Le Symbole des apostres

Paris: Georges Josse, 1668. FIRST EDITION. Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt, edges sprinkled red; cancelled ex-libris inscription on the title. In good condition. First edition, the third copy known. A French-language explication of the Apostles’ Creed, a 12-line Latin assertion of faith used in liturgical rites, particularly in baptism and the taking of the Eucharist. Written in a series of 32 homilies, the author goes line-by-line through the creed and expounds upon the meaning and symbolism of the words, Biblical concordances that support its inclusion, and meditations to consider during its recitation.

This text offers valuable insight into the humanist progress in clerical thought regarding ancient sacred writings. The fact that a priest composed vernacular rhetoric and explanation of the Apostles’ Creed in the mid-17th century was groundbreaking; in many orthodox circles it was still considered heretical to add one’s own thoughts and opinions to holy words.

Beuvelet was a little-known ascetic priest born around 1620. He was charged with the training of initiates of holy orders. This text was published posthumously by the author’s confraternity at the Seminary of St. Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.

OCLC locates only 2 other copies of this first edition worldwide (BM Lyon and Saint-Genevieve).