1680 The Book of Common Prayer and Administrations of The Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England; Together with the Psalter of Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre

Description

An Important Work, Early Edition, Leather Binding, Very Scarce

Octavo. Two volumes bound in one. Printed in two red-ruled columns as called for. ESTC Citation No. for The Book of Common Prayer: B3659A. This reference refers to an alternative octavo edition with different pagination although is commonly used as the citation for this edition of the same year also. ESTC Citiation No. for The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre: R33169. Both works are extremely scarce editions of their respective texts. Collated complete. The publishing details "John Bill, Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hill, Printers to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty" highlight this particular copy of The Book of Common Prayer as being published by The King's Printer. The King's Printer was a highly significant member of the competitive seventeenth century printing industry, with monarchs appointing already established printers to work within the royal printing house, in this case John Bill, Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hill. The members shared the position as equals and were able to refer to themselves as the King's Printers. The historical significance of these work relate to the works they were commissioned, or not commissioned, to publish. The King's Printing House had the sole authorisation to print the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, with this work being an example of the latter. Such a position was much sought after, owing to the lucrative nature and popularity of both works. This particular edition is of further note, owing to its early inclusion of the entry for K. Charles Martyr which offers a series of prayers relating to the martyrdom of King Charles I. First included in 1662, all examples of The Book of Common Prayer up until 1859 contained various religious sentiments directed at Charles I. This particularly copy is an early example of the historically significant inclusion, added under the guidance of his son and authority figure of the King's Printing House, King Charles II. The work also contains the state service of thanksgiving known as The Gunpowder Treason Service, which was added to the work at the turn of the century. The inclusion was a method by the State to keep civil order through including this damning of the attempt in daily worship. Additions were made to the service up until 1690, ten years after this particular copy was published. The other work bound in this volume, The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre, is a seventeenth century example of the highly influential English metrical version of the Pslams by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins. First published in the mid sixteenth century, the choice of metre, known as the 'common metre' became the standard used for not only old and new versions of England and Scotland, but also other metrical psalters and English hymns. The work continued in general use until being substituted in 1717, with this particular example being published in 1680 at a point in which the work was still used as the standard metric. Two highly influential Anglican works, both published in 1680 and being core members of the Canon of English Anglican theology. The works offer not only very scarce seventeenth century examples of these works, but also a greater understanding of the religious and political history of the period.