4to. Frontispiece, (XLVI),584,L,116,(36) p., 2 folding maps. Vellum. 26.5 cm (Ref: STCN ppn 82986403, STCN does not mention the cancel of leaf 2Y4, p. 359/360, which our copy has; OiN p. 180) (Details: Title printed in red & black. The frontispiece by J.C. Philips depicts an allegorical scene of the battle between False and True Religion. 15 engravings in the text, 2 folding maps, 43x30 cm, of the Roman empire under Constantine the Great, and of Asia Minor) (Condition: Vellum wrinkled & soiled. Back worn. The vellum seems ill-fitting, it looks as if the binder has tried to make the vellum of an other book fit to this binding. The interior is ok. New endpapers. The maps are slightly waterstained) (Note: Eusebius Caesariensis, ca. 263-339, became bishop of Caesarea in 313, shortly after the Great Persecution of christians, which lasted from 303 till 313. Eusebius was not an original thinker or historian. Nevertheless, he has 'mit Gelehrsamkeit und gründlicher Quellenkenntnis zu vielen Gebieten Beachtliches in einer grossen Anzahl von Schriften beigetragen'. (N.P. 4,310) The most important of his works is his 'Historia Ecclesiastica', the History of the Church. The first 7 books run up to 280 A.D., books 8 & 9 describe the Great Persecution, and book 10 offers the events from 313 till 324; Eusebius developped the idea that a christian emperor has, as a successor of Christ, divine power. § This is the first Dutch translation of this work. The book contains also a translation of the appendix to book 8, 'De martyribus Palestinae'. Then follows a translation of 50 p. of Hieronymus' Latin version of the 'Chronicon' of Eusebius, and of its continuation by Hieronymus. At the end 116 p. of annotations by Vander Meersch. § Abraham Arent vander Meersch, 1720-1792, was professor of Theology and Church history at Amsterdam. He lectured also on philosophy. He was succeeded by Daniel Wyttenbach in 1771. (See for a vita NNBW vol. 10; and 'Gedenkboek van het Athenaeum en de Universiteit van Amsterdam 1632-1932', p. 684) (Collation: *-6*4 (frontispiece after leaf *1, minus blank leaf 6*4), A-2X4, 2Y4 (cancel leaf 2Y4), 2Z-3A4, 3B4 (leaf chi 1 after 3B3), 3C-4D4; a-f4, g2 (minus blank leaf g2); A-T4 (2 maps after leaf P2)) (Photographs on request) (Heavy book, may require extra shipping costs)