《史记·八书·礼书》
只有天子才有郊天、祭太祖的权力，自立社以祭地则由诸侯祭祀，下及士大夫各有定制，以此表现尊贵的人敬奉最贵的神灵，卑贱的人敬奉卑贱的神灵，适合做大事的人去做大事，适合做小事的人就去做小事。
郊畴乎天子，社至乎诸侯，函及士大夫，所以辨尊者事尊，卑者事卑，宜钜者钜，宜小者小。
Only the Son of Heaven has the power to sacrifice to the heavens outside the city and sacrifice to the First Ancestor, to set up an altar and sacrifice to the Earth was performed by feudal lords, lower-level officials and scholars had their own rules, this was to demonstrate that people of high honour worshipped the most venerated deities, while people of low status worshipped humble deities, those suited for great undertakings should do great things, those suited for unimportant tasks should do unimportant things.