ALTING, James, son of Henry Alting, was born at Heidelberg in 1618. After the usual course of grammatical studies he became a student, and soon after professor of divinity, in the university of Groningen. The oriental languages were his favourite studies at an early period of his life; and in 1638 he put himself under the tuition of a Jewish rabbi at Embden. Determining to take up his residence in England, he arrived there in 1640, and was admitted to clerical orders by Dr Prideaux, bishop of Worcester. By an offer of the Hebrew professorship in the university of Groningen, he was soon induced to alter his plan of life, and consequently returned to Germany in 1643. His active assiduity in the study of these languages,
and his knowledge in other sciences, procured him universal esteem and great reputation as a scholar. About this time he received many academic honours: he was admitted doctor of philosophy, academic preacher, and at last, in conjunction with a colleague, Samuel des Marets, was chosen professor of divinity. These professors followed different methods of teaching, and adopted different systems. Des Marets was an admirer and follower of the subtleties of the scholastics, and, by the ingenuity with which he pursued the scholastic plan of instruction, had acquired great reputation and considerable influence. Alting spent his time in the study of the Scriptures and in the pursuit of rabbinical learning; and he delivered a course of lectures on divinity, which gained him great popularity. As might naturally be expected, a jealousy arose between the two professors; and their respective partisans in the university carried their animosity to an undue height. Established opinion and the weight of authority marshalled on the side of Des Marets. By the permission of the curators of the university he appeared as public accuser of Alting, and produced a long list of erroneous propositions to the divines of Leyden, for their opinion. The judgment of the divines upon the dispute shows a great degree of moderation and good sense: they pronounced Alting innocent of heresy, but imprudently fond of innovation; and they declared Des Marets deficient in modesty and candour. If the superiors had not prohibited the further discussion of these subjects in the consistory, classes, and synods, they would have occasioned as much mischief as they had excited general attention. Such was the protection given to Alting, that whenever any of the order of ecclesiastics proposed any further measures against him, they were immediately rejected by the civil power; nay, the penalty of deprivation was decreed against those clergy who should revive the Maresio-Altingian controversy. Whatever might be the advantages resulting to Alting from this protection, the magistrates certainly did wrong in proceeding so far in prohibiting a discussion from the press, of the judgments of the divines of Leyden. Although a kind of reconciliation was attempted by their common friends while Des Marets lay upon his death-bed, yet the breach between Des Marets and Alting was never perfectly healed. Dr Alting died of a fever in 1679. The fondness which he showed for rabbinical learning gave birth to the general report that he was inclined to become a Jew. His opinions, which seem to have excited more general attention than they deserve, may be seen at large in his writings, which were collected a few years after his death, and published in five volumes folio, by his cousin Menso Alting, who wrote a good description of the Low Countries, under the title of Notitia Germaniae Inferioris.