Ten Pound Island Book Company

Old, Rare And Out of Print Books, Manuscripts And Charts Pertaining To The Sea

The History of the Martyrs Epitomised. A Cloud of Witnesses; or, the Sufferers Mirrour, Made up of the Swanlike Songs, and Other Choice Passages of a great Number of MARTYRS and CONFESSORS, to the End of the Sixteenth Century, in their Treaties, Speeches, Letters, Prayers, &c. in their Prisons, or Exiles; at the Bar, or Stake, &c

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Item #50039
The History of the Martyrs Epitomised. A Cloud of Witnesses; or, the Sufferers Mirrour, Made up of the Swanlike Songs, and Other Choice Passages of a great Number of MARTYRS and CONFESSORS, to the End of the Sixteenth Century, in their Treaties, Speeches, Letters, Prayers, &c. in their Prisons, or Exiles; at the Bar, or Stake, &c
Mall, Thomas .
Rogers and Fowle, ( 1747), Boston
Two volumes bound together, 20 cm. (14), 267, (2 - Subscribers); (2 - half title), xi, (1), 288, (6 - Appendix), (1 - Publisher's catalog) pp.
Price: $1250

First American edition of a book that was first published in England in 1665. Thomas Mall was one of the ministers deposed or removed after the Reformation. In scriptural texts, clouds are multi-valent symbols of spiritual presence, guiding the children of Israel, for example, through the wilderness. The resurrected Jesus was ‘overshadowed’ by a cloud as he ascended into heaven, and at the end of the world, the Savior will descend in a cloud with power and glory. The cloud of witnesses also refers to people who have gone to heaven. See Sabin 44124, who notes, “Prefixed are prefaces by J. Flavel and Rev. S. Lee, once minister of Bristol in New-England. A good specimen of American printing.” Flavel was also author of “Navigation Spiritualized,” a work that has appeared several times in my catalogs over the years. Bound in early full calf, rebacked to match, with original spine label laid down. A fine, early, engraved bookplate and colored stencil grace the front pastedown and free end paper. Very good condition.