AMong the Protestants, Peter Ravanel is the first who has published a Bibliotheque of this kind, under the Title of Bibliotheca Sacra, sive Thesaurus Scripturæ Canonicæ. It is in an alphabetical Order, and divided into two Parts, which make two Volumes in fol. together with Observations or Marginal Notes. The first Edition appeared in two Vols. in fol. at Geneva, in the Year 1650. The second, augmented, and in three Vols. Ibid. in 1660. He added to it afterwards a Supplement, in fol. which was likewise printed at Geneva, in 1663. In this he treats of all that belongs to Theology, Natural Philosophy, Morality, and Policy in the Holy Scriptures.
He was a Calvinist, Minister of Uzez, and died about the Year 1680.
Michael Walter has written something like this in a Work entituled Officina Biblica, printed at Wittemberg in 1702. in fol. the 3d Edition, corrected and enlarged. It is a kind of Introduction to the reading of the Scripture, whereof the Author here proposes to give an exact Knowledge, and resolve the principal Difficulties of it.
This Work might have been useful, if it had been written in such a manner that the Spirit of Division and Animosity had not been so visible in it. When any one undertakes to write a Book, which should be for the Advantage of all Christian Churches, he confines himself within too narrow Bounds, if he restrains himself to serve one Party only.
Theodore Hasæus, and Adolphus Lampius, German Lutherans, in 1719, put out a Bibliotheca Philologica, in 6 Vols. in 8vo. wherein they have collected a great number of Dissertations on several Places of the Scripture. I shall endeavour to take notice of them all, according to the Subjects which they treat of, because this Work is become scarce, and, though new, is not easily to be met with.
Wendler, another German Lutheran, in 1721, published the Essay of a Bibliotheca Sacra, with the Title of Prodromus Bibliothecæ Sacræ, wherein he gives us his own Judgment, and that of others, upon every Author. This Work is in very great Esteem; and, notwithstanding all the Search I made for it in Paris, was never to be found there.
Although Crowe’s Elenchus is no more than a simple Catalogue of Catholick and Protestant Commentators, yet he gives a pretty good Notion in it of Bibles, Interpreters, and Commentators. To this he sometimes adds an Abridgment of their Lives and Characters, and a Judgment of their Works. This Catalogue was printed at London, in 1672, in 12mo. He had before published one almost like it, in 1668, in 8vo.