Editing Myles Coverdale (section)

==Further translations, 1537–1539==
In 1537 the [[Matthew Bible]] was printed, also in Antwerp, at the expense of [[Richard Grafton]] and [[Edward Whitchurch]] who issued it in London.<ref name="OUPBibleEng"/>{{rp|1058}} It comprised Tyndale's Pentateuch; a version of Joshua 2 and Chronicles translated from the Hebrew, probably by Tyndale and not previously published; the remainder of the Old Testament from Coverdale; Tyndale's New Testament from 1535. It was dedicated to Henry VIII who licensed it for general reading. "Thomas Matthew", the supposed editor, was an alias for John Rogers.

The Matthew Bible was theologically controversial.<ref name="KenyonGrtBible"/> Furthermore it bore evidence of its origin from Tyndale. If Henry VIII had become aware of this, the position of Cromwell and Cranmer would have been precarious. Consequently in 1538 Coverdale was sent to [[Paris]] by Cromwell to superintend the printing of the planned "[[Great Bible]]".<ref group=note>The description ‘Great Bible’ is justified, since it measured 337 mm by 235 mm.</ref> François Regnault, who had supplied all English service books from 1519 to 1534, was selected as the printer because his typography was more sumptuous than that available in England.<ref name="ONDB"/> According to Kenyon, the assent of the French king was obtained.<ref name="KenyonGrtBible"/> In May 1538 printing began. Nevertheless, a coalition of English bishops together with French theologians at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] interfered with the operations and the Pope issued an edict that the English Bibles should be burned and the presses stopped. Some completed sheets were seized, but Coverdale rescued others, together with the type, transferring them to London.<ref group=note>A further detail, possibly apocryphal, is that additional sheets were re-purchased as waste paper from a tradesman to whom they had been sold. Foxe (1563) wrote that they had been proffered as hat linings</ref> Ultimately, the work was completed in London by Grafton and Whitchurch.<ref group=note>A special copy on vellum, with illuminations, was prepared for Cromwell himself, and is now in the library of St. John’s College, Cambridge.</ref>

Also in 1538, editions were published, both in Paris and in London, of a diglot (dual-language) New Testament. In this, Coverdale compared the Latin [[Vulgate]] text with his own English translation, in parallel columns on each page.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Anon|title=English Short Title Catalogue – New Testament, Latin, Coverdale, 1538. Original title – The New Testamen [sic] both in Latin and English after the vulgare texte, which is red in the churche translated and corrected by Myles Couerdale|url=http://estc.bl.uk/F/G61CUFB8PDE11GBIX3NT1NY3J5FHN5HY1XP7VQEKRKSM4AJI1C-03051?func=full-set-set&set_number=050820&set_entry=000010&format=999|website=British Library|publisher=British Library Board – Original publishers: Paris :Fraunces Regnault ..., prynted for Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch cytezens of London, M.ccccc.xxxviii [1538] in Nouembre. Cum gratia & priuilegio regis.|access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=CoverdaleDiglotBodleian>{{cite web|last1=Coverdale|first1=Myles|title=The newe testamente [electronic resource] : both Latine and Englyshe ech correspondent to the other after the vulgare texte, communely called S. Ieroms. Faythfully translated by Myles Couerdale. Anno. M.CCCCC.XXXVIII. Coverdale, Miles |url=https://solo-aleph-prd.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/?func=direct&local_base=BIB01&doc_number=016413328&format=999|website=SOLO – Search Oxford Libraries Online|publisher=Printed in Southwarke : By Iames Nicholson. Set forth wyth the Kynges moost gracious licence, 1538|access-date=14 April 2015}}</ref><ref group=note>General Note ''(by Bodleian Library)'': English and Latin in parallel columns; the calendar is printed partly in red; this edition repudiated by Coverdale on account of the faulty printing.
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An injunction was issued by Cromwell in September 1538, strengthening an earlier one that had been issued but widely ignored in 1536. This second injunction firmly declared opposition to "pilgrimages, feigned relics, or images, or any such superstitions" whilst correspondingly placing heavy emphasis on scripture as "the very lively word of God". Coverdale’s Great Bible was now almost ready for circulation and the injunction called for the use of "one book of the whole Bible of the largest volume" in every English church.<ref name="ODNBCromwellThos"/><ref>Rex, Richard, "The Crisis of Obedience: God’s Word and Henry’s Reformation", ''The Historical Journal'', V. 39, no. 4, December 1996, pp. 893–4.</ref> However at the time insufficient Great Bibles were actually printed in London so an edition of the Matthew Bible that had been re-edited by Coverdale started to be used.<ref group=note>Rychard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch finally printed the London large folio edition of the Great Bible in 1539. Coverdale compiled it, based largely on the 1537 Matthew’s Bible, which had been printed in Antwerp from translations by Tyndale and Coverdale.</ref> The laity were also intended to learn other core items of worship in English, including the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments.<ref name="Duffy 1992"/>{{rp|406}}

