[Spinoza (Benedictus de)] A Treatise Partly Theological, And Partly Political, Containing some few Discourses, To prove that the Liberty of Philosophizing (that is Making Use of Natural Reason) may be allow'd without any prejudice to Piety, or to the Peace of any Common-wealth, first English edition, lacks A1 (blank) and without the duplicated leaves of Contents which were incorrectly printed and discarded as in the British Library and Folger copies (see note below), title and last 4ff. slightly water-stained, some very slight worming in margins, slightly browned, numerous 18th century ink inscriptions in margins and endpapers of Peter Cranidge of Crowle and Eastoft in Lincolnshire, contemporary calf, rubbed, corners worn, joints splitting at head, [Van der Linde 13; Hertzberger 377; Wing S4985], 8vo, London, no publisher, 1689.

⁂ Printed preliminary leaves here matching BL and Folger copies. The Cambridge copy has two extra preliminary leaves owing to the insertion both of two defectively printed index leaves, erroneously using the content outline of chapter 14 for chapter 13 on one leaf and erroneously ending in chapter 19 on the second leaf, as well as two corrected versions of those index leaves, correctly ending in chapter 20 (the Cambridge copy is digitalised on Early English Books Online). In the BL copy, as here, the incorrect index leaves have been discarded in favour of the correct ones.

One of the most important texts in the history of modern thought. "Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise (1670) is one of the most important philosophical works of the early modern period. In it Spinoza discusses at length the historical circumstances of the composition and transmission of the Bible, demonstrating the fallibility of both its authors and its interpreters. He argues that free enquiry is not only consistent with the security and prosperity of a state but actually essential to them, and that such freedom flourishes best in a democratic and republican state in which individuals are left free while religious organizations are subordinated to the secular power. His Treatise has profoundly influenced the subsequent history of political thought, Enlightenment 'clandestine' or radical philosophy, Bible hermeneutics, and textual criticism more generally." - Part of Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy, 2007.