Author: Clarke, Samuel:
Title: A General Martyrologie containing a Collection of All the Greatest Persecutions which have Befallen the Church of Christ [...]
Description: London: Printed for William Birch, 1677 Folio. 3 parts in 1, pp. [2], [36], 544, [2], 214, 217-315, 318-483, [5], plus frontispiece with engraved author's portrait, 11 engraved plates, 11 half-page engraved portraits of theologians, decorated initials and ornaments. Light browning, blank recto of frontispiece, title, verso of last leaf and upper edge of last two gatherings dust-soiled, upper margin lightly waterstained and softened or a trifle frayed in places, long tear without loss from lower edge extending to blank margin of L2, another from fore-edge of last leaf, ink splash to N3 and 3L2-3, minor repair to lower blank margin of frontispiece and 2L4, Y4 printed on separate leaves pasted together (cancels?). 18th-century half calf over marbled boards, rebacked to style, a.e.r., corners and extremities worn. A few 18th-century bibliographical annotations (some in shorthand) to frontispiece blank recto and elsewhere, autograph John Sale to frontispiece recto, another Josiah Lewis April 6 1767 to upper blank margin of frontispiece verso, 19th-century armorial bookplate of Trustees of William Coward Esq. (ms. note Brown Bequest 1881) to front pastedown, two labels of New College London Genera Library to front endpapers. A handsomely illustrated history of Protestant martyrs, written by the English Puritan preacher Samuel Clarke (1599-1682). Despite his strong Puritan views and harsh attacks against 'scandalous' religious in London, he was among the signatories against the execution of Charles I. First published in 1651 (here in the fourth edition), his 'Martyrologie' is an encyclopaedia of religious persecution from the foundations of Christianity to the 17th century. The general section includes persecutions mentioned in the Old Testament, proceeding with the 'primitive' persecutions, others in Persia, Africa, France, Bohemia and other areas of Europe (including the Baltic territories), those of Waldenses and Albigenses, and a last part on the more recent ones, with the martyrdom of William of Nassau, St Bartholomew's night, La Rochelle, Scotland and Ireland. The English sections comprises persecutions during the rule of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Danes, with special attention to the Tudor period. There are also biographies of major English Protestant theologians. The engraved plates, divided into smaller scenes, illustrates the torments of martyrdom, with captions: 'Chistians Braines Beaten out with Clubbe', 'Som broided upon Gridiron', 'Some were sawed asunder in the midle'. A very interesting and learned work. ESTC R14425.

Keywords: Early Printing (to c.1800, all subjects);Religion


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