Samuel Colliber facts for kids
Samuel Colliber was an English writer who was active between 1718 and 1737. He wrote books about two main topics: religion and the navy. Some historians, like John Knox Laughton, believe he might have been a volunteer in the Royal Navy or perhaps a school teacher.
Samuel Colliber's Books
Samuel Colliber wrote several interesting books during his time. These books covered different subjects, from the history of naval battles to deep thoughts about God and the human soul.
In 1727, Colliber published a book called Columna Rostrata. This book was a history of naval events. It focused a lot on the Anglo-Dutch wars from the 1600s. These were big sea battles between England and the Netherlands. Colliber used information from Dutch and French sources to make his history very detailed. A second edition of this book came out in 1742.
Books About Religion and Philosophy
Colliber also wrote many books about religious ideas and philosophy. Here are some of his important works:
- An Impartial Enquiry into the Existence and Nature of God (1718): This book was about whether God exists and what God is like. It was very popular and had several new editions. In this book, Colliber mentioned ideas from thinkers like Pierre Poiret and Herman Alexander Röell, who were part of a group called Cartesian thinkers.
- The Christian Religion Founded on Reason (1729): This book explored how the Christian faith could be understood using logic and reason.
- Free Thoughts concerning Souls (1734): In this book, Colliber shared his ideas about souls. He even mentioned the philosopher Spinoza.
- The Known God, or the Author of Nature unveiled (1737): This book tried to explain more about God as the creator of the world.
Colliber's ideas were influenced by other thinkers of his time. For example, he used the ideas of Samuel Clarke about the existence of God. Colliber's own changes to these ideas later influenced another thinker named Edmund Law. Also, the scientist Joseph Priestley used Colliber's writings when he argued against certain philosophical ideas.
