[8] His involvement with Jews and Judaism led him to the study of Kabbalah and Gematria, and later to a belief in Sabbatai Zevi's messianic claims.
[11] As well as being a philo-semite, interested greatly in the issue of the Lost Tribes, he was on good terms with the Amsterdam Quakers,[12] and had been in contact with William Ames.
[16] Serrarius had attended chemical experiments of Johann Rudolph Glauber[17] in Amsterdam with Franciscus van den Enden, the teacher of Spinoza.
[15] Oldenburg asked Spinoza to send him a copy of his book Renati Descartes principia philosophiae, more geometrico demonstrata via Serrarius.
[20] Oldenburg expected a package via Serrarius in Amsterdam, and hoped that Spinoza would send a manuscript with his thoughts on the Bible.
[22] Serrarius was also one of the loudest critics of Lodewijk Meyer after the anonymous publication of the latter's Philosophia S. Scripturae Interpres, Exercitatio paradoxa (Philosophy interpreting Sacred Scripture, an exercise in paradox) in 1666, which caused a big controversy in Dutch and wider European Reformed circles at the time.
Title page of Petrus Serrarius:
Goddelycke aandachten ofte vlammende begeerten
, Amsterdam, Salomon Savrij, 1653. The image is an example of Catholic emblematics showing God's love (
amor divinus
) being poured from above into an enormous heavy burning heart. A translation in Dutch of
Herman Hugo
’s Pia Desideria (Divine Meditations).
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1
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Mention of "Pieter Serrurier" and his daughter "Judith Serrurier" in a legal document by Amsterdam notary Jacob Pont, 8 September, 1662.
Mention of "Pieter Serrurier" in the estate inventory of his daughter Judith by Amsterdam notary Jacob Pont, November 15, 1662.
Pieter Serrurier: Notarial Archives Amsterdam. Inventory of the legacy of his deceased daughter Judith by Amsterdam notary Jacob Pont, November 15, 1662. Mention of Louis and Joseph Serrurier, executors.
Samuel Maresius (1599-1673), Serrarius' coauthor and opponent.
Ernestine G.E. van der Wall:
De mystieke chiliast Petrus Serrarius (1660-1669) en zijn wereld
, Leiden, 1987. Dutch PhD thesis. (Translated title: "The mystical chiliast Petrus Serrarius (1660-1669) and his world)
