GROTIUS, HUGO. - FIRST TEXTBOOK IN CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS.

De Veritates Religionis Christianae. Editio Nova, additis annotationibus, in quibus testimonia. 2 Vols.

Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden), 1640. 12mo. Bound in one contemp. full vellum. Small spots to vellum. MS-title on spine faint. (6),327,(7);372 pp. Light marginal browning. From the library of the Danish zoologist Henrik Krøyer.

Early edition of this famous work arguing for the truth of Christianity and aiming to convert Muslims and Jews to Christianity.

While in Paris, Grotius set about rendering into Latin prose a work which he had compiled in prison, providing rudimentary yet systematic arguments for the truth of Christianity. (Showcasing Grotius' skill as a poet, the earlier Dutch version of the work, Bewijs van den waren Godsdienst (pub. 1622), was written entirely in didactic verse.) The Latin work was first published in 1627 as De veritate religionis Christianae.

"It was the first Protestant textbook in Christian apologetics, and was divided into six books. Part of the text dealt with the emerging questions of historical consciousness concerning the authorship and content of the canonical gospels. Other sections of the work addressed pagan religion, Judaism and Islam. What also distinguished this work in the history of Christian apologetics is its precursor role in anticipating the problems expressed in Eighteenth century Deism, and that Grotius represents the first of the practitioners of legal or juridical apologetics in the defence of Christian belief. Hugely popular, the book was translated from Latin into English, Arabic, Persian and Chinese by Edward Pococke for use in missionary work in the East and remained in print until the end of the nineteenth century."(Wikipedia).

Order-nr.: 46021