Thesaurus theologicus (A Theological Treasury)

Venice: Nicolaus Pezzana, 1762. First edition. Hardcover. Very good+. Complete set of 13 volumes (bound in 14: volume 7 in two parts), published between 1762 and 1763. Quarto. [viii] 580; [viii] 847; [viii] 454; [viii] 1307; [viii] 940; [viii] 679; [lxiv] (1-936), (939-1720); [viii] 972; [viii] 980; [viii] 1384; [viii] 756; [viii] 937; [viii] 506pp. Printer’s vignette to title-pages, head and tail-pieces throughout. Short worm-hole to inner margin (blank) of title-page to volume IV. Occasional touches of foxing. Bound in quarter-calf and orange cloth, spine in 6 compartments, title in gilt. Shelf-marks in pen to tail of spine and discreetly at foot of front cover (left-hand side). Slight bumping to head and tail of spines. Modern bookplates of the Writers Library. A very good set, crisp, clean, and stoutly-bound.

Major collection of works edited by the celebrated Jesuit savant Francesco Antonio Zaccaria (1714-1795) who succeeded Ludovico Antonio Muratori (1672-1750) as the ducal librarian at Modena. "His fame was so great that the most illustrious academies of Italy claimed his name for their registers. In Rome he became the literary historiographer of the Society, and had been so excellent an aid for Clement XIII in the fight against Gallicanism that the Pope assigned him a pension" (T.J. Campbell, The Jesuits). Amongst the authors (who include churchmen and controversialists, historians, philologists, and lawyers) are Antoine Arnauld (1612-1694), Joseph Biner (1697-1766), Benedict XIV (1675-1758), Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Jean Hardouin (1646-1729), Henry Holden (1596-1662), Lucas Holstenius (1596-1661), Jean Mabillon (1632-1707), Francesco Scipione Maffei (1675-1755), Giovanni Domenico Mansi (1692-1769), Onofrio Panvinio (1530-1568), Bernardo de Rossi (1687-1775), and Jacques Sirmond (1559-1651). A wide range of subjects include Benedict Spinoza, Calvinism, Jansenism, usury, law, and early church history and ritual.

Provenance: Bookplates of Writers Library, London. Full title: Thesaurus thelogicus: In quo Natalis Alexandri, Dionysii Petavii, Jacobi Sirmondi, Johannis Mabillonii, Petri Coustantii, Gabrielis Danielis, Henrici Cardinalis Norisii, Johannis Garnerii, Aliorumque Clarissimorum Virorum Dissertationes Theologico-Historico-Criticae exhibentur ad ordinem tum Tractatuum Theologicorum, seu Summae Angelici Doctoris S. Thomae, tum materiarum ad singulos Tractatus pertinentium dispositae / Socius Academiarum Ecclesiasticarum Lucensis, et Auximanae Opuscula collegit, in ordinem digessit, atque adnotationibus subinde illustravit.