Monogrammed Morocco
SAUBERT, Johann.
Miracula Augustanae Confessionis, [engraved title: das ist] Wunderwerck der Augspurgischen Confession, oder eigentlicher auff Kupfer gefertigter Abriß deß gantzen Verlauffs … [Nuremberg,] Wolffgang Endter, 1631.
[bound with:]
—. Cassander Evangelicus, sive in plaerisque assertor Aug. Confessionis graviss., das ist, Die jenige Puncten, worinn ... Georgius Cassander, die Augspurgische Confession mit gutem Grund gebillichet ... hernach aber zu Cöln am Rhein, Anno 1577. bey Heinrico Aquensi, mit einer Vorrede der Cölnischen Theologen, gedruckt worden, von Wort zu Wort, laut deß Cölnischen Exemplars außgezogen und den einfältigen zum besten gegen über ins Teutsche gebracht … Nuremberg, Wolffgang Endter, 1631.[and:]
EHINGER, Elias. Historische und theologische Außführung der Frage, wo die Christliche Kirch sey geblieben, ehe D. Luther gewesen, auß allen Seculis, oder hundert Jahren, von den dreyen Haupt Artickeln, als: I. von der heiligen Tauff, II. von deß Herren Abendmahl, oder Eucharistia, unter beyden Gestalten, III. von der Rechtfertigung eines armen Sunders vor Gott … Ulm, Balthasar Kühn, 1649.Three works in one vol., 4to, Miracula: pp. [xii], 224, [8], with copper-engraved title but without the folding plate, Cassander: pp. [xx], 267, [1], 45, [10], [1 (blank)], Ehinger: pp. [2], 149, ‘156–205’ (i.e. 150–199), [3]; Cassander and Ehinger titles printed in red and black, with copper-engraved and woodcut devices respectively, woodcut initials and ornaments, printed in blackletter and roman with occasional Greek; Ehinger evenly toned, very occasional spotting or browning elsewhere, old marginal repair to Miracula title and A1, but very good copies; bound in magnificent German red morocco over bevelled wooden boards, richly gilt aux petits fers (rear border signed in gilt with monogram 'MV'), central composite wheel motif within elaborate borders, front board lettered ‘: G : V : S :’ and ‘· 1650 ·’ in gilt, spine gilt in compartments, silver clasps on gilt red morocco straps (lower strap renewed), edges gilt and elaborately gauffered to a floral-cum-architectural design; minimally rubbed, endpapers renewed.
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Miracula Augustanae Confessionis, [engraved title: das ist] Wunderwerck der Augspurgischen Confession, oder eigentlicher auff Kupfer gefertigter Abriß deß gantzen Verlauffs …
First editions of three works of Lutheran polemic, the first two on the Augsburg Confession and written by the theologian, historian, and proto-bibliographer Johann Saubert, in a magnificent contemporary German Baroque binding apparently signed by the binder.
The two works by Saubert (1592–1646) together justify the Augsburg Confession, published a century before: the Miracula Augustanae Confessionis with a history of the Diet of Augsburg, presented as a divinely guided miracle; the Cassander Evangelicus by presenting the Catholic George Cassander’s 1577 De articulis religionis in full, including its prefatory material, with a parallel translation into German and an appendix interpreting Cassander’s arguments as supporting elements of the Confession.
Besides his theological work, Saubert served as the librarian to Nuremberg’s Stadtbibliothek, in which role he published, as an appendix to his Historia bibliothecae Reip. Noribergensis (1643), the first catalogue of incunables.
Saubert’s two works are here bound with another by Elias Ehinger (1573–1653), a fellow Lutheran theologian, philologist, and librarian to Augsburg’s Stadtbibliothek (of which he published a catalogue in 1633). A prolific and unapologetic writer, he was driven out of Austria and twice out of Augsburg for his Protestant positions; the present work, written in his final years in Regensburg, demonstrates the continuity of Lutheran doctrine from the early Church by means of a chronological Church history.
The richly tooled red morocco binding, dated 1650, with elaborately gauffered edges incorporating flowers and hearts framed by architectural elements, was almost certainly produced for presentation; the recipient, G. von S., however, remains elusive.
No copies of Ehinger traced in the UK or US. In the UK we find only two copies of the Miracula (Bodley, NAL) and two copies of the Cassander (BL, NAL).
VD17 12:112257T, 12:112270C, and 1:057254C.