After morning prayer also, we have the Litany and suffrages, an invocation in mine opinion not devised without the great assistance of the Spirit of God, although many curious mind-sick persons utterly condemn it as superstitious, and savouring of conjuration and sorcery. — William Harrison, A Description of England (1577)
This page of the Cathedral Project website allows the user to experience the Great Litany from each of the five different Listening Positions we have chosen as representative of the acoustic experience of worship in the Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral during Donne’s tenure as Dean. At the bottom of this page is an annotated script of this service.
To experience all the services from a single Listening Position, go to the Locations page.
Listen from the Dean’s Stall
From Mid-Choir
From the Pulpit
From Midway between Stalls and Altar
From the South Aisle
The Annotated Script
Guide to the color coding: The words in black are the words spoken. The words in red are the directions printed in the Book of Common Prayer for the conduct of the service, hence the name rubrics for these directions. The words in blue are the annotations.
LETANI
TO BE USED
UPON SONDAIES, WEDNESDAIES, AND FRIDAYES,
AND AT OTHER TYMES, WHEN IT SHALBE COMMAUNDED BY THE ORDINARYE.
A Litany is an ancient form of intercessory prayer in which a series of petitions are said or sung by a worship leader, with each petition being followed by a fixed response from the congregation. The original version of the Great Litany dates from 1544 and represents Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s first effort to create formal worship in the vernacular. It was originally composed to be recited in public processions in an effort to invoke God’s favor and public support for King Henry VIII’s foreign policy; at the time, England was at war with both Scotland and France.
The original text of the Great Litany included petitions that “All holy Aungels and Archaungels and all holye orders of blessed spirites . . . Praye for us” as well as “All holy patriarkes, and Prophetes, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, & Virgins, and all the blessed company of heaven . . . Praye for us.” These were dropped when the Great Litany reappeared in the first Book of Common Prayer (1549) as an appendix to the service of the Eucharist. It was also used as part of the rites of Ordination to the Diaconate, the Priesthood, and the Episcopate in the Church of England’s English language Ordinal (1550).
In the second edition of the Book of Common Prayer (1552), the Litany appeared as a stand-alone service, accompanied by the directions that the Great Litany should be used after the fixed collects of Morning Prayer on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This form of usage was reaffirmed in the Prayer Books of 1559 and 1604.
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O GOD the father of heaven : have mercy upon us miserable synners.[1]
O God the Father of heaven etc.
O God the sonne redemer of the worlde : have mercye upon us miserable synners.
O God the sonne redemer of, etc.
O God the holye Ghoste, proceding from the father and the Sonne : have mercye upon us miserable synners.
O God the holy ghoste, proceding from, etc.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinitie, three persons and one god : have mercy upon us miserable synners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious trinitye thre persons, etc.
Remember not, Lorde our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neyther take thou vengeaunce of oure synnes spare us good Lorde, spare thy people whome thou haste redemed with thy moste precious bloude, and be not angry with us for ever.
Spare us good Lorde.
From all evil and mischief, from synne, from the craftes and assaultes of the Devil, from thy wrath, and from everlasting dampnation.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From all blyndnes of herte, from pride, vayne glorye, and hypocrisy, from envy, hatred and malice, and all uncharitablenes.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From fornicacion and all other deadly synne: and frome all the deceiptes of the worlde, the Fleshe and the Devill.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From lightninges and tempestes, from plague, pestilence and famine, from battayle and murther, and from soudeine death.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From all sedicion and privey conspiracye, from all false doctrine and heresy, from hardnes of harte, and conternpte of thy worde and commaundement.
Good Lorde delyver us.
By the misterye of thy holye Incarnacion, by thy holy Nativitie and circumcision, by thy Baptysme, fastynge and temptacion.
Good Lorde delyver us.
By thyne agonye and bloudy sweate, by thy crosse and passion, by thy precious deathe and buriall, by thy glorious resurrection, and ascencion, and by the commynge of the holy Ghoste.
Good Lorde delyver us.
In al tyme of our tribulacion, in al tyme of our welth, in the houre of death, and in the daye of judgement.
Good Lorde delyver us.
We synners do beseche the to heare us (O Lord God,) and that it may please the to rule and governe thy holy Churche universally, in the right way.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to kepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of the in righteousnes and holynes of lyfe, thy servaunt thy servaunt King James, our most gracious king and governour.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to rule his harte in thy faith, feare, and love, that he may evermore have affiaunce in the, and ever seke thy honoure and glory.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to be his defender and keper, geving him the victory over al his enemyes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to bless and preserve our gracious Prince Charles and the rest of the King’s Royal issue.
We beseech thee to hear us good Lord.
That it may please the to illuminate all Byshoppes, Pastours, and ministers of the Church, with true knowledge, and understanding of thy words, and that both by their preaching and livinge, they may sette it furth and shewe it accordingly.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to endue the Lordes of the Counsayle, and all the nobilitie, with grace, wisedom, and understanding.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to blesse and kepe the Magistrates, geving them grace to execute justice, and to maynteyne truthe.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to blesse, and kepe al thy people.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to geve to all nacions, unitie, peace and concorde.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please the to geve us an harte to love and dread thee, and diligently to lyve after thy commaundementes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please the to gyve all thy people encrease of grace, to heare mekely thy worde, and to receyve it wyth pure affeccion, and to bring furthe the fruites of the spirit.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to bring into the way of truth all suche as have erred, and are deceyved.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to strengthen suche as dooe stande, and to comforte, and helpe the weake-harted, and to rayse theym up that falle, and finally to beate downe Sathan under our feete.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to succour, helpe and comforte all that be in daunger, necessitie, and tribulation.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to preserve all that travayle, by lande or by water, al women labouringe of chylde, all sycke persons and yonge chyldren, and to shew thy pitye upon all prisoners and captives.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to defende, and provide for the fatherles children and widowes, and all that be desolate and oppressed.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to have mercy upon all men.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to forgeve our enemyes, persecutours and slaunderers, and to turne theyr hertes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to geve and preserve to our use the kindly fruites of the earth, so as in due tyrne we maye enjoye them.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to geve us true repentaunce, to forgeve us all our sinnes, negligences, and ignoraunces; and to endue us with the grace of thy holy spirite, to amende our lyves according to thy holy worde.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
Sonne of God we beseche thee to heare us.
