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De religione gentilium, errorumque apud eos causis (On the Religion of the Gentiles and the Causes of Error Among Them) [ENRICHED WITH EXTENSIVE CONTEMPORARY BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ANNOTATIONS]

Herbert, Edward, Baron of Cherbury

Amsterdam: J. Blaeu, 1663. First edition. Hardcover. Small quarto. Signed: [pi]2, A-2G4 (= 122 leaves); [4], 231, [9, index]pp. Woodcut printer’s device at title; printed marginalia; extensive early eighteenth-century manuscript notes and bibliographical citations at the endleaves and margins; very faint library stamp at title. Contemporary vellum (with old ink stains), ruled in blind, manuscript numeral at spine; edges stained red. Some light foxing, otherwise a very good, crisp copy, with notable annotations.

First Edition of this posthumously published work by the diplomat and philosopher, Edward Herbert of Cherbury (1582?-1648), a noted forerunner of Deism. One of the earliest books on comparative theology, De Religione Gentilium was seen through the press at Amsterdam by one of the last great polymaths, Isaac Vossius. “Herbert’s religious doctrine starts with the assumption that religion, which is common to the human race, consists merely of the five innate ideas or axioms, that there is a God, that He ought to be worshipped, that virtue and piety are essential to worship, that man ought to repent of his sins, and that there are rewards and punishments in a future life. Herbert shows that all religions, Christian and pagan, are resolvable into these elements, and his method undoubtedly pointed the way to the science of comparative religion” (Lee). Harald Höffding reminds us that it is by no means easy to draw the line between the essential and the inessential in religion; to prove that all religions manisfest these five propositions would be impossible. “The mode of conception, however, which [Herbert] sketched in outline, is the work of a powerful hand and has come to be of great historical importance. The existence of a religious consciousness, which feels itself independent of all existing religious communities, and assumes a critical attitude over against them, was now proved.” An English translation by William Lewis (The Antient Religion of the Gentiles and Causes of their Errors Consider'd) was published at London in 1705.

Provenance and annotations: Faint old library stamp at title. The early eighteenth century marginal annotations on ten pages of the main text, along with substantial bibliographical notes in the same hand at the endleaves, front and back (appx. 800 words), suggest a reader well-versed in the study of pre-Christian religion. Apart from a reference to the Baron of Cherbury's De Veritate, Prout Distinguitur à Revelatione, à Verisimili, à Possibili, et à Falso (1656, 3rd ed.), most of the citations are dated after 1700, the latest appearing to be 1728. A sample of the works cited includes: Johann Georg Keyssler, Exercitatio Historico-philologica de Dea Nehalennia, Numine Veterum Walachrorum Topico, cui Accedit Conspectus Operis Edendi, de Germania Veterigentili, s. De Diis Veterum Celtarum Gentiumque Septentionalium (1717); Tobias Eckhard, Dissertatio Historico-Philologica De Templo Cappadociae Comano ad Locum Ciceronis in Oratione pro Lege Manilia C. IX. Resque Cappadociae Sacras et Prophanas Illustradas (1721); Sebastian Jacob Jungendres, Specimen Philologicum de Veterum Gentilium et Iudaeorum Theologia Mythica (1728); Theodor Christoph Ursin, De Religione Naturali, Cultuque Dei Vere Rationali, Commentatio Brevis (1728). Very good -. Item #49145

References: H. Höffding, A History of Modern Philosophy (London, 1924), p.68. S. Lee, The Life of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, intro. pp.xl-lvi. For G. J. Vossius’ correspondence with and influence on Herbert, see Rademaker, Vossius, p.250.

Price: $1,500.00