71 Very scarce first edition of the important Rheims New Testament, the first Roman Catholic version in English, translated from the Vulgate. Like the Geneva Bible, the Rheims New Testament was “produced by religious refugees who carried their faith and work abroad. Since the English Protestants used their vernacular translations, not only as the foundation of their own faith but as siege artillery in the assault on Rome, a Catholic translation became more and more necessary in order that the faithful could answer, text for text, against the ‘intolerable ignorance and importunity of the heretics of this time.’ The chief translator was Gregory Martin… Technical words were transliterated rather than translated. Thus many new words came to birth… Not only was [Martin] steeped in the Vulgate, he was, every day, involved in the immortal liturgical Latin of his church. The resulting Latinisms added a majesty to his English prose, and many a dignified or felicitous phrase was silently lifted by the editors of the King James’s Version, and thus passed into the language” (Great Books and Book Collectors, 108). The New Testament was issued separately and first, in the hope that its successful sale would finance prompt production of the Old Testament; the two-volume Old Testament did not, however, appear until 1609-10. Old owner ink signature trimmed from upper margin of title page. Only occasional faint foxing, text generally clean. expert restoration to early calf boards. A very good copy. “If any man shal adde to these things, God shal adde vpon him the plagues written in this booke. And if any man shal diminish of the words of the booke of this prophecie: God shal take away his part out of the booke of life, and out of the holy citie, and of these things that be written in this booke.” 1582 First Edition Of The First Roman Catholic New Testament In English 81BIBLE. The New Testament of Jesus Christ, Translated Faithfully Into English, out of the authentical Latin… With Arguments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other necessarie helpes… for cleering the Controversies in religion, of these daies… Rhemes, 1582. Small quarto, 18th-century full brown calf rebacked. $35,000
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