Pierre de Marca - Dissertationes Posthumae - 1669

Pierre de Marca (1594-1662) was a prominent Béarnais jurist-historian of the 17th century, initially president of the parliament of Navarre, then bishop of Couserans, archbishop of Toulouse, and ultimately appointed archbishop of Paris. He was a key figure in the relations between the monarchy of Louis XIII and Louis XIV and the Holy See. Trained in law and history, he became a major representative of state scholarship serving the religious and border policies of the kingdom, while remaining a canonist attentive to the balances between priesthood and civil power (moderate Gallicanism, concordance of powers).

Published under the full title Dissertationes posthumae, sacrae et ecclesiasticae, some of which in the French language are now first published from the author's autograph manuscript itself, these 'posthumous dissertations' gather several theological and canonical treatises that remained in manuscript form at the death of Pierre de Marca. The collection notably includes texts dedicated to the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the mass, the constitution of the patriarchate of Constantinople, and questions of ecclesiastical discipline, some in Latin, others in French, published for the first time based on the author's autographs. The work, which belongs to the tradition of major canon law treatises of the 17th century, also touches on sensitive topics such as sacramental marriage and the jurisdiction of the Church, which explains the debates it then provoked regarding the conformity of certain propositions and the positions taken by the editor Étienne Baluze (1630-1718) and Paul de Faget (1608-1688).

In-12, [12] leaves, 120 pages, 240 pages, [24] leaves, 83 pages, [11] pages, 60 pages, marbled tawny calfskin, ornately ribbed spine.

Slightly worn binding, minor damage to the headcap, frayed edges, darkening of the brown leather at the top, very light halo, institutional stamps on the title page, and other minor flaws.