The Court of the Gentiles: Or a Discourse touching the Original of Human Literature, both Philologie and Philosophie, From the Scriptures 7 Jewish Church. In order to a Demonstration of, I. The Perfection of God's Word, and Church Light. II. The Imperfection of Natures Light, and mischief of Vain Philosophie. III. The Right Use of Human Learning, and specially sound Philosophie. Part I. Of Philologie; Part II. Of Philosophie. Two volumes bound in one (Complete)

Oxford: Tho. Gilbert, 1672. Second edition, revised and enlarged (Part I); First edition (Part II). Hardcover. poor to vg. Octavo (8 x 6 1/4"). [36], 85, [3], 152, 115, [1]pp (Part I); [40], 448pp (Part II). Original full calf. Modern marbled endpapers. Decorative headpieces and initials.

Theophilus Gale (1628-1678) was an English educationalist, nonconformist and theologian of dissent. His major work, "The Court of the Gentiles," taking its name from the Court of the Gentiles in the Second Temple, appeared in parts in 1669, 1671 and 1676. "It takes the form of a storehouse of miscellaneous philosophical learning. It resembles the "Intellectual System" of Ralph Cudworth, though many regarded it as inferior. Gale's endeavour (based on a hint of Grotius) was to provide evidence that the foundation of European Christian philosophy is a distorted reproduction of Biblical truths. Just as Cudworth referred the Democritean doctrine of atoms to Moses as the original author, so Gale tries to show that the various systems of Greek thought may be traced back to Middle Eastern and South Asian sources. "The Court of the Gentiles" was attacked by the church and referred to as being chaotic and unsystematic. Biblical scholars claimed it lacked discrimination. Each of the four books is broken into multiple sections and the information organized into dozens of chapters. Most pages have dozens of references to previous authors, a flow of references woven into the text rather than being presented in footnotes." (From Wikipedia).

Binding darkened, taped along spine, and heavily rubbed along fore-edge (with abrasion to leather). Sporadic smudges to very first and very last leaves. Previous owner's Ex-Libris on front free endpaper (Wm. R. Blumenthal). Minor and sporadic age-toning/foxing throughout. Binding in overall poor, interior in good+ to very good condition.