173J.  Johannes Cochlaeus (1479-1552. )

De Petro et Roma adversus Velenu[ m] Luthera num, libri quatuor, Iohannnis Cochlæi, artiu & sacræ Theologiæ professoris egregii atque ecclesia duiæ virginis Francfordien. Decani.

[Coloniae officina honesti civis Petri Quentell], Mense Februario 1525

Quarto 20 x 14.5 cm. (7 ½ x 5 ¾) inches Signatures:[A]4, B-Q4] unsigned. Bound in modern paper wrapper.  Price $3,000

Johann Cochlæus Humanist and Catholic controversialist. He obtained his doctorate in 1517, and then by the advice of Pirkheimer went to Rome. There, under the influence of the Oratorio del Divino Amore, Cochlæus turned his attention to the cultivation of a religious life. Ordained at Rome, he went to Frankfort, and after some hesitation, arising no doubt from consideration for his friends, he entered the arena as the opponent of the Lutheran movement. His first works were “De Utroque Sacerdotio” (1520) and several smaller writings published in rapid succession. In 1521 he met the nuncio Aleander at Worms and worked untiringly to bring about the reconciliation of Luther. During the following years he wrote tracts against Luther’s principal theses on the doctrine of justification, on the freedom of the will, and on the teaching of the Church (especially the important work, “De Gratia Sacramentorum”, 1522; “De Baptismo parvulorum”, 1523; “A commentary on 154 Articles”; etc). Luther, to the vexation of Cochlæus wrote in answer only a single work, “Adversus Armatum Virum Cocleum”.

The Lutheran movement and the Peasants’ War drove him to Cologne in 1525. From there he wrote against the rebellion and Luther, its real author. After Emser’s death Cochlæus took his place as secretary to Duke George of Saxony, whom he defended against an attack of Luther based on the false charge of an alliance between the Catholic princes at Breslau Conjointly with Duke George he laboured strenuously in 1530, to refute the Augsburg Confession, and later directed against Melanchthon, its author, his bitter “Philippicae”. Because of a pamphlet against Henry VIII of England he was transferred in 1535 to a canonry in Meissen.. With indomitable ardour he published pamphlet after pamphlet against Luther and Melanchthon, against Zwingli, Butzer, Bullinger, Cordatus, Ossiander, etc. Almost all of these publications, however, were written in haste and bad temper, without the necessary revision and theological thoroughness, consequently they produced no effect on the masses. ” Forced to resign his benefice at Eichstätt in 1548, Cochlæus remained for a short time in Mayence to edit a work of Abbot Conrad Braun.

BM STC German,; p. 248; Adams,; C2265; Panzer,; VI, 391, 408; Pegg,; 674; Kuczynski,; 464; Hohenemser,; 3233; Spahn, Cochlaeus,; 30