Marshall's Primer: the Litany (second edition) (second edition of William Marshall's English Primer, 1535)

Preface and Anthem

A preface.

Forasmuch, good Christian reader, as I am certainly persuaded, that divers persons of small judgment and knowledge in holy scripture have been offended, for that that in the English Primer, which I lately set forth, I did omit and leave out the Litany, which, I take God to witness, I did not of any perverse mind or opinion, thinking that our blessed Lady, and holy saints, might in no wise be prayed unto; but rather because I was not ignorant of the wicked opinion, and vain superstitious manner, that divers and many persons have not only used in worshipping of them: but also thinking that God by Christ would none otherwise gladly hear and accept their petitions and prayers, but by his blessed mother and saints, amongst other carnal and worldly persuasions alleging this: That if a man have a suit to any temporal prince, that then they must needs first make mean unto him by some man that is in his favour.

Which fond reason, although it be nothing like between God and us, as it is between a worldly prince and his subject; for that that God in all places, and at all times, doth both know and hear our petitions, which any worldly prince doth not nor cannot without another mean: and although it be nothing like nor true, as concerning the necessity, that we by the commandment of holy scripture must of necessity pray to our blessed Lady and saints, or that otherwise we cannot be heard: yet is it true, as concerning that we must needs have a peace maker and mediator to our heavenly Father, which is his only Son, and our only sufficient and eternal mediator Jesu Christ. Wherefore for the contentation of such weak minds, and somewhat to bear their infirmities, I have now at this my second edition of the said Primer, caused the Litany to be printed and put into the same, trusting that they by their old untrue opinion before alleged, nor yet by any other like, will abuse the same.

Right doubtful it is, as I think, to pray unto all those that be mentioned, named, and called saints in the common primers in Latin. For although many of them (by what authority I cannot tell) have been canonised and made saints, by such as have been bishops of Rome: yet whether they be saints or no, I commit to the secret judgment of God.

The anthem. Lord, remember not our grievous offences, or the offences of our parents, neither take thou vengeance of our sinfulness, but have mercy on us, and spare thy poor people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not ever angry with us.

The Invocations and Saints

The Litany.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

God the Father of heavens: have mercy on us.

God the redemptor of this world: have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost: have mercy on us.

The Holy Trinity in one Godhead: have mercy on us.

Saint Mary, perpetual virgin and mother of Christ, pray for us.

S. Michael, pray for us.

S. Gabriel, pray for us.

S. Raphael, pray for us.

All holy angels and archangels, pray ye for us.

S. John Baptist, pray for us.

All holy patriarchs and prophets, pray ye for us.

S. Peter, pray for us.

S. Paul, pray for us.

S. Andrew, pray for us.

S. John Evangelist, pray for us.

S. James, pray for us.

S. Thomas of India, pray for us.

S. Philip, pray for us.

S. Matthew, pray for us.

S. Bartholomew, pray for us.

S. Simon, pray for us.

S. Thaddaeus, pray for us.

S. Barnabas, pray for us.

S. Mark, pray for us.

S. Luke, pray for us.

All holy Apostles and Evangelists, pray ye for us.

All holy disciples and innocents, pray ye for us.

S. Stephen, pray for us.

S. Linus, pray for us.

S. Cletus, pray for us.

S. Clement, pray for us.

S. Cyprian, pray for us.

S. Erasmus, pray for us.

S. Edmund, king and confessor, pray for us.

S. George, pray for us.

All holy martyrs, pray for us.

S. Edward, king, pray for us.

S. Jerome, pray for us.

S. Austin, pray for us.

S. Ambrose, pray for us.

S. Gregory, pray for us.

S. Bernard, pray for us.

S. Bede, pray for us.

S. Chrysostom, pray for us.

S. Alban, king, and first martyr of England, pray for us.

S. Martin, bishop, pray for us.

S. Antony, pray for us.

S. Nicholas, pray for us.

S. Benedict, pray for us.

S. Francis, pray for us.

All holy confessors, pray for us.

All holy monks and confessors, pray for us.

S. Mary Magdalen, pray for us.

S. Anne, pray for us.

S. Katherine, pray for us.

S. Margaret, pray for us.

S. Helen, pray for us.

S. Lucia, pray for us.

S. Cecilia, pray for us.

S. Agnes, pray for us.

All holy virgins, pray for us.

All holy widows, pray for us.

All saints, pray for us.

The Deprecations and Obsecrations

Be merciful to us, and spare us, Lord.

Be merciful to us, and deliver us, Lord.

From all sin deliver us, Lord.

From all error deliver us, Lord.

From all evil deliver us, Lord.

From the crafty trains of the evil deliver us, Lord.

From the eminent peril of sin deliver us, Lord.

From the possession of devils deliver us, Lord.

From the spirit of fornication deliver us, Lord.

From the desire of vain glory deliver us, Lord.

From the uncleanness of mind and body deliver us, Lord.

From unclean thoughts deliver us, Lord.

From the blindness of the heart deliver us, Lord.

