SERARIUS, NICOLAUS. – Jesuit theologian, born at Rambervilleria (Metz) in 1555, died at Mainz in 1609. After completing his philosophical studies at Cologne, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1573 (the German province); he first taught humanities, then philosophy, and subsequently exegesis.
An indefatigable worker, he possessed all the qualities of a good exegete: command of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac; a sensitivity to the nuances of the style of the sacred authors; and an exceptionally broad erudition in related secular matters. His commentaries, however, are prolix, abound in learned discussions unrelated to the subject, and are not free from inaccuracies. His historical works, some of which were incorporated into the Acta Sanctorum, are still valuable today; they earned him the esteem and friendship of Baronio. His fierce polemic against Luther has passed into oblivion; nevertheless, S. repeated with genuine charity: « Pro haereticis non modo orandum, sed etiam studendum est ».
S.’s principal non-polemical works are: a) biblical commentaries: Ios. and passages from Ex., Lev. Num., Deut., Par. (Mainz 1609–10); Iudc. and Ruth (ibid. 1609); Sam., Reg. e Par. (posthumous, ibid. 1612); Tob., Iudt., Esth., Mach. (ibid. 1599). b) Biblical monographs: Divus Paulus et Iudas Iscariotes (Würzburg 1586), a work that gave rise to lengthy controversies with the Calvinists Drusio and Scaligero; Iosuani sacerdotes; De Salomonis peccatis...; Naaman Syrus...; Trihaeretium (seven Jewish sects; Mainz 1604); Rabbiini et Herodes (ibid. 1607); Prolegomena biblica (an introduction to the Epistles of the New Testament: his finest work); other biblical works are found in Opuscula theologica (3 vols., ibid. 1611), which also contains a “life” of him. c) Among his historical works: Kiliam Franciae Orientalis... gesta (Würzburg 1598); Moguntiacarum rerum... libri 5 (ibid. 1604); Comitum par genere... inclytum (ibid. 1605); Epistolae s. Bonifacii (ibid. 1605).