Mr. Chillingworth's Book Called The Religion of the Protestants. A Safe Way to Salvation, Made more generally useful by omitting Personal Contests, but inserting whatsoever concerns the common Cause of Protestants, or defends the Church of England.
London: Printed for R. Chiswell, C. Harper, W. Crook, and J. Adamson, 1687. Leather. Good. Item #12487
Small 4to (7" x 9"). Fourth edition. Large paper. Full contemporary calf. Red calf spine label with gilt titling. Lincoln Inn Library armorial device and date stamped in gilt to spine foot. Blind ruling to boards. Top edge black, fore- and tail-edges speckled. [8], 408, 7, [12], [4], 134 pp. Wide margins, untrimmed. Re-backed with new full calf spine, blind tooled raised bands, original boards laid down, leather repairs to corners. Wear to edges, rubbing and scuffing to boards. Cloth hinge repairs. Light staining to edges of pastedowns. Lincoln Inn Library stamp to front pastedown. Sporadic foxing, damp staining, rust spots and ink splotches, not affecting legibility. Short tears to pp. 129-134 in gutter. Several pages are misnumbered, but most deficiencies are printing errors-text is complete per catchwords and signatures. Pagination skips from p. 144 to 153 and continues. Perforation to p. 191, obscuring page number. Page number missing from p. 213. Typographical error to catchword at p. 298. Handwritten correction to signature at foot of p. 1 of the Letter to Mr. Lewgar. Some very minor worming. Printed errata to verso of A4 of the second part. Cf. Wing C.3885. ESTC Citation R21891. William Chillingworth was a controversial theologian. The premise of this work, his main contribution to Protestant theology, is the sole authority of the Bible in spiritual matters, that the great principles contained in Scripture are too plain to be mistaken. In the preface he says, "For the Church of England, I am persuaded that the constant doctrine of it is so pure and orthodox, that whosoever believes it, and lives according to it, undoubtedly he shall be saved, and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to disturb the peace or renounce the communion of it. This, in my opinion, is all intended by subscription." Chillingworth was no great scholar, but his argumentative clarity was praised by many, including John Locke. [Craik, ed., 1916.].
Price (CAD): $475.00