Edward Stillingfleet. - An Answer to several late Treatises - 1673

Stillingfleet, Edward.

An Answer to several late Treatises, occasioned by a book entitled A Discourse concerning the Idolatry practised in the Church of Rome and the Hazard of Salvation in the Communion of it.
Edition: First Edition

London: R. W. for Henry Mortlock: 1673.

First edition. Contemporary full leather, strengthened at some point. Recent burgundy label with gilt titles. The book has no end papers, and begins with the imprimatur pasted down to the front board. The final page is pasted to the rear board. The work begins with the title page.

The book is in three parts. There is a lengthy "General preface", followed by the Contents, and "An examination of the pamphlet entituled Dr. Stillingfleet against Dr Stilllingfleet". The third part is "An answer to the book entitled, Dr Stillingfleet's Principles Considered".

[LXXXVI], 1-12, 13-73,[i], 75-291. pp With errata. Complete.

The original leather boards are a little rubbed and bumped, but still holding well. The spine has been strengthened and although the leather appears cracked, it is holding well. The label is bright. Inside, the binding is quite cracked to the front hinge, but still secure. A contemporary hand has practiced it's writing of "imprimatur" to the inside board. The rest of the book is in good clean condition, with only moderate darkening. A tiny amount of edge wear to the title page, but nothing significant.

This work was the culmination of an attack on Catholicism which began with the Discourse in 1671. Edward Meredith and the recusant Catholic Thomas Godden replied on the Catholic side, and here he continues his attack. His attack is wide ranging, from objecting to the Pope's decrees and the Council of Trent, through to accusing Ignatius Loyola of fanaticism. Edward Stillingfleet (1635-1699) was an Anglican theologian from Cranborne in Dorset.

He was known as "The beauty of Holiness" for his good looks. He preached at St Margaret's, Westminster, on the day after the Great Fire in 1666. He was a leader amongst the "Latitudinarians" a group of young Anglicans, named pejoratively as "men of latitude" for the ease in which they switched side from the Parliamentary to the Royalist position after the Restoration. He was predominantly low church, and wanted reconciliation with Presbyterians - but certainly not with Catholics. Later he became the Bishop of Worcester (1689)