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    The Book of Common Prayer (1775)

 

This printing of the 1662 edition of the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer is presented here as it has been said to be the particular printing on which the first Book of Common Prayer of the U. S. Episcopal Church was based.

This book was printed in 1775 by Wright & Gill at Oxford University and is quarto in size (about 11" x 9"). It includes all the normal parts of the Book of Common Prayer (see the Table of Contents below), plus Sternhold & Hopkins' Psalms in Metre.

The book is presented here as PDF graphics with extractable text. That text has not been spell-checked and undoubtedly contains errors, most notably from the use of the "long s" (ſ) in this book. Bookmarks have been added for easy navigation.

The book may be viewed or downloaded using the link below.

title page, 1775 BCP

Title page, 1775 Book of Common Prayer

 
View or download the 1775 Book of Common Prayer (size=21.5MB)

 

THE
C O N T E N T S.
THE Preface.
  Concerning the Service of the Church.
  Concerning Ceremonies, why some be abolished, and some remain.
  The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read.
  The Order how the rest of the holy Scripture is appointed to be read.
  A Table of Proper Lessons and Psalms.
  The Calendar, with the Table of Lessons.
  Tables and Rules for the Feasts and Fasts through the whole Year.
  The Order for Morning Prayer.
  The Order for Evening Prayer.
  The Creed of St. Athanasius.
  The Litany.
  Prayers and Thanksgivings upon several occasions.
  Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at holy Communion.
  Holy Communion.
  Publick Baptism of Infants.
  Private Baptism of Children.
  Baptism of those of Riper Years.
  A Catechism.
  The Order of Confirmation.
  The Solemnization of Matrimony.
  The Visitation of the Sick.
  The Communion of the Sick.
  The Burial of the Dead.
  The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-bearing.
  A Commination.
  The Psalter.
  Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea.
  Form of Prayer for the 5th Day of November. [Guy Fawkes' Day]
  Form of Prayer for the 30th Day of January. [Death of Charles I]
  Form of Prayer for the 29th Day of May. [Restoration of Charles II]
  Form of Prayer for the 25th day of October. [Accession of King George III]
  Articles of Religion.
  Table of Kindred and Affinity.
Psalms in Metre. (Sternhold & Hopkins)

 

Also tucked into this book were two small papers containing prayers for special occasions. One is a "Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving" concerning an assassination attempt on King George III on May 15, 1800. The other is a "Prayer to be used ... during the War". Which war isn't specified, but most likely it was the wars connected with the French Revolution, or possibly the Napoleonic Wars. Prayers and short services such as these were common additions to Church of England lservices of the day.

 

Web author: Charles Wohlers U. S. • England • Scotland • Ireland • Wales • Canada • World