17th Century Commentaries

During the l6th century, Bibles became widely available throughout England and much of Europe. The printing press with removable type had been developed in the 15th Century and several scholars had devoted their lives to producing readable versions of the Bible in English. Bible reading groups had become popular and even had taken precedence over regular church services.

The leaders of the Reformation had encouraged people to read for themselves and be responsible for their own personal relationship with God. After the production of the King James Bible, people were permitted by law to own and read the Bible. As a result, several authors began to publish their ideas on the interpretation of scripture. During the 17th Century, books about the Bible began to be published. Some examples are included in this exhibition:

• Thomas Brightman's volume on the Apocalypse of 1644
• John Diodati's Pious Annotations of 1651
• Joseph Mede's volume on the Apocalypse of 1672