The History of the Reformation of the Church of England

Dublin: R. Gunne et al, 1730-1733. Vol. II states it is the Third edition, corrected. Leather bound. Good. 3 vols.: [xiv], 382 [285], 282, [3]; [4], xv, 21, 320, [3]; [4], viii, xvi, 238, x, 328, viii p. not including plates. 32 cm. 23 b&w plates (8 + 12 + 3). Full leather with worn boards. Chipped spine label vol. I. Ring mark on front of vol. II. Ink stamps front free endpapers and title pages. Ink signatures and inscriptions on front free endpaper of vol. I as well as another front endpaper and vol. III's title page. Occasional thumbing. Some red underlining or marks in Preface of vol. I.

Title continues: "The First Part. Of the Progress made in it during the Reign of King Henry the VIII; The Second Part. Of the Progress made in it till the Settlement of it in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Reign; The Third Part. Being Supplement to the Two Volumes formerly publish'd." In the mid-1670s, a French translation appeared of Nicholas Sanders' De origine et progressu schismatio Anglicani libri tres (1585). Sanders attacked the English Reformation which he considered the political act of a corrupt king. Several of Gilbert Burnet's friends wished him to publish a rebuttal of the work so in 1679 the first volume of this work was published, covering the reign of Henry VIII. Vol. II, appearing in 1681, covers the reign of Elizabeth. Vol. III consists of corrections and additional material. Parliament voted thanks for Burnet after the publication of the first volume and, in 1680, Oxford awarded Burnet the degree of doctor of divinity. Burnet's literary reputation was greatly enhanced by this publication which remained the standard reference work in the field for over a century. Catholics, not surprisingly, dispute some of its content.