View source for Works of that Learned and Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''The Works of that Learned and Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker: in Eight Books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity''}}
===by Richard Hooker===
__NOTOC__
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|shorttitle=The Works of that Learned and Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker
|author=[[:Category:Richard Hooker|Richard Hooker]]
|editor=[[:Category:John Gauden|John Gauden]], with some corrections by [[:Category:John Strype|John Strype]]
|lang=[[:Category:English|English]]
|publoc=[[:Category:London|London]]
|publisher=Printed for John Walthoe, George Conyers, James Knapton, Robert Knoplock, J. and B. Sprint . . . [and 9 others]
|year=1723
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}}[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hooker Richard Hooker] (1554 &ndash; 1600) began his education at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Christi_College,_Oxford Corpus Christi College, Oxford,] in 1569,<ref>A. S. McGrade  “[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13696 Hooker, Richard (1554–1600)],” in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 3, 2013.</ref> at a time when the Anglican Church was steeped in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism Calvinist thought.]<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', s. v. "[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/271324/Richard-Hooker Richard Hooker]," accessed October 3, 2013.</ref> Hooker received an interdisciplinary education, including classical philosophy and artistic disciplines alongside his primary studies in theology,<ref>A. S. McGrade, "Hooker, Richard (1554–1600)".</ref> which would bear heavily upon his most significant scholarly endeavor—''The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity''.<ref>James E. Kiefer, "[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/64.html Biographical Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past: Richard Hooker, Doctor of the Church]," Society of Archbishop Justus, accessed October 3, 2013.</ref> Writing this eight-volume opus necessitated resignation from his post as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Temple#Master_of_the_Temple Master of the Temple Church] in London in 1591.<ref>A. S. McGrade, "Hooker, Richard (1554–1600)".</ref> The first five books were published during Hooker's lifetime. The last three, published posthumously, were not fully completed, and there is debate as to whether he was the sole author of these volumes.<ref>Ibid.</ref>

[[File:HookerWorks1723Illustration.jpg|left|thumb|350px|<center>Frontispiece portrait of Richard Hooker.</center>]]
''The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity'' was Hooker’s response to a rift within Protestantism&mdash;between Hooker’s Anglicanism and English Puritans agitating for a reform of church government toward the Calvinist model,<ref>Kiefer, "Biographical Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past."</ref> characterized by an exclusive fidelity to scripture<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', s. v. "Richard Hooker."</ref>&mdash;and also to what he saw as the Catholic Church’s theological error of elevating "tradition" to the same importance as scripture.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Hooker articulated a three-fold theory of ecclesiastical government that emphasized deference to scripture, followed by church tradition. Where those were inadequate, answers were to be sought in human reason.<ref>Ibid.</ref>

''The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity'' has been lauded as the Enlightenment’s "...first glimmering...dawn,"<ref>A. S. McGrade, "Hooker, Richard (1554–1600)".</ref> and profoundly influential upon “...(both directly and through [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke Locke]), American political philosophy in the late 1700’s."<ref>Kiefer, "Biographical Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past."</ref> 

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as ''Hooker’s Ecclesiastical polity. fol.'' and given by [[Thomas Jefferson]] to his son-in-law, [[Thomas Mann Randolph]]. We do not have enough information to conclusively identify which edition Wythe owned. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s.v. "[http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe Member: George Wythe]," accessed on November 13, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing indicates this without naming a specific edition. The [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433</ref> lists the 1723 edition from London based on the copy Jefferson sold to the Library of Congress.<ref>E. Millicent Sowerby, ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'' (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 3:14-15 [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015033648117;view=1up;seq=27 [no.2334]].</ref> The Wolf Law Library followed Brown's suggestion and purchased the London 1723 edition.

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary Cambridge-style panelled calf, newly rebacked. Signed "F.H. Thornton, Oct. 1912" on the front free endpaper and includes the bookplate of Edward Thornton on the front pastedown. Purchased from Cobnar Books.

Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/sets/72157637698890393 available on Flickr.] View the record for this book in [https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991021469419703196 William & Mary's online catalog.]

===Full text===
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
*[https://wythepedia.wm.edu/library/HookerWorksOfThatLearnedAndJudiciousDevineMrRichardHooker1723.pdf ''The Works of that Learned and Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker''] (42MB PDF)
</div>

==See also==
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]
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<gallery widths="350" heights="450" perrow="3">
File:HookerWorks1723BookplateFPD.jpg|<center>Bookplate of Edward Thornton, front pastedown.</center>
File:HookerWorks1723HalfTitle.jpg|<center>Half-title.</center>
File:HookerWorks1723Inscription.jpg|<center>Inscription, front free endpaper.</center>
</gallery>

==References==
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==External Links==
Read this book in [http://books.google.com/books?id=4oBPAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books.]

[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Richard Hooker]]
[[Category:John Gauden]]
[[Category:John Strype]]
[[Category:Thomas Mann Randolph's Books]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:English]]
[[Category:Folios]]
[[Category:London]]