Book of Common Prayer · Churching of Women (1662) · All versions
Second Prayer Book of Edward VI (1552)
Renamed "The Thankes geving of Women after Childe Birth, commonly called the Churching of Women": the woman kneels near the Communion table, the chrisom offering is dropped, and the rest follows 1549.
Source: Charles Wohlers, the 1552 Book of Common Prayer (justus.anglican.org). Public domain.
The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth
Title, Rubric and Address
THE THANKES GEVING OF WOMEN AFTER
CHILDE BIRTH,
COMMONLY CALLED
THE CHURCHYNG OF WOMEN.
The woman shall come into the churche, and there shall knele downe in some conveniente place, nighe unto the place where the table standeth: and the prieste standyng by her, shall say these wordes, or suche like, as the case shal require.
FORASMUCH as it hath pleased almightie God of his goodnes to geve you safe deliveraunce, and hath preserved you in the great daunger of Childe birth: ye shall therefore geve harty thankes unto god, and praye.
The Psalm
Then shall the priest say thys Psalme.
I HAVE lyfted up myne eyes unto the hilles from whence cometh my helpe.
My helpe cometh even from the lord: which hath made heaven and earth.
He wil not suffre thy fote to be moved: and he that kepeth thee wil not slepe.
Beholde, he that kepeth Israel: shall neither slumber nor slepe.
The lorde hymselfe is thy keper: the lorde is thy defence upon thy right hande.
So that the Sunne shal not burne thee by daye: neyther the Moone by nyghte.
The Lorde shall preserve thee from al evil: yea, it is even he that shal kepe thy soule.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in from this time furth for evermore.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to, &c.
As it was in the begynnyng, is nowe, and ever, &c.
The Lesser Litany, Lord's Prayer and Suffrages
Lorde, have mercy upon us.
Christe, have mercy upon us.
Lorde, have mercy upon us.
Our Father, which, &c.
And leade us not into temptacion.
Aunswere. But delyver us from evill. Amen.
Priest. O Lorde, save this woman thy servaunt.
Aunswere. Which putteth her trust in thee.
Priest. Be thou to her a strong tower.
Aunswere. From the face of her enemye.
Priest. Lorde, heare our prayer.
Aunswere. And let our crie come unto thee.
The Prayer
Priest. ¶ Let us praye.
O ALMIGHTIE god, whiche hast delyvered this woman thy servant from the great paine and peryl of childe birth: Graunte, we beseche thee, (most mercifull father,) that she through thy helpe, maye both faythfully lyve, and walke in her vocacion, accordyng to thy wyl in thys lyfe present; and also maye bee partaker of everlastinge glorye in the life to come: through Jesus Christe our Lorde. Amen.
The Offerings and Communion
The woman that cometh to geve her thankes, muste offre accustomed offerynges: and if there be a Communion, it is conveniente that she receyve the holy Communyon.