Gerardus Vossius - Historiae de Controversiis quas Pelagius(...) - 1618

The rare first edition of this important work. In contemporary full parchment binding.
From the library of S.H. Turner (1790-1861), professor of Hebrew at the General Theological Seminary Episcopal Church in New York. With an inscription on the flyleaf.

Condition: Stains on the cover, library stamps/written endpapers/various names in old handwriting on the title page, it appears that on 2 pages some Tippex has been erased (see photos). The interior shows stains/discoloration, but overall a very good copy. Photos are part of the description.

Sent registered and insured.


Rare first edition of Vossius's study on (semi-)Pelagianism.

Gerardus Vossius (1577-1649) was a Dutch classical theologian known for being one of the first to treat theological dogmas and non-Christian religions from a historical perspective, rather than the more accepted theological view. His first significant work was 'Historiae de Controversiis quas Pelagius' or 'History of Pelagianism Controversy.'



Free will had been one of the more accepted practices in the Christian religion. Church fathers such as Jerome and Justin Martyr were some of the earliest to write on its importance. However, Pelagianism (the idea that original sin does not taint the soul) was the topic of choice for Vossius in his first book.



Originally written in 1618