OXFORD UNIVERSITY Church/Religion/Theology/Eucharist AUTHOR EXCOMMUNICATED & HIS BOOKS BURNED~1681 RARE 1ST Start Price USD 9.99 Current Price USD 255.00 Time Left - Bid Count 15 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, August 23, 2008 End Time Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Location Historic Western Massachusetts See more about 'OXFORD UNIVERSITY Church/Religion/Theology/Eucharist' Description EXCEEDINGLY RARE, ORIGINAL 1681 FIRST EDITION OF: "THE CONSTANT COMMUNICANT, A DIATRIBE, PROVING THAT CONSTANCY IN RECEIVING THE LORDS SUPPER IS THE INDISPENSIBLE DUTY OF EVERY CHRISTIAN." This important 17th century treatise was written by English theologian and scholar Arthur Bury and printed by Leon. Lichfield [Printer to Oxford University] for Stephen Bolton. Author elaborates here on the importance of receiving the Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. This is a particularly scarce work, with no other available copies located.    Rev. Arthur Bury was Rector of Exeter College [at Oxford University] and became embroiled in one of the most controversial chapters in the school's long and illustrious history. The infamous 17th century schism deeply divided the College, and Bury was excommunicated for heresy and his books were burned in the Bodleian Quadrangle. The case eventually made its the way to the House of Lords where Bury was handed a devastating defeat.   Arthur Bury (1624-1713) was "First elected to an Exeter fellowship in 1643, Bury lived a controversial life; as a staunch royalist he helped defend Oxford during the civil war, for which he was expelled from college by the parliamentary visitation of 1648. He was restored in 1662, but Exeter struggled to recover its pre-war discipline and learning. The Rector of the time, Joseph Maynard, resigned due to alcoholism in 1666. With royal approval, Bury was elected to fill the vacancy.   Bury's behaviour was initially generous, donating over £700 towards the construction of the lodgings which now form staircases seven and eight. However, whiffs of megalomania were smelt as early as 1669 when the new Rector, a loyal Devonian, suspended five Cornishmen opposed to his nominee for a Fellowship. The most serious crisis began at the election of Thomas Kingston as Chaplain in April 1689. Bury approved of Kingston but James Colmer, another Fellow, did not. Bury sought to avenge himself and expelled Colmer on October 10th for "moral incontinence." Colmer appealed to the Visitor who ordered two Fellows to deliver an account to him in London. Bury refused to let them go, so in March 1690 Trelawney sent his commissary, Dr. Masters, to investigate. When Masters exonerated Colmer and reversed the expulsion, Bury again ejected him.   Trelawney decided to visit the college in person, but when he arrived on June 16th, the Chapel door was barred against him and he was verbally insulted by rebellious fellows from across the quad. Bury regarded Dr. Masters' visit and an official Visitation and stated by the statutes there could not be another for five years without approval by the Rector and fellows. Trelawney denied this and returned on July 24th, only to find the great gates closed against him. These were, however, opened by a party now unknown and Trelawney's Articles of Enquiry were read in Hall. Bury again pleaded the Visitation rule and left. Eleven rebel Fellows, including the Chaplain, were suspended.   Kingston, the Chaplain, was eventually excommunicated after he ignored his suspension and continued to say prayers in the chapel. On July 26th, 1690, Bury was expelled as Rector on charges on incontinence, neglect of discipline, the sale of offices and heresy. Bury denied the first two charges outright. To the charge that the cool and butler paid £150 and £190 for their offices, he argued that he had devoted the profits to College building work - not a current practice of the College Development Office! The allegation of heresy was much more serious and related to Bury's book of April 1690, The Naked Gospel, which sought to pare off later theological developments from the primitive teaching f the Church. The University was scandalised, and on August 19th Congregational had the work burnt in the School's quadrangle for socianism - a denial of crucial trinitarian tenets.   Not to be beaten, Bury refused to yield the Rector's lodgings so Trelawney excommunicated him, but to no avail. The dispute came before the King's Bench in 1691 and proceeded to the highest court in the land. The House of Lords finally found in favour of Trelawney in 1694. Bury was bankrupted and begged the bishop for a release from his legal debts. He gradually fades from the pages of history, dying around 1714." [Kenneth Padley, Exon, The Exeter College Magazine, Issue 2, Summer 1999].   The Lord's Supper [also Eucharist, Holy Communion, or The Mass] is the rite that Christians perform in fulfillment of the instruction Jesus gave, to do in memory of him, what he did at his Last Supper in giving his disciples bread, saying "This is my body," and the cup, saying "This is my blood." Christians generally recognize the presence of Christ in this rite though they sometimes differ about the particulars. The word "Eucharist" is also applied to the bread and cup consecrated in the course of the rite. The word "Eucharist" is derived from the Greek noun "eucharistia", meaning thanksgiving. This noun or the corresponding verb is found in several verses of the New Testament. Four of these verses recount that Jesus "gave thanks" before presenting to his followers the bread and cup that he declared to be his body and blood. Most Christians classify the Eucharist as a sacrament, however many Protestants avoid that term preferring the word "ordinance." In these traditions, the ceremony is seen not as a specific channel of divine grace but rather an expression of faith and obedience to Christ. The Eucharist has always been at the center of Christian worship, even though theological interpretations vary to some extent. Generally, the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions see the Eucharist as the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of humanity from sin, a commemoration and making present of Jesus' Crucifixion on Calvary and his Resurrection, the means for Christians to unite with God and each other, and the giving of thanks. Differences in Eucharistic theology tend to be related to differences in understanding of these areas.   Condition: Rare book remains in good to fair condition. Volume bound in contemporary leather with raised panel spine; cover well worn [see images], hinges cracked, front blank loose, couple of unobtrusive institutional markings, scattered spotting, toning, edge chipping, closed page tear, final blank clipped, etc. Generally clean internally. All in all, this desirable treatise remains very presentable. Volume numbers 328-pages with extensive preliminaries and separate rear conclusion; and measures approx 7 1/4" tall x 5" wide x 1 1/4" thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.   Payment and Shipping: Please review our feedback and bid with confidence. Buyer pays $6.50 USPS Priority Delivery within USA (or at cost internationally), plus insurance if desired. Insurance not offered on international parcels, Massachusetts residents please add 5% sales tax, or dealers include your tax resale number. Accepted forms of payment are Money Order, Check, and PayPal. Payment must be received within 10 days after close of auction. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. Thanks for your interest and good luck. On Aug-22-08 at 20:58:27 PDT, seller added the following information: boysells Store Place a Bid!