Seneca

SENECA : Lucius Anneus Seneca, a Native of Corduba, a Disciple of Sotio the Stoick, Preceptor to Nero, and famous for his Writings, would have no Place in this Dictionary, but on Account of certain Letters, that are extant, which bear the Title of St. Paul to Seneca, and of Seneca to St. Hieron. in CataScript. Eccles. Aug. Ep. 153. nov. Edit.Paul. St. Jerom makes mention of them, and this determined him to place Seneca among the Ecclesiastical Writers. St. Austin also mentions these Epistles, and several modern Authors after him. They are found printed in many Places; and James le Fevre of Estaples thought them genuine, publish’d them with those of St. Paul, and wrote a Comment upon them. Sixtus Sinensis, in his Bibliotheca Sacra, has wrote in Defence of them, as also Antonius Posfevinus, Alphonsus Salmeron, Franciscus Bivarius, Jacobus Pamelius, Margarin de la Biggue. Others¹ have suspected, that perhaps heretofore there might have been true Epistles of St. Paul to Seneca, and of Seneca to St. Paul, which were known to St. Jerom and St. Austin; but being since lost, some Impostor has compos’d others in their Place, which are those we now have. But as no Proof is given of this Conjecture, we readily acknowledge our selves to be of the Number of those, who admit that the Epistles we now have, are the same that were known to the Antients, and which, however, are not the better for that, nor do they deserve any Consideration. The Reader may consult such as have written Ecclesiastical Bibliotheca’s, particularly Monf. Fabricius in his Apocryphal Works of the New Testament, tom. 1. p. 880, &c. where he exhibits the Judgment of several learned Men concerning these Letters, before the Edition that he has made of them.

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