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Apostles, 1563, certainly a presentable Book, mostly in double column - a credit to the early press of that country. The cover is worm eaten, but the body of the book is untouched, that was too bitter even for a bookworm, it preferred the tough leather.
By its side stands the abridgement "done by Timothy Bright doctor of Physicke", in 1589, of John Foxe's" Booke of acts and monuments of the Church" - more commonly known as "Foxe's book of Martyrs", a volm. often re-printed, in many forms, sometimes luridly illustrated, and common to many S. S. Libraries; thus giving
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to our youth, as it gave to me many years ago, as I read it in the playground of a public school in Wolverhampton, strange childish pictures of the possibilities of christian love trying to save souls at the expense of bodies A similar work is Englands Bloody Tribunal by Rev Mat. Taylor, an illustrated quarto of 1773.
Side by side with these specimens of ultra protestantism, is the life (in Italian) of Ignatio Loyola, (founder of the Coy. of Giesu), printed in Venice 1586, just 30 years after his death, with portrait, index, and register of alphabetical signatures, - (forming the whole of the last page) - as completet as bibliographers heart could desire.
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Next in order is a specimen of the Plantin Press, by John Moretus of Antwerpt, in 1608, giving a full catalog of the books issued or approved by the Jesuits, with lists and number of members of all the colleges and societies of Jesu" then in the world. Brazil and Japan are included at this early date - 52 years after Loyala death, but the only American localities I note are in the province of Mexico - eleven stations or colleges - of which Delos Angeles, Puebla, and Vera Cruz have the most familiar ring. It was a surprise to me to note the early date (287 years ago) of European influence on Japan.
And now, by way of contrast to all this, we come to a latin vol. printed by Johannem Aconium at Freistadu in 1684 (210 years ago), titled Bibliotheca
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Anti-trinitarium, written by C. C. Sandii. There are in it 180 p.p. giving a most elaborate bibliography of anti-trinitarian works, followed by 116. p.p. giving a brief history of Unitarians and the Unitarian Church. This includes the origin of Unitarianism in Polonia, of the books printed in Polonia and Lithvania, the relation of Johannis Tyscovicu martyr, with a vindication of religious liberty. I anticipate that this is a rare book even to this special gathering. The first use of the word Unitarian I have noticed in it, is a book - title, dated 1565 - 330 years ago - I shall be glad to receive additional information about this interesting book, and the people whose names figure
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in it, if any of you have the knowledge, or can refer me to probable sources.
Before leaving this theology (which is not I hope so dry as to be wholly without attractive points) mention should be made of a Dutch (Hollandish) book by John Adventroot printed in two styles of black letters at Amsterdam by Paulus van Narvestyr, and dated 1613. - The book plate (ex-libris) in it - which I have not yet translated - is surmounted by a ducal coronet, so that it has evidently seen better days and much finer company than it sees in its present humble lot - an item in a backwoods library.
The substance of the work is a right royal battle between Roman Catholicism
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