Commentarius historicus et apologeticus de Lutheranismo (half title: HISTORIA LUTHERANISMI) Hardcover - 1692

Francofurti & Lipsiae (Frankfurt and Leipzig): Sumtibus Jo. Friderici Gleditsch, 1692. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. Fair. First Edition. Folio paper over boards binding with small illustration & blindstamped design. If not original binding than bound by original owner approx at time of publication. Pagination: [48], 84, 319, [1], 219, [1], 700, [98], [24], [24], [6] p. includes three indices, supplement & errata pages. An on-line source say of this book: "... occasioned by the Jesuit Maimbourg's Histoire du Luthéranisme (Paris, 1680), (Seckendorf's) most important work, and still indispensable to the historian of the Reformation as a rich storehouse of authentic materials." The author is identified as a "statesman and scholar" & at the time of his death (also publication year of this book) was Chancellor of the Univ. of Halle. Condition: fair with text block parting from binding. Front cover is detaching at top & old repairs have been made to upper spine. Front paste down has a beautiful calligraphic ownership, donation, or dedication inscription: "Herr Nicolaus Wilhelm von Seybothen, des Innern: und Herr Johann Philipp Winterbach, des Eusern Raths, beede Reichs Richtere: Anno 1693 (plus looping device). The sense of this old German may be that Seybothen was of the Council of the Interior & that Winterbach was of the Council of the Foreign (Affairs?), and both of them held those positions for the realm. Winterbach was the author of the 1680 book, Notae et observationes theoreticae, canonicae et practicae. I see a hint that Seybothen may have been related by marriage to Seckendorf, but that is a very tenuous deduction. Tiny modern ownership library label on upper corner of front paste down, which is placed over previous ownership label. Upper front corner of half-title & engraved frontispiece are chipped back 1.5" x 3". First signature loose. Title page has some foxing; frontispiece less so, and very little if any foxing to text. Full illustration on preliminary page shows intriguing fight going on including pope or bishop, angels, Roman soldier, and others, with Christ apparently in the middle. Frontispiece is portrait of Seckendorf. The original 1692 first edition is particularly rare.