From sudden and unprovided death deliver us, Lord.

From pestilence and famine deliver us, Lord.

From all mortal war deliver us, Lord.

From lightning and tempestuous weathers deliver us, Lord.

From seditions and schisms deliver us, Lord.

From everlasting death deliver us, Lord.

By the privy mystery of thy holy incarnation, deliver us, Lord.

By thy holy nativity, deliver us, Lord.

By thy baptism, fastings, and temptations, deliver us, Lord.

By thy painful agony in sweating blood and water, deliver us, Lord.

By the pains and passion on thy cross, deliver us, Lord.

By thy death and burying, deliver us, Lord.

By thy resurrection and ascension, deliver us, Lord.

By the coming of the Holy Ghost, deliver us, Lord.

In the time of our tribulations, deliver us, Lord.

In the time of our felicity, defend us, Lord.

In the hour of death, deliver us, Lord.

In the day of judgment, deliver us, Lord.

The Suffrages

We sinners, pray thee to hear us, Lord.

That it might please thee, Lord, to govern and lead thy holy Catholic church; We beseech thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe that our bishops, pastors, and ministers of thy church may in holy life, and in thy sound and whole word, feed thy people; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe that all perverse secrets and slanders may be avoided; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe that all which do err and be deceived, may be reduced into the way of verity; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe that we may the devil with all his pomps crush and tread under foot; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe to send us plenty of faithful workmen into thy harvest; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe, Lord, to give the hearers of thy word lively grace to understand it, and to work thereafter by the virtue of the Holy Ghost; We pray thee to hear us.

That all extreme poverty, thou please, Lord, to recomfort; We pray thee to hear us.

That they, which are weak in virtue, and soon overcome in temptation, thou of thy mercy wilt help and strengthen them; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe to give universal peace amongst all kings, and other rulers; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou vouchsafe to preserve our most gracious sovereign lord and king, Henry the eighth, his most gracious queen Anne, all their posterity, aiders, helpers, and true subjects; We pray thee to hear us.

That our ministers and governors may virtuously rule thy people; We pray thee to hear us.

That thy people in affliction, or in peril and danger, by fire, water, or land, thou wilt vouchsafe to defend and preserve; We pray thee to hear us.

That teeming women may have joyful speed in their labour; We pray thee to hear us.

That all young orphans, and sick people, thou please, Lord, to nourish and provide for; We pray thee to hear us.

That all being captive or in prisons, thou wilt send deliverance; We pray thee to hear us.

That unto all people, Lord, thou wilt shew thy inestimable mercy; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou wilt forgive all warriors, persecutors, and oppressors of thy people, and to convert them to grace; We pray thee to hear us.

That the fruits, Lord, on the earth, may give good increase, and that thou wilt conserve them; We pray thee to hear us.

That thou, Lord, wilt hear our prayer; We pray thee to hear us.

Son of God and Lamb of God

O the very Son of God; We pray thee to hear us.

O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

O Lamb of God, which takest away the sin of this world, give peace and rest upon us.

Versicles and Collects

The versicle. O Lord, hear thou my prayer.

The answer. That my calling may come to thine ears.

The collects or prayers. O Omnipotent and merciful God, the Father eternal, which dost not despise us sinners, bewailing with contrite heart, for offending thy high majesty, we pray thee by thy grace and mercy to draw us near to thee, to hear our prayers, to forgive us our offences, and comfort us in our afflictions. And forgive, Lord, them that oppress us. And that our ghostly enemy have no power to devour us, (as he desireth,) but that we may strongly withstand his frauds and snares, to our comfort, that we may die in the very true catholic faith, and rest with thee eternally, our Lord Jesu Christ. So be it.

The versicle. We have sinned with our forefathers.

The answer. Iniquity have we wrought with unjust living.

Lord God, which dost not suffer sinners to perish and die in their works, but rather wilt that they shall convert and live, we humbly pray thee to forgive us now, while we have time and space. And give us grace that we do not abound in sin, nor in iniquity no more, lest thou, Lord, be wrath with us. And meekly we pray thee, Lord, to open the verity of our true catholic faith, and destroy all antichrists, with all their jugglings and crafty schisms, which doth so sore oppress and danger thy people to damnation: cease this schism, Lord: and that thy most holy words of thy Gospels may plenteously be preached, without craft or dissimulation: which beareth with it thy Holy Spirit and life, to comfort all that hunger or thirst to drink thereof, by the virtue of our Lord Jesu Christ. So be it.

O most high and mighty Lord God, and King of peace, which when thou tookest thy most holy humanity upon thee in the womb of the most holy Virgin Mary, then by the high provision of thy Fathers divine power all the universal world was in peace and concord. Wherefore, bountiful Lord God, we pray thee to preserve our king Henry, his aiders and counsellors, and all governors, and the whole universal commons of this realm, in peace and concord. And not only us, Lord, but all realms in the world, that we may keep one God, one faith, and one law, by the ordinance of our Lord Jesu Christ, which reigneth in the world of worlds. So be it.