Institutio Christianae religionis.Geneva, Jean le Preux,

CALVIN'S LANDMARK WORK - FINELY BOUND

Fine woodcut portrait of Calvin on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces.

8vo (198 x 125mm). [16]ff 541pp. [84]ff.  Contemporary vellum over thin boards, covers panelled in gilt and blind with fillets and decorative rolls, floral tool at corners, central arabesque ornament, on front cover with initials 'I W B S' and date '1594', spine with repeated medallion stamp, richly gauffered edges (gilt now oxidised, remains of silk ties, small worm track at lower corner of upper cover).     

 

A finely bound late sixteenth century Geneva edition of Calvin's landmark work Institutio Christianae Religiones or The Institutes of the Christian Religion.

First published in 1536 the Institutio provided a complete outline of the Calvinist theological system. Although written at the young age of 26 there is little or no change in Calvin's views on any essential points in later editions. The work is a compendium of evangelical faith which is modelled on Luther's two catechisms, but also drew on the works of Martin Bucer, Philip Melanchthon and Ulrich Zwingli. It is described in Printing and the Mind of Man as "The first important doctrinal of the Reformation as a whole and it provided a comprehensive theological system rivalling those of the Middle Ages". The work first appeared in 1536 when it consisted of only six chapters but was revised by Calvin throughout his life so that by the time the definitive edition had appeared in 1559, it had grown to a substantial work of 80 chapters which were divided into four books. Le Preux published two editions in 1592, one in 8vo, as here, and another in folio (GLN 1043).

Provenance: title with inscription of  Samuel Lucius (Lutz), dated Glogau(?) 1709, likely to be the Swiss controversial pietist theologian (1674-1750; see ADB XIX, 715); with notes by him opposite title. Some marginalia and underlining in red ink at the beginning.

Slightly browned, a few wormholes in the lower blank margin, title also mounted, front endpaper with old entries.

J-F Gilmont, Bibliothèque de Genève, GLN 1044. Bibliotheca Calviniana, no. 92/2.

Stock Code: 252575