Catholicks No Idolaters. Or a Full Refutation of Doctor Stillingfleet’s Unjust Charge of Idolatry against the Church of Rome

Description

Original full dark brown mottled calf, triple blind fillets framing boards, triple fillets parallel to spine to front and rear boards. Raised bands, blind decor, and red gilt label to spine. Remains of blind decor to board edges. Hinges secure, cords all holding firm, though leather of front hinge cracked except for a 1cm section at base and rear board is cracked at top over hinge (c. 3cm). Small loss to top spine. 8vo (11.8 x 18.4cm). All edges marbled (faded). Endpapers cracked at gutters. Recent bookplate and minor pencil annots to inside front board. Typographic headpiece. Very minor tidemark to bottom margin of pp. 437-444. A response to Stillingfleet’s ‘notorious book on Idolatry among Catholics’ (Clancy), the 1671 ‘Discourse concerning the idolatry practised in the Church of Rome’, which was itself answered by Daniel Whitby and Stillingfleet himself. The 5pp. dedication to the queen is signed ‘T. G.’ for Thomas Godden, pseudonym of Thomas Tylden or Tilden (1622-1688), Roman Catholic controversialist. The son of a tanner from Kent, Tylden converted to Catholicism as a young man and by 1656 was president of the English College in Lisbon, where he was created D.D. in 1660. In 1661 he was appointed chaplain and preceptor to Princess Catherine of Braganza: he accompanied her to England and was among the witnesses to her marriage to Charles II, after which he remained a member of her household, serving as chaplain and treasurer: ‘(i)t is said that he taught her to speak English’ (ODNB). According to Bishop John Russell, Tylden ‘spent his life at court as though in the cloister and “he was very dear to the Queen and not disliked by the King”‘ (ODNB). His refutation of Stillingfleet in Catholicks No Idolaters was his ‘most important work’ (ODNB). This copy has the separate section of 48pp. before the main body of the work, called for in ESTC but, according to Clancy, ‘not to be found in most (…) copies’. ESTC R16817; Clancy 962.3. Robust packaging. Tracking is always added to USA orders. It can be added to other overseas orders on request. Used books are exempt from USA tariffs.