The Laws of the African Church
Presentation Copy
JUSTEL, Christofle.
Codex canonum ecclesiae Africanae. Christophorus Iustellus ex MSS codicibus edidit, Graecam versionem adiunxit, et notis illustravit. Paris, Abraham Pacard, 1615.
8vo, pp. [8], 47, [1, blank], 379, [1, blank], 160, [61], [3, blank]; the main text with Latin and Greek on facing pages, woodcut device to title, woodcut initials and headpieces; some light marginal damp-staining at the beginning, occasional light creasing; a very good copy in contemporary vellum, title in manuscript to spine; the text block projecting slightly at fore-edge, spine dusty, area of loss to one corner of rear cover; ownership inscriptions to title ‘W. Parisos’(?) and ‘Ex dono Chr. Justelli Laur Bochellus C. V. 1615’ with motto ‘Non sine Numine'.
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Codex canonum ecclesiae Africanae. Christophorus Iustellus ex MSS codicibus edidit, Graecam versionem adiunxit, et notis illustravit.
Second edition (first 1614) of this dual language collection of canons of the early African Church edited by the ecclesiastical historian Christofle Justel (1580–1649), this copy presented by him to the legal scholar Laurent Bouchel (1559–1629).
The text, dedicated to the historian and book collector Jacques Auguste de Thou, comprises the canons issued by the celebrated Council of Carthage of 419 (when the claims of Rome to exercise jurisdiction over Africa were strongly contested), followed by canons resulting from other fourth- and fifth-century Councils, in Hippo, Milevis, and Carthage. Justel’s extensive notes and observations on these canons follow, and the work concludes with a series of indexes not found in the first edition.
Justel, who served as secretary to Henri IV and who helped establish a public library at Sedan, published several other collections of canons.
Laurent Bouchel, to whom Justel presented this copy, had a long and distinguished career as an avocat at the Paris parlement, in spite of spending time imprisoned in the Bastille. His numerous publications on legal history include Recueil des statuts et règlements des marchands libraires, imprimeurs et relieurs de Paris (1620).
USTC 6016548.