De veritate religionis christianæ - Grotius, Hugo 1583-1645 (Oxford Sheldonian Theatre, 1675)
Hugo/Huig de Groot (1583-1645) was a Dutch humanist
Grotius composed a poem titled "Bewijs van den waren godsdienst" in a prison cell in 1620 after having been arrested by Prince Mauris. 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. The Latin version of this poem, De Veritate Religionis Christianae ("On the Truth of the Christian Religion"), was later published in 1627.” The work contains six "books" with the first three touting the merits of Christianity, and the last three attacking paganism, Judaism, and Islam, respectively
Original Dutch version printed in 1622
Ex libris Simon Browne (ms.)
Keywords: 17th Century (1601-1700); Religion; Rhetoric; Crescendo; Netherlands