Seldeni Otia Theologica, &c. at Amsterdam: in quatuor Libris.
THis Work is very Curious, and very a∣greeable to those that don't care for the trouble of gathering dispers'd Materi∣als together: The Author, who is very Learned, and has read much, spares them the trouble, and gives them his Opinion, as well as that of many others upon a great Number of Critical Questions in Di∣vinity. Thus I ought to call the Subject of this great Treatise: For altho' he there explains some places of Divinity generally receiv'd, he does it not after the way of the Schools; he very ingeniously discourses upon sacred and prophane Antiquity: Be∣sides that, the generality of the Examina∣tions entirely respect certain Persons, or matters of Fact, which the Scripture speaks of, or of certain things which are different from common receiv'd Notions in Divini∣ty.
As to what regards the Sentiments of the Author, we ought to acknowledge this on his behalf, that he proposes them with much modesty, and makes use of that ho∣nest liberty which Men of Learning may safely do.
He is very exact in citing those that he borrows any thing from, and desires the Reader not to take this exactness as an Ostentation of his Learning, which certain∣ly is a better way than barely to cite such Authors as are serviceable to him.
He divides his Work into four Parts, which in all contain forty one Dissertati∣ons, in each of which many different Sub∣jects are Treated on, as happens in Persons who know much, or who wou'd divert the Reader with variety of Objects. We shou'd almost make a Book it self, if we shou'd speak to every one of the Dissertations: It shall suffice to give the Analysis of the first; where it is examined who was the first Writer, and a Judgment may be made of the rest by this Piece.
The first thing this Author does, is to relate the Dispute formerly rais'd amongst the Doctors, concerning the Prophecy of Enoch, which the Apostle St. Iude makes mention of: Some said this Patriarch's Pro∣phecy was committed to Writing, others maintain the contrary; many Fathers, and especially St. Augustin, was of the first Opi∣nion, they often spoke of the Book of Enoch: Some have made no difficulty to hold it as Canonical, and wou'd prove by it that the Angels begat the Giants, by the Commerce they had with Women. There are some which say the Prophecy of Enoch contained four thousand and eighty two Lines, and that it spoke of all that shou'd happen to the Posterity of the Patriarchs, of the Crimes and Chastisements of the Iews, of the Death that they shou'd make the Messiah suffer, of their being dispersed through all the World, and of the second Coming of Jesus Christ to judge Mankind. They also pretended they found many Ma∣thematical Opinions, and that Noah had taken a great deal of Care to secure this Work in the Ark.
After that the Author relates also many more ridiculous Fancies; some have said that the Angel Raziel, Tutor to Adam, gave him a Book containing all Sciences, and that after he was put out of the Garden of Eden he had it again, suffering him to touch it at his humble Entreaties. Others say that Adam did not receive this Book 'till after he had sinned, then having be∣sought God Almighty to grant him some