¶ At Mattins.

Psalms xix. xlv. lxxxv.

The First Lesson, Isa. ix. Unto the ende.
The Second Less, Matt. 1. Unto the ende.
 

¶ At the First Communion.

Cantate Domino. Psalm xcviii.

O SING unto the Lorde a newe song: for he hath done maruaylous thinges.
    With his owne right hande, and with his holy arme : hath he gotten himselfe the victorye.
    The Lorde declared his saluacion : his righteousnes hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
    He hath remembred his mercie and trueth toward the house of Israell: and all the endes the worlde haue seene the saluacion of our God.
    Shewe youreselfes joyfull unto the Lorde all ye landes : sing, rejoyce, and geue thankes.
    Prayse the Lorde upon the Harpe : syng to the Harpe with a Psalme of thankesgeuinge.
    With trumpettes also and shawmes : O shewe youreselues joyfull before the Lorde the kinge.
    Let the sea make a noyse, and all that therein is : the round worlde, and they that dwell therein.
    Let the fluddes clap theyr handes, and let the hilles bee joyfull together before the Lorde for he is come to judge the yearth.
    With righteousnes shall he judge the worlde : and the people with equitie.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne &c.
    As it was in the begynnyng, is nowe, and euer &c.

The Collect.

GOD, whiche makest us glad with the yerely remembraunce of the birth of thy onely sonne Jesus Christ; graunt that as we joyfully receiue him for our redemer, so we may with sure confidence beholde hym, when he shall come to be our judge, who liveth and reigneth &c.
 

THE grace of god that bringeth saluacion unto all men, hath appeared, and teacheth us that we should denye ungodlines and worldly lustes, and that we shoulde live soberlye, and ryghteously, and godlye in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and appering of the glory of the great god and of our sauiour Jesu Christ, which gaue himselfe for us, to redeme us from all unrighteousnes and to purge us a peculiar people unto himselfe, feruently geven unto good woorkes. These thynges speake, and exhorte, and rebuke with all feruentnes of commaundyng. See that no man despise thee.
 

[Titus 2:11-15]

AND it chaunsed in those dayes, that there wente out a cornmaundemente from Augustus the Emperour, that all the worlde shoulde be taxed. And this taxing was the firste, and executed when Syrenius was lieutenaunt in Siria. And euery man wente unto hys owne citie to bee taxed. And Joseph also ascended from Galile, out of a citie called Nazareth into Jury [Jewry, Judah], unto the citie of Dauid, which is called Bethleem; because he was of the house and linage of Dauid, to be taxed wyth Mari his spoused wyfe, which was with childe. And it fortuned that while they were there, her tyme was come that she shoulde be deliuered. And she brought furth her first begotten sonne, and wrapped hym in swadlyng clothes and layde hym in a Maungier, because there was no roume for them in the Inne. And there were in the same region shepeherdes watchyng and kepyng theyr flocke by ngyht. And loe, the Angel of the Lorde stoode harde by them, and the bryghtenesse of the Lorde shone rounde about them, and they were sore aifrayd. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you tidinges of great ioy, that shal come to al people: for unto you is borne this daie in the citie of Dauid a sauiour, which is Christ the lorde. And take this for a signe: ye shall fynde the childe wrapped in swadlyng clothes, and layde in a maungier. And strayghtwaye there was with the angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers, praisyng God, and saying: Glory to God on hye, and peace on the yearth, and unto men a good wyll.

[Luke 2:1-14]

ALMYGHTYE God, whiche haste geuen us thy onlye begotten sonne to take our nature upon hym, and this daye to bee borne of a pure Vyrgyn; Graunte that we beyng regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, maye dailye be renued by thy holy spirite, through the same our Lorde Jesus Christe who lyueth and reygneth &c.
 

Note: in books after 1549, these are the only lessons given for Christmas Day.

