THE four Books of St. Austin, De Doctrina Christiana, and those of Cassiodorus, De Divinis Lectionibus, are proper Introductions to the Scripture.
Those of Eusebius, de Preparatione & Demonstratione Evangelicâ; that of Huetius, de Demonstratione Evangelicâ, may be referr’d to the same Subjects, as well as several of St. Jerome’s Letters; particularly that which is generally prefixed to the Latin Bible, beginning with Frater Ambrosius; his Prefaces to the Books of Scripture translated by him, and to his Comments.
Ludovici Tenæ Isagoge in Sacram Scripturam, fol. Barcenonæ, 1620. Gilberti Cennebrardi Isagoge, in 8vo.
Sanctis Pagnini Isagoge, fol. Lugduni, 1536.
Ambrosii Catharini claves duæ Sacræ Scripturæ, Lugd. 1543. in 8vo. We shall speak of his other Works elsewhere.
Nicolai Abrami Pharus Vet. Test. in fol. Paris. 1648. We shall give a particular Account of it in another Place.
Adriani Isagoge Sacrarum Literarum, in Criticis magnis, in Greek. David Hoeschelius had before published it, at Augsburg, in 1602, in 4to. This is a Greek Author whom we shall mention again upon the Prophets.
Georg. Ederi Oeconomia Bibliorum, l. 5. Venetiis, 1572. & Colon. 1582. fol.
Delrio, Pharus Sacræ Scripturæ, Lugd. 1608. in 4to. We shall be more particular in our Account of this likewise in another Place.
Apparatus ad Biblia Sacra per tabulas dispositus, Authore P. Lamy, Oratorij, fol. Gratianopoli, 1687. & 1720 in 4to. Lugd. This is what he published afterwards with the Title of an Introduction, which was translated into French by the Abbot Bellegarde, and printed at Paris, 1697, in 8vo. After this by M. Boyer, Canon of Montbrizon at Lyons, 1709, in 4to. the second Edition, revised and enlarged. See F. Lamy’s Letter written to him upon this Subject, and concerning Bellegarde’s Translation. There is an Abridgement of this Introduction, printed at Lyons, in 8vo. We shall speak of the Author in the fifth Part, upon the Harmonies of the Gospel, Article I.
Contradictiones apparentes Sacræ Scripturæ, by Magrius, Father of the Oratory, printed at Paris, in 1685, in 8vo. There have been already several other Editions of them.
Tractatus de Lectione Sacrarum Scripturarum, by M. Neercassel, Bishop of Castorie. His whole Design is to contend against the Manner of reading the Scripture which is customary among Protestants, and to shew the good Use which is made of it by Catholicks. This excellent Treatise was printed in 1677. in 8vo. at Emmerick. With it there is joined a Dissertation upon the Manner of interpreting the Scripture rightly. Abbot Le Roi turned this Treatise into French, and this Translation was printed at Cologn, 1680, in 8vo.
Martini Becani Analogia veteris ac novi Testamenti, printed at Mentz, in 1620, and 1655, in 8vo. at Doway, 1641, in 12mo. He was of Brabant, born in 1550, became a Jesuit in 1583, and died in 1624, at 63 Years of Age. He was a Man of Wit and Judgment, very knowing in School Divinity, and moderate in Disputes; being persuaded that Reproaches and abusive Language are not proper Company for Truth.
Sacrorum Bibliorum Notio generalis, by M. Humbelot, printed at Paris, 1700, in 12mo.
Of the reading Holy Scripture, against M. Malle, at Antwerp, 1682, in 8vo. This Treatise was written by M. Antony Arnaud, Doctor of the Sorbonne.
Francisci Georgii Veneti Problemata in Scripturam Sacram, printed at Venice, 1536, at Paris, 1575 and 1622. in 4to. In this he proposes to explain 3000 Passages of both Testaments. He undertook this laborious Task towards the End of his Days; for having been employed continually either in teaching or preaching publickly, he thought it his Duty to lay out the little leisure time which his old Age allowed him in writing upon the Scripture: But it was too late in Life for him to produce any thing elaborate and very exact. Besides, he was too much addicted to the Platonick Philosophy, says Wadding, and the Extravagancies of the Talmud, to explain the divine Writings in such a pious manner as they deservedly required. For which Reason Sixtus of Siena, in the fourth Book of his Bibliotheca Sancta, takes notice that his Work ought to have been censured: Censurâ gravi & diligenti dignum.
