Examen de la Question, Si les Decimateurs ont l'Intention Fondee...
1780 Pamphlet Questioning the Church's Right to Raise Tithes in Flanders [Massez, C.]. Examen de la Question, Si les Decimateurs ont l'Intention Fondee en Droit a la Perception de la Dime des Fruits Insolites en Flandre, Tant Ceux, Qui Sont Insolites Parmi Toute la Province, que de Ceux, Qui ne Sont Insolites que pour Quelques Villages en Particulier. Ghent: Chez P.F. Cocquyt, 1780. vi, 84, [2] pp. Octavo (7-1/4" x 4-1/2"). Stab-stitched pamphlet in plain wrappers, untrimmed edges, early hand-lettered title to front, fragments of title label to spine. Some soiling and edgewear, later owner bookplate to verso of front wrapper. Some toning, light soiling to title page, internally clean. $250. * Only edition located. Massez wishes to limit the rights of the church to raise tithes in Flanders. He notes that "God himself established tithes for the Jewish people, where it was part of the dividing-up of the lands, which God himself ordered: [however] amongst the Christian nations, it is men who have ordered this division, men have also introduced tithes there; thus [such a tax] depends on the civil law of each nation" (iii-iv). Massez discusses statutes from 1520 and 1530 onward and disputes their interpretation by Zeger Bernhard van Espen [1646-1728], the distinguished Flemish canon lawyer. OCLC locates 8 copies, 2 in North American law libraries (Columbia, UC-Berkeley). Not in the British Museum Catalogue.
Price: $250.00
Book number 58013