Christian History Institute July 14, 1575 • Reformer Richard Taverner's up-and-down Career Ended ©2007

iming is everything. In 1539 Richard Taverner issued a new version of the Bible in the English language. If Richard and his publisher (John Byddell for Thomas Barthlet) hoped to cash in on the hunger for God's word, they were seriously disappointed. Their version, known as The Most Sacred Byble (or Taverner's Bible), hardly set off a ripple. The reason was bad timing.

Earlier, Archbishop Cranmer had been behind publication of the Matthew Bible. This version was largely based on the prior work of William Tyndale. Henry VIII, however, had banned Tyndale's translation, and Cranmer, hoping that the violent king would not notice the similarities, commissioned Miles Coverdale to produce a thoroughly new version that could take the place of the Matthew Bible. After considerable adventure--the sheets, being printed in France, were seized by the inquisition--the work was moved to England and the results were printed as The Great Bible.

Thomas Cromwell issued an injunction that a copy of the Bible be placed in every parish church. In that way, the Great Bible became the authorized version for English use. Against such competition, Taverner's edition didn't stand a chance.

Taverner's Bible was largely a revision of the Matthew Bible. In fact, by today's stricter standards, it would be considered pirated. However, Richard brought strong Greek scholarship to the task and had a real knack for finding strong words to carry the message, but his Hebrew wasn't as good as his Greek, and so critics say the New Testament revisions are better than the Old.

Richard did better with some of his other ventures. For example, he brought out an English selection of quotations that had been compiled by Erasmus. This went through several editions. This and his other works were mostly designed to promote the Protestant Reformation in England, which was by no means completely secure in his early years.

His life is a living example of the dangers scholars faced in those days. Educated at Cambridge and possibly at Oxford, Richard found a friend in powerful Cardinal Wolsey. Around the time of Wolsey's death, Richard found himself cut off from patronage. At that time, many scholars relied on subsidies from private individuals or the state to enable them to produce their work. Richard appealed for help to King Henry's new right hand man, Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell was able to put the scholar to work.

However, when Thomas Cromwell fell out of favor, Richard went to prison. Later, Henry restored him and even gave him some land. Under Edward VI, Richard continued his Protestant work and was authorized to preach, although he had never been ordained as a priest. He preached in the streets and taught children their catechisms.

With the arrival of the Catholic queen, Mary I, Richard must have trembled in his shoes. He wrote a poem in her honor and then headed out of town. He had no intention of becoming a martyr. Mary left him alone. When the Protestant queen Elizabeth offered Richard a knighthood, he refused. But he returned to preaching.

Richard Taverner, the little-known Bible translator, died on this day, July 14, 1575. He was buried in the chancel of the church at Wood Eaton. Copies of his Bible are very rare.

Bibliography:

1. "Politics of English Bible Printing." http://www.smu.edu/bridwell/publications/ ryrie_catalog/8_5.htm
2. Starnes, DeWitt T. "Introduction." Proverbs or Adages by Desiderius Erasmus Gathered out of the Chiliades and Englished (1569) by Richard Taverner. Gainesville, Florida: Scholars Facsimiles and Reprints, 1956
3. "Taverner, Richard." Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. London: Oxford University Press, 1921 - 1996.
4. "Taverner's Bible." The Oxford Dictionary of the Church, edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
5. Various internet articles.

Last updated July, 2007