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    The Book of Common Prayer - 1552

 

The first page from Morning Prayer, in the 1552 Book of Common Prayer. Note that the text below is slightly different, as it apparently comes from a different printing.

AN ORDER FOR MORNING

PRAYER DAYLY THROUGHOUT THE YEARE.

  
The order where mornynge and evenynge prayer
shalbe used and sayed.

The morning and evening prayer, shalbe used in suche place of the Churche, Chapell, or Chauncel, and the minister shal so turne him, as ye people maye best heare. And if there be any controversie therein, the matter shalbe referred to the ordenarie, and he or his deputie shal appoynte the place, and the Chauncels shal remayne, as they have done in times past.
    And here is to be noted, that the minister at the tyme of the Communion and all other tymes in his ministracion, shall use neither albe, vestment, nor cope: but being archbishop or bishop, he shall have and wear a rochet; and being a preest or deacon, he shall have and wear a surplice onely.
    At the beginning both of Morning Prayer, and likewyse of Evening Prayer, the minister shal reade with a loud voyce some one of these sentences of the scriptures that folow. And then he shal say that, which is written after the said sentences.

AT what time soever a synner doeth repente hym of hys synne from the bottome of hys heart: I wyl put all his wickedness oute of my remembraunce, sayth the Lorde. Ezechiel xviii.
    I do know mine owne wickednes, and my synnne is alway against me. Psalm ii.
    Turn thy face away from our sinnes (O Lorde) and blot out all our offences. Psalm li.
    A sorowfull spyryt is a Sacrifice to God: despise not (O Lord) humble and contrite hearts. Psalm li.
    Rente [Rend] your heartes, and not your garmentes, and turne to the lord your God: because he is gentle and mercyful, he is pacient and of muche mercy, and suche a one that is sory for your afflictions. Joel ii.
    To thee, O lord God belongeth mercy and forgevenes: for we have gone away from thee, and have not harkened to thy voyce, whereby we myght walke in thy lawes, which thou has appoynted for us. Dan. ix.
    Correct us, O Lord, and yet in thy judgemente, not in thy furie, lest we should be consumed and broughte to nothinge. Jerem. ii.
    Amende your lyves, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Math. iii.
    I wyl goe to my father and saye to hym: father, I have synned agaynst heaven, and against thee, I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Luke xv.
    Enter not into judgemente with thy servaunts, O Lord, for no fleshe is righteous in thy syght. Psa. cxliii.
    Yf we saye that we have no synne, we deceyve ourselves, and there is no trueth in us. 1 John i.
 

 

DEARELY beloved brethren, the scripture moveth us in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold synnes and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of almighty God our heavenly father, but confess them with an humble, lowely, penitent and obedient heart: to thende that we may obtayn forgeveness of the same by hys infinite goodness and mercie. And although we ought at al times humbly to knowledge our synnes before God: yet ought we most chiefly so to doe, when we assemble and mete together, to rendre thanks for the great benefytes that we have receyved at his hands, to set foorth hys moste worthy prayse, to hear his most holy word, and to aske those things which be requisite and necessarye, as well for the body as the soule. Wherfore I praye and beseche you, as many as be here present, to accompany me wyth a pure heart and humble voyce, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me.

A generall confession, to be sayd of the whole congregacion after the minister, knelynge.

ALMIGHTY and most mercyfull father, we have erred and strayed from thy wayes, lyke lost shepe. We have folowed too much the devises and desyres of oure owne hearts. We have offended against thy holy lawes. We have left undone those things whiche we oughte to have done, and we have done those. thinges which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us: but thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offendors. Spare thou them, O God, which confesse theyr faultes. Restore thou them that be penitent, according to thy promyses declared. unto mankynde, in Christe Jesu oure Lorde. And graunt, O most merciful father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sobre life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

The absolucion to be pronounced by the minister alone.

ALMIGHTY God, the father of oure Lord Jesus Christ, which desireth not the death of a synner, but rather that he maye turne from his wickedness and live: and hath geven power and commaundment to hys ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, beinge penitent, the absolution and remission of their synnnes: he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truely repent, and unfeynedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore we beseche him to graunt us true repentaunce and his holy Spirite, that those thinges may please him, which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy: so that at the last we may come to hys eternall joye, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The people shal answere.

    Amen.

Then shal the Minister begin the Lordes Prayer wyth a loude voyce.

OUR Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy wylle be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this daye oure daylye bread. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespass against us. And leade us not into temptacion. But delyver us from evyll. Amen.

Then lykewyse he shall saye.

O Lord, open thou our lyppes.
Aunswer.
And our mouth shal shewe forth thy prayse,
Prieste.
O God, make spede to save us.
Answere.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Prieste.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy ghost.
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shal be: worlde wythout ende. Amen.
    Prayse ye the Lorde.
 
