1650 JOHN SPITTLEHOUSE. Rare Baptist on Spiritual Nature of the Church & Liberty of Conscience

An exceptionally rare early Baptist work by John Spittlehouse [1612-1657]. Spittlehouse, along with John More and other early Baptists, believed that ecclesiology that diminished the liberty of conscience of individual believers, i.e. Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and even the Presbyterian system, were rooted in Antichrist and essentially just soft iterations of both the Papacy and of the oppressive power structures of the Monarchy. They were termed "Fifth Monarchy" men as a reference to the book of Daniel and their belief that the Fifth Monarchy would be the reign of Christ in His Church, not based on any human ecclesiastical structures. Baptist theology, from the very beginning was egalitarian and had a strong commitment to liberty of conscience. 

The present work argues explicitly for a Christocentric view of the reign of Christ and argues strongly against all human centered power structures in relationship to church government. Further, it retains the original very scarce woodcut showing the alignment of Presbyterians, Prelace, and the Papacy all under one idea of humans with the right to dictate to the consciences of others. 

Spittlehouse, John. Rome Ruin'd by Whitehall or The Papall Crown Demolisht: Containing a Confutation of the Three Degrees of Popery, viz. Papacy, Prelacy, and Presbytery Answerable to the Triple Crowne of the Thee-Headed Cerberus the Pope with his Three-Fold Hierarchies Aforesaid. With a Dispelling of All Other Dispersed Clouds of Errour, which doth Interpose the Clear Sun-shine of the Gospel in our Horizon, Wherein the Chiefe Arguments Each of them have for the Vindication of their Erroneous Tenants are Incerted and Refuted with a Description of such whom the True Church of Christ doth Consist of: As also how and by whom they may be Gathered and Governed According to the Will and Appointment of Jesus Christ and His Apostles in the Primitive Purity thereof. London. Thomas Paine and are to be sold at his house in Goold Smiths Alley in Redcrosse Street. 1650. 8pp + 340pp + 22pp

A fair copy only. The binding only present in part, spine nearly gone. Retains original 1651 inscription of Samuel Payne from 1651. Stain to bottom of blank ffep. Retains the very rare satirical woodcut opposite the title, though trimmed at foredge. Other examples extant seem similar, so probably due to the original binding. Text generally good with normal handling, one leaf, i.e. 283/284 defective at bottom half. Else complete as called for.  

A very rare and desirable Baptist historical document. The only copy we have ever handled. Only five copies recorded, including British Library, Oxford, Eaton, York, and the Victorian and Albert.