Book of Common Prayer · Churching of Women (1662) · All versions
Elizabethan Prayer Book (1559)
The 1552 order unchanged in substance.
Source: Charles Wohlers, the 1559 Book of Common Prayer (justus.anglican.org). Public domain.
The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth
Title, Rubric and Address
¶ THE THANKESGEVINGE OF WOMEN
AFTER CHILDE BYRTHE,
COMMUNELYE CALLED
THE CHURCHYNGE OF WOMEN.
The woman shall come into the churche, and there shall knele downe in some convenient place, nyghe unto the place where the table standeth, and the priest standing by her, shal saie these wordes, or suche lyke, as the case that require.
FORASMUCHE as it hath pleased almyghtye God of hys goodnes to geve you safe delyveraunce, and hath preserved you in the great daunger of childbyrth: ye shal therfore geve heartye thankes unto God and praye.
The Psalm
¶ Then shall the priest saye this Psalme.
I HAVE lyfte up myne eyes unto the hylles, from whence commeth my helpe.
My helpe commeth even from the Lord: whych hath made heaven and earth.
He wyll not suffre thy foote to be moved: and he that kepeth the, wil not slepe.
Beholde, he that kepeth Israell: shall neyther slomber nor slepe.
The Lorde hym selfe is thy keper: the Lorde is thy defence upon thy ryght hande.
So that the sonne shall not burne the by daye, neither the moone by night.
The Lorde shal preserve the from al evil: yea, it is even he that shal kepe thy soule.
The Lorde shal preserve thy goinge out, and thy commynge in: from thys tyme forth for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne &c.
As it was in the beginynge, is now &c.
The Lesser Litany, Lord's Prayer and Suffrages
Lorde have mercye upon us.
Christe have mercye upon us.
Lorde have mercye upon us.
OUR FATHER WHICHE ARTE &c.
And leade us not into temptacion.
Aunswere. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Priest. O Lorde save this woman thy servaunt.
Aunswere. Whiche putteth her trust in the.
Priest. Be thou to her a strong Towre.
Aunswere. From the face of her enemy.
Priest. Lorde heare our praier.
Aunswere. And let our crie come unto the.
The Prayer
Priest. Let us praie.
O ALMIGHTY God, which hast delivered this woman thy servaunte from the great paine and peril of childe birthe: Graunt we beseche the most mercifull Father, that she through thy help may bothe faithfully live, and walke in her vocation, accordyng to thy wil, in this lyfe present, and also may be partaker of everlastyng glory in the lyfe to come, throughe Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.
The Offerings and Communion
The woman that commeth to geve her thanckes, muste offer accustomed offerynges, and if there be a Communion, it is convenient that she receive the holy Communion.