MELANCHTHON'S LAST WORK

MELANCHTHON, PHILIPP (MELANCHTON).

Corpus doctrinae Christianae. Quae est summa orthodoxi et Catholici dogmatis, complectens doctrinam puram & ueram Euangelij Iesu Christi secundum diuina prophetarum & apostolorum scripta, aliquot libris fideli ac pio studio explicata.

Leipzig, (Vögelin), 1560.

Folio (323 x 220 mm). In contemporary blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards with four raised bands. With two catches and one of two clasps. Wear and discolouration to extremities. Wormholes to boards. A few wormtracts throughout, primarily affecting first and last 30 leaves. Short annotation in contemporary hand to title-page. A few marginal annotations throughout. Last blanks heavily annotated in contemporary hand. (20), 982 pp. 

First edition of Melanchthon's last work (published just three months before his death), in which he consolidated a lifetime of learning into the remarkable Body of Christian Doctrine (often referred to as Corpus Doctrinae Philippicum).
Melanchthon had conceived the notion of assembling his most important theological writings, along with the ecumenical creeds, into one single book. The writings served as the authoritative declaration and instruction within that particular Christian group or denomination. In the mid-16th century Lutheranism crafted these compilations for the diverse duchies and principalities of the Holy Roman Empire. These anthologies laid the groundwork for the Book of Concord, recognized historically by Lutherans as their ultimate Body of Doctrine."

Order-nr.: 60675