The Broxbourne Copy of a Scarce Work Dealing with Controversy over 16th Century English Church Structure

A FULL AND PLAINE DECLARATION OF ECCLESIASTICALL DISCIPLINE OWT OFF THE WORD OFF GOD, AND OFF THE DECLININGE OFF THE CHURCHE OFF ENGLAND FROM THE SAME.

(RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY, 16TH CENTURY ENGLAND). TRAVERS, WALTER.

([Heidelberg]: Imprinted [by Michael Schirat], 1574). 194 x 151 mm. (6 5/8 x 6"). 6 p.l. (last blank), 193 pp., [2] leaves (final blank). First Edition in English.

Very nice late 19th century dark maroon morocco by Lloyd of London (stamp-signed on front turn-in), covers framed by gilt and blind rules, blind ruling at corners, raised bands, spine panels with blind-stamped quatrefoil, gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins, quatrefoil cornerpieces, all edges gilt. Lacking the folding "Table of Discipline" called for in ESTC. Front pastedown with armorial bookplate of Albert Ehrman; rear pastedown with Ehrman's faded ink stamp, bookplate of "Bibliotheca Broxbourniana / J. P. W. E. / 17 March 1949 / ex dono A. & R. E." STC 24184; ESTC S118505; USTC 507892. Text washed and pressed (but, except for the first and last few leaves, without the typical resultant darkening and fading), otherwise an extremely attractive copy still fresh, the margins especially wide, and the binding lustrous and scarcely worn.

First issued in Latin in the same year as our edition, this is the major work of English puritan Walter Travers (1548? - 1625), applying the Calvinist presbyterian system of ecclesiastical government to the episcopal Church of England. According to DNB, for Calvin and Travers alike, "the duty of the theologian was merely to identify [the church's] structure and apply it to contemporary circumstances. It was in this last respect that Travers's originality lay, for he subtly adapted Calvin's biblical model to an English context. In order to undermine the diocesan episcopate of the English church, Travers started off with an examination of the role of bishops in the New Testament, showing that they were not part of a separate hierarchy with authority over other clergy, but merely ministers of local congregations. He also differed from Calvin in identifying elders as a type of deacon, rather than a separate kind of minister." Our book was written during Travers' 1570-76 sojourn in Geneva, where he became a friend of Calvin's successor, Theodore Beza. Afterwards, he ministered to English merchant marines in Antwerp, where he refused to use the Book of Common Prayer for worship. Despite this, when Travers returned to England, he became chaplain to Elizabeth's chief minister, William Cecil, and tutor to his son. As DNB notes, "his close ties to influential courtiers of a Calvinist inclination" would be key to Travers' career, keeping him out of serious trouble despite his strongly presbyterian views. Our volume has a distinguished provenance, coming from the celebrated Broxbourne library of Albert Ehrman (1890-1969), a diamond merchant who gathered a fine collection of books at his home at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire. He spent half a century collecting books, specializing in incunabula and early bindings (as well as early type specimens and bibliographies). Feather says that "his collecting was intelligent and scholarly, for he sought to illustrate the history of printing and the book trade, and the early development of trade binding." Ehrman also authored learned articles on fine bindings and the history of printing. The present work is uncommon: we could trace just five copies at auction since 1979; only the 1979 copy contained the folding "Table," and that one was noted as "slightly defective and mounted on linen." (ST19871)

Price: $2,200.00