Kniga nobaznistes krikśćioniszkos: ant gárbos Diewuy [...] ant wartojimá báźnićioms dides Kunigistes Lietuwos iszduotá [...]: su priedu nekuriu giesmiu, ewangeliu ant pomietkos szwentuju Diewa, teypag su priedu nekuriu małdu (A Book of Christian Piety)

‘A Book of Christian Piety’, the largest 17th-century Lithuanian book, is an important specimen of Lithuanian religious literature. It is dedicated to Janusz Radziwiłł, the Field Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Voivode of Vilnius. The book is a collection of Evangelical Reformed songs and prayers consisting of four parts: ‘The Psalms of David’, ‘Summa, or a Short Summary of the Holy Gospels’, ‘Christian Prayers’ and ‘Catechism’. It provided everything necessary for daily religious observance. This was the last original book produced for Lithuania’s Evangelical Reformed Church while the Grand Duchy of Lithuania still existed. It was the first book in the history of Lithuanian publishing to give a false indication of the printing press and the date and place of publication. A law passed in 1658 in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania obliged Arians to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. Converting from Catholicism to Protestantism was forbidden in 1668. The book was printed after the first of these laws was passed, so it was falsely attributed.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album ARS LIBRI (2022). Compiler Algimantas Muzikevičius, text authors Algimantas Muzikevičius, Rolandas Gustaitis

‘A Book of Christian Piety’, the largest 17th-century Lithuanian book, is an important specimen of Lithuanian religious literature. It is dedicated to Janusz Radziwiłł, the Field Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Voivode of Vilnius. The book is a collection of Evangelical Reformed songs and prayers consisting of four parts: ‘The Psalms of David’, ‘Summa, or a Short Summary of the Holy Gospels’, ‘Christian Prayers’ and ‘Catechism’. It provided everything necessary for daily religious observance. This was the last original book produced for Lithuania’s Evangelical Reformed Church while the Grand Duchy of Lithuania still existed. It was the first book in the history of Lithuanian publishing to give a false indication of the printing press and the date and place of publication. A law passed in 1658 in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania obliged Arians to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. Converting from Catholicism to Protestantism was forbidden in 1668. The book was printed after the first of these laws was passed, so it was falsely attributed.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album ARS LIBRI (2022). Compiler Algimantas Muzikevičius, text authors Algimantas Muzikevičius, Rolandas Gustaitis