The Book of Common Prayer Table of
contents
Of Ceremonies
Why some be abolished, and some
retained
Of such Ceremonies
as be used in the Church, and have had their beginning by the
institution of man, some at the first were of godly intent and
purpose devised, and yet at length turned to vanity and
superstition: some entered into the Church by undiscreet devotion,
and such a zeal as was without knowledge; and for because they were
winked at in the beginning, they grew daily to more and more
abuses, which not only for their unprofitableness, but also because
they have much blinded the people, and obscured the glory of God,
are worthy to be cut away, and clean rejected: other there be,
which although they have been devised by man, yet it is thought
good to reserve them still, as well for a decent order in the
Church, (for the which they were first devised) as because they
pertain to edification, whereunto all things done in the Church (as
the Apostle teacheth) ought to be referred.
And although the keeping or omitting of a
Ceremony, in itself considered, is but a small thing; yet the
wilful and contemptuous transgression and breaking of a common
order and discipline is no small offence before God, Let all
things be done among you, saith Saint Paul, in a
seemly and due order: The appointment of the which order
pertaineth not to private men; therefore no man ought to take in
hand, nor presume to appoint or alter any publick or common Order
in Christ's Church, except he be lawfully called and authorized
thereunto.
And whereas in this our time, the minds of men
are so diverse, that some think it a great matter of conscience to
depart from a piece of the least of their Ceremonies, they be so
addicted to their old customs; and again on the other side, some be
so new- fangled, that they would innovate all things, and so
despise the old, that nothing can like them, but that is new: it
was thought expedient, not so much to have respect how to please
and satisfy either of these parties, as how to please God, and
profit them both. And yet lest any man should be offended, whom
good reason might satisfy, here be certain causes rendered, why
some of the accustomed Ceremonies be put away, and some retained
and kept still.
Some are put away, because the great excess and
multitude of them hath so increased in these latter days, that the
burden of them was intolerable; whereof Saint Augustine in
his time complained, that they were grown to such a number that the
estate of Christian people was in worse case concerning that
matter, than were the Jews. And he counselled that such yoke and
burden should be taken away, as time would serve quietly to do it.
But what would Saint Augustine have said, if he had seen
the Ceremonies of late days used among us; whereunto the multitude
used in his time was not to be compared? This our excessive
multitude of Ceremonies was so great, and many of them so dark,
that they did more confound and darken, than declare and set forth
Christ's benefits unto us. And besides this, Christ's Gospel is not
a Ceremonial Law, (as much of Moses' Law was,) but it is a
Religion to serve God, not in bondage of the figure or shadow, but
in the freedom of the Spirit; being content only with those
Ceremonies which do Serve to a decent Order and godly Discipline,
and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the
remembrance of his duty to God, by some notable and special
signification, whereby he might be edified. Furthermore, the most
weighty cause of the abolishment of certain Ceremonies was, That
they were so far abused, partly by the superstitious blindness of
the rude and unlearned, and partly by the unsatiable avarice of
such as sought more their own lucre, than the glory of God, that
the abuses could not well be taken away, the thing remaining
still.
But now as concerning those persons, which
peradventure will be offended, for that some of the old Ceremonies
are retained still: If they consider that without some Ceremonies
it is not possible to keep any Order, or quiet Discipline in the
Church, they shall easily perceive just cause to reform their
judgements. And if they think much, that any of the old do remain,
and would rather have all devised anew: then such men granting some
Ceremonies convenient to be had, surely where the old may be well
used, there they cannot reasonably reprove the old only for their
age, without bewraying of their own folly. For in such a case they
ought rather to have reverence unto them for their antiquity, if
they will declare themselves to be more studious of unity and
concord, than of innovations and new-fangleness, which (as much as
may be with the true setting forth of Christ's Religion) is always
to be eschewed. Furthermore, such shall have no just cause with the
Ceremonies reserved to be offended. For as those be taken away
which were most abused, and did burden men's consciences without
any cause; so the other that remain, are retained for a discipline
and order, which (upon just causes) may be altered and changed, and
therefore are not to be esteemed equal with God's Law. And
moreover, they be neither dark nor dumb Ceremonies, but are so set
forth, that every man may understand what they do mean, and to what
use they do serve. So that it is not like that they in time to come
should be abused as other have been. And in these our doings we
condemn no other Nations, nor prescribe any thing but to our own
people only: For we think it convenient that every Country should
use such Ceremonies as they shall think best to the setting forth
of God's honour and glory, and to the reducing of the people to a
most perfect and godly living, without error or superstition; and
that they should put away other things, which from time to time
they perceive to be most abused, as in men's ordinances it often
chanceth diversely in divers countries.
Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the
rights in which are vested in the Crown,
is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge
University Press.