 

Then shal be said or song thys Psalme folowinge.

O COME let us syng unto the Lord : let us heartely rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
    Lette us come before hys presence with thanksgeving : and shew ourselves glad in hym wyth Psalms.
    For the lord is a greate God : and a great King, above all Goddes.
    In hys hand are al the corners of the earth : and the strength of the hylles is his also.
    The sea is his, and he made it : and hys hands prepared the drye land.
    O come, lette us worship and fal downe : and knele before the Lord our maker.
    For he is the lord our God : and we are the people of his pasture, and the shepe of his hands.
    To day yf ye will hear hys voice, harden not your heartes : as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptacion in the
wyldernesse.
    When your fathers tempted me : proved me, and saw my works.
    Forty yeres long was I grieved with this generation, and said : it is a people that do erre in their hearts, for they have not known my wayes.
    Unto whom I sware in my wrath : that they should not entre. into my rest.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne : and to &c
    As it was in the beginning, is now, &c. Amen.

    Then shal folowe certain Psalms in order, as they bee appointed in a Table, made for that purpose, except there be proper Psalms appoynted for that day. And at thend of every Psalme throughout the yere, and lykewyse in thend of Benedictus, Benedicite, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, shall be repeated.

    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, &c.

    Then shall be reed two lessons distinctlye wyth a loude voice, that the people maye heare. The fyrst of the old Testament, the second of the new, lyhe as they be appointed by the Kalendar, except there be proper lessons assigned for that daye: the minister that readeth the Lesson, standing and turning him so, as he may best be heard of al such as be present. And before every lesson, the minister shall say thus. The first, second, third, or fourth Chapiter of Genesis or Exodus, Matthew, Mark, or other like, as is appointed in the Kalendar. And in the ende of every Chapter, he shall say.

¶ Here endeth such a Chapiter of such a Boke.

    And (to thend the people may the better hear) in such places where thei do sing, there shal the lessons be song in a plain tune alter the maner of distinct reading: and likewise the Epistle and Gospell.
    After the fyrst lesson shall folow
Te Deum laudamus, in English, dayly through the whole yeare.

 

 

Te Deum.

WE prayse thee, O God, we knowledge thee to be the Lord.
    All the earth doeth worship thee, the father everlasting.
    To thee all Aungels cry aloud, the heavens and al the powers therein.
    To thee Cherubin, and Seraphin continually do cry,
    Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.
    Heaven and earth are ful of the Majestie of thy glorye.
    The glorious company of the Apostles, praise thee.
    The goodly fellowship of the prophets, praise thee.
    The noble army of Martyrs, praise thee.
    The holy Church throughout al the world doeth knowledge thee.
    The Father of an infinite Majesty.
    Thy honourable, true, and onely son.
    Also the holy ghost the comforter.
    Thou art the king of glory, O Christ.
    Thou art the everlasting son of the father.
    When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou dyddest not abhor the virgin's womb.
    When thou hadst overcomed the sharpness of death, thou diddest open the kingdom of heaven to all beleevers.
    Thou sittest on the right hand of God, in the Glory of the father.
    We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
    We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redemed with thy precious bloud.
    Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory ever lasting.
    O lord, save thy people: and bless thine heritage.
    Govern them, and lift them up for ever.
    Day by day we magnify thee.
    And we worship thy name ever world without end.
    Vouchsafe, O Lord, to kepe us this day without sinne.
    O lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.
    O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee.
    O Lord, in thee have I trusted: lette me never be confounded.
 

 

Or this canticle, Benedicite omnia opera domini domino.

O ALL ye workes of the Lord, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye Aungelles of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde : praise ye hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye heavens, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye waters that be above the firmament, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O all ye powers of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye Sunne, and Moone, blesse ye the Lord:  prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye starres of heaven, blesse ye the Lord : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye showres, and dewe, blesse ye the lorde prayse him, and magnifie hym for ever.
    O ye wyndes of God, blesse ye the Lord : prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye fyre and heate, blesse ye the Lord : prayse hym, and magnifie hym for ever.
    O ye wynter and sommer, blesse ye the Lorde : praise hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye dewes and frostes, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and, magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye froste and colde, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye Ice and snowe, blesse ye the Lord : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye nightes and dayes, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye ]yght and darkenesse, blesse ye the Lord: praise hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye lighteninges and cloudes, blesse ye the Lord : praise hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O let the yearth blesse the Lorde : yes, lette it prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye Mountaynes and hylles, blesse ye the Lorde: praise hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O all ye grene thinges upon the earth, blesse ye the Lord prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye welles, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnyfye. hym for ever.
    O ye Seas, and fluddes, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and., magnyfye him for fever.
    O ye whales, and al that move in the waters, blesse ye the lorde prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O al ye foules of the nyre, blesse ye the lorde : prayse hym, and magnifie him for ever.
    O al ye beastes, and cattell, blesse ye the Lord : praise hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye children of men, blesse ye the Lord : prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O let Israel blesse the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye priestes of the Lord, blesse ye the Lord : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye servauntes of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifye hym for ever.
    O ye spyrites and soules of the righteous, blesse ye the Lord prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
    O ye holye and humble men of hearte, blesse ye the Lord prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
    O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye the lord : prayse him, and magnifye hym for ever.
    Glory bee to the father, and to the sonne : and to the holy ghoste.
    As it was in the beginning, is nowe, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.
 

