Theologiæ verè Christianæ Apologia
by BARCLAY, Robert (1648-1690)
- Used
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Amsterdam: Jacob Claus, 1676. Small quarto. (7 3/4 x 6 1/8 inches). [4], [20], 374, [26] pp. Expertly bound to style in 17th-century calf, spine in six compartments with raised bands, spine ruled in gilt.
Very rare first edition of a Quaker masterwork: the primary explanation of their principles.
Publication of this work had an immediate affect on the development of Quakerism and the treatment of its followers. The Apology , writes Dean Inge, "became for a whole century a second Bible for the Society [of Friends]." Written when Barclay was still in his twenties during a period of voluntary exile from Great Britain, the work "is remarkable as the standard exposition of the principles of his sect, and is not only the first defence of those principles by a man of trained intelligence, but in many respects one of the most impressive theological writings of the [17th] century" (Sir Leslie Stephens). Following the publication in 1676 of the present first edition, Barclay would produce his own English translation. The work's importance may be judged from the fact it has been reprinted over 60 times and translated into numerous other languages. Robert Barclay, a close friend and associate of William Penn, became proprietor of the American Quaker province of East Jersey in 1683. Although he was the provinces's nominal governor, he never set foot in the Americas. The publisher of this work, Jacob Claus, would go on to publish and distribute many of William Penn's promotional tracts. Only one other copy of this very rare first edition is listed as having sold at auction in the last 30 years (Christie's New York, 10 December 1999).
Evans 10950; Smith I:182; Wing B736.
Very rare first edition of a Quaker masterwork: the primary explanation of their principles.
Publication of this work had an immediate affect on the development of Quakerism and the treatment of its followers. The Apology , writes Dean Inge, "became for a whole century a second Bible for the Society [of Friends]." Written when Barclay was still in his twenties during a period of voluntary exile from Great Britain, the work "is remarkable as the standard exposition of the principles of his sect, and is not only the first defence of those principles by a man of trained intelligence, but in many respects one of the most impressive theological writings of the [17th] century" (Sir Leslie Stephens). Following the publication in 1676 of the present first edition, Barclay would produce his own English translation. The work's importance may be judged from the fact it has been reprinted over 60 times and translated into numerous other languages. Robert Barclay, a close friend and associate of William Penn, became proprietor of the American Quaker province of East Jersey in 1683. Although he was the provinces's nominal governor, he never set foot in the Americas. The publisher of this work, Jacob Claus, would go on to publish and distribute many of William Penn's promotional tracts. Only one other copy of this very rare first edition is listed as having sold at auction in the last 30 years (Christie's New York, 10 December 1999).
Evans 10950; Smith I:182; Wing B736.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Donald Heald Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 21811
- Title
- Theologiæ verè Christianæ Apologia
- Author
- BARCLAY, Robert (1648-1690)
- Format/Binding
- Small quarto
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Jacob Claus
- Place of Publication
- Amsterdam
- Date Published
- 1676
Terms of Sale
Donald Heald Rare Books
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About the Seller
Donald Heald Rare Books
Biblio member since 2006
New York, New York
About Donald Heald Rare Books
Donald Heald Rare Books, Prints, and Maps offers the finest examples of antiquarian books and prints in the areas of botany, ornithology, natural history, Americana and Canadiana, Native American, voyage and travel, maps and atlases, photography, and more. We are open by appointment only.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...