The Life of Hugo Grotius: With Brief Minutes of the Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of the NetherlandsButler, Charles
History
The Life of Hugo Grotius: With Brief Minutes of the Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of the Netherlands
Butler, Charles
Grotius, Hugo, 1583-1645; Netherlands -- History
"It was this work, that raised him up most enemies. We see by the
letters he wrote to his brother, that his best friends were afraid
lest they should be suspected of having some hand in the
publication of the books, in which he treated of Antichrist. 'If
you are afraid of incurring ill will, (he writes thus to his
brother), you may easily find people that are far from a factious
spirit, who will take care of the impression. Nothing has incensed
princes against those, who separated from the church of Rome, more
than the injurious names, with which the Protestants load their
adversaries; and nothing is a greater hindrance to that re-union,
which we are all obliged to labour after, in consequence of
Christ's precept and the profession we make of our faith in the
creed. Perhaps the Turk, who threatens Italy, will force us to it.
In order to arrive at it, we must first remove whatever obstructs a
mutual quiet hearing. I hope I shall find assistance in this pious
design. I shall not cease to labour in it, and shall rejoice to die
employed in so good a work.'
[Sidenote: His Treatise De Jure summarum potestatum, &c.]
"Reigersberg, Blaeu, Vossius himself, however much devoted to
Grotius, beheld with concern the printing of this book, because
they did not doubt but it would increase the number of his enemies.
Grotius informs his brother, of the uneasiness which Vossius gave
him on this subject. 'Among those, who wish this work destroyed,'
says he, 'I am astonished and grieved to see Vossius. Whence could
he have this idea? I imagine somebody has told him, that it would
injure the fortune of his children, if he approved of such books;
and that, on the contrary, he would find favour by hurting me. We
must therefore have recourse to Corcellius or Corvinus.' He
elsewhere complains of the too great timidity of this old friend,
who at bottom approved of Grotius's sentiments, but durst not own
them publicly, because he was not so independent as Grotius.
[Sidenote: CHAP. X. 1621-1634.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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