 
 

And after the second lesson shalbe used and sayde, Benedictus, in Englishe as foloweth:

Benedictus.

BLESSED be the Lorde God of Israell : for he hath visyted and redemed hys people;
    And hathe raysed up a mightie salvacion for us : in the house of hys servaunt David;
    As he spake by the mouthe of hys holy Prophetes : whyche have been sence the worlde beganne;
    That we should be saved from our enemies : and from the handes of al that hate us;
    To perfourme the mercye promysed to oure forefathers : and to remembre hys holy covenaunt;
    To perfourme the othe which he sware to our forefather Abraham : that he would geve us;
    That we beyng delivered out of the handes of oure enemies : might serve hym wythoute feare;
    In holynesse and righteousnesse before hym : all the dayes of oure lyfe.
    And thou chyld, shalte be called the Prophet of the highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lorde, to prepare hys wayes;
    To geve knowledge of salvacion unto hys people : for the remission of theyr sinnes,
    Through the tender mercye of oure God : whereby the daye spring from an hyghe hath vysited us;
    To geve lyghte to them that syt in darkenes, and in the shadowe of death: and to guyde our fete into the waye of peace.
    Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy ghoste.
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : world wythout ende. Amen.

Or els thys Psalme.

Jubilate Deo. Ps. c

Then shall be sayd the Crede, by the Minister and the people, standinge.

I BELEVE in God the father almightie, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord, whiche was conceved by the holy gost, borne of the virgin Mary; Suffred under Ponce Pilate, was crucifyed, dead and buried, he descended into hell. The thyrd daye he rose agayn from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sytteth on the ryght hande of God the father almighty. From thence shall he come to judge the quicke and the dead. I beleve in the holy ghost. The holy Catholique Church. The communion of saincts. The forgeveness of synnes. The resurrection of the bodye. And the lyfe everlastinge. Amen.
 

 
    And after that, these prayers folowing, aswell at Evening prayer as at Morning' prayer: all devoutly kneeling. The Minister first pronouncinge with a loude voyce.

    The Lorde be wyth you.
Answer.
    And wyth thy spyryte.
The Minister.
    Let us praye.
    Lorde, have mercy upon us.
        Christ, have mercy upon us.
    Lorde, have mercy upon us.

Then the Minister, Clerkes, and people, shall saye the Lordes prayer in Englishe, with a loude voyce.

Oure Father which art, &c.

Then the Minister standing up shall saye.

    O Lord, shewe thy mercy upon us.

Aunswere.
    And graunt us thy salvacion.
Priest.
    O Lorde, save the kynge.
Aunswere.
    And mercyfully hear us, when we call upon thee.
Priest.
    Indue thy ministers with righteousnes.
Aunswere.
    And make thy chosen people joyeful.
Priest.
    O Lorde, save thy people.
Aunswere.
    And blesse thine enheritaunce.
Priest.
    Geve peace in oure time, O Lorde.
Aunswere.
    Because there is none other that fyghteth for us, but onely thou, O God.
Priest.
    O God, make clean our heartes within us.
Aunswere.
    And take not thyne holy spyryte from us.

    Then shal folow three Collectes. The fyrst of the daye, whyche shalbe the same that is appoynted at the Communion. The second for peace. The thyrd for Grace to lyve well. And the two last Collects shal never alter, but dayly be sayd at Morning prayer, throughout al the yere as foloweth.

The seconde Collecte for Peace.

O GOD, whiche art aucthor of peace, and lover of concorde, in knowledge of whome standeth our eternal lyfe, whose service is perfecte freedome; defend us, thy humble servants, in al assaults of our enemies, that we surely trusting in thy defence, may not feare the power of any adversaries: through the might of Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen.

The thyrde Collecte for Grace.

O LORD, our heavenly father, almighty and everlasting God, which hast safely broughte us to the beginninge of this daye: defend us in the same wyth thy mightie power, and graunt that this day we fall into no synne, nether runne into any kind of daunger: but that al our doynges may be ordred by thy governaunce, to doe alwayes that is righteous in thy syght: through Jesus Christe our Lorde. Amen.

 

 

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