TO all these Dissertations and Prolegomena there may be added those which are in the last Volume of Sacy’s Bible, by M. de Beaubron, printed for Desprez, at Paris, four Vols. in fol. the last Edit. They are not very long, but they are clear and judicious, and more modern than those above mentioned.
We may here insert Solomon Glasse’s Philologia Sacra, whereof we have already cited some Pieces. It was printed at Amsterdam in 1711. in 4to. and contains several Dissertations, which we shall set down according to the Subject which they treat of. It is divided into five Books, and every Book into several Treatises or Dissertations. This Work would deserve to be recommended, if the Author had been less fond of his Lutheranism, and if he had suppressed what is of no use.
In the last Edition of Menoch or Menochius’s Comment, put out in 1719, two Vols. fol. at Paris, many Dissertations are added, such as those of Bonfrere, or Bonfrerius, Mariana, Ribera, Basil Ponce, and Sigonius.
Cornelius Adami, a Calvinist, and Minister at Dam, has also published several Dissertations in Latin, which were printed at Groninguen, 1710 in 4to. This Work is esteemed by Men of Learning, and deserves to be so: The Author seems to have read a great deal. His Work is divided into five Chapters, and every Chapter into Paragraphs. The Title of it is, Observationes Theologico-Philologicae, &c. It was followed by another, printed likewise at Groninguen, in 1712, in 4to. under the Title of Exercitationes Exegeticae.
Father Souciet the Elder, a Jesuit, has likewise put out twelve Critical Dissertations upon some difficult Places of the Scripture, printed in French, in 4to. at Paris, 1715.
The first is upon Hebrew Medals, and the primitive Letters of the Hebrews; the second, upon a Reverse of some Medals of Herod I. and upon the Lilly in Scripture; the third, upon a Passage of Theophilus of Antioch, on Gen. i. 3. the fourth, fifth, and sixth, upon the three different Names of God in Scripture; the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, upon Exod. vi. 3. the eleventh, upon Isai. liii. 8. the twelfth upon the Mishnah, occasioned by the Edition of this Part of the Talmud published in Holland by Surenhusius, in six Vols. in fol. 1698, 1699, 1700, 1702, 1703.
This last Dissertation, being the largest of all, contains three Letters, directed to one of his Friends, wherein he informs him of all that this prodigious Work contains, and of its Use, in order to have a right Understanding of the Scripture. He has inserted likewise among these Dissertations a Letter to M. Indés, a Doctor of Salamanca, relating to the Manner of restoring the Greek Text of the Septuagint. It is in the Memoirs of Trevoux, 1709, for the Month of June, together with his Answer to the same Person, ibid. 1710. for the Month of January. This Reply is the same thing as the eleventh Dissertation upon Isaiah, which has been mentioned by us.
Solomon Deyling wrote Sacred Observations upon the Scripture, printed in Latin, at Lipsick. This Work is divided into two Parts; the first whereof appeared in 1708, and contains fifty Observations; the second, which includes likewise fifty more, was published in 1711, in 4to. They have their particular Merit.
John de Marck put out Dissertations in Latin upon the Old and New Testament, printed in several Volumes, the first whereof was published in 1694, the second in 1697, the third in 1706, the fourth in 1709, and the fifth in 1710, at Amsterdam, in 4to. He aims particularly at M. Le Clerc, though a Protestant as well as himself.
John Le Clerc, Nephew to David Le Clerc, printed his Uncle’s Observations, or Sacred Questions, in Latin, at Amsterdam, 1685, in 8vo. With these he joined eight Dissertations by his Father, Stephen Le Clerc, which are no less curious. It is without doubt the first of the three that John de Marck attacks.
John Henry Maius, or May, made select Disputations, Philological and Exegetical, printed at Frankfort upon the Mein, in 1711, two Vols. in 4to. There are twenty-three in the first, and seventeen in the second. In these he cites many Authors, but few Catholicks. He seems to understand the Oriental Languages, and to have read much. We have spoken of him upon the Concords of the Gospel.
John Henry Heidegger wrote twenty-four Dissertations against Capellus, Simon, and Spinoza, concerning the Original of the Sacred Writings, their Authenticalness, Entireness, Perfection, &c. printed at Zurich, 1700, in 4to. We have spoken of him in another Place.
His whole Design in this Work is to shew that the Holy Scripture alone is sufficient to prove that it proceeds from God, and to serve as a Rule in Matters of Faith. It is evident enough from hence that he points at Tradition, and the Authority of the Church.
We may farther place here the general Collection of our Dissertations, which have been disposed into a methodical Order, that they might serve as Prolegomena to the Holy Scriptures. They are printed in three large Volumes in 4to. at Paris, 1720.
This Collection may be of use to those who already have the Comment, because of the new Order which is observed in it, and the Corrections and Augmentations which have been made to it. It will be still more useful to those, who, not having the Comment, may be glad to have the Benefit of these Dissertations: For they will help them to apprehend the most difficult Places of the Text; will supply what is wanting in common Bibles, and even in many Commentators; namely, Critical Prefaces, curious and solid Enquiries concerning the Authors of the sacred Writings, their Age, and whether their Works are Authentick and Canonical. In short, there are several curious and important Questions fully treated of, and the different Opinions of the most learned Interpreters are faithfully reported, and set forth in the clearest Light.