The article examines regulations for »order« at the princely courts in the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century and asks how these prescriptive documents sought to establish “good order” at court. Special attention is paid to the theological justifications of order as well as the confessionality and the confessional character of court orders. To this end, ten arguments are put forward for discussion, offering intentional and functional explanations, i.e. a) explicit justifications for the creation of a good order, b) implicit justifications in court orders and other sources on princely self-perception, and finally c) functional interpretations that also seek to explain non-intentional mechanisms of action: 1. Functioning—2. cost-cutting—3. tradition and reform—4. good order as a princely duty and as an intrinsic value—5. affirmation of the social system—6. the princely court as an example and as a pars pro toto—7. decorum and representation—8. regulation and deregulation—9. legal reliability and dignity—10. the reverence of God.