Puritan History
The Christian Philosopher a Collection of the Best Discoveries in Nature with Religious Improvements
The Christian Philosopher a Collection of the Best Discoveries in Nature with Religious Improvements
By: Cotton Mather
PBK.003385
Printed Book
1721
England
English
Printed on Paper
8 1/16 × 5 1/8 × 1 1/8 in. (20.5 × 13 × 2.8 cm)
Not on View
Cotton Mather was a Puritan minister who wrote on a wide range of scientific matters, from botany, medicine, and anatomy, to astronomy and physics. Mather’s interest in natural philosophy stemmed from his belief that discoveries in nature revealed God’s wisdom and power. In The Christian Philosopher, he reflects on some of the most important recent scientific discoveries in nature, claiming that “philosophy [science] is no enemy, but a mighty and wondrous incentive to religion.” Mather played an important role in introducing the revolutionary physics of Isaac Newton to North America, and he became one of the earliest colonists elected to the Royal Society.
Printed in 1721 by Emanuel Matthews, London, England. Acquired by 1784 by John Ryland Sr., unknown location; Acquired in 1784 by John Ryland Jr., unknown location.[1] Acquired by 1866 by John Lee, Buckinghamshire, England.[2] Acquired by 1992 by William Reese Company, New Haven, Connecticut; Purchased in 1992 by Ted Steinbock, private collector, Louisville, Kentucky; Privately purchased in 2020 by Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Notes: [1] John Ryland Jr. inscribed a note on the front pastedown that states, “John Ryland junior, book of his Father Feb. 28 1784.” It is possible this was the same John Ryland Jr. who co-founded the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792 and who served as president of Bristol Baptist College in Bristol, England, from 1793 to 1825. His father, John Collett Ryland, was also a Baptist minister. However, more research is needed. [2] John Lee’s armorial bookplate, with the motto, “Verum Atque Decens,” is located on the front pastedown under Ryland’s inscription. Lee was an English barrister, mathematician, astronomer, and antiquarian, serving as president of the Royal Astronomical Society between 1861 and 1863. Born John Fiott, he took the name Lee after the death of his uncle William Lee Antonie, who specified that John adopt the name in order to receive his inheritance. Lee’s library was sold at auction at Sotheby’s in 1876. However, it is unclear if this book was sold at that time.
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