GOD in tymes paste dyuerselye and manye waies spake unto the fathers by Prophetes: but in these laste dayes, he hathe spoken to us by his owne sonne, whome he hath made heyre of all thynges, by whome also he made the worlde. Whiche (sonne) beeing the brightenesse of his glorye, and the very image of his substaunce, rulying al thynges wyth the woorde of his power, hath by his owne person pourged our synnes, and sytteth on the righte hande of the Majestye on hygh: being so much more excellent then the Angels, as he hath by inheritaunce obtained a more excellent name then they. For unto which of the Angels said he at anye tyme? Thou arte my sonne, this daye haue I begotten thee. And agayne, I wilbe his father, and he shall bee my sonne. And agayne, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten sonne into the worlde, he sayth: and let all the Angels of God wurship him. And unto the Angels he sayeth, He maketh his Angels spirites, and his ministers a flame of fyer. But unto the sonne he sayeth, thy seate (O God) shalbe for euer and euer. The scepter of thy kingdome is a ryghte scepter. Thou haste loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie; wherfore God, euen thy God, hath anointed thee with oyle of gladnes aboue thy felowes. And thou lorde in the beginning hast layde the foundacion of the yearth; and the heauens are the woorkes of thy handes. They shall perish, but thou endurest. But they al shal waxe old as doeth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them, and they shalbe chaungecl. But thou art even the same, and thy yeares shall not fayle.
 

[Hebrews 1: 1-12]

IN the begynnyng was the woorde, and the woorde was with God: and God was the worde. The same was in the beginning with God. All thinges were made by it, and without it, was made nothyng that was made. In it was life, and the lyfe was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkenes, and the darkenes comprehended it not. There was sente from God a manne, whose name was John. The same came as a witnes to beare witnes of the light, that al men through him might beleue. He was not that light, but was sent to beare witnes of the light. That light was the true lyghte, whiche lighteth euerye man that cometh into the worlde. He was in the world, and the world was made by him; and the worlde knew him not. He came among his owne, and his owne receiued him not: But as many as receiued him, to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of god; even them that beleued on his name, whiche were borne, not of bloud, nor of the will of the fleshe, nor yet of the will of man; but of God. And the same worde became fleshe, and dwelt among us; and we sawe the glory of it, as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father, full of grace and trueth.
 

[John 1:1-14]

    The First Lesson, Esa. vii. "God spake once agayne to Achas," &c. unto the ende
    The Seconde Lesson, Tit. iii. "The kyndnes and love of our, saniour," &c. unto "Foolishe questions."

1549 only:

[Isaiah 7:10-25]

[Titus 3:4-9]

Quid gloriaris in malicia? Ps. lii.

WHY hoastest thou thyself, thou tyraunt: that thou canst do mischiefe.
    Whereas the goodnes of God : endureth yet dayly.      Thy tong [tongue] imagineth wickednes : and with lyes thou cuttest lyke a sharp rasor.
    Thou hast loved ungraciousnes more than goodnes : and to talke of lyes more then righteousnes.
    Thou hast loved to speake all woordes that may doe hurt : O thou false tongue.
    Therfore shal God destroy thee for euer : he shall take thee, and plucke thee out of thy dwellyng, and roote thee out of the lande of the liuing.
    The righteous also shall see this, and feare, and shall laugh him to skorne.
    Loe, this is the man that toke not God for his strength : but trusted unto the multitude of his riches, and strengthed himselfe in his wickednes.
    As for me, I am lyke a grene Oliue-tree in the house of God my truste is in the tendre mercye of God for euer and euer.
    I wyl alwaye geve thankes unto thee for that thou hast done and I wyll hope in thy Name, for thy sainctes lyke it well.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne &c.
    As it was in the begynnyng, is nowe and euer &c.

The Collect.

GRAUNTE us, O Lorde, to learne to loue oure enemies, by the example of thy marter saincte Stephin, who prayed to thee for hys persecutors; whiche liuest and reignest, &c.

¶ Then shall folowe a Collect of the Nativitie [which shalbe sayd continually unto newe years daye]*.
 

