[LUTHER]. COCHLAEUS, Johannes.

Glos un[d] Co[m]ment Doc. Joha[n]nes dobneck Cochleus von Wendelstein, uff CLIIII. Articklen gezogen uß einem Sermon Doc. mar. Luterß von der heiligen meß un[d] nüem Testament. [Strasbourg], Johannes Grüninger, 20 September 1523. 4to. Woodcut border on title-page, decorated initials. Old boards.

      (152) ll. Graesse II, p. 206; Pegg, German Reformation Pamphlets in Libraries of Great Britain and Ireland 682; Schmidt, Rep. bibl. strasbourgeois I, 200; VD 16, C-4319 (at least 3 copies); not in Adams; BMC STC French; NUC. Very rare first edition of this disputation by Cochlaeus (Dobneck) against Luther. Johannes Cochlaeus (1479-1552) is known for his unremitting zeal in disputing the cause of the Reformation. He studied in Cologne, Nuremberg, and Ferrara, and had many contacts in humanist circles. He disagreed out of principle with Luther's opinions of the sacrament of priests, salvation, the relation between free will and grace, etc., and from 1520 onward devoted his life to preserving the unity of the church. He participated in all the major conventions, for instance Worms, Augsburg, and Trent, and wrote over two hundred histories and pamphlets. His exemplary lifestyle, his thorough knowledge of theological issues, and his willingness to compromise made him a keyfigure in the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. In the present work, Cochlaeus quotes 154 statements by Luther, mainly about the relation between the law and good works and the Eucharist, and gives the Roman Catholic viewpoint. Library stamps on inside front cover, endleaves, title-page A3 recto; staining on m1v and m2r; marginal annotations and underlinings in brown ink.An attractive copy with broad margins.