Bull - Opera Omnia - 1703

NICAEA IN ARMS: BULL AND THE TOTAL DEFENSE OF THE TRINITY BETWEEN POLEMICS, ERUDITION, AND SYSTEM
Impressive theological collection, George Bull’s Opera Omnia represents one of the most solid attempts to reaffirm Trinitarian orthodoxy in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. In this volume patristic reflection becomes a polemical instrument and a systematic architecture: faith is not only professed but demonstrated through an erudite construction that unites history, philology, and theology. The book presents itself as a true doctrinal monument, conceived to resist rationalist drift and to consolidate a continuity between the primitive Church and modern tradition.
MARKET VALUE
Copies in folio of George Bull’s Opera Omnia generally range from 500 to 900 euros, with higher figures for well-preserved copies, with intact contemporary bindings and the presence of an engraved portrait.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full leather binding, spine with raised bands and decorated compartments, title on a label. Signs of wear. Front board detached. Engraved portrait of the author in the front matter. Double title pages: a general one for the Opera Omnia and a specific one for Defensio fidei Nicaenae. Text set in two columns. Some pages with browning and foxing. In ancient books, with a multigenerational history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 18; 296; 8; 84; 6; 120; 8; 108; 84; 10; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Opera Omnia.
London, Samuel Bridge, Richard Smith, 1703.
George Bull.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
George Bull’s Opera Omnia constitutes one of the most important contributions to Anglican theology in the early 18th century. At the heart of the work is the defense of the doctrine of the Trinity against anti-Trinitarian and rationalist currents, through a systematic use of patristic sources. Bull constructs a line of continuity between the early centuries of the Church and the theology of his own time, turning erudition into a tool of doctrinal legitimation.
The structure of the work reflects an organic conception of theological knowledge: not isolated treatises, but a coherent system, designed to offer a complete defense of the Christian faith at its most sensitive points.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
George Bull (1634–1710), Anglican bishop of St. David’s, was one of the leading English theologians of his time. A defender of Nicene orthodoxy, he rigorously opposed anti-Trinitarian currents, basing his arguments on a broad knowledge of the Church Fathers. His works enjoyed wide diffusion and profoundly influenced European theological debate.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Opera Omnia of George Bull were published at the beginning of the 18th century to systematize and make the author’s entire corpus accessible. The London edition of 1703 represents one of the first coherent collections of his works, intended for an academic and clerical audience. The diffusion was significant especially within Anglican and university circles.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN: copies of Georgii Bulli Opera Omnia, London 1703
WorldCat: Bull, George – Opera Omnia, London 1703
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares, I, p. 557
Brunet, Manuel du libraire, I, col. 1419
Lowndes, Bibliographer’s Manual of English Literature, I, p. 305
University library catalogs (Oxford, Cambridge) and European ecclesiastical collections