tians look upon as Socinian, is so far from being Socinian here, that
Roman-Catholic Monks are translating it into Persian, in order to make
use of it in converting the Mahometans. I have not attempted a direct
proof of the Trinity (he writes to Gerard Vossius[496]) for I always
remembered what I heard Junius your father-in-law say, who was a great
man, that Du Plessis, and those who, like him, in their disputes with
Atheists, Pagans, Jews, and Mahometans, endeavoured to establish the
Trinity by arguments drawn from the light of nature, and by passages
from Plato often misapplied, acted very imprudently, because they ought
first to have convinced them of the truth of the Scriptures, which alone
contain the doctrines which God has been pleased to reveal."

A new edition of the book on the truth of the Christian Religion, with
considerable additions, was published in 1639, which Grotius dedicated
to his illustrious friend Jerom Bignon; and this great Magistrate, in
returning him his thanks[497], gives the most favourable testimony to
the work. He says,[498] that tho' the subject had already been well
handled by several learned men, none of them had acquitted himself so
well, nor discovered so great knowledge of the learned languages, and so
much erudition, as Grotius. He admires the order and conciseness of the
work, and congratulates himself on living in Grotius's time, and sharing
in the friendship of so great a man. Some time after the publication of
this work, an Englishman[499] who had lived long in Turky, came to see
Grotius, and acquaint him that he had translated it into the Turkish
language, thinking no book more proper for instructing Christians who
live in Turky, and converting the Mahometans. He promised to use his
endeavours to get it printed in the Turkish language in England.

Besides the translations already mentioned, and which came to Grotius's
knowledge, there were others in Greek, in Chinese, in Flemish, in
Danish, in the language of Malacca, and five French translations. An
Arabic translation of it by the learned Pococke was printed at London
in 1660. We are assured[500] that there have been three translations of
it into Arabic, which gave occasion to Spon and Vehler to say that
Grotius copied an Arabic treatise, taking the very version of his book
for an ancient work: in fine, it had such a great run, that the history
of it makes the subject of a treatise[501].

This work of Grotius has been equally