ORIGINS OF MODERNITY

philosophy

Stillingfleet, Edward (1635-1699)
Origines sacrae, or, A rational account of the grounds of Christian faith, as to the truth and divine authority of the scriptures...
London : Printed by R.W.; for Henry Mortlock, 1662.

Stillingfleet's Origines sacrae defends the authenticity and credibility of the Scriptures in three books. The first attacks the unreliability of the non-biblical ancient sources, the second, defends the reliability of the Bible and the third book spells out a cosmogony or history of the formation of the world. (Some later cosmogonies are found elsewhere in the exhibition.) The work was extremely popular going through a number of editions. The posthumous 1702 edition contains much new material which shows the strong influence of the natural philosopher Robert Boyle.