1701 SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES A DEVOUT LIFE RARE ENGLISH

AN
INTRODUCTION
TO A
DEVOUT LIFE
BY
FRANCIS SALES,
 BISHOP AND PRINCE OF GENEVA

TRANSLATED AND REFORMED FROM THE ERRORS OF THE POPISH EDITION

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED

A DISCOURSE ON THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE SPIRITUAL BOOKS IN THE ROMISH CHURCH

BY
WILLIAM NICHOLLS, D. D.

Saint Francis de Sales : Saint François de Sales 1567-1622 preacher and writer was Bishop of Geneva and is a Roman Catholic saint. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism, was an accomplished preacher and known  for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation.

The first edition  Introduction to the Devout Life, (Introduction a la vie devote), by St Francis de Sales, was published in 1609, and was well received in both Protestant and Catholic circles. It is typically categorised as a form of reading known as "Lectio Divina" (divine reading) based on the Christian monastic practice of spiritual reading. Like the more popular Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, it is considered a spiritual classic in the Christian Tradition and, more specifically, the Roman Catholic sense because of its reference to the necessity of sacraments as a means of obtaining grace and growing in virtue. The book is distinguished by addressing itself to Christians in any state of life, rather than to just those who have been called to a religious vocation. It comprises five parts, or 'books' each pertaining to a stage in the Christian's spiritual journey.

This is the only English edition by William Nicholls 1664-1712 the religious writer and divine, Canon of Chichester.

364 Pages in total with a full page engraved frontispiece plate.

Armorial bookplate on rear of title page of Charles Cholmondeley of Vale Royall in Cheshire.
Charles Cholmondeley of Vale Royal was born in 1685, elected M.P. for Chester 1710, and died in 1756.

Condition
18th Century full leather binding, spine has some wear with glue strengthened cracks down hinges and loss of title label, slight browning to last few pages, all complete.
Size is 7½ by 4½ inches

FRONT BOARD                                REAR BOARD

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