LUTHER]. COCHLAEUS, Johannes.

Septiceps Lutherus, ubique sibi, suis scriptis, co[n]trarius, in Visitatione[m] Saxonica[m], p. D.D. Ioa[n]. Cocleu[m], editus. Leipzig, Valentinus Schumann, X Maias Calendas 1529. 4to. Full-page woodcut engraving on title-page, showing Luther with 7 heads, several historiated initials and woodcut borders. Old boards.

      - (6), (64) ll. Adams C-2287; BMC STC German, p. 250; Campbell Dodgson, Cat. of Early German and Flemish Woodcuts II, p. 413, no. 10; Pegg, German Reformation Pamphlets in Libraries of Great Britain and Ireland 697; Spahn 61a; NUC (2 copies); VD 16, C-4386 (at least 3 copies). Rare first edition of Cochlaeus's polemic caricature of Luther. Johannes Cochlaeus (German name Dobneck; 1479-1552) was one of the most prominent German polemicists against the Reformation in Germany. He disagreed with Luther's opinions on the sacrament of the ordination of priests, the Eucharist, the relationship between free will and grace, etc., and decided to devote his life to fighting the Reformation in order to perserve the unity of the church. He wrote over two hundred histories and pamphlets. In the present pamphlet, Cochlaeus sets out to convert the changes and developments in Luther's thinking over the years into, often farfetched, contradictions. According to Cochlaeus, the young "Doctor Martinus" still held acceptable opinions, but this changes during "Lutherus" years in Worms. "(Luther) Ecclesiastes" represents the total rupture with the Roman Catholic Church. Via "(Luther) Suermus," a head with swarming bees, symbolizing the furious ragings of the reformers, Luther's personality develops a "Barrabas" streak as instigator of war and looting, before settling as "Visitator." On the woodcut, the Barrabas and Visitator heads have been interchanged. Cochlaeus structures his work around a dialogue between these seven heads on different theological issues. The reply of his Protestant opponents was that if the Roman Catholic Church already failed to suppress a single-headed Luther, a seven-headed Luther would be entirely invincible. The present copy is the first edition. The work also appeared in German in 1529, and went through several editions in that language. Library stamps on inside front cover, endleaf and title-page, some waterstaining; marginal annotations and corrections as well as textual deletions in brown ink; some browning.