NEWMAN, Samuel

Large and Complete Concordance

      1643 1643 - NEWMAN, Samuel. A Large and Complete Concordance to the Bible in English . London: Printed for Thomas Downes and James Young, 1643. Folio (9 by 14 inches), modern full brown calf with contemporary brown calf laid down to front board. $2500. First edition of Newman's first concordance to the English Bible. "Owing to his persistent nonconformity," Oxfordshire cleric Samuel Newman "was subjected to prosecutions, to avoid which he removed from place to place. After his seventh removal he resolved on emigration to New England. He settled as minister at Dorchester, Massachusetts about the end of 1636; removed to Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1638; and in 1644 became the first minister of Rehoboth, Massachusetts," where he died in 1663 (DNB). In his famous Diary (entry dated January 20, 1668), Samuel Pepys relates the tradition that Newman foretold his death and preached his own funeral sermon, "and did at last bid the Angells do their office, and died." Newman also wrote a work "often called the 'Cambridge Concordance' [that] has been erroneously described as the first concordance to the English Bible; the first (1550) was by John Marbeck [and] Cotton's (1631) was the first concordance to the Authorized Version" (DNB). Wing N929. Armorial bookplate of Sir Charles Grave Hudson, High Sheriff of Leicestershire and director of the South Sea Company. Scattered light marginal dampstaining. A near-fine volume. [Attributes: First Edition]