Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani, or, A Commentary By Way of...
"Has Always Been Regarded as a Book of Great Authority" Ayliffe, John [1676-1732]. Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani, Or, A Commentary By Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England: Not Only from the Books of the Canon and Civil Law, But Likewise from the Statute and Common Law of this Realm: Whereunto is Prefix'd, by Way of Introduction, First, A Brief Account of the Canon-Law in General; How and from Whence it Had Its Rise and Beginning in the Church; And How it Advanced Itself, By the Subtlety of the Romish Clergy, After the Seat of the Roman Empire was Removed to Constantinople, And Barbarism had Invaded the Politer Nations of Europe. Secondly, The Reader has Also Here a Particular of the Books Wherein this Law was Written: With the Several Authors Names, the Respective Times Wherein They Compiled Them, And the Best Commentators Thereon: With Many Other Curious and Historical Remarks on the Law, &c. London: Printed for Thomas Osborne, 1726. xlii, [1] 552, 22 pp. Folio (13-3/4" x 8-3/4"), 35 cm x 22 cm. Contemporary calf, rebacked, front board detached, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed. Edgewear and scuffing to boards, corners bumped and somewhat worn. Soiling to edges of text block. Ex-library. Small library stamps to title page and several other leaves. $250. * First edition. Ayliffe wrote this book when he was a practitioner in the ecclesiastical courts. It was originally a set of notes for private reference. He expanded these into a book, he says, "not only with a design of doing some service to my country, by illustrating the force and practice of the Canon Law, as far as it has been received, and is now observ'd among Englishmen, but also with a purpose of exposing the errors and Superstition of the Romish Church" (Introduction, xxxvi). Holdsworth, who discusses this book at length, notes that it is "clearly expressed and well arranged" and "has always been regarded as a book of great authority": History of English Law XII:612. Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 1:177 (3).
Price: $250.00
Book number 75595