Sibbes, The Soules Conflict, 1635 (first ed)
The Soules Conflict with it selfe, and Victory over it selfe by Faith, A Treatise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits, with comfortable remedies to establish them. By. R. Sibbs D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and Preacher to Grayes Inne. Printed at London by M. Flesher for R. Dawlman, at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard. 1635.M. Flesher, for R. Dawlman: London, 1635.
Black library buckram with gold text on spine. New end papers. Leaves ruled in black with marginal column for notes. Decorative capitals. Large marginal tear at C5, not involving text. Scattered underlining and occasional marginal glyphs and marks in an early hand. Small marginal perforating rust colored stain from G5 - I2 and K7 - L3. Rare minute worming. Scattered faint damp stains. Some more pronounced damp stains and brown stains in text near center of book. Small marginal tear at V8. Manicule on Z5 pointing to nothing. Corner marginal tear at Ss.
Lacks title, single page dedication, 99-112, 159-160, 531-532
Signatures Aa and aa paginated only on the rectos—foliates without skipping numbers—continuous with rest of pagination. Signature aa is complete in only 6 leaves (catchwords and numbering correct). Table ends in S (on verso of Bbb3, probably continued through Bbb8 originally).
(16) 728 (14).
Lacking title, a1, H2-7, L8, Mm2
A^8, a^2-a^3, B - G^8, H^1, I - K^8, L^7, M - Z^8, Aa^8, aa^6, Bb - Ll^8, Mm^1, Mm^3 - Mm^8, Nn - Aaa^8, Bbb^3.
Title page is lacking, but pagination matches the 1635 edition in ESTC, as well as full scanned copy on google books—including decorative capitals and shift to foliation in signatures Aa and aa.
This was the last book printed in Sibbes’ lifetime, was his longest, and most popular, going through four editions by 1658). Richard Sibs (Sibbes), 1577 – 1635 was born in Suffolk, and was ordained as a minister in Norwich in 1608. “His preaching awakened Cambridge from the spiritual indifference into which it had fallen after the death of (William) Perkins. … John Cotton and Hugh Peters were converted under Sibbe’s preaching. … He wrote at least thirteen introductions to the writings of his Puritan colleagues. … The historian Daniel Neal described Sibbes as a celebrated preacher, an educated divine, and a charitable and humble man who repeatedly underestimated his gifts. … David Masson, biographer of John Milton, wrote, ‘No writings in practical theology seem to have been so much read in the mid-seventeenth century among the pious English middle classes as those of Sibbes.’ (Beeke, pg 534 etc)
$4,500
