Author: ZACHMOORTER Michiel ( ca. 1582 - 1660 ) :
Title: SPONSUS SANGUINUM ofte Den Bloedighen Bruydegom onser zielen met alle de Weghen die hy in zyn bitter Passie om de Salicheyt der Menschen betreden heeft, verttont in XIX Meditatien. (bound with ) THALAMUS SPONSI oft t'Bruydegoms Beddeken...ghedeelt in twee deelen.
Description: .: 14. [1]Antwerpen, by Geeraerdt van Wolschaeten, 1623, in-8°, (32)nn pp ( with engraved title page ) + 211 pp + (1)pp ( approbatio). [2]Antwerpen, by Geeraerdt van Wolschaeten, 1623, in-8°, (4)nn pp (with engraved title page ) + 318 pp + (6) nn pp + (2)(blank). Bound in contemporary vellum, both covers with blindtooled fillets and central ornament, with two brass clasps ( in good order). Joint of front cover neatly repaired. Pages 3/4 with a tear, no loss of paper or text. Very fine copy in a very well preserved contemporary binding with functioning clasps. Rare collection of the two first editions : USTC 1001603 & USTC 1001601. Especially the first work is very rare in first edition. USTC mentions only 4 copies ( 3 in Antwerp, 1 in Louvain). The author Michiel Zachmoorter was at first a parish priest in Ekkergem ( Flanders ) and became later a deacon in Ghendt. A staunch defender of the Roman Catholic church he became a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation in Flanders. In Ekkergem he reconstructed the ''Road to Calvary '' with all the Stations of the Cross on a 1/1scale with the original Jeruzalem walk. The first book is a spiritual manual with prayers to follow the lasts steps of Jesus Christ. This is the first edition; more than 20 were to follow. The second book was published in the same year and is a testimony to the revival of mysticism after the cruel wars of religion. It contains elements of the mediaeval Brabant and Rhineland mysticism with ''modern'' additions from the works of Benedictus of Canfeld ( Benet Canfield also formerly known as William Fitch ) and Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591).. .

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