# Ussher's Body of Divinity Spurious?



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 25, 2007)

I came across this in a life of Ussher:While Ussher was seeking an asylum in Wales, a hyper-Calvinistic work, entitled "A Body of Divinity, or the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion," had been published under his name by one Downham. It was at once repudiated by Ussher, who stated that it was printed from a common-place book wherein he had taken down expressions from Cartwright and others. In divers places he declared it differed from his own judgment, and could not by any means be owned by him (Parr's Life, p. 74). Notwithstanding this disclaimer, the book continued to be published up to a recent date, as if it represented his mature opinions. Elrington refused, though requested to do so, to publish it among Ussher's recognised works. In the catalogue of the Archbishop's printed works in the Library of Trinity College there is a note to this effect: "The 'Body of Divinity' is spurious, having been expressly disowned by Ussher. See his Life, by Elrington, in the collected works, vol. i. p. 248 (Strange to say, it is uoted in the Gorham case as if it reflected the opinions of Ussher. Dean Goode also quotes it as an authority in his "Infant Baptism," pp. 312-13. Bernard in his "Life of Ussher" says the Archbishop "permitted" the publication of it, though displeased at its being published without his knowledge, because he had heard it had done some good.--Life, pp. 41-2. There is a MS. copy in the Library T.C.D. (Class D.3.7). It is thus annotated in the MS. Catalogue: "Had been collected by the author in his younger years for his own use, and was printed through the importunity of friends to whom it was lent. However, this copy is spurious, for the transcriber has omitted all the passages that reflect on the Church of Rome.") p347-348 from Carr's life.​Thoughts? Also, anyone know a firmer date of publication than 1645 for the first edition (Month etc.)? Thomason did not date his copy so there is only the year on the t.p.; and the preface by John Downame is undated (Thomason Tracts).


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 25, 2007)

The 1841 Hastings Robinson edition provides a lengthy discussion of the question of authorship in the "Preface to the Present Edition" (pp. vii-xviii), including a table of references to Crooke and Cartwright. The editor concludes that Ussher essentially denied sole authorship over the work and certain opinions of authors therein, but not the fact that he compiled and employed the work himself. Crawford Gribben has a discussion of the issue on the 2007 SGCB edition (p. xii). He argues that Ussher in the mid-1640's was attempting to downplay his Puritan links, but that the work was a compilation of his dating back to c. 1615, and that those close to Ussher believed it was his compilation and reasonable to attribute the work to him. Gribben also states that the book is difficult to precisely date. 

There is a 1645 first edition available for sale here.


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