Montagu, Richard

The acts and monuments of the church before Christ incarnate.

      Miles Flesher & Robert Young, London 1642 - First edition: Doctrinal discussion by Richard Montagu (or Mountague), Bishop of Norwich. A controversial theologian, Montagu sought to moderate between the extremes of Catholicism and Calvinism, with his stated goal being to support the Anglican Church by standing "in the gapp against Puritanisme and Popery" (Correspondence of John Cosin, 1.21). Allibone, however, joins many of the bishop's contemporaries in feeling that "There is no doubt as to the place where Bishop Montagu desired to go and to carry with him the king and the Church of England, - to the bosom of the Church of Rome." In the present work Montagu examines Jewish doctrine and practices before the birth of Jesus, and their implications for Christianity; in doing so he argues strongly against Casaubon, Scaliger, and other Protestant scholars, while defending the Catholic Baronius and his Annales Ecclesiastici. The dedication, written in Latin and Greek, is addressed to Jesus Christ. Folio (27.7 cm, 10.9"). [4], 307, [1 (blank)], 313-552 pp. Wing (rev. ed.) M2469; ESTC R3327; Allibone 1344. Contemporary mottled calf, shellacked, covers framed and panelled in blind double fillets with blind-tooled corner fleurons, simply rebacked (without labels) with complementary mottled calf; board edges with gilt roll. Original leather rubbed, shellac showing small cracks, edge gilt mostly lost; title-page with small early inked addition to author's name and with inked numeral in lower margin. One early inked marginal annotation, one early inked doodle in lower margin. First and last few leaves with margins browned; light age-toning throughout; occasional foxing and spots of staining. Pagination interrupted, but collation matches ESTC. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]