Sonne of God: we beseche thee to heare us.
O Lambe of God, that takest away the synnes of the worlde.
Graunt us thy peace.
O Lambe of God that takest awaye the synnes of the worlde,
Have mercy upon us.
O Christ heare us.
O Christe heare us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Christe have mercy upon us.
Christe have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But delyver us from evyll.
Amen.
The Versycle. O Lorde deale not with us after our synnes.
The Aunswere. Neither rewarde us after our iniquities.
Let us praye.
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Prayers
O GOD merciful father, that dispisest not the syghing of a contrite hart, nor the desyre of suche as be sorowfull, mercyfully assiste our praiers that we make before the, in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppresse us. And graciouslye hear us, that those evilles, whiche the crafte and subtiltie of the devel, or man worketh against us, be broughte to noughte, and by the providence of thy goodnesse they may be dispersed, that we thy Servauntes, beyng hurt by no persecucions, may evermore geve thanckes to the, in thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lorde.
Lord aryse, helpe us, and deliver us for thy names sake.
O GOD we have hearde with our eares, and our fathers have declared unto us the noble worckes that thou diddeste in their dayes, and in the olde tyme before them.
O Lord aryse, helpe us, and delyver us, for thyne honoure.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holye Goste.
As it was in the beginninge, is nowe, and ever shalbe worlde without ende. Amen.
From our enemues defende us, O Christ.
Graciously loke upon our afflictions.
Pitifully beholde the sorowes of our harte.
Mercifully forgeve the synnes of thy people.
Favourably with mercy heare our prayers.
O sonne of David have mercy upon us.
Bothe now and ever, vouchesafe, to heare us, O Christe.
Graciously hear us, O Christ,
Graciously heare us, O Lorde Christ.
The Versycle. O Lorde let thy mercy be shewed upon us.
The Aunswere. As we do put our trust in the.
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Officiant: Let us praye.
WE humbly beseche the, O father, mercifullye to loke upon oure infirmities, and for the glory of thy names sake, turne from us all those evilles that we moste righteously have deserved: and graunte that in all oure troubles we maye put our whole truste and confydence in thy mercye, and evermore serve the in holynes and purenes of living, to thy honour and glory : throughe our onely mediatoure and advocate Jesus Christe our Lorde.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Kynges Majesty.
O LORD our hevenly father, high and mighty king of kynges, Lorde of lordes, the onely ruler of princes, which doest from thy throne beholde all the dwellers upon earth, most hartely we beseche the with thy favoure to beholde our mooste gracious soveraigne Lord James , and so replenyshe him with the grace of thy holy spirit, that he may alway incline to thy wil, and walcke in thy waye: Indue him plentifully wyth heavenly gifts: Graunt him in health and wealthe longe to live: strength him that he may vanquish and overcome al his enemies: And finally after this life he may attaine everlasting joye and felicitie, thorowe Jesus Christ our Lorde.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Queen and Prince, and other the King and Queen’s children.
ALMIGHTY God, which hast promised to be a Father of thine Elect, and of their seed, We humbly beseech thee to bless our gracious Prince Charles, Frederick the Prince Elector Palatine, the Lady Elizabeth his wife with all their royall issue: endue them with thy holy Spirit, enrich them thy heavenly grace, prosper them with all happiness, and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
ALMIGHTY and everlastinge God, whiche onely workest great mervailes, sende downe upon our Bishoppes and Curates, and al congregacions committed to their charge, the healthful spirit of thy grace, and that they may truely please thee, Powre upon them the continuall deawe of thy blessinge: Graunte this, O Lorde, for the honour of our advocate and mediatoure, Jesus Christ.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
The prayer that follows is Cranmer’s translation of a prayer by St John Chrysostom, a Greek Divine and Archbishop of Constantinople. Cranmer’s use of this prayer is often cited as evidence of his knowledge of Eastern Christianity and his appreciation for Greek spirituality.
¶ A Prayer of Chrisostome.
ALMIGHTY God, which hast geven us grace at this tyme with one accorde, to make our common supplications unto thee, and doest promyse that when two or three be gathered together in thy name thou wilt graunt their requestes: fulfyl nowe, O Lorde, the desyres and peticions of thy servauntes, as may be most expedient for them, graunting us in this world knowledge of thy truthe, and in the world to come lyfe everlasting.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
And the Litany shall ever end with this Collect following.
O GOD, whose nature and propertie is ever to have mercy, and to forgeve, receyve our humble peticions: and thoughe we be tyed and bounde with the chayne of our synnes, yet let the pitifulnes of thy great mercy lose us, for the honoure of Jesus Christes sake,
our mediatoure and advocate.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
ii. Corin. xiii.
THE grace of oure Lorde Jesus Christe, and the love of God, and the felowship of the holye ghoste, bee wyth us all evermore.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY
[1] The Litany is chanted using the Five Part Litany by Thomas Tallis