Scriptum Divi Thomae Aquinatis Doctoris Angelici, in Quatuor Libros Sententiarum Magistri Petri Lombardi; D. Thomae Aquinatis Doctoris Angelici Scriptum Complectens in Tertium et Quartum Sententiarum Magistri Petri Lombardi [= The Commentaries [or Writings] of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Four Sentences of Peter Lombard]; Quorum Distinctiones, ac Questiones Sequens Ostendit Index

Venetiis; Romae: Haeredem Hieronymi Scoti; Iulium Accoltum, 1586. Later editions. Hardcover. Very Good. 2 vol. Folio. [12], 1-149 (foliated leaves); [12], 1-269 (foliated leaves) pp. Later full vellum with manuscript hand on the spines; all edges decoratively stained blue. Later endpapers, though volume two retains an original rear endpaper. This is a married set, with volume two likely from a larger set of the complete works of St. Thomas Aquinas. Text in Latin. A few publisher's devices and engraved initials illustrate this set. Adams 1454. Aertsen, "Aquinas' Philosophy in its Historical Setting", Cambridge Companion to Aquinas 16. Encyclopedia Britannica, "Peter Lombard: French bishop". Graesse 139. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Thomas Aquinas". We could not locate the 1570 volume in Adams or Graesse. It is highly difficult to find all four books of this early work of St. Thomas Aquinas. Composed from 1252 until 1256, these commentaries are dense and systematic. They were written while Aquinas held the position of bachelor of theology, and continued into his first term as master of theology. This work constitutes what we would think of today as Aquinas' Ph.D.: thus it is his first major text. The organizational scheme of Aquinas' commentaries on Lombard differs from what Lombard set down in his own work: Aertsen argues that Aquinas' circular notion of reality and existential beings has its origins in Neoplatonism, a contrast to St. Augustine's influence on Lombard. Several theologians wrote commentaries on the writings of Peter Lombard, but Aquinas' is special because it helped to elevate his reputation in the church and in the academic sphere. Aquinas' perspective on Lombard's theology comes from 100 years later (though both men wrote these works in France), and it demonstrates his own early theological ideas and notions. Lombard's work discusses topics like God, the Trinity, divine guidance, evil, predestination, angels, demons, the Fall of man, grace, sin, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the redemption of sins, virtues, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments and many other weighty questions of Christian doctrine. The reception of Lombard's work on the sacraments was especially warm. Taken together these commentaries represent the work of two scholars, one in conversation with the other. These books are the product of two medieval writers who grappled with ponderous questions and debates that raged in the most powerful institution of medieval Europe. The two title pages in volume one each have repairs to them, a previous owner from long ago may have excised library stamps and then mended the leaves. Eight or so other leaves of the set have repairs to a margin or a corner, different from the title page mends. Volume two's front hinge gently cracked but holding, its title page and next few leaves have minor worming. The set with a few unobtrusive historical ink marks from private owners. Overall the vellum bindings are beautiful, and these volumes represent a lovely example of early printing in Europe.