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1684 SIMON PATRICK. Important 17th Century Work on Joy of the Lord's Supper. Influenced John Bunyan.

1684 SIMON PATRICK. Important 17th Century Work on Joy of the Lord's Supper. Influenced John Bunyan.

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Simon Patrick’s The Christian Sacrifice was one of the most influential devotional manuals of the late 17th and 18th centuries, serving as a cornerstone for Anglican Eucharistic theology.

Writing as a high-church divine (and later Bishop of Ely), Patrick provided a careful theological middle ground. He argued that the Holy Communion is a "commemorative sacrifice"—not a literal re-sacrificing of Christ, but a spiritual offering of praise, thanksgiving, and "self-oblation" by the believer. During a period when many laypeople received the sacrament rarely, Patrick’s treatise was designed to remove "scruples" and fears. He emphasized the necessity and joy of the rite, helping to revive regular sacramental participation among the English laity.

The book was highly practical, containing specific prayers and meditations for before, during, and after receiving the bread and wine. Its structure became a model for future manuals, ensuring its popularity for over a century with numerous reprints.

Written shortly after the Restoration of the Monarchy, the work sought to unify the English people under the Book of Common Prayer. It aimed to provide a robust, attractive alternative to both Puritan "informality" and growing religious indifference. Patrick’s emphasis on the "spiritual presence" of Christ and the inner transformation of the believer allowed his work to be respected even by some outside the Church of England, influencing the broader Protestant devotional tradition.

Of note, many have suggested Patrick's Christian Pilgrim heavily influenced John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Bookplate of influential mystic and philosopher, Joseph Sadony. Originally housed at his 80 acre retreat in Montague, Michigan, The Valley of the Pines.

Patrick, Simon. The Christian Sacrifice. A Treatise Shewing the Necessity, End and Manner of Receiving the Holy Communion. Together with Suitable Prayers and Meditations for Every Month in the Year; and the Principal Festivals in Memory of our Blessed Saviour. In Four Parts [Complete]. London. R. Royston. Bookseller to His Most Sacred Majesty, at the Angel in Amen-corner. 1684. 528pp.

Good -  example in original paneled calf; would benefit from being consolidated and polished. Surface breached on hinges, corners through. Textually generally good and solid with a few turned corners and some light toning. 

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