Commentary of Erasmus on the New Testament

The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the newe testamente 

London: Edward Whitchurch, 1548. In-folio

STC (2nd ed.) / 2854.

STROZIER, Special Collections Vault (oversize) -- BS20551548  Carothers p. 38

Pages displayed: f. 128v.-129. Ch. 18 of the Gospel of Luke with sacrifice of Isaac in woodcut initial A

The publication of an English translation of Erasmus’s paraphrases on the Gospel at the beginning of the reign of Edward VI was one of the major publishing ventures of sixteenth century England. Prepared under the aegis of Catherine Parr, the last queen of Henry VIII, it involved numerous translators – among whom Miles Coverdale, Catherine Parr herself or the future Mary I – and numerous printers as Edward VI ordered that a copy of the paraphrases should be placed in every church of the kingdom within a year of its completion, making it the authorized commentary of the Scripture by the Church of England. Edward Whitchurch and Richard Grafton, who had printed the Great Bible since 1540 and printed the Book of Common Prayer in 1549, organized the titanic endeavour.