Liber Precum Publicarum (1560)

Liber

Precum Publicarum

seu Ministerii Ecclesiasticae Administrationis Sacramentorum, Aliorumque Rituum et Cæremoniarum in Ecclesia Anglicana

Cum privilegio Regiæ Majestatis

Transcribatur ex editione 1560 a Societate Parkerensis in anno 1847 et de novo transcribitur ex editione Societate Parkerensis a
Henrico peccatore

Anno Domini 1999.

"Adorate Dominum in atrio sancto ejus"
Ps. 96.

The Book of Common Prayer
in Latin

Edition of 1560

After the publication of the Elizabethan Prayer Book of 1559, a need was felt for a prayer book in Latin, for the use of those in universities. The rubrics of the Prayer Books had always allowed for service in languages other than English, as long as the tongue used was understood by all; which, at that time, was certainly the case for Latin in the universities.

The Book produced was purportedly a translation of the 1559 Book, but in fact differed from it in a number of ways, mostly fairly minor. Most of the changes introduced were copied from a Latin translation of the 1549 Book, some were from older Latin missals, and some were original compositions. It is not certain whether these changes were intentional, or the result of carelessness - but likely the former. The effect of these changes tended to make the Latin Book more conservative, i. e., more like the 1549 Book or the Latin missals, and less "Protestant". For example, reservation of the sacrament was made more explicit in the Communion service connected with the Visitation of the Sick, and in one printing Communion was provided for use at burials.

One will notice that the complete Prayer Book was rendered into Latin - although several services (Baptism, Matrimony, Confirmation) likely were never used in a university setting. This is because of a proclamation requiring the use of the English Prayer Book throughout the realm - including Ireland, where many of the clergy knew no English (not to mention the laity). Accordingly, this book was permitted to be used in a parish setting if the clergy could not speak English.

The text used here comes from a reprint published in 1847 by the Parker Society: Liturgical Sources: Liturgies and Occasional Forms of Prayer Set Forth in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, William Keatinge Clay, ed. This book appears as 87:32 in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer; the original text from which the reprint was taken is 87:3. The Parker Society reprint is also available from the Internet Archive in PDF and (uncorrected) plain text formats.

The text used here was transcribed by Henry Moffitt, to whom I am exceedingly grateful.

Queen Elizabeth's Letters Patent

Praefatio

The Preface

De Caeremoniis, cur Aliæ Quidem Abrogatæ, Aliæ Vero retentæ ac receptæ sunt in Ecclesia nostra Anglicana

Of Ceremonies, Why Some be Abolished and Some Retained

Index et Calendarium, quo Exprimitur ordo Psalmorum & Lectionem, ad preces Matutinas & Vespertinas, per totum annum, exceptis quibusdam Festis propriis, quemadmodum regulæ subsequentes planius explicabunt

The Order How the Psalter Is Appointed to Be Read

Sequitir Tabula, monstrans ordinem Psalmorum, ad Matutinas et Vespertinas preces

The Table for the Order of the Psalms to Be Said at Morning and Evening Prayer

Ordo Lectionum juxta contextum Bibliorum: sepositis Psalmis.

The Order How the Rest of Holy Scripture Is Appointed to Be Read

Lectiones Propriæ, Quæ pro Primis Lectionibus recitabuntur per totum annum, diebus Dominicis, ad preces Matutinas et Vespertinas. Aliquot etiam Secundæ lectiones

Proper Psalms and Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, for Sundays and Certain Feasts and Days

An Almanac

De Anno & partibus ejus

Of the Year and Its Parts (not in the English version)

Ordo Matutinarum per Totum Annum

The Order for Morning Prayer throughout the Year

Ordo Vesperarum per Totum Annum

The Order for Evening Prayer throughout the Year

Letania et Supplicationes

The Litany and Suffrages

Collectæ, Epistolæ, ac Evangelia ad sacram Communionem sive in Cœna Domini dicenda, per totum annum.

The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels to be Used at the Celebration of the Lord's Supper and Holy Communion through the Year

Ordo administrandi Cœnam Domini

The Order for the Ministration of the Holy Communion

Ordo visitationis infirmorum et Communio eorundem

Visitation & Communion of the Sick

Sepultura

Burial

Ordo Baptismi

Baptism, Both Public and Private

Confirmatio Puerorum, cui insertus est Catechismus.

Confirmation, Where Also Is a Catechism for Children

De solenni Matrimonio

Matrimony

Gratiarum actio pro mulieribus post partum

The Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth

Die Cinerum Cærimoniæ

A Commination against Sinners, with Certain Prayers to Be Used Divers Times in the Year