A complete set of Gisbertus Voetius’s monumental work on Reformed church polity and ecclesiastical practice, the most comprehensive statement of 17th-century Dutch Reformed ecclesiology.

Politicae Ecclesiasticae, Partis Primae. Libri duo Priores. WITH: Politicae Ecclesiasticae, Partis Primae. Libri duo Posteriores. WITH: Politicae Ecclesiasticae. Pars Secunda. Quatuor Libris Adornata. WITH: Politicae Ecclesiasticae. Pars Tertia & Ultima. Quatuor Libris adornata.

3 volumes in 4 bindings, (14) 1000 (60), (8) 970 (53), (12) 1139 (43), (16) 982 (34) p. Contemporary blind-stamped Vellum with 4 raised bands, 4°

One of the major works about ecclesiastical life was by the Dutch Reformed theologian Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676). Voetius became a minister at Vlijmen (1611) and later at Heusden (1617). He was a delegate to the Synod of Dort (1618–1619), where he strongly opposed the Arminians (Remonstrants). In 1634, he was appointed as the first professor of theology at the newly founded University of Utrecht, where he became one of the most influential figures in the Reformed Church of the Dutch Republic.

Published over several years in the mid-17th century, Politicae Ecclesiasticae is an exhaustive treatment of Reformed church government, discipline, and pastoral care, written in Latin for an academic and clerical audience. This set is among the most ambitious treatments of Reformed ecclesiology in the 17th century. It shaped church governance in the Dutch Republic, influenced Scottish Presbyterian polity, and informed Reformed practice in South Africa and colonial America. Complete sets are scarce due to the extended publication period over more than a decade.

Content & Themes:
Part I – Libri Duo Priores & Libri Duo Posteriores
Nature and necessity of ecclesiastical polity. The authority of Scripture in matters of church governance. Structure of the Reformed church (offices of minister, elder, and deacon). Local congregations, classes (regional assemblies), and synods. Admission to and suspension from the sacraments. The call, ordination, and duties of ministers.
Part II – Quatuor Libris Adornata
Church discipline in detail: correction, excommunication, restoration. Relations between the church and civil magistrates. Jurisdiction in doctrinal disputes. Handling of heresy, schism, and moral offense.
Part III – Quatuor Libris Adornata
Worship practices: preaching, sacraments, prayer, psalm-singing. The Sabbath and holy days. Regulations for church property and finances. Special pastoral cases: marriage, funerals, catechesis. Missionary activity and the propagation of the gospel.

The spines of all volumes are partly restored. With the folding table in the second volume. A fine set.
Literature: G. Voetius, Politicae Ecclesiasticae (Utrecht, 1663–1676). A. de Groot, Gisbertus Voetius (1589–1676): Zijn leven en werken. W.J. van Asselt et al., Introduction to Reformed Scholasticism (2008). D. Sinnema, The Polity of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands.