Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
and there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent;
according to thy promises declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesu our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy Name.
Amen.
ANGLICAN BCP 1552
The General Confession
Also known as Almighty and Most Merciful Father ยท BCP General Confession
About this prayer
The General Confession is the corporate confession of sin said by the congregation in Anglican Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the Communion service. It was composed by Thomas Cranmer and first appeared in the Book of Common Prayer in 1552. The prayer acknowledges sins of commission and omission, using the distinctive phrase 'we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.' This formulation covers the full range of moral failure: active wrongdoing and passive neglect. The prayer also acknowledges that there is 'no health in us,' a phrase drawn from the Psalms, expressing the depth of human moral corruption before God. It is followed in the BCP service by the Absolution pronounced by the priest.
When it's said
The General Confession is said at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, before the versicles and responses. It is led by the minister and said by the whole congregation together. In the Communion service a separate confession is provided at the beginning of the ministry of the table. The General Confession is also used privately as an act of repentance.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'no health in us' draws on Psalm 38:3 and 38:7. 'Miserable offenders' uses 'miserable' in its older English sense of deserving pity, not simply unhappy. The phrase 'godly, righteous, and sober life' has three parts: right relationship with God, right relationship with neighbor, and right relationship with oneself.
Common questions
What is the General Confession?
The General Confession is the corporate confession of sin said by the congregation in Anglican Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the Communion service. It begins 'Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.' Thomas Cranmer composed it for the Book of Common Prayer of 1552. It is said after the opening exhortation and is followed by the Absolution pronounced by the priest.
What does 'we have left undone those things which we ought to have done' mean?
The phrase identifies two categories of sin: sins of commission (doing what one should not do) and sins of omission (failing to do what one should do). The Confession asks forgiveness for both. This is a comprehensive understanding of moral failure: it includes not only active wrongdoing but the everyday failure to do good. The line is one of the most quoted in the Book of Common Prayer.
What does 'miserable offenders' mean?
Here 'miserable' is used in its older English sense, meaning 'deserving of pity,' not the modern sense of 'unhappy' or 'wretched.' The phrase identifies those confessing as people in need of God's compassion. The Latin equivalent in the medieval penitential tradition is 'miserrimi peccatores,' which carries the same meaning. The phrase is not a self-deprecating description but a statement of the human condition before God's mercy.
Source
Composed by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer, 1552. Text from the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.