Piety the Best Rule of Orthodoxy. Or, an Essay Upon this Proposition: That the Conduciveness of Doctrines to Holiness or Vice, is the best Rule for private Christians to judge the Truth or Falshood of them by.

HESKETH, Henry.

$2,000.00

Item Number: 140234

London: Printed by Walter Kettilby, at the Bishops-Head in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1680.

Rare first edition of Hesketh’s classic essay. 12mo, bound in full contemporary mottled calf with gilt tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised bands, gilt turn-ins, all edges marbled. In very good condition. Rare.

Henry Hesketh was born in Cheshire about 1637. In June 1653 he was admitted a commoner of Brasenose College, Oxford, and proceeded B.A. on 13 Oct. 1656 (Wood, Fasti Oxon. ed. Bliss, ii. 192). He was rector of Charlwood, Surrey, and chaplain in ordinary to Charles II when on 11 Nov. 1678 he was chosen vicar of St. Helen, Bishopsgate. Manning and Bray wrongly give the date of his institution to Charlwood as 1685 (Surrey, ii. 193). He also became chaplain to William III. He was a popular preacher, and published numerous sermons. In 1689–90 he was nominated bishop of Killala, but was not consecrated, and in January 1694 he resigned the vicarage of St. Helen (J. E. Cox, Annals of St. Helen's, p. 55) (DNB).