June 3, 1776

In May 1776, the Maryland Convention decided to change the Book of Common Prayer, the liturgy of the Church of England. This extract from the convention minutes explains that, “King George, has prosecuted, and still prosecutes a cruel and unjust war against the British Colonies in America,” and “the good people of this province have taken up arms to defend their rights and liberties.” Because of this, the people could not “with any sincerity of heart, pray for the success of his arms.” Therefore, the convention resolved “that every prayer and petition for the King’s Majesty” should be “omitted in all churches and chapels in this province, until our unhappy differences are ended. You can find out how ministers in other colonies-turned-states changed the Book of Common Prayer or refused to do so in Chapter 7 of When the Declaration of Independence Was News.

Dunlap’s Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser
Printed by John Dunlap

BALTIMORE, May 28.

Whereas his Britannic Majesty, King George, has prosecuted, and still prosecutes a cruel and unjust war against the British Colonies in America, and has acceded to acts of Parliament declaring the people of the said Colonies in actual rebellion; and whereas, the good people of this province have taken up arms to defend their rights and liberties, and to repel the hostilities carrying on against them, and whilst engaged in such a contest, cannot with any sincerity of heart, pray for the success of his arms. Therefore Resolved, that every prayer and petition for the King’s Majesty in the book of common prayer and administration of the sacraments and other rights and ceremonies of the Church of England, except the second collect for the King in communion service be henceforth omitted in all churches and chapels in this province, until our unhappy differences are ended.

Extract from the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Convention.
G. DUVALL, Clerk.