Quick summary for those in a hurry:
16th Century:
- “Common prayers” referred to public worship and was used by both reformers and their opponents.
- In 1544, the English Litany was introduced during Henry VIII’s time.
- In 1548, the “Order of the Communion” encouraged more people to take communion with both bread and wine.
- In 1549, the first Book of Common Prayer in English was created.
- In 1550, a simplified version of medieval English ordination rites was added.
- Archbishop Cranmer drew inspiration from various foreign and medieval sources.
17th Century:
- In 1552, the second Book of Common Prayer was published, leaning in a Protestant direction.
- Queen Mary ended the use of the Book of Common Prayer in 1553 and reintroduced full medieval services.
- Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1558, aiming to restore the Book of Common Prayer from 1549 and church ornaments.
- Elizabeth’s reign saw the emergence of Calvinistic Protestantism (Puritanism) and produced thinkers like Richard Hooker.
18th Century:
- English public worship deteriorated, and understanding of the Book of Common Prayer declined.
- In Scotland, Presbyterianism was established in 1689, and the Communion Office was revised to align with early practices.
- Dr. Seabury brought this liturgy to America in 1784.
- Attempts to change the Book of Common Prayer in America along skeptical and Unitarian lines were resisted.
Present Day:
- The Book of Common Prayer’s impact is expected to be global due to the spread of the English language.
- Proper use of the Book of Common Prayer is crucial for its effectiveness.
- Deviations from its spirit, without valid justification, harm its purpose.
- Unity and charity in worship are important, and loyalty to faith and discipline enhances the power of common prayers.
Evolution of the Book of Common Prayer
This Post explains the history and meaning of the Book of Common Prayer, focusing on the most used services and those discussed in theology.
The author sometimes repeats points in different chapters to ensure clarity and completeness within the book’s limits.
In the 16th century, “common prayers” meant public worship, used by both the reformers and their opponents. It wasn’t meant to distinguish between reformed and unreformed worship in the Church of England.
In 1544, during Henry VIII’s time, the English Litany was the first part of reformed worship. It was meant to be sung before High Mass.
In 1548, after Edward VI became king, the “Order of the Communion” was introduced. It included English exhortations and prayers to be added to the Latin Mass, encouraging more people to take communion with both bread and wine.
In 1549, the first Book of Common Prayer in English was created, mainly by Archbishop Cranmer. It combined various common prayers that were used before the Reformation into one book.
Before Cranmer’s work, these prayers were scattered across many different volumes. He was one of the first in England to put them all into one book, which was a smart move.
This idea of having all important services in one book later became common in Roman Catholic countries too, which shows that Cranmer recognized a real need.
The original Book of Common Prayer didn’t have forms for ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons. So in 1550, a simplified version of the medieval English ordination rites was added.
Cranmer took inspiration from various sources, including foreign ones:
1. He was influenced by the Mozarabic rite from Spain, which can be seen in the Baptismal Office and possibly the Eucharist.
2. He drew from the Greek Liturgy of S. Basil and S. John Chrysostom, which impacted parts of the Eucharist.
3. Cranmer was also inspired by the revised Roman Breviary by Cardinal Quifiones, which aimed to simplify daily church services. This influenced the introduction to the Book of Common Prayer and our Morning and Evening Prayers.
4. German Lutheran books, used in places like Coin, Nürnberg, and Schleswig-Holstein, also played a big role. They influenced many parts of the Book of Common Prayer, including Morning and Evening Prayers, the Eucharist, the Baptismal Office, and especially the Litany.
It’s important to note that the Book of Common Prayer didn’t adopt distinctively Lutheran doctrines. In some areas, early Lutheran services resembled medieval ones, and there were hopes of reconciliation between moderate figures from both sides, even as late as 1549.
In addition to foreign sources, Cranmer also had access to medieval books used in England.
These books, similar to what we now call “Roman,” originated from Roman Service Books from the 6th and 8th centuries. They were mixed with elements from Galilean services in France before adopting the Roman rite.
Unfortunately, scholars during Cranmer’s time didn’t know about the original Roman and Gallican Service Books used when S. Augustine arrived in England in 597 or when Benedict Biscop went to Rome in the next century.
If they had known about these books, it would have been possible to revise the common prayers of the English Church more successfully, removing any real corruptions and convincing reasonable opponents.
Even so, the services in 1549 were largely in agreement with those from Rome and France in the 6th century. Most English bishops and priests believed that they didn’t compromise essential Catholic doctrines or practices.
In 1552, a new era began with the publication of the second Book of Common Prayer.
Cranmer, who had some Protestant beliefs even before the first book, made changes influenced by those who guided the young King Edward VI.
These changes moved in a clear Protestant direction. They removed prayers for the dead, references to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament, the tradition of anointing the sick for recovery, and the customary church and clergy decorations.
In the first Book of Common Prayer, the Mass was celebrated in a way that reminded people of the medieval service but was more understandable. However, with the second book, English congregations felt their parish churches had changed significantly.
