Belgique

1648 · réf. ABC_49958 — Leiden: Bonaventura & Abraham Elzevier 1648. 18th-century gold-tooled calf sewn on 5 supports with the corresponding raised bands on the spine faint traces of a title on the spine a double fillet border on both boards remnants of gold-tooled board edges red-sprinkled edges. 4to. With Elzevier’s woodcut device on the title page several decorated woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces. Rare first and only edition printed entirely in modern Greek. The text records a largely overlooked episode in relations between the Orthodox Eastern Church and Calvinism in the mid-17th century: Kyrillos Lukaros 1572-1638 Metrophanes Kritopoulos ca. 1589-1639 and other Greek Church leaders sought to reform the Eastern Church by harmonising its doctrines with those of Calvinism. Central to this effort was the present work a modern Greek translation of the Dutch Reformed creed catechism liturgy and rules prepared by Hierotheus Abbot of Cephalonia ca. 1599-1664 who studied at Leiden and enjoyed the patronage of both the Leiden Theological Faculty and the Dutch States General.Abbatios arrived in Leiden in 1644 with a companion also a high-ranking Orthodox cleric. Their visit was designed both to strengthen earlier contacts with the Reformed Church and to study customs and beliefs in the Eastern Mediterranean. The States General subsidised their year-long stay so that they might familiarise themselves with Reformed doctrine but Abbatios remained longer to translate key Reformed texts into modern Greek. These translations appear not to have circulated widely in the Levant. Their main significance was that they led French Huguenots to mistakenly believe that the Greek Church as a whole rejected Transubstantiation.The text finely printed in three sizes of Greek type presents the Belgic Confession the Heidelberg Catechism and the Liturgy of the Fathers of Dordrecht. The Confession largely the work of Guido de Brès 1522-1567 had been adopted at various synods between 1571 and 1619 and reaffirmed at The Hague in 1651.The present copy comes from the library of Charles Townshend Lord Bayning 1728-1810 who was a British politician and diplomat. Known as “Spanish Charles” from his service as Secretary to the British Embassy in Madrid 1751-1756 he represented Great Yarmouth in the House of Commons 1756-1784 1790-1796 serving as Lord of the Admiralty 1765-1770 Lord of the Treasury 1770-1777 Joint Vice-Treasurer for Ireland 1777-1782 and Treasurer of the Navy 1783. Admitted to the Privy Council in 1777 he was raised to the peerage in 1797 and became High Steward of Great Yarmouth in 1807. He resided at Honingham Hall Norfolk.With the armorial bookplate of “Charles Townshend Lord Bayning” mounted on the front pastedown a contemporary annotation “R/Y” on the title page. The boards and spine have been rubbed causing most of the gold tooling to fade the corners of the boards are scuffed the head of the spine has been restored. Internally clean with only occasional soiling and foxing. Otherwise in good condition. Bonaventura & Abraham Elzevier, hardcover