in prayer, is a religious ceremonie, ſignifying in that action a Divine reverence of God. Yet it is not a ceremonie peculiar and proper to Religion, becauſe it is a ceremonie that is and may be vſed to the Magiſtrate, to ſhadow forth alſo civill worſhip due vntounto him. Of which nature all naturall Ceremonies ſeeme to be, and any Inſtituted Ceremonie may bee, if it hauehave no reference to Religion in the vſe.
6. Though matters of civill order and decencie be very improperly called Ceremonies, they being rather matters of ſubſtance, and it being impietie wilfullie and without neceſſitie to neglect them in the Congregation of Saintes, or to do any thing contrary vntounto them: Yet all things tēding therto, may for doctrine ſake be referred to this head. For though Gods worſhip doe not conſiſt in them, yet Gods worſhip is profaned in the wilfull contempt & neglect of them. Yea as farre forth as naturall and civill decencie & comelines are outward ſhadowes of inward worſhip, They may bee ſafelie reputed partes of diuine worſhip.
7. Matters therfore of order and decencie in the ſervice of God are all ſuch matters as are drawen from the ordinarie civill cuſtomes of men, and which for any to neglect wilfully, would ſeem to the reaſon of a natural man a diſorderly & vnſeemely thing. As to come to the aſſembly clothed, and that in ſeemely and uſuall apparell, according to our civill callings in the world, to ſit there quietlie and in a comely manner, in reſpect of compoſitiō of body, to give as much as may be, vpper place to our civill ſuperiours, that the place of mecting be fair ſwept; that the Table of the Lorde in the time of Communion, bee ſpread after the civill faſhion of the Coū trey, with a faire table-cloth; that men pray bare-headed, &c. Theſe orders vſed in civill meetinges of men, wherein civil decencie is obſerved and kept, ought not to bee neglected in religious meetings, and therefore they may be called common Ceremonies or orders.
8. Theſe ceremonies of civill order and decencie, are of that nature & neceſſitie, that for the Magiſtrate wilfully to inhibite, were ſinne in him, and for any particular man not to vſe and obſerve as much as convenientlie hee can, (though authoritie had never enioyned them in particular) were impietie. And therefore they are of a farr different nature from the ceremonies in controverſie: For let it be ſuppoſed to bee no ſinne to vſe theſe when the Magiſtrate enioyneth thē: yea ſuppoſe them to be holy ornamentes and Rites, yet if no authoritie humane or divine had iuſtituted them, it had bene no ſinne for any man to neglect them, nay it were a foule ſinne to vſe them. For example: Our Lords ſpirituall enioyne every Miniſter in Divine ſervice, to weare a white linen Ephod or ſurplice, they may (if it pleaſe them) as lawfully enioyne him to have painted before and behinde, two faire red croſſes: but if a private man vponupon his owne head ſhould vſe his Surplice ſo, though it bee an honourable ſigne that he addeth, it would be made a grievous crime.
9. They therefore doe but gull the ſimple of the world, that from humane authoritie to inſtitute ſuch civill orders as are aboue ſpecified, doe inferre that man hath authoritie to bringe into the ſervice and worſhip of God ſuch ceremonies, as are cleane of another nature. As though becauſe the Magiſtrate may ordeine ſuch Ceremonies, as without his ordināce, were impietie for a man not to obſerve, therefore hee may ordeyne ſuch ceremonies whiche without his ordināce at leaſt, were impietie and wickednes for any to vſe.