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FIrst you shal knowe what is ment by this terme ceremonie. A ceremo∣nie is as moche to saye: as a rite / a custome / an vsage / an outwarde fourme / or byhauoure that is done in the seruice of god / and vnto his honoure. And this is the {pro}per significacion of this
worde / or terme ceremonie / natwithstandynge the same terme is vsurped / vsed / and taken ofte tymes for any obseruaunce / or seruice / reuerentely done of man vnto man / specially of the subiecte vnto the so∣uereyne. And after both these maners or diuersites ceremonies were vsed ī the olde lawe / and ben also vsed yet in the churche of Christe. For althoughe ye ceremonies of the olde lawe done nowe sease / & ben vtterly paste / & put awaye / as vnto the superficiall thynges that than appered / and that (by them) was wroght or done outwardly: yet (bycause they were figures) the signification of them / and also the four¦me maner and byhauoure: dothe remayne wherby the churche of Christe hathe infourmacion. For ma¦ny of the ceremonies of the churche ben taken out of the ceremonies of the olde lawe. And yet although all the preceptes and commaundementes of god be in lyke maner to be kepte of all persones: vnto his honoure / yet the maner and doynge of that honour is nat all one / nor after one fourme. For the ceremo∣nies of diuerse countres and places ben variāt and determined or appoynted eueryche after theyr pro∣per rites / customes and maner / bothe in place / tyme dayes / and houres / and in syngynge / readynge / sensynge / processions / stacions / inclinacions / sessi∣ons / prostracions / genuflections / with all suche o∣ther obseruances / whiche ben / caled ceremonies / by¦cause (as we sayd) they done apperteyne vnto the worshype and honoure of god / whiche honour may be done vnto him in diuerse maners / that is to say: in soule / herte / or mynde alone / and this maner is al inwarde / and therfore it nedeth no ceremonies / nat withstandynge the holy father saynt Hughe. De
sancto Victore. Dothe counsayle all religious per∣sones ī al suche seruice as they done vnto god onely in herte and mynde / and whan they be also alone wt out any company to vse suche maners / byhauiours and ceremonies / than in priuite / as they shulde vse abrode amonge company / bycause that custome is lyght to be kepte / and lothe to be broken & chaūged yet (as I sayd) that in warde honoure vnto god ne∣deth none outwarde ceremonies. But vnto the o∣ther outwarde honoures of god done for example / and vnto ye edificacion of al christianes ceremonies ben necessarie. And this honoure may be in two ma¦ners / that is to saye onely ī the body and nothynge in the herte or mynde / wherof the Prophete saythe. Popul{us} hic labiis me honorat. &c.* 1.1 This people doth honoure vnto me with theyr mouthe: but theyr her∣tes ben farre from me. The other maner of honour is both with herte and tōge / and this is very good. And yet vnto bothe this maners ceremonies (as I sayd) ben necessarie. For althoughe the honoure yt is done vnto god without herte or mynde / onely in mouthe / or outwarde in worke: be nat of it selfe me∣ritorious / ne moche dothe auayle or profyte the per¦sones of it selfe: yet may it auayle and profyte by ac¦cidens or chaunce bothe vnto the mynysshynge of synne / and vnto the obteynynge of grace / as by the example and occasion of vertue / and edificacion gy¦uen vnto other {per}sones by that outwarde honour & therfore vnto this houre or tyme ceremonies ben ne¦cessarie & cōueniēt. [Obiection.] But here some {per}sones wyl say yt to gyue suche honoure vnto god with ceremonies accordynge onely outwarde and nothynge inward is ypocrisy / and those {per}sones may be caled ypocri∣tes. [Answere.] Vnto this shall I shortely answere my mynde
