Edmundus Richerius – Historia Conciliorum Generalium – Libri I, II & IV – 1683 Edmundus Richerius (Edmond Richer, 1560–1631) Historia Conciliorum Generalium Coloniae [Cologne], apud Bernardum Hetsingh, 1683. Three volumes from this important 17th-century history of the General Councils of the Church, preserved in uniform contemporary vellum bindings, with handwritten titles and volume numbers on the spines and red-coloured edges. Present are Liber I, Liber II and Liber IV. Liber III is lacking. The three volumes offered appear complete in themselves and each concludes with an unpaginated Index Rerum and Finis. Liber IV is divided into two separately paginated parts; Pars Altera has its own title page. Collation: Liber I: 836 pp. + unpaginated index Liber II: 670 pp. + unpaginated index Liber IV, Pars Prima: 552 pp. Liber IV, Pars Altera: 254 pp. + unpaginated index Total: 2,312 numbered pages, besides the unpaginated indices and preliminary leaves. Edmond Richer was a French theologian and syndic of the Faculty of Theology of the Sorbonne. He became particularly known for his views concerning ecclesiastical authority and the relationship between papal authority and the authority of General Councils. His writings played a role in the long-running theological and political debate surrounding Gallicanism and conciliarism. The volumes are bound in attractive contemporary vellum, showing normal age-related wear, staining and discolouration. The bindings remain characteristic and appealing. The text blocks are remarkably well preserved for their age, with generally clean and crisp paper, good margins and only occasional spotting and browning. Red-coloured edges. A handsome group of three matching 17th-century volumes, containing Libri I, II and IV of Richer's extensive history of the General Councils. Please note: Liber III is not present. The lot therefore does not constitute the complete four-book work.