The Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer is the official book of worship for the Church of England and the various Anglican and Episcopal Churches around the world. The first Book of Common Prayer was introduced in England on Whitsunday (Pentecost) 1549. Though reformed in character and doctrine, the services kept close to the structure of the medieval Sarum rite. In light of criticisms made by continental Reformers then living in England, especially Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr, and in keeping with further developments in the Church of England, a revised Book was issued in 1552. With the coming of Queen Mary to the throne in 1553, the Book was abolished; but it was restored under Elizabeth I in 1559 with very few changes. The Book was again abolished in 1645, during the period under Cromwell. After the Restoration of the British monarchy, the Book was again issued under a new Act of Uniformity in 1662. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer continues to be the official standard for the Church of England and has been the Book used by Anglicans in most English-speaking countries during succeeding centuries. In recent years, prayer book revision has resulted in the introduction of new editions of the Book of Common Prayer and books of alternative services in various countries.

The Episcopal Church of Scotland retained a Book of Common Prayer that is closer in many of its forms to the English 1549 BCP. After the consecration by Scottish bishops of Samuel Seabury as the first American bishop, the Scottish Prayer Book served as a model for the first and subsequent editions of Book of Common Prayer in the United States. These constitute the two main streams of Prayer Book worship.

The link below leads to a list of various editions of the Book of Common Prayer. In time, HTML editions of many of these will be available in the Anglican Library collection.

• The Book of Common Prayer (Anglicans Online)

The Anglican Library, copyright 1999.