That to shewe or do suche honoure with suche cere¦monies in suche fourme & maner: aboue or beyonde the duety / state / and degre of the persones: semethe alway to be ypochrisy or supersticion yet can no per¦sone iuge the herte of the persones / for the mocions of grace and compunctions: may come sodeinly. But if the persones do no forther thā bonde & duety in suche honoure doynge: than ben they nat ypocri∣tes althoughe they do but lytell merite therby. Ex∣ample of both if a tapster / or an hosteler / a caichpol / or baily errant with suche lyke persones: wolde (by¦fore and in the presence of people) vse ye ceremonies of religious persones in protestacions / inclinaciōs knockynge vpon the breste / lyftynge vp of handes / and eyes or syght vnto heuē / with suche other: they myght be suspecte of ypocricy / but nat (as I sayde) condempned. For the other parte / if religious per∣sones done outwarde the holy ceremonies of reli∣gion suche as byfore we spake of in moste deuoute / and holy maner: and yet inwarde had no deuocion in herte or mynde / they were nat for all that ypocri∣tes: bycause they do but theyr duety / and as bycom¦methe theyr state and degre. For if they dyd nat the same thinges: they shulde slaunder and gyue oc¦casion. And in so doynge they done edifie by theyr example / and may the rather be disposed vnto com∣punction / and (as we sayd) to obteyne grace. For those alone ben very ypocrites that done shewe out¦warde that is nat withinforthe / to the intent to be supposed and iuged better than they ben / & thereby to be the more preysed / and to be more in fauoure or to haue wynnynge or auauntage therby / natwith∣standynge the ceremonies maye euer do good / and
neuer hurte excepte they moche excede due maner. The other honoure of god done outwarde in reue∣rente maner. And inwarde also with herte / minde / and deuocion: is euer good and profitable. And yet ben ceremonies necessarie there vnto / without whi¦che: the honoure shulde be deminisshed and made lesse / and is by them the more increased. And ther∣fore were ceremonies ordeyned / and so ben vsed. And bycause that in a cōmunalty / and amonge peo¦ple: some persones ben apte and (of naturall dispo∣sicion / or of grace / or of educacion / bryngynge vp / & of teachynge) ben disposed to do honoure & seruice vnto our lorde wylfully of them selfe / with all reue∣rence / due maner / and diligence. Some other con∣trarie: ben very dull / slouthfull / negligente / rude / & careles / in doynge of theyr duety / wherfore it was necessary and profitable to put the holy ceremonies apperteinynge vnto the honoure of god / vnder pre¦cepte and cōmaundement.* 1.2 And so were they put in the olde lawe in many places. And In ye newe lawe our sauiour hym selfe vsed many holy ceremonies / as in the gospell of Mathewe / whan he multiplied ye breade and fysshe / wherwith ye people were fedde he toke the breade fyrst in his holy hand{is} and loked vp vnto the ayre / or vnto heuen / and sayd grace. And in Luke / whan he shulde preache: he toke fyrst a boke in his hande and red therin / and after closed the boke / and than byganne to preache. In Marke whan he shulde cure a mā that was deffe & dowme he fyrste toke hym on syde from the people / and thā put his fyngers in his eares / and spitte out / & ther∣with he touched his tonge / & than he loked toward the heuen / and mourned or made great mone. And
in the gospell of Iohan / whan he tourned water in to wyne / he caused the waterpott{is} to be fylled wt wa¦ter wher he might haue made a pype of new wyne.* 1.3 And whan he cured a blynde man:* 1.4 he made cleye / & oynted his eyes therwith. In the wayshynge of the fete of his Apostles / and in the consecracion of his body:* 1.5 he vsed many ceremonies / & so dyd he ī many other places of the gospell. And we knowe well none of them were made ne vsed in vayne Our mo¦ther holy churche hathe also ordeyned many holy ce¦remonies / as in all the .vii. sacramentes. In all sa∣cramentales and sanctificacion / or halowynges / & diuine seruice that ben put forthe to be obserued vn¦der {pre}cepte. And so dyd our sauiour byd & cōmaūde his Apostles to vse ye same ceremonies that he dyd wherfore ceremonies ben of good auctorite.* 1.6 And therfore religious fathers haue ordeyned many di∣uerse holy ceremonies ī religion. The rule of euery religion: is as cōmaundementes whiche cōmaun∣demētes euery persone that is professed after / or ac∣cordynde vnto that rule: is boūde to obserue & kepe with al the ceremonies conteyned in the same. And yet aboue and beyōde these ceremonies of the rules holy fathers (For the more precise obseruaunce and kepynge of ye same rules) haue ordeined & made ma¦ny other holy ceremonies / & put them also vnder cō¦maundement in theyr constitucions or statutes.
Esa. 29. Marci. 7.
Exod. Leuit. Numer. Deut. &c. pass. {per}oīa. Matth. 14. B. Mar. 6. E. Io. 6. A. Luce. 4. Marc. 7.
Io. 2. A.
Io. 9. E.
Io. 13. A. B.
Io. 13.