Beschreibung:

[ALEXANDRE, Noël] Lettre d'un docteur de l'ordre de S. Dominique sur les cérémonies de la Chine, au R.P. Le Comte de la Compagnie de Jésus, confesseur de madame la duchesse de Bourgogne. [Followed by] [ID.] - Conformité des cérémonies chinoises avec l'idolatrie grecque et romaine. Pour servir de confirmation à l'Apologie des dominicains missionnaires de la Chine. Par un religieux docteur & professeur en théologie. Cologne, Heirs of Corneille d'Egmond, 2 works in 1 vol. 12mo: 89-[2]-[5 bl.], x-202-[pp. (sl. brown., waterstains, some foxing and soiling). Contemp. brown sheepskin, gilt-tooled spine with raised bands, red leather title-label, red sprinkled edges (rubbed, joints fragile, lacks on turn-ins, dulled corners with lacks of leather, shelf-mark label on the board). 1st edition of two rare pamphlets attributed to the French Jansenist theologian Alexandre (1639-1724), defending the Dominican position in the famous "Chinese Rites controversy", a dispute among Roman Catholic missionaries about Confucianism during the 17th and 18th centuries. He published a total of seven "Lettres" on the subject, of which this one is the first. His "Conformité des cérémonies chinoises [...]" is considered as a pioneering study of comparative religion. Ref. DBS II:("Lettre"). - Barbier I:II:Bound with: Acta causae rituum, seu Ceremoniarum Sinensium complectentiaI [...]. Juxta exemplar Romanum. Liège, B. Collette, [1704]. 8vo: pp. Ref. De Theux Prov. François (?), "pastor Leodii" (ms. mention). - Order of Friar Preachers of Louvain (stamps, ms. shelf-mark label).