The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter, or Psalms of David, Pointed as the are to be Sung of Said in Churches: And the Form or Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

$1,500.00

Item Number: 138542

London: Printed by Thomas Baskett; by the assigns of Robert Baskett, 1751.

Rare 18th century Book of Common Prayer printed by Thomas and Robert Baskett, the heirs of John Baskett, “one of the greatest monopolists of bibles who ever lived” (Lee). Folio, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, rebacked retaining contemporary front and rear panels richly decorated in gilt with ‘The Bailff of Eye’ insignia to the front panel, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, engraved frontispiece. In very good condition. Restoration to some pages.

The Book of Common Prayer was created out of Thomas Cranmer's desire for a liturgical text that all of Europe's Protestant, English-speaking churches could agree on. Its magisterial liturgical language is, "as a source of spiritual inspiration for most Englishmen second only to the Bible" (PMM 75). The Book of Common Prayer was first issued in 1549 during the reign of Edward VI and revised through the reign of Mary I, James II, and ending significantly in 1832.