Edward Elton’s Exposition to the Colossians 1637

ELTON, Edward. An exposition of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians, delivered in sundrysermons. By Edward Elton, minister of Gods word at St. Mary Magdalens Bermondsey, neere London.
London: printed for R. M[ab] by Anne Griffin, 1637.

Small folio; [8],726, [14] p. Third edition. A fine copy in original C17th calf, double blind ruled boards, recently rebacked, raised bands and red gilt label; some scratches and marks of worming; text within ruled border, some minor marks and waterstaining; engraved title page, ownership inscription to top of tp ‘John Troland’; contemporary manuscript annotation to flyleaf ‘A Hymn for the Lord Day morning […]’.
Edward Elton was a Puritan preacher who lived in England during the 17th century. He was known for his powerful sermons and his unwavering commitment to the Puritan cause. Elton’s publications were all founded on courses of sermons and catechetical exercises from his ministry in this crowded and poverty-stricken suburb in Bermondsey. These works were to earn him the admiration of Richard Baxter, who in 1667 placed Elton as one of the major figures from the great age of English puritan writing, alongside such as William Perkins, Richard Greenham, and John Dod. Elton was particularly active during the English Civil War, when he used his sermons to urge his followers to support the parliamentary cause. He was also an outspoken critic of the monarchy and a proponent of religious reform. Despite facing persecution from the authorities, Elton remained steadfast in his beliefs until his death in 1662.

Today, he is remembered as one of the most influential Puritan preachers of his time.
Inheriting her printing house from her husband, Edward Griffith, Anne was a successful business owner, with wide-ranging personal and professional networks. The staunchly protestant Anne Griffin was active at the intersection of print, religious affiliations and politics, part of a tiny minority of women who printed overtly controversial or seditious texts, increasingly puritan in nature. In 1637 she upset Archbishop Laud, religious advisor for King Charles I, by reprinting Thomas Becon’s ‘Displaying of the Popish Masse’. He threatened to end her printing business but did not succeed. Her business was later passed down to her son, and eventually to her daughter-in-law, Sarah Griffith.
USTC 3019367; ESTC S114102