[Acts 6:8-7:29]

AND Stephin, beyng ful of the holy goste, loked up stedfastly with his iyes into heauen, and sawe the glorye of God, and Jesus standyng on the ryght hande of God, and said: behold, I se the heauens open, and the sonne of man standyng on the ryght hande of God. Then they gaue a shoute with a loude voice, and stopped their eares, and ran upon him al at once, and caste him out of the citie, and stoned him. And the witnesses laide down their clothes at a young mannes fete, whose name was Saul. And thei stoned Stephin, calling on and saiyng; Lorde Jesus, receyve my spirite. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sinne to theyr charge. And when he had thus spoken, he fell aslepe.
 

[Acts 7:55-60]

BEHOLD, I send unto you prophetes, and wise men, and Scribes, and some of them ye shall kyll and crucifye; and some of them shall ye scourge in youre Sinagoges, and persecute them from citie to citie: that upon you maye come all the righteous bloude whiche hath bene shed upon the yearth, from the bloude of righteous Abel unto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias, whome ye slewe betwene the temple and the altare. Verelye I saye unto you, All these thynges shall come upon this generacion. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeste the prophetes and stonest them whiche are sent unto thee; how often would I haue gathered thy children together, euen as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wynges, and ye would not? Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not se me henceforth, tyll that ye say: Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord.
 

[Matthew 23:34-39]

    Acts vii. ¶ " And when forty years were expired, there appeared unto Moses," unto "Stephin full of the holy ghost," &c.

[Acts 7:30-60]; 1549 only

In Domino contido. Psalm xi.

IN the Lord put I my trust : how say ye then to my soule, that she shoulde flye as a bird to the hyll?
    For loe, the ungodly bend their bow, and make ready theyr arowes in the quiver : that they maye prieuelye shote at them whiche are trew of hearte.
    For the foundacions wil be cast downe : and what hath the righteous done?
    The Lorde is in his holy temple : the Lordes seate is in heauen.
    His iyes consider the poore : and his iyelyddes trieth the chyldren of men.
    The Lord aloweth the ryghteous : but the ungodly, and hym that delyteth in wickednesse, doeth his soule abhorre.
    Upon the ungodly he shall rayne snares, fyre and brymstone, storme and tempest : this shalbe their porcion to drinke.
    For the righteous Lorde loueth righteousnes : his counten aunce wyll beholde the thynge that is just.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne &c.
    As it was in the beginnyng, is now, and ever &c.

The Collect.

MERCYFULL Lorde, we beseche thee to caste thy bryght beames of lyght upon thy Churche: that it beeyng lyghtened by the doctryne of thy blessed Apostle and Euangelyste John may attayne to thy euerlastyng gyftes; Through Jesus Christe our Lorde.
 

* 1549 only.

THAT whiche was from the begynnyng, whiche we haue hearde, whiche we haue seen wyth our iyes, whiche we haue looked upon, and oure handes haue handeled of the woorde of lyfe. And the lyfe appeared, and we haue seen and beare witnes, and shewe unto you that eternall lyfe, whiche was with the father, and appered unto us. That whiche we haue seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may haue felowshyp with us, and that oure felowshyp may be with the father and his sonne Jesus Christe. And this wryte we unto you, that ye maye rejoyce, and that youre joy maye bee full. And this is the tydynges whiche we haue heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is lyght, and in him is no darkenesse at all. If we saye that we haue felowshyppe with hym, and walke in darkenes, we lye, and do not saye the trueth. But and yf we walke in lyght, euen as he is in light, then haue we felowship with him, and the bloud of Jesus Christe hys sonne clenseth us from all synne. If we saye we haue no synne, we deceyue ourselues, and the trueth is not in us. If we knowlege our synnes, he is faythfull and just to forgeue us our synnes, and to clense us from all unrighteousnes. If we saye we haue not synned, we make him a lyer, and his woorde is not in us.
 

