The Anglican Church of Canada (known at this time as "The Church of England in Canada") did not actually come into being as a single entity until 1893 when a General Synod first met. This enabled the Canadian Church to have its own Book of Common Prayer - parishes in Canada had up until then used the Church of England's 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The process to develop Canada's first Book of Common Prayer began soon after and was finally approved in 1918. The book presented here tells the story of its development and describes the various services.

The Canadian Church at this time was greatly affected by disagreements between two parties: High Church (Anglo-Catholic) and Low Church (Evangelical). The High Church party wished to return to something resembling the 1549 or 1637 Scottish BCP's, while the Low Church party wanted things to stay just as they were in the 1662 BCP. Perhaps because it's often easier to do nothing rather than to make real changes, the main services in this book are very similar to those in the 1662 book. The major differences were in additional services which do not appear in the 1662 BCP. Many of these correspond to similar services appearing in the U. S. Episcopal Church's BCPs - both the U. S. and Canadian Churches are not Established and had long been dealing with expansion as the countries moved westward.

The book is presented here as PDF graphics with extractable text. This text has not been proofread and undoubtedly contains some errors. The Table of Contents is given immediately below.

 CONTENTS

I. THE FIRST STAGE-EARLY HISTORY

II. THE APPENDIX-A FURTHER STAGE OF REVISION

III. THE YEARS OF PATIENT WAITING —AN EDUCATIVE PERIOD. THE WORK OF THE EARLY COMMITTEES

IV. THE GENERAL SYNOD IN 1911 TAKES THE IRREVOCABLE STEP —THE WORK OF REVISION MADE POSSIBLE

V. METHODS OF REVISION IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION —IN ENGLAND —IN SCOTLAND —IN IRELAND —IN THE UNITED STATES

VI. THE DIFFICULTIES OF REVISION—WHO IS SUFFICIENT FOR THESE THINGS? —THE REVISING COMMITTEES —THEIR PERSONNEL —CHARACTER­ISTICS —PEN-PICTURES

VII. METHODS OF WORK

VIII. THE COMMITTEE STAGE —THE VARIOUS DRAFT BOOKS —THE DRAFT BOOK OF 1915

IX. THE GENERAL SYNOD OF 1915 —THE REVISION APPROVED —THE CANON ADOPTED —THE BOOK PLACED ON SALE

X. FURTHER ENRICHMENTS —NEW THREE YEARS' STUDY SERVICES

XI. THE GENERAL SYNOD OF 1918 —THE FURTHER REVISION APPROVED

XII. THE 1918 REVISION BEFORE THE PROVINCIAL SYNODS —ITS APPROVAL BY THEM

XIII. THE GENERAL SYNOD OF 1921-THE FINAL CONFIRMATION OF THE CANON

XIV. THE PRELIMINARY MATTER —THE PREFACES —THE LECTIONARY —THE CALENDAR —THE TABLES

XV. THE ORDER FOR MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

XVI. THE ATHANASIAN CREED

XVII. THE LITANY

XVIII. THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS

XIX. A BIDDING PRAYER

XX. THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS

XXI. THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER OR HOLY COMMUNION

XXII. THE MINISTRATION OF HOLY BAPTISM

XXIII. A CATECHISM THAT IS TO SAY AN INSTRUCTION TO BE LEARNED OF EVERY PERSON BEFORE HE BE BROUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED BYTHE BISHOP

XXIV. THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION OR LAYING ON OF HANDS UPON THOSE THAT ARE BAPTIZED AND COME TO YEARS OF DISCRETION

XXV. THE FORM OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY

XXVI. THE ORDER FOR THE VISITATION OF THE SICK —THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK

XXVII. THE ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD

XXVIII. THE THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH COMMONLY CALLED THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN

XXIX. A COMMINATION OR DENOUNCING OF GOD'S ANGER AND JUDGEMENTS AGAINST SINNERS WITH CERTAIN PRAYERS TO BE USED ON THE FIRST DAY OF LENT, AND AT OTHER TIMES, AS THE ORDINARY SHALL APPOINT

XXX. THE PSALMS OF DAVID

XXXI. THE CONCLUDING SERVICES

XXXII. THE FORM OF SERVICE FOR DOMINION DAY
AND OTHER OCCASIONS OF NATIONAL THANKSGIVING

XXXIII. AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR CHILDREN

XXXIV. SPECIAL SERVICE FOR MISSIONS

XXXV. A FORM OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE BLESSINGS OF HARVEST

XXXVI. FORM OF INSTITUTION AND INDUCTION

XXXVII. OFFICE FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A CHURCH OR CHAPEL

XXXVIII. FORM OF CONSECRATION OF A CHURCH OR
CHAPEL

XXXIX. FORMS FOR THE CONSECRATION OF CHURCH­
YARDS, OR CEMETERIES, AND THE HALLOW ING OF A GRAVE

XL. FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED IN FAMILIES

LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL SYNOD OF 1921

INDEX