Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer regulated the administration of the sacraments, rites and ceremonies as well as the form and manner of making, ordaining and consecrating bishops, priests and deacons.

The first version was published in 1549. The book contained the forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in the church. Furthermore it included morning prayer, evening prayer and the Holy Communion as well as the set out forms for funeral service, confirmation or marriage.

Revised versions have been published in the years 1552, 1559, 1604 and 1662. Not all Church of England services had followed the Book of Common Prayer despite the Act of Uniformity 1559 which had specified it as binding.

In May 1662 another Act of Uniformity, which established the dominance of the Anglican church after the death of Cromwell and the Restoration of the King, was given royal assent and the revised prayer book became the ultimate code of Anglican churchmanship. From that time on all Church of England services had to accept and conduct the forms and manners of the Book of Common Prayer.

"Outside the Commonwealth most churches of the Anglican Communion possess their own variants of the English prayer book" (Britannica online)

Source:

Benton, J.H.: The book of common prayer - its origin and growth. Boston: The Merrymount Press, 1910.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/128612/Book-of-Common-Prayer

Davies, Horton: Worship and Theology in England. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970.

Ratcliff, Edward: The books of common prayer - its making and revisions. Watford: Sun Printers, 1949.