[The flour of godly prayers] [most worthy to be used in these our days…[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies…

A prayer for them that be married.

A prayer for them that be maried.

Among other thy creatures (O everlasting God) when thou hadst made man according to thine own similitude,¹ likeness & image,² thou saidest: it is not good that man be alone: let us make him a helper like unto him self, and shortly after thou ⟨p. xxxvi⟩formedst a woman of the mans rib, and broughtest her unto Adam, which said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called a woman, for she is taken of man.³ Wherefore man shall forsake father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be, ii, in one flesh, And thou blessing them gavest them commandment,⁴ saying: Increase & multiply, & fulfil the earth. Here learn we (o heavenly father) that thou art the author of marriage, and that so many as marry in thy fear, are coupled together of thee,⁵ blessed and defended, and that thou hast joined them together to this end, that they should increase the earth and bring forth sons & daughters unto the glory of thy name. Thy holy apostle also commandeth,⁶ that to avoid fornication every man ⟨image 52⟩should have his own wife & every woman her own husband, so that if they can not live single they should marry, for it is better to marry then to burn. Here learn we again (O heavenly father) that thou hast ordained matrimony to be as alue unto the infirmity and weakness of our flesh and haste given it as a present remedy unto us against the raging lusts of old Adam, that we taking upon us the holy order of Matrimony, and by this means eschewing whoredom and all uncleanness,