Author: NIEUWENTYT, Bernard.- NIEUWENTIJDT.-
Title: L'existence / de Dieu, / demontrée / par les merveilles / de la nature / en trois parties; / Ou l'on trait de la structure du / Corps de l'homme, des Elemens, des Atres, & de leurs / divers effets'/ .. avec des figures en taille-douce.
Description: Amsterdam, Chez Jean Paulli, Libraire, 1727. 4to. W. title printed in red and black, engr. portrait [Van Gunst sc. after Valkenburg], engr. front., engr. vignette on title, a number of woodc. endpieces and initials, 1 letterpress table on pp. 172-173 & 28 folding engr. pls. Excellent contemporary full overlapping vellum, title in ink on spine. [n4, *1, X2, (a) - (e)4, (f)4 (-f4); A - 4E4, 4F2]. (VIII (Portrait, Front., half title, printed title), IV (preface), (1) - 46 pp; (1) - 584, XII (Index) pp.). (Edges of bookblock speckled blue.). (Some quires w. light occasional (marginal) foxing (incl. a number of the plates), a few quires (notably towards the end) some some light to medium browning, portr. & front. light browning.). But overall a very good and fine contemp vellum bound copy. (Ex bibl. scient. SJ Namur; small stamp on printed title, verso title idem an oval stamp of the same; upper paste down remnants of bookplate and shelfmark?; A small paper ticket lower righthand corner of upper paste down identifying a former owner, i.c. antiquarian booksellers 'de Pampiere Wereld' Salomon Meyer, Amsterdam, Kalverstraat 12, the telephone number without the '6' prefix, indicating 1980ties.). Very good copy of this important Nieuwentyt item. Nieuwentijdt was a Dutch physician, philosopher and mathematician, early Dutch adherent of the so named 'fysico - theologie', which sought to prove God's existence or characteristics from the concrete empirical study of natural processes, and important Dutch advocate of the Enlightenment. Lindeboom, DMB c 1425 - 1426: [1654 - 1718]. Medical practice in Purmerend, Mayor, Cartesianist, anti Spinozist and 'known to have used the microscope...' Translation of his 'Regt gebruik der wereltbeschouwingen...'[1715 - .. 1759 in numerous eds.]. Translation into French by P. Noguez in 1725 Paris in 4to as 'L'existence de Dieu demontrée par la structure du corps humain...' which explains the author's intentions quite well. 'Nieuwentijdt tried to prove the existence of God from the wonders of Nature; he used the anatomical illustrations of Haller and the text of Pieter Verheyen.': R.H. Vermij, 'Bernard Nieuwentijt en de physico- theologie' [Doc. blad werkgroep 18e eeuw, Jaargang 1988, p. 215 e.v.: 'Bernard Nieuwentijt was the most authoritative spokesman of physico-theology in Holland. .. He wrote his main work before he became acquianted with the works of Fénelon, Ray and Derham... [he] not only defended the existence of a personal and providential God, but also the authority of a strictly literal interpretation of Scripture. As he defended these on the basis of of modern experimental philosophy, he entered the realm of physico - theology. But, because of the message transmitted, it is physico-theology of a rather particular brand. It is, however, in this particular form that physico-theology became popular in Holland.': Bots, Tussen Descartes en Darwin. Geloof en Natuurwetenschap in de 18e eeuw in Nederland [Assen, 1972], pp. ....: Eric Jorink, 'Het Boeck der Nature' [2006] 'Nederlandsche geleerden en de wonderen van Gods schepping 1575 - 1715'pp. 419 - 421: Huib Zuidervaart, 'Van 'Konstgenoten' en Hemelse Fenomenen' [Thesis, 1999, Erasmus publ.], pp. 27-29; 71, '... [de] benaderingswijze van vrome godsverheerlijking door natuurstudie was gericht tegen het extreme rationalisme, zoals men meende dat dit door Descartes en zijn epigonen werd gepredikt... de vorm waarin de newtoniaanse natuurkunde buiten de 'geleerde wereld' gestalte kreeg... : Steef Post, 'De bekering van Bernard Nieuwentijt...' [Doc. blad werkgroep 18e eeuw, 1993, pp. 211 - 214:

Keywords: physics astronomy mathematics Cartesianism Z10