[1 John 1:1-10]

¶ The Seconde Lesson, Apoc. xxii. unto the ende.]*

[John 21:19-25]

ALMIGHTY God, whose prayse this daye the yong innocentes thy witnesses hath confessed and shewed forth, not in speakyng but in dying; Mortifye and kyll all vyces in us, that in oure conuersacion [=behavior] oure lyfe maye expresse thy fayth, whiche with oure tongues we doe confesse; through Jesus Christe oure Lord.
 

[Jeremiah 31:1-17]; 1549 only

I LOOKED, and loe, a lambe stode on the mounte Sion, and with hym an hundred and xliiii thousande, hauyng his name and his fathers name written in their forheades. And I heard a voice from heauen, as the sounde of many waters, and as the voice of a great thundre. And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harpes. And thei song [sang] as it were a new song before the seate, and before the iiii beastes, and the elders, and no man coulde learne the song, but the cxliiii thousande, whiche were redemed from the earth. These are they whiche were not defyled wyth weomen, for they are virgins. These folowe the lambe whethersoeuer he goeth. These were redemed from men, being the firste fruites unto God, and to the lambe, and in their mouthes was found no guile; for they are without spot before the throne of God.
 

[Revelation 14:1-5]

THE Angel of the lorde appeared to Joseph in a slepe, saying: aryse, and take the childe, and his mother, and flye into Egipt, and be thou there til I bring thee worde. For it wil come to passe, that Herode shall seke the childe to destroy him. So when be awoke, he tooke the chylde and his mother by night, and departed into Egipte, and was there unto the death of Herode: that it myghte be fulfilled whiche was spoken of the lorde by the prophete, saying: out of Egipt haue I called my sonne. Then Herode, when he sawe that he was mocked of the wise men, he was exceding wroth, and sent furthe men of warre and slewe all the chyldren that were in Bethleem, and in all the coastes, (as many as were ii yere olde and under,) according to the time whiche he had diligently knowen out of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by the prophete Jeremie, where as he sayde: In Rama was there a voyce hearde, lamentacyon, weepyng, and great mourning, Rachel weepyng for her chyldren, and woulde not be conforted, because they were not.

[Matthew 2:13-18]

ALMIGHTY God, which hast geven us, &c. as upon Christmas-day.
 

AND I saye, that the heyre (as long as he is a child) differeth not from a seruaunt, though he be lorde of all, but is under tutors and gouernours, until the time that the father hath appoynted. Euen so wee also, when wee were chyldren, were in bondage under the ordinaunces of the worlde: But when the tyme was full come, God sente hys sonne, made of a woman, and made bonde unto the lawe, to redeme them which were bonde unto the lawe: that wee throughe eleccion myghte receyue the inheritaunce that belongeth unto the naturall sonnes. Because ye are sonnes, God hathe sente the spyryte of hys sonne into our hartes, which crieth Abba father. Wherfore nowe, thou art not a seruaunt, but a sonne: If thou bee a sonne, thou arte also an heyre of God throughe Christe.
 

[Galatians 4:1-7]