The second book wasn’t officially approved by the Church but was used in London and to some extent elsewhere. This led to problems. The conservative group, unhappy with these rapid changes, became closer to Rome and accused the reformers of heresy and inconsistency.
Queen Mary took power in 1553 and ended the use of the Book of Common Prayer. She reintroduced full medieval services, executed Cranmer, and her successor, Cardinal Pole, embraced Roman Catholic beliefs, particularly transubstantiation and ordination essentials.
Interestingly, priests ordained using the reformed rite were generally considered valid, though some dioceses required additional anointing. Some even sought re-ordination. Mary’s harsh persecution of reformers forced many to flee to Switzerland and Germany, where they adopted Calvin’s intolerance and Zwingli’s rationalism.
In 1558, Queen Elizabeth took the throne. She saw the importance of moderation and having a Church independent of Rome in a state free from Spain. While her actions toward the Church were somewhat authoritarian, they prevented England from becoming Calvinistic in doctrine and Presbyterian in structure.
Elizabeth aimed to restore the Book of Common Prayer from 1549 and the church ornaments from Edward VI’s second year, when medieval rituals were mostly retained. However, she only managed to reintroduce the 1552 book with some doctrinal changes, and her success with the ornaments was limited.
Calvinistic Protestantism, known as Puritanism, was widespread among bishops and priests. The government fined Roman Catholics who refused to attend the less formal services in the national Church.
Despite these challenges, Elizabeth’s reign gave us a Book of Common Prayer that’s almost like what we have today, with its great potential. It also produced thinkers like Richard Hooker, who emphasized the difference between reformation and revolution. Hooker’s ideas set the stage for a new era, helping his successors establish a firm footing on Catholic principles.
In the 17th century, the history of the Book of Common Prayer reflected Great Britain’s history.
The Puritans tried twice to change it and once to get rid of it. They believed the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-nine Articles didn’t align with Calvinism, so they wanted to fix or replace them.
In 1603, when James I became king, the Puritans asked for changes in the Church of England’s ceremonies. This led to the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, where Puritans and Anglicans met. They realized they had deep theological differences, and the conference ended.
The struggle continued during Charles I’s reign. He supported Anglicans who wanted to uphold the Catholic character of the Church of England and its approved ceremonies. Archbishop Laud led this group and faced opposition from both Jesuits and Calvinists.
Laud assisted Scottish bishops in creating a Book of Common Prayer for Scotland, similar to the 1549 book. It was used in 1637 and faced strong opposition.
Scottish Protestants’ determination supported English sympathizers. Laud and Charles were executed, Episcopacy was abolished, and the use of the Book of Common Prayer was banned.
In 1645, a Puritan Directory for Worship was introduced, and a Calvinistic Confession was created by an assembly of English and Scottish Presbyterians at Westminster.
After the monarchy was restored in 1660, Puritans made one more attempt to weaken the Book of Common Prayer.
In 1661, a conference was held at the Savoy Palace in London. It ended like the Hampton Court Conference, with no agreement.
The ordination services were changed slightly to emphasize that the Church of England rejects Presbyterian ideas that priests have the same authority as bishops and that Episcopacy isn’t necessary.
When the Stewart dynasty fell and William III arrived, some English bishops tried to make the Book of Common Prayer acceptable to Presbyterians and the Calvinistic king.
However, the Church didn’t approve their ideas, and the Book of Common Prayer remained unchanged.
In the 18th century, English public worship deteriorated, and by 1800, understanding and appreciation of the Book of Common Prayer were almost gone.
In Scotland and America, interesting and important changes happened. In 1689, William III disestablished the Church in Scotland, and Presbyterianism took its place. The Church faced penalties, and its numbers decreased, but it held onto Catholic traditions.
The Communion Office from 1637 was revised to align more closely with early practices. The official version of this liturgy was published in 1764, and it’s considered one of the best Anglican services, second only to the Litany.
Dr. Seabury brought this liturgy to America. He was consecrated by Scottish bishops in 1784 as the first bishop in the United States. Seabury and other American churchmen resisted attempts to change the Book of Common Prayer along skeptical and Unitarian lines.
The skeptical revision failed, and Seabury successfully incorporated important elements of the Scottish service into the Communion Office.
Today, the Book of Common Prayer is expected to have a significant global impact, given the growth of the English-speaking population and language. However, it can only fulfill its role effectively if used properly.
Unfortunately, many people recite common prayers without understanding them or with little passion.
Sometimes, people deviate from the Book of Common Prayer’s spirit, making excuses for these deviations that can’t be justified.
New practices from places like Belgium or Zurich weren’t part of the religion S. Augustine brought to England. They harm the unity and charity of his spiritual descendants.
The way we worship reflects our faith, and any disloyalty in public worship weakens the power of our common prayers to inspire believers and guide the lost, a power granted by Jesus Christ.
The term “medievalist” to describe Church of England members in the 16th century who preferred medieval English worship while rejecting certain medieval corruptions. They were different from modern English Roman Catholics.
The word “Protestant” means something different today than it did in the 17th century. Back then, it described a Christian who protested against the specific doctrines and practices of the Roman Church of that time.