The 1789 Book of Common Prayer
The 1789 Book of Common Prayer was the first prayer book of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Ratified by the General Convention of 1789 in Philadelphia, it adapted the English 1662 Book of Common Prayer for use in the newly independent American church. The revision drew on a number of sources, including the 1764 Scottish Communion Office and the unsuccessful 1786 “Proposed Book,” and introduced several distinctively American features — most notably the inclusion of the epiclesis in the Communion service, following the Scottish model, and the omission of the Athanasian Creed.
The 1789 book remained substantially in use until the revision of 1892. The PDF presented here is from the 1871 Standard Edition, an authoritative printing published under the direction of the General Convention.
Downloads
Section titled “Downloads”References
Section titled “References”- Society of Archbishop Justus — 1789 BCP — electronic text of the 1789 Book of Common Prayer. Web author: Charles Wohlers.