R. P. Natalis Alexandri ... Historia ecclesiastica Veteris Novique Testamenti

Noël Alexandre, a French theologian and Dominican friar, authored this multi-volume Historia ecclesiastica between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The work was intended as a comprehensive history of the Church from the Old Testament through his own time, written to provide a scholarly, critical analysis of ecclesiastical events. Its publication was a significant undertaking during a period of intense theological debate within the Catholic Church.

The 1699 edition belongs to the initial waves of this massive editorial project, which became known for its rigorous, albeit controversial, application of historical criticism to church dogma. The work faced substantial scrutiny from the Vatican due to its Gallican tendencies, leading to it being placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Despite this ecclesiastical censure, the set remained a prized reference in academic and theological libraries across Europe for its encyclopedic scope and detailed archival research.