JOHANNIS CALVINI MAGNI THEOLOGI INSTITUTIONUM CHRISTIANAE RELLIGIONIS LIBRI QUATOR EDITIO POSTREMA Innumeris mendis, quibus priores omnes hactenus scatuere, repurgata ac genuino nitori restituta. CUM Indicibus, longe quam ante, auctioribus, accuratioribus. Praemissa est Vita ejusdem Calvini, Authore Theodoro Beza.; Johannis Calvini, Magni Theologi, Institutionum Christianae Religionis Libri Quatuor: Editio Postrema, Innumeris Mendis, Quibus Priores Omnes Hactenus Scatuêre, Repurgata Ac Genuino Nitori Restituta: Cum Indicibus, Longe Quam Ante, Auctoribus, Accuratioribus: Praemissa Est Vita Ejusdem Calvini, Authore Theodore Beza
Geneva: 1654. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. A Very Good to Very Good + copy of these separate works of the renowned Protestant Reformer John Calvin, here published together in 1654. In English we would render the title as "The Four Books of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by the Great Theologian John Calvin. The Last Edition cleansed and restored with true splendor from the countless errors, with which all prior editions up to this point were gushing. With indexes, lengthier and more accurate by far compared with those before. It is prefaced with the life of the very same Calvin by the author Theodor Beza." The book is bound in white vellum with a buttressed spine and shows some general wear and soiling. Wikipedia has excellent in formation on both Calvin (1509-1564), who was a major leader of the Protestant Reformation, and on Beza (1519-1605) who was another leading French Calvinist Protestant theologian and scholar who also played an important role in the Reformation, was a follower and colleague of Calvin, and who became spiritual leader in Geneva following Calvin's death. Copies of this noted compilation are SCARCE to the Market. Beza was of Nobel birth, earned a degree in law. He much preferred Literature to Law and became a notable person in literary circles and enjoyed reading the ancient classics, especially works of Ovid, Catullus, and Tibullus.
LARGELY PER WIKIPEDIA:
"In 1548 he published a collection of Latin poetry, Juvenilia, which made him famous, and he was considered one of the best writers of Latin poetry of his time.
Shortly after the publication of his book, he fell ill and his illness, it is reported, revealed to him his spiritual needs. Gradually he came to accept salvation in Christ, which lifted his spirits. He then resolved to sever his connections of the time, and went to Geneva, the French city of refuge for Evangelicals (adherents of the Reformation movement), where he arrived with Claudine on October 23, 1548....He was received by John Calvin, who had met him already in Wolmar's house, and was married in the church. Beza was at a loss for immediate occupation so he went to Tübingen to see his former teacher Wolmar. On his way home, he visited Pierre Viret at Lausanne, who brought about his appointment as professor of Greek at the academy there in November 1549....Beza found time to write a Biblical drama, Abraham Sacrifiant , in which he contrasted Catholicism with Protestantism, and the work was well received. The text of some verses includes directions for musical performance, but no music survives. After Clément Marot's death in 1544, John Calvin asked Beza to complete his French metrical translations of the Psalms. Thirty-four of his translations were published in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter, and six more were added to later editions. About the same time he published Passavantius, a satire directed against Pierre Lizet, the former president of the Parlement of Paris, and principal originator of the "fiery chamber" (chambre ardente), who, at the time (1551), was abbot of St. Victor near Paris and publishing a number of polemical writings. Of a more serious character were two controversies in which Beza was involved at this time. The first concerned the doctrine of predestination and the controversy of Calvin with Jerome Hermes Bolsec. The second referred to the burning of Michael Servetus at Geneva on October 27, 1553. In defense of Calvin and the Genevan magistrates, Beza published, in 1554, the work De haereticis a civili magistratu puniendis (translated into French in 1560)..... Portrait of Theodore Beza, by English School, 17th century
In 1557, Beza took a special interest in the Waldensians of Piedmont, Italy, who were being harassed by the French government. On their behalf, he went with William Farel to Bern, Zürich, Basel, and Schaffhausen, then to Strasburg, Mömpelgard, Baden, and Göppingen. In Baden and Göppingen, Beza and Farel made a declaration concerning the Waldensians' views on the sacrament on May 14, 1557. The written declaration clearly stated their position and was well received by the Lutheran theologians, but was strongly disapproved of in Bern and Zurich.... In the autumn of 1558, Beza undertook a second journey with Farel to Worms by way of Strasburg in the hopes of bringing about an intercession by the Evangelical princes of the empire in favor of the persecuted brethren at Paris. With Melanchthon and other theologians then assembled at the Colloquy of Worms, Beza proposed a union of all Protestant Christians, but the proposal was decidedly denied by Zurich and Bern.... False reports reached the German princes that the hostilities against the Huguenots in France had ceased and no embassy was sent to the court of France. As a result, Beza undertook another journey with Farel, Johannes Buddaeus, and Gaspard Carmel to Strasburg and Frankfurt, where the sending of an embassy to Paris was resolved upon.
