Curate says theft of rare book is 'a grave sin'

The curate of a church where a 16th Century book was prised out of a glass display case has said he hoped to see the "sacred" object returned.

The Reverend Dr Edmund Smith, curate of St Mary's in Chediston, near Halesworth, Suffolk, said he discovered the Paraphrases of Erasmus had been stolen when a visitor, hoping to see it, got in touch to say it was missing.

Smith said the book dated back to 1548 after Henry VIII's wife Catherine Parr petitioned to have Dutch intellectual Erasmus' Latin paraphrases of the Bible translated into English.

He said it was a "rarity" to find an intact volume of the book after many were destroyed during Mary I's reign.

"An item like this is part of our common heritage - they are part of what makes this church this church," said Smith.

"They are the tie we have back to generations before us - to lose it, by far, leaves us poorer."

He believed a chisel was used to steal the book from the locked case.

"The Church of England has always been part of the fabric of English life, it was never equipped for the modern age of crime," said Smith.

"A lot of sacred objects like this are just left in church because we have historically trusted that churches are a place of refuge and safety."

While Smith said the book could be sold for up to £5,000, he hoped to see it returned.

Speaking to Wayne Bavin on BBC Radio Suffolk, Smith said: "The only hope we have is the person who has stolen it will realise theft of a sacred object of a church is a particularly grave sin.

"We hope that will weigh on their heart and they will be moved to return it and seek forgiveness, which we will gladly give."

Church warden Jo Wareham said she felt "disappointed" someone could come and take a "treasure" from the church.

She said: "The idea that someone should come in from somewhere else and target it is really disturbing in a small village... little bits and pieces in the church mean something.

"They've left a hole - a gap where something should have been."

Suffolk Police said the theft was reported to the force and believed it had happened between 18 and 24 August.

A spokesperson added the book had been in a locked viewing cabinet and anyone with information should contact the force.

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