Octavius, in quo agitur veterum christianorum causa [...].

8vo: [48]-97 [= 95] pp. (occ. ms. marginalia).

17th-c. overl. limp vellum, ink-titled flat spine, (later?) red edges.

Rare first edition of a dialogue on Christanity between the pagan Caecilius Natalis and the Christian Octavius Januarius at the use for non-Christians, edited by François Bauduin. The arguments are mainly borrowed from Christian material, Greek Apologists, but also from the "De natura deorum" by Cicero and the "Aléthès Logos" by Celsius. The text was already published in 1543 but erroneously as last volume of Arnobius' "Adversus nationes". Minucius was one of the first Latin apologists for Christianity.
Ref. VD16 M-5423. - Adams M-1467. - STC German 622.
Bound with: 1. Hotman, Fr. - De statu primitivae ecclesiae, eiusque sacerdotiis [...]. Hierapolis [i.e. Geneva], J. Crespin, 1554. 111-[5] pp. (marg. damp stains). Very rare second edition by the protestant lawyer Hotman (1524-1590) written in the context of the polemics between jurisconsult Charles Du Moulin and lawyer Raymond Leroux, Hotman's work responding to Leroux's "In Molinaeum pro pontifice maximo totoque ordine sacro defensio". Hotman probably worked for Du Moulin in the years 1540. He was in contact with Fr. Bauduin since 1546. Ref. GLN 1570. - Gilmont 53/8. - Adams H-1077. - Not in STC German. - 2. Bauduin, Fr. - Responsio christianorum iurisconsultorum ad Fr. Duareni commentarios de Minestiriis ecclesiae atq[ue] beneficiis, & alias eius Declamationes [...]. Strasbourg, Chr. Mylius, 1556. 160 pp. (sl. damp stain on 2 first ff., occ. ms. marginalia). Very rare first edition by the French jurist and Christian controversialist Bauduin (1520-1573). Ref. VD16 B-781. - Not in Adams, STC French.