He published likewise an Harmony of the World, printed at Venice, 1525. in fol. He was a Venetian, of the Order of the Minor Brothers, and died about the Year 1540.
Among the Introductions to the Study of Scripture we may reckon likewise F. Morinus’s Exercitations, and what Simeon de Muis wrote against him. These Exercitations were printed at Paris, 1633, in 4to. and afterwards in 1660, in fol. with great Improvements. We shall have an Opportunity to speak of these two learned Men in the Sequel of this Work.
M. Simon’s Critical Histories of the Old and New Testament, the Sentiments of some Divines in Holland, and the Answers to them, may have a Place likewise among the Introductions: But they are Works to be read with great Precaution, by reason of the too great Freedom of the Opinions which are scattered up and down in them. Simon’s Critical Histories are in six Vols. in 4to. with other Pieces: The whole has been printed several times at Holland and elsewhere. It may be necessary to know, that Henry May, or Maius, wrote a severe Criticism of M. Simon’s Critical Dissertation on the New Testament. The Title of it is, Examen Historiæ criticæ Textus nov. Test. adversus Rich. Simon. Auth. Joan. Henric. Maio. Giessæ Hassorum, 1694, in 4to. There was a second Edition in Latin, printed at Frankfort in 1708, in 4to.
F. Frassen’s Disquisitiones Biblicæ, Paris, 1682, of which we shall take notice in another Place, may be reckoned among the Introductions to the Study of Scripture.
Disquisitiones criticæ de variis per diversa loca & tempora Bibliorum Editionib. Lond. 1684, in 4to. Sanderi Apologia Biblica, in 4to.
Christophori Cartwright, Mellificium Hebraicum.
Henrici de Bukentop Minoritæ, Lux de Luce, Bruxell. 1710. There are many useful Enquiries contained in this Collection.
Christophori Crinesii, Exercitationes Hebraicæ.
The Manners of the Christians and Israelites, by Abbot Fleury, two Vols. in 12mo. Paris, 1712. The Manners of the Israelites, particularly, are of great use towards the acquiring a good Understanding of the Scripture. There have been several Editions of it since that abovementioned, by reason of the great Sale of this Book.
Rules for the better understanding of the Scripture, by Abbot d’Asfeld, in 8vo. at Paris, 1716. This is an useful and well penn’d Book. The Number of these Rules is Twelve; which contain an excellent Method for the good Explanation of the Scripture. A modern Author has ventured to attack them, under the borrowed Name of Ishmael, in a Volume in 8vo. printed at Paris, 1723. There was a Reply to it in the Memoirs of Trevoux, for the Month of November in the same Year, p. 2169.
M. Huré had before published something like this, under the Title of Grammaire maire Sacrée, or, Rules for understanding the literal Sense of Holy Scripture, at Paris, 1707, in 12mo. and in French. This is but a Translation, and that too something abridged, of the Rules which were published several Years ago, under this Title, Novum Testamentum regulis illustratum; or, Canones Sacræ Scripturæ certâ methodo digesti.
This Grammar is very well adapted to the Capacity of all those who would study the Holy Scripture, and very proper to remove the Difficulties that may lie in their way.
Manuductio ad sacram Scripturam, by F. Honoré Joseph Brunet, a Carmelite; printed at Paris, 1701, two Vols. 12mo. This is a kind of Dialogue, which contains Prolegomena of the Bible, with an Addition concerning the Word of God received by Tradition. In the first Tome there are Questions upon the Scripture considered in itself, and upon the Books of the Old Testament. In the second, Questions upon the New, upon the seeming Contradictions of the Canonical Books, upon Apocryphal and Lost Books, and upon Tradition.
The sacred Pandects of the New Testament, by Otto Brunsfeld, were printed at Basil, 1564, in 8vo. the seventh Edit. We have spoken of him upon the Acts of the Apostles.
To this Class of Introductions to the Scripture, those Authors may be referred who have either collected or explained the Old Sayings, or Proverbs of the Scripture. For example;
Martini Delrio Soc. Jesu, Adagialia Sacra, 2 Vols. in 4to. Andreæ Schotti, Adagialia Nov. Testamenti extant, apud Crenium, fasce 3.
Joan. Drusii, Adagia Hebraica, & Proverbiorum classes duæ in Crit. Sacr.
Joan. Worstius de Adagiis nov. Test. apud Cren. fasce 3.
To these may be added Fulleri Miscellanea Sacra, which are to be met with in the large Criticks, and elsewhere; as also Danielis Heinsii Castigationes, and Aristarchus Sacer.