FOOTNOTES: 

[481] Ep. 24. p. 8.

[482] Ep. 595. p. 236.

[483] Ep. 402. p. 869.

[484] Ep. 454. p. 883.

[485] Ep. 539. p. 916.

[486] Parhasiana, t. 1. p. 161.

[487] Preface de l’Hist. de Hollande.

[488] Ep. 873. p. 384.

[489] Vie par Gassendi, l. 3. p. 182.

IX.  It was during his embassy that Grotius revised and enlarged his book Of the Truth of the Christian religion.  He had written a treatise on this subject in Dutch whilst a prisoner; and turning it afterwards into Latin, it had prodigious success.  In the year 1637 it had been translated into all languages[490], French, German, English, and even Greek.  The universal approbation this book met with, did not hinder Grotius’s enemies from doing all they could to depreciate it.  They said it contained the venom of Socinianism.  Voetius, among others, distinguished himself by his rage against it.  “It is surprising, says Grotius in a letter to his brother, October 22, 1637, that Voetius should think he sees what the Doctors of the Sorbonne, who examined the book, before it was printed, could not find in it.  Doth Cardinal Barbarinus, who recommended this work[491], and constantly carries it with him, favour Socinianism?  The Bishops of England have caused it to be translated into their language; the Ministers of Charenton have approved of it; a Lutheran has translated it; will he say these are all favourers of Socinianism?”

After this letter was written, Grotius learnt[492] that his book had been translated into Swedish.  He justifies himself again in a long letter written to Reigersberg December 19, 1637[493], “I have often doubted which was best, to answer the censures of fools and knaves, or resting in a good conscience to despise them.  I have constantly done the last; but your example makes me at present prefer the first:  you have defended me with so much friendship and steadiness, that if I should sit still, I might justly be accused of indolence.  My book of the Christian Religion is read with applause by pious and learned men, not only in the languages in which I composed it, but also in Swedish, French, German, and English.  Those who think it their interest that I should not pass for a good Christian, seek every pretext to hurt me:  they censure me for making use of Castellio’s version; but it is very certain that I had not seen it when I wrote my book.  I translated myself from the Hebrew and Greek all the passages of Scripture I employed.  They say I have interpreted something in the fifth Chapter of St. Mathew in the same manner as Socinus.  These simple people know not that my explanation is the same with what almost all the Greeks and Latins of greatest abilities and piety have adopted.  How many things are there in the same Chapter of St. Matthew, which I have explained quite different from Socinus?”