Formerly also Common prayers. Prayer in which worshippers publicly unite; esp. the liturgy or form of public service prescribed by the Church of England, and set forth in the Book of Common Prayer (or Common Prayer Book) of Edward VI.

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[252.  St. Cyprian, Treat. Lord’s Pr., in Blunt, Annot. (1884), 82. Publica est nobis et Communis Oratio.

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a. 1475.  G. Chastellain, Chron., Wks. 1864, IV. VI. I. lxv. 207. Londres … où communes pryères furent enjointes à tout l’universel peuple pour ce prince.]

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1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 158 b. There ben two maner of prayers, a priuate prayer and a commune prayer.

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1547.  Articles of Inquiry, in Cardwell, Doc. Annals (1844), I. 57. In the time of the litany, or any other common prayer.

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1548–9.  Act 2 & 3 Edw. VI., c. 1. Where of long time there hath beene … diuers formes of Common prayer, commonly called the seruice of the Church: That is to say, the vse of Sarum, of York, of Bangor.

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1549.  (May) (title) The booke of the common prayer and administracion of the Sacramentes, etc.

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1549–52.  Bk. Com. Prayer, Pref. The Common Prayers in the Church, commonly called Divine Service.

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1554.  Ridley, Lett., 8 April, Wks. (Parker Soc.), 341. All … agreed … that the common prayer of the church should be had in the common tongue.

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1581.  Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 228. The Canons of the Apostles do excommunicate them which being present at ye Common Praier, do not also receive the holie communion.

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1631.  High Commission Cases (1886), 216. Mr. Viccars … proved he read common prayers once.

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1651.  Evelyn, Diary (1827), II. 35. To bring my wife’s goddaughter to Paris, to be buried by the Common Prayer.

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1661.  Orrery, State Papers (1743), I. 29. We are now generally … all common prayer men.

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1682–3.  Dean Granville, Rem., 23. I had press’d the Cleargy for many years together to study their Common Prayer-book.

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1711.  Steele, Spect., No. 147, ¶ 1. The well reading of the Common-prayer is of so great Importance.

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1884.  Blunt, Annot. Prayer Bk., 82. True Common Prayer … is offered … by a Bishop or Priest … in the presence and with the aid of three, or at least two other Christian persons.

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  b.  = Common prayer book.

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1712.  Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 288. Bibles and Common-Prayers are to be printed at the new House.

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1715.  Lond. Gaz., No. 5344/3. A large Folio Common Prayer.

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1796.  Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 145. Bibles, common-prayers, and other religious books.

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