Wittemberg, Mevius, 1654.
4to. In contemporary full vellum with yapp edges. Title in contemporary hand to spine. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. Light soiling and miscolouring to extremities. Upper outer corner of front board with loss of vellum, showing the wooden boards underneath. Internally very nice and clean. (22), 692, (70) pp. + frontispiece.
The rare first edition of Quenstedt’s rather ambitious attempt to account for all theologians throughout the history of the world. We have not been able to trace a single copy in the trade. A second edition was published in 1691. “Johannes Andreas Quenstedt was the Thomas Aquinas, so to speak, of Lutheran Orthodoxy, the last great representative. To anyone following his arrangement of material and noting his exegesis it will become evident that he was fair and meticulous in his work and drew from the best which his precursors had to offer. Preus, Robert D. (1961) “The Vicarious Atonement in John Quenstedt,”, Concordia Theological Monthly: Vol. 32, Article 8, 78-97, 79.) “One might say that Quenstedt's [Opus] killed systematic theology in the period of Lutheran orthodoxy as Michaelangelo killed Renaissance art by the unexcelled quality of his work. Quenstedt's lifework is so big, so complete, so concise and systematic, and so excellent that no later Lutheran ever came close to equalling it." (Robert Preus in "The Theology of Post-Reformation Lutheranism," Volume I, p. 62.)
Order-nr.: 61513