In February 1539, Coverdale was in [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]] communicating with [[Thomas Cromwell]].<ref name=BerksHistCoverdale>{{cite web|last1=King|first1=Richard John|authorlink1=Richard John King|title=Berkshire History: Biographies: Miles Coverdale (1488–1569)|url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/mcoverdale.html|website=Berkshire History|publisher=David Nash Ford|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105012907/http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/mcoverdale.html|archive-date=5 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The printing of the London edition of the Great Bible was in progress.<ref name="ONDB"/> It was finally published in April of the same year.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Anon|title=English Short Title Catalogue – Full View of Record – Uniform title – English Great Bible|url=http://estc.bl.uk/F/3RPN9RKAUPES29NVL15RJ1F7EHVGA88RRIHCQMJLDXNX1MGC3Q-09895?func=full-set-set&set_number=026668&set_entry=000032&format=999|website=British Library|publisher=British Library Board – Original publisher Rychard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch, Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, April 1539|access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref> John Winchcombe, son of "[[Jack O'Newbury]]", a famous clothier, served as a confidential messenger to Coverdale who was performing an ecclesiastical visitation. Coverdale commended Winchcombe for ''his true heart towards the King's Highness'' and in 1540, Henry VIII granted to Winchcombe the manor of [[Bucklebury]], a former demesne of [[Reading Abbey]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ditchfield|first1= P H |last2=Page|first2= W|title='Parishes: Bucklebury.' A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3, pp291 – 296. |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3/pp291-296|website=British History Online.|publisher=London: Victoria County History, 1923|access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref>
Also from Newbury, Coverdale reported to Cromwell via Winchcombe about breaches in the king's laws against papism, sought out churches in the district where the sanctity of Becket was still maintained, and arranged to burn primers and other church books which had not been altered to match the king's proceedings.

Sometime between 1535 and 1540 (the exact dates being uncertain), separate printings were made of Coverdale's translations into English of the [[psalms]]. These first versions of his psalm renditions were based mainly or completely upon his translation of the Book of Psalms in the 1535 Coverdale Bible.

In the final years of the decade, the conservative clerics, led by [[Stephen Gardiner]], bishop of Winchester, were rapidly recovering their power and influence, opposing Cromwell's policies.<ref name="ONDB"/> On 28 June 1539 the Act of [[Six Articles (1539)|Six Articles]] became law, ending official tolerance of religious reform. Cromwell was executed on 28 July 1540.<ref name=ODNBCromwellThos>{{cite ODNB|last1=Leithead|first1=Howard|title=Oxford DNB Article: Cromwell,Thomas|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6769?docPos=1|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/6769|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref> This was close to the date of the burning of Coverdale's Augustinian mentor [[Robert_Barnes_(martyr)|Robert Barnes]]. Cromwell had protected Coverdale since at least 1527 and the latter was obliged to seek refuge again.