Casman, Otto

, a German divine, who flourished in the sixteenth century, and died Aug. 1, 1607, aged fortyfive, was president of the college of Stade, and one of the first of those writers who were called Scriptural philosophers. They supposed all philosophy to be derived from divine revelation, and despairing of being able to arrive at any true knowledge of nature, by the light of reason, had recourse to the sacred oracles, and particularly to the Mosaic history of the creation, and endeavoured upon this foundation to raise a new structure of philosophy. Gasman was also dissatisfied with the unprofitable subtleties of the Aristotelian philosophy, and determined, in the study of nature, rather to rely upon the decision of the sacred writings, than upon the doctrine of the ancient heathen philosophers. Even in his explanation of scripture he refused to call in the assistance of philosophical rules of interpretation. In a work entitled “Cosmopceia,” on the formation of the world, he derives his physical doctrine from the scriptures; ard in his “Modesta Assertio Philosophise et Christianas et Verae,” he professes to write Christian institutes of grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, &c. Henry Alsted, Dr. Dickinson, and Dr. Burnett, &c. are also ranked among scriptural philosophers.

Casman published, 1. “Anthropologia,” Hanov. 1596, 8vo. 2. “Questiones Marinae,” Francf. 1596, 8vo, and 1607, 8vo. 3. “Angelographia,” ibid. 157, 8vo. 4. “Cosmoptcia et Ouranographia Christiana, ibid. 1597, 8vo. 5.” Sonaatologia,“ibid. 1598, 8vo. 6.” Astrologia, Chronographia, et Astromanteia,“ibid. 1599, 8vo. 7.” De Vita hominis triplici,“ibid. 1602, 8vo. 8.” Vade mecum cara Pietas, et rara Caritas,“ibid. 1605, 8vo. 9.” Nucleus mysteriorum Naturae enucleatus," Hamb. 1605, 8vo. ²

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