The Truth of the Christian Religion with Jean Le Clerc's Notes and Additions

Book I

29 To the Honourable Hieronymus Bignonius,1 His Majesty’s Sollicitor in the chief court of PARIS. u b o ok i u Sect. I. The Occasion of this Work. You have frequently enquired of me, worthy Sir, (whom I know to be a Gentleman that highly deserves the Esteem of your Country, of the learned World, and, if you will allow me to say it, of myself also;) what the Substance of those Books is, which I wrote in defence of the Christian Religion, in my own Language.2 Nor do I wonder at your Enquiry; For you, who have with so great Judgment read every thing that is worth reading, cannot but be sensible with how much Philosophick Nicety (a) Raemundus Sebundus, with what entertain-ing Dialogues Ludovicus Vives, and with how great Eloquence your Mornaeus, have illustrated this Matter. For which Reason it might seem more useful, to translate some 1. Jérôme Bignon (see note 6 above). 2. The first version of Grotius’s work on the truth of the Christian religion was written in the form of a Dutch poem, Bewijs van den waren godsdienst (“Proof of the True Religion”). See p. xii and note 2 of the introduction. a. Raemundus Sebundus, &c.] These were the chief Writers upon this Subject in Grotius’s Time; but since then a great Number have wrote concerning the Truth of the Christian Religion, especially in French and English; moved thereto by the Example of Grotius, whom they imitated, and sometimes borrowed from him: So that the Glory of so pious and necessary a Method of Writing chiefly redounds to him. Le Clerc. 30 the truth of the chr isti an r eligion of them into our own Language, than to undertake any thing new upon this Subject. But though I know not what Judgment others will pass upon me, yet have I very good Reason to hope that you, who are so fair and candid a Judge, will easily acquit me, if I should say, that after having read not only the fore-mentioned Writings, but also those that have been written by the Jews in behalf of the antient Jewish Dispensation, and those of Christians for Christianity, I chuse to make use of my own Judgment, such as it is; and to give my Mind that Liberty which at present is denied my Body; For I am persuaded that Truth is no other way to be defended but by Truth, and That such as the Mind is fully satisfied with; it being in vain to attempt to persuade others to that which you yourself are not convinced of: Wherefore I selected, both from the Antients and Moderns, what appeared to me most conclusive; leaving such Arguments as seemed of small Weight, and rejecting such Books as I knew to be spurious, or had Reason to suspect to be so. Those which I approved of, I explained and put in a regular Method, and in as popular a manner as I could, and likewise turned them into Verse, that they might the easier be remembred . For my Design was to undertake something which might be useful to my Countrymen, especially Seamen, that they might have an Opportunity to employ that Time which in long Voyages lies upon their Hands, and is usually thrown away: Wherefore I began with an Encomium upon our Nation, which so far excells others in the Skill of Navigation ; that by this means I might excite them to make use of this Art, as a peculiar Favour of Heaven; not only to their own Profit, but also to the propagating the Christian Religion: For they can never want Matter, but in their long Voyages they will every where meet either with Pagans as in China or Guinea; or Mahometans, as in the Turkish and Persian Empires, and in the Kingdoms of Fez and Morocco; and also with Jews who are the professed Enemies of Christianity, and are dispersed over the greatest part of the World; And there are never wanting prophane Persons, who, upon occasion, are ready to scatter their Poison amongst the Weak and Simple, which Fear had forced them to conceal: Against all which Evils, my Desire was, to have my Countrymen well fortified; that they who have the best parts, might employ them in confuting Errors; and that the other would take heed of being seduced by them. book...