A Curious and Valuable Manuscript on Theological Subjects

This volume appears to be a Seventeenth Century copybook of various arguments on theology, religion, and philosophy. It contains nine separate items bound together in one volume. Section one is a series of arguments on the nature of reason, with its end to prove that reason cannot be separate from God. This section is written in English. Section two is a series of two separate arguments written in Latin. The first series is ten sections long and the second series is six sections long. Section three, composed in a different handwriting than the previous sections, is a portion of a letter written in English to an unnamed Duchess. The letter’s author, someone who has been banished, pleads with the recipient to reject Catholicism. The letter is missing an unknown number of pages and begins in mid sentence. Section four is written in Latin and cites biblical scriptures directed toward Roman Catholic doctrine such as Purgatory, papal authority, and the sacraments. Section five, also written in Latin, is a question-and-answer format of theological questions. There are citations in the margins and some passages contain brief citations in Hebrew and Greek. Section six is a series of prayers written in English: “A Prayer for Heavenly Wisdom”; “A Prayer for expressing our sense of God’s infinite greatness and our owne [sic] vileness”; “A Prayer to...in mind of God’s omnipresence and omniscience”; “A Prayer for saving grace.” Section seven is a series of tables with Roman, Greek, and Arabic numbers. Section eight appears to be an English translation of a Latin text on Roman structures of command. Section nine is a Latin text on moral discipline.

On the spine of the volume is written "A Curious and Valuable M.S. on Theological Subjects: 1650." Written on the inside front cover is the name A.W. Miller and the date, April 8, 1869. It is assumed that A.W. Miller owned the volume at this time. The original compiler(s) of the volume is unknown.