The works of that learned and judicious divine, Mr. Richard Hooker, in eight books of ecclesiastical polity, compleated out of his own manuscripts; with several other treatises by the same author, and an account of his life and death. Dedicated to the Kings most excellen Majesty, Charles II· By whose royal father (near his martyrdom) the former five books (then only extant) were commended to his dear children, as an excellent means to satisfie private scruples, and settle the publick peace of this church and kingdom.

London: R White, 1676. Leather. Good. 14.5" by 9.5". None. An early edition of the works of Richard Hooker, a noted English priest, regarded as one of the most influential English theologians of the sixteenth century. This work contains his highly provocative refutation of Puritanism. ESTC Citation No. R27417. Scarce. The third edition and first thus. First published by J. Best in 1662. Folio. Collated, complete save for lacking endpapers and front blank. Contains the scarce engraved title page and frontispiece. Pagination irregular from page 371 as called for. With the personal bookplate and detailed annotations throughout of Richard Meux Benson. Benson was a priest in the Church of England and the founder of the Society of St John the Evangelist. The Society of St John is regarded as the first religious order of monks in the Anglican Communion since the Reformation. It is noted as being not purely contemplative with the members often undertaking missionary work. This work also contains the signature of Benson to the final leaf. His notes offer his fascinating perspective regarding this influential work of the philosophy of religion and its practical applications. Richard Hooker was an English priest in the Church of England, regarded as one of the most important English theologians of the sixteenth century. He is credited as offering a defence to the notion of redeemed reason, which informed throughout the seventeenth century a theological method based upon a combination of revelation, reason and tradition. This collection of Hooker's work, includes some of his most well-known writings, with much of it being taken up by his Magnum Opus 'Of The Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie'. Ecclesiastical Politie has been categorised as perhaps the greatest work of philosophy and theology to be written in English. The final three sections of the work were published posthumously and there remains debate as to their full authorship. Nonetheless, the work offers a carefully phrased reply to the general principles of Puritanism. Book one of the work draws heavily upon the legal thought of Thomas Aquinas to distinguish seven different forms of law; based upon his Aristotelian belief that humans are naturally inclined to live in society. The work influenced not only Anglican thought, but also wider theology, political theory and English prose. A third edition copy of the collection of works by Richard Hooker, regarded as a leading philosophical and theological thinker of the sixteenth century and containing the detailed annotations of the founder of The Society of St John the Evangelist, Richard Meux Benson. In a half calf binding with marbled boards. Externally a trifle rubbed with loss to the extremities. Slight lifting and loss to backstrip. Hinges reinforced. Personal bookplates to front pastedown for 'Richard Meux Benson' and bookplate for 'The Society of St John The Evangelist' to rear pastedown. Internally firmly bound. Pages generally bright with scattered spotting and the occasional handling mark. Contemporary ink annotations throughout. Tidemarks to the extremities. Lacking endpapers and front blank. Engraved title frontispiece has been laid down. Good