Ratio Disciplinae Fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A Faithful Account of the Discipline Professed and Practiced, in the Churches of New-England. With interspersed and instructive reflections on the discipline of the primitive churches.
Boston: Printed for S. Gerrish in Cornhill, 1726. [1 lv], iv, 10, 207, [3] pp, blank. 12mo. Rebacked to style, brown morocco, boards ruled in gilt with floral corners, four raised bands, spine decorated and titled in gilt. First edition. A very good copy in a fine binding, new endpapers, foxing throughout, intermittent marginal wear, leaf Ee2 slightly defective with minute loss of text, latin inscription with owner's name on first blank, same owner's name on title with "by Cotton Mather" inked below title, occassional margin pencil lines. Evans 2775. Sabin 46474. Streeter Sale II: 672. Church 903. Holmes, Cotton Mather: 318. Item #34301
Includes the introduction by Increase Mather, postscript & errata, and the table of contents (and the last blank lacking in Church's copy). "An important exposition of the tenants of congregationalism that carefully reaffirms the principles of the Cambridge Platform. Mather actually finished the work in 1701 according to his Diary, stating that it would 'have a mighty Tendency to praeserve our Discipline. and procure a beauty to the Exercise of it in all Administrations'," Streeter II: p.503). Provenance: Signature of William Homes (most likely the Ireland-born Rev. William Homes (1663-1746), a contemporary Congregationist from Chilmark, who had the same publisher.
Price: $3,250.00