Anglican Catechism: An Outline of the Faith (Jesus, Creator, Moses)

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Actually, Laurie, I do have one question: Where and how did the Book of Common Prayer originate?

The first Book of Common Prayer was written in 1549, under the auspices of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, after Henry VIII had removed the Church in England from the authority of Rome. There was, in England, a great division between those who remained faithful to Rome and those who were Protestant (in a peculiarly British way). Here is an excerpt from the preface of the 1549 edition that explains its purpose:

There was never any thing by the wit of man so well devised, or so sure established, which in continuance of time hath not been corrupted: as among other things, it may plainly appear by the common prayers in the Church...

But these many years passed, this godly and decent order of the ancient fathers hath been so altered, broken, and neglected, by planting in uncertain stories, Legends, Responds, Verses, vain repetitions, Commemorations, and Synodals, that commonly when any book of the Bible was begun, before three of four chapters were read out, all the rest were unread...

These inconveniences therefore considered, here is set forth such an order, whereby the same sahll be redressed...

Yet because there is no remedy, but that of necessity there must be some rules: therefore certain rules are here set forth, which, as they be few in number; so they be plain and easy to be understood. So that here you have an order for prayer...much agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old fathers, and a great deal more profitable and commodious, than that which of late was used.

Basically, the Book of Common Prayer united the worship of the dioceses whose allegiance leaned toward Rome with that of the dioceses whose leaning was protestant -- hence, the Book of Common Prayer.