A Divine Message To The Elect Soul. Delivered In Eight Sermons Upon Seven Severall Texts. By That Laborious And Faithful Messenger Of Christ, Mr. William Fenner, Sometimes Fellow Of Pembroke Hall In Cambridge, And Late Minister Of Rochford In Essex.

A Divine Message To The Elect Soul. Delivered In Eight Sermons Upon Seven Severall Texts. By That Laborious And Faithful Messenger Of Christ, Mr. William Fenner, Sometimes Fellow Of Pembroke Hall In Cambridge, And Late Minister Of Rochford In Essex. William Fenner [1600-1640] Printed At London: By M. S[immons]. For John Hancock, And Are To Be Sold At His Shop In Popes-Head Alley. 1645. Octavo [7.00in tall x 4.50in wide]. An unrecorded imprint on ESTC. Closest matching imprint is by M.S. For John Stafford and also dated 1645. Pagination matches this edition. Collates [30], 268 [ie 278]p. Engraved portrait frontispiece by Wenceslaus Hollar. Five of the six sermons have their own undated title pages with imprint J. Stafford. Identical to the ‘M. Simmons for John Stafford’ edition, (ESTC 006129272. Wing F685A) which states ‘five of the six sermons have separate title pages. Early signature to the top of the title page on one 'T Fenner'. I have tried to research relatives of William Fenner with not a great deal of success. Further ownership inscriptions 'Anna Humphrey her book', and 'John Hayward his book 1713'. Good to very good condition. Minor marks or light blemishes commensurate with age else a rather nice copy. A seemingly unrecorded imprint of this collection of sermons by English Puritan divine William Fenner, published while the English Civil War was in full flow, and with an engraved portrait after Wenceslaus Hollar, which is also unrecorded on ESTC. ESTC records an imprint by John Stafford in 1645, but has no record of an imprint by John Hancock. Likewise, the Stafford imprint does not appear to have a portrait frontispiece, which is present in this example. Curiously, the separate title pages of the sermons bear Stafford's imprint. Finely rebound in a new half-calf binding with marbled boards. Raised bands, blind lines and a hand-tooled, gilt-lettered label to the spine. A solid and attractive period-style binding.…