THYS is the booke of the generacyon of Jesus Christe, the sonne of Dauid, the sonne of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; Judas begat Phares [Perez] and Zaram [Zerah] of Thamar; Phares begat Esrom [Hezron]; Esrom begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Naasson; Naasson begat Salmon; Salmon begat Boos [Boaz] of Rahab; Boos begat Obed of Ruth; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat Dauid the kyng; Dauid the king begat Salomon of her that was the wife of Urye [Uriah]; Salomon begat Roboam [Rehoboam]; Roboam begat Abia [Abijah]; Abia begat Asa [Asaph]; Asa begat Josaphat [Jehoshophat]; Josaphat begat Joram; Joram begat Osias [Uzziah]; Osias begat Joathan; Joathan begat Achas [Ahaz]; Achas begat Ezechias [Hezekiah]; Ezechias begat Manasses; Manasses begat Amon [Amos]; Amon begat Josias; Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren, about the time that they were caried awaye to Babilon. And after they were brought to Babilon, Jeconias begat Salathiell; Salathiell begat Zorobabel [Zerubbabel]; Zorobabel begat Abiud; Abiud begat Eliachim; Eliachim begat Azor; Azor begat Sadoc [Zadoc]; Sadoc begat Achyn; Achyn begat Eliud; Eliud begat Eliazar; Eliazar begat Matthan; Matthan begat Jacob; Jacob begat Joseph the husbande of Marie, of whome was borne Jesus, euen be that is called Christe. And so all the generacions from Abraham to Dauid are xiiii generacyons. And from Dauid unto the captiuitie of Babilon are xiiii generacions. And from the captiuitie of Babilon unto Christ, are xiiii generacions.
    The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary was maried to Joseph, (beefore they came to dwell together) she was founde with childe by the holy goste. Then Joseph her husbande (because he was a righteous man, and would not put her to shame) was minded prievily to departe from her. But while he thus thought, beholde, the Angell of the lord appeared unto hym in slepe, saying: Joseph, thou sonne of Dauid, feare not to take unto the Mary thy wife: for that which is conceiued in her, cummeth of the holy gost. She shall bring furth a sonne, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall saue his people from theyr sinnes.
    All this was doone, that it mighte be fulfilled which was spoken of the lorde by the prophet, saying: Beholde a mayde shall bee with chylde, and shall bryng foorth a sonne, and they shall call his name Emanuell, whiche, if a manne interprete, is as muche to saye, as God with us. And Joseph as soone as he awoke out of slepe did as the Angel of the lorde had bidden him: and he toke his wife unto him, and knew her not, til she had broughte furth her firste begotten sonne, and called his name JESUS.

[Matthew 1:1-25]; first paragraph (vs. 1-17) omitted after 1561.

Laetatus sum. Ps. cxxii.

I WAS glad when they sayde unto me : We wil goe into the house of the Lorde.
    Our fete shall stande in thy gates : O Jerusalem.
    Jerusalem is builded as a citie : that is at unitie in itselfe.
    For thither the tribes goe up, euen the tribes of the Lorde to testifie unto Israell to geue thankes unto the Name of the Lorde.
    For there is the seate of judgement : even the seate of the house of David.
    O pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that loue thee.
    Peace be within thy walles, and plenteousnes within thy palaces.
    For my brethren and companions sakes : I wishe thee prosperitie.
    Yea, because of the house of the Lorde oure God : I wil seke to doe thee good.
    Glory be to the father, &c.
    As it was in the beginning, &c.

The Collect.

ALMYGHTIE God, whiche madeste thy blessed sonne to be circumcised, and obedyente to the law for man; Graunt us the true circumcision of thy spirite, that our hertes, and al our membres, being mortifyed from al worldly and carnal lustes, may in al thinges obey thy blessed wil; through the same thy sonne Jesus Christ our Lorde.
 

* 1549 only

BLESSED is that man to whom the lord will not impute sinne. Came this blessednes then upon the uncircumcision, or upon the circumcision also? for we say that faith was rekoned to Abraham for righteousnes. How was it then rekoned? when he was in the circumcision, or when he was in the uncircumcision? not in the time of circumcision; but when he was yet uncircumcised. And he receiued the signe of circumcision, as a seale of the righteousnes of fayth, whiche he had yet being uncircumcised; that he should be the father of al them that belieue, though they be not circumcised, that righteousnes might be imputed to them also: and that he mighte be the father of circumcision, not unto them only which came of the circumcised, but unto them also that walke in the steppes of the faythe that was in our father Abraham, before the time of circumcision. For the promise (that he shoulde be the heyre of the worlde) happened not to Abraham, or to his seede, through the law, but through the righteousnes of faith. For if they which are of the law be heyres, then is faith but vayne, and the promise of none effect.
 

[Romans 4:8 -14]

[Luke 2:15-20]

¶ At Euensong.

    The First Lesson, Deut. x. "And now Israel," unto the ende.
    The Seconde Lesson, Colloss. ii. unto the ende.
 

[Deut. 10:12-22]; 1549 only