Articles Agreed Upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of Both...
1629 Church of England Articles of Religion: The Rare Stuart-Era Printing Enforcing Absolute Conformity [Church of England]. Articles Agreed Upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Prouinces, and the whole Cleargie: In the Conuocation holden at London, in the yeere 1562. For the auoiding of diuersities of opinions, and for the stablishing of consent touching true Religion. Reprinted by His Maiesties Commandment: with His Royall Declaration prefixed thereunto. London: Printed by Bonham Norton, and John Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie, 1629. Quarto (6-3/4" x 5-1/4"; 17.1 x 13.3cm). [4], 6, [22] pp. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet, woodcut border to front wrapper. Light shelfwear, age-toning to text, and negligible occasional spotting. Internally clean and crisp. A very good copy. $350. * This 1629 edition of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion is highly significant because it captures the exact moment the Church of England fractured into the theological camps that precipitated the English Civil War. The critical feature here is the Royal Declaration prefixed by King Charles I (drafted in late 1628 alongside Bishop William Laud). Driven by a desire to suppress the rising tide of Puritan dissent and protect High-Church Arminianism, Charles forbade any public debate or alternative interpretation of the Articles, enforcing a strict adherence to their "literal and grammatical sense." Rather than cooling the flames, this declaration was viewed by Puritans as an autocratic muzzle on Calvinist preaching. This exact printing represents a piece of Royalist state propaganda used to enforce conformity via the press; a policy that directly inflamed political hostility and ultimately led to the abolition of the episcopacy and the execution of the King two decades later. ESTC No. S117232.
Price: $350.00
Book number 87290