FISHER, John.
Assertionum Martini Lutheri confutatio, per reverendum patrem D. Iohannem Roffensem ep[iscop]um, Cantabrigien[sis] academiae cancellarium edita. Suntq[ue] singulis confutationibus singulae Lutheri assertiones praefixae, quo facilius, utrius sententiae subscribe[n]dum sit, cognoscatur. Accessit praeterea totius operis p[er] eunde[m], praecipue tamen annotationum additarum recognitio. Cologne, Eucharius Cervicornus for Gottfried Hittorp, January 1525.
8vo, ff. [12], 364; title within woodcut border, woodcut initials and tailpieces, imprint from colophon; some damp-staining and foxing, some worming to lower margins from quire L (not touching text); overall good in contemporary Italian dark brown goatskin, covers stamped in blind to a panel design, central fleurs-de-lys and small flower tools, three raised bands to spine, remains of paper label at head of spine, ‘Contra Luter’ in manuscript to lower edges, manuscript fragments as pastedowns (see below); some loss at head of spine, small wormholes to upper cover and front pastedown, ties wanting; inscriptions to title ‘Mutii Panse Pinnensis emptus … 4s(?)’ (see below) and ‘Fr. Jo. Bapt. Nerlis(?)'.
Added to your basket:
Assertionum Martini Lutheri confutatio, per reverendum patrem D. Iohannem Roffensem ep[iscop]um, Cantabrigien[sis] academiae cancellarium edita. Suntq[ue] singulis confutationibus singulae Lutheri assertiones praefixae, quo facilius, utrius sententiae subscribe[n]dum sit, cognoscatur. Accessit praeterea totius operis p[er] eunde[m], praecipue tamen annotationum additarum recognitio.
Later edition (first 1523) of this highly influential attack on Martin Luther by John Fisher (c. 1469–1535), bishop of Rochester, chancellor of Cambridge University, and Catholic martyr; this copy with pastedowns preserving fragments of a twelfth-century Italian lectionary.
First published in 1523, Fisher’s Assertionis Lutheranae confutatio, attacked three of the fundamentals of Luther’s doctrine: the thesis of justification by faith alone, the ultimate appeal to scripture alone, and the denial of papal authority, as well as giving attention to the issue of free will. ‘The defence of, and subsequent appeal to, the authority of the church were fundamentals of Fisher’s response. But equally important was his whole analysis of Luther’s theology which played a major part in shaping not only the Catholic response to Luther but also the Catholic understanding of Luther. Fisher’s Confutatio was one of the most frequently reprinted and widely quoted Catholic polemics against Luther, and many of the bishops and even theologians at the Council of Trent knew whatever they knew of Luther largely from Fisher’s refutation’ (ODNB).
Manuscript fragments:
The pastedowns are formed of two partial leaves (100 x 159 mm) from a lectionary in Latin (Italy, mid-twelfth century), with readings from Luke 4, 38–41 and 5, 21–26; 11 lines on front pastedown with rubric ‘Sabb. S[e]c[un]d[u]m Luca[m]’ and four-line initial ‘I’ in red, 14 lines on rear pastedown, written in brown ink in a good rounded Italian romanesque hand, ruled with plummet; some worming to front pastedown touching a few letters, rubbing affecting some words to rear pastedown. The text narrates two miracles performed by Christ on the sick: curing Simon’s mother-in-law of fever, and raising a paralytic from his bed.
Provenance: with the ownership inscription of the noted Italian physician and writer Muzio Pansa (1565–1628) of Penne.
USTC 613566; VD16 F 1218; Adams F518.