THE ORDER

WHERE

Morning and Evening prayer

shall be used and said.

The morning and evening prayer shall be used in the accustomed place of the church, chapel, or Chancel, except it shall be otherwise determined by the ordinary of the place: and the chancels shall remain, as they have done in times past.

And here is to be noted, that the minister at the time of the communion, and at all other times in his ministration, shall use such ornaments in the church as were in use by authority of parliament in the second year of the reign of king Edward the .VI. according to the act of parliament set in the beginning of this book.

AN ORDER

for Morning prayer

daily throughout the year.

At the beginning both of Morning prayer, and likewise of Evening prayer, the minister shall read, with a loud voice, some one of these sentences of the scriptures that follow. And then he shall say that, which is written after the said sentences.

AT what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin Eze. xviii. from the bottom of his heart: I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord.

I do know mine own wickedness, and my sin is alway2 Psal. li. against me.

Turn thy face away from our sins, O Lord, and blot Psal. li. out all our offences.

A sorrowful spirit is a Sacrifice to God: despise not, O Psal. li. Lord, humble and contrite hearts.

['Grafton has, Mornyng prayer, for a head line. 1578, The booke of Common prayer, and administration of the Sacramentes.]

[Grafton, alwaies.]

Joel ii.

Dan. ix.

Jer. ii.

Math. iii.

Luke xv.

Psal. cxlii.2

1 John i

Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord, your God: because he is gentle and merciful, he is patient and of much mercy, and such a one that is sorry for your afflictions.

To thee, O Lord God, belongeth mercy and forgiveness; for we have gone away from thee, and have not hearkened to thy voice, whereby we might walk in thy laws which thou hast appointed for us.

Correct us, O Lord, and yet in thy judgment; not in thy fury, lest we should be consumed and brought to nothing. Amend your lives, for the kingdom of God is at hand. I will go to my father, and say to him: Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee, I am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Enter not into judgment with thy servants, O Lord, for no flesh is righteous in thy sight.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us.

DEARLY beloved brethren, the scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins 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, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to knowledge3 our sins before God: yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which be requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as be here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after

me:

[Misprint in both editions of 1559 for, x.]

[Grafton, clxiii. 1596, cxliii. This last is right according to the notation pointed out in p. 39.]

[1596, acknowledge.]

¶ A general confession, to be said of the whole congregation after the minister, kneeling.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred, and strayed from thy ways, like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us: but thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that be penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name1.

The absolution, to be pronounced by the Minister alone.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live: and hath given power and commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel: Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit, that those things 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 his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The people shall answer, Amen.

Then shall the minister begin the Lord's prayer with a loud voice.

OUR Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

['Grafton and 1596, Amen.]

[5 Grafton, Amen.]