Upon his return to Lausanne, Beza was greatly disturbed. In union with many ministers and professors in city and country, Viret at last thought of establishing a consistory and of introducing a church discipline which should apply excommunication especially at the celebration of the communion. But the Bernese, then in control of Lausanne, would have no Calvinistic church government. This caused many difficulties, and Beza thought it best in 1558, to settle at Geneva. Here he was given chair of Greek in the newly established academy, and after Calvin's death also that of theology. He was also obliged to preach.
He completed the revision of Pierre Olivetan's translation of the New Testament, begun some years before. In 1559, he undertook another journey in the interest of the Huguenots, this time to Heidelberg. At about the same time, he had to defend Calvin against Joachim Westphal in Hamburg and Tilemann Heshusius.
More important than this polemical activity was Beza's statement of his own confession. It was originally prepared for his father in justification of his actions and published in revised form to promote Evangelical knowledge among Beza's countrymen. It was printed in Latin in 1560 with a dedication to Wolmar. An English translation was published at London 1563, 1572, and 1585. Translations into German, Dutch, and Italian were also issued.
Events of 1560–63
In the meantime, things took such shape in France that the happiest future for Protestantism seemed possible. King Antoine of Navarre, yielding to the urgent requests of Evangelical noblemen, declared his willingness to listen to a prominent teacher of the Church. Beza, a French nobleman [citation needed] and head of the academy in the metropolis of French Protestantism, [citation needed] was invited to Castle Nerac, but he could not plant the seed of Evangelical faith in the heart of the king.
In the following year, 1561, Beza represented the Evangelicals at the Colloquy of Poissy, and in an eloquent manner defended the principles of the Evangelical faith.[2] The colloquy was without result, but Beza as the head and advocate of all Reformed congregations of France was revered and hated at the same time. The queen insisted upon another colloquy, which was opened at St. Germain Jan. 28, 1562, eleven days after the proclamation of the famous January edict, which granted important privileges to those of the Reformed faith. But the colloquy was broken off when it became evident that the Catholic party was preparing (after the Massacre of Vassy, on March 1) to overthrow Protestantism.
Beza hastily issued a circular letter (March 25) to all Reformed congregations of the empire, and went to Orléans with the Huguenot leader Conde and his troops. It was necessary to proceed quickly and energetically. But there were neither soldiers nor money. At the request of Conde, Beza visited all Huguenot cities to obtain both. He also wrote a manifesto in which he argued the justice of the Reformed cause. As one of the messengers to collect soldiers and money among his coreligionists, Beza was appointed to visit England, Germany, and Switzerland. He went to Strasburg and Basel, but met with failure. He then returned to Geneva, which he reached September 4. He had hardly been there fourteen days when he was called once more to Orléans by D'Andelot. The campaign was becoming more successful; but the publication of the unfortunate edict of pacification which Conde accepted (Mar. 12,1563) filled Beza and all Protestant France with horror.
A RATHER NICE COPY OF A SCARCE AND IMPORTANT WORK. VERY GOOD OR BETTER. Item #3910
Price: $3,750.00