Difference between revisions of "De Veritate Religionis Christianae"

Revision as of 09:16, 15 September 2015

by Hugo Grotius

De Veritate Religionis Christianae
Title page from De Veritate Religionis Christianae, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary.
Author	Hugo Grotius
Editor	{{{editor}}}
Translator	{{{trans}}}
Published	Amstelaedami: Apud Henricum Wetstenium
Date	1696
Edition	Editio novissima
Language	Latin
Volumes	{{{set}}} volume set
Pages	[8], 296
Desc.	8vo (16 cm.)
Location	Shelf B-1
	[[Shelf {{{shelf2}}}]]

Half-title.

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) is often touted as the "Father of International Law."^[1] Grotius influenced thinkers like John Locke with his ideas of international law as natural law, or principles derived inherently from the human nature or human reason.^[2] Grotius also wrote extensively on maritime law and the law of war.

Grotius composed a poem titled "Bewijs van den waren godsdienst" in a prison cell in 1620 after having been arrested by Prince Mauris.^[3] This didactic poem, whose title translates as "Proof of the True Religion," was first published in 1622 as a defense of Christianity against other religions and atheism.^[4]The Latin version of this poem, De Veritate Religionis Christianae ("On the Truth of the Christian Religion"), was later published in 1640.”^[5] The work contains six "books" with the first three touting the merits of Christianity, and the last three attacking paganism, Judaism, and Islam, respectively.^[6]

Headpiece, first page of text.

Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

Listed in the Jefferson Inventory of Wythe's Library as Grotius de veritate religionis Christianae. 8vo. and given by Thomas Jefferson to his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph. Later appears on Randolph's 1832 estate inventory as "'Grotius on Christ: Religion (latin)' ($1.50 value)." We do not have enough information to conclusively identify which edition Wythe owned. George Wythe's Library^[7] on LibraryThing indicates this without naming a specific edition. The Brown Bibliography^[8] lists the 1745 duodecimo edition published in Glasgow. Jefferson listed the volume as an octavo, but we do not know the precise edition owned by Wythe. The Wolf Law Library purchased a copy of the 1696 octavo edition published in Amsterdam.

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Bound in contemporary vellum with manuscript title and "626" or "bzb" on spine. Purchased from Daniel Thierstein.

View the record for this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

See also

• George Wythe Room
• Jefferson Inventory
• The Rights of War and Peace
• Wythe's Library

References

1. ↑ Sean Murphy, Principles of International Law, (Minnesota: Thompson West, 2006), chap. 3.
2. ↑ Jeremy Waldron, God, Locke, and Equality: Christian Foundations in Locke's Political Thought, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 189.
3. ↑ Jeremiah Hackett, reviewer, "Hugo Grotius as Apologist for the Christian Religion: A Study of His Work "De Veritate religionis christianae" (1640) by J. P. Heering; J. C. Grayson,” The Sixteenth Century Journal 38, no. 1 (Spring 2007): 164.
4. ↑ Ibid.
5. ↑ Ibid.
6. ↑ Ibid.
7. ↑ LibraryThing, s. v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on November 13, 2013.
8. ↑ 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.

External Links

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