Hermann Witsius

Hermann Witsius (also: Herman Wits; * February 12, 1636 in Enkhuizen, † October 22, 1708 in Leiden ) was a Dutch Reformed theologian.

Life

Hermann was the son of the magistrate, later mayor and elders of the Reformed church Claes Jacobsz Wits and whose wife Johanna Hermann, daughter of pastor kontraremonstrantischen in Enkhuizen Hermann Gerhard. Having grown up in a faith-based environment, he was able to obtain a wide range of excitation conditions in his early years by his family. At age six, he was enrolled in the Latin school of his home town. At age nine, he received from his uncle Peter Hermann, who served as vice-rector of the Latin school, private lessons.

After completion of basic training he received in 1651 in establishing the University of Utrecht. Here he first philosophical studies in Paul Voet and heard the lectures of Johann Leusden in the Oriental languages. Soon, however, he attended the theological lectures by Gisbert Voetius, Andreas Essenius and John Hoornbeek. Above all, Leusden had him promoted at that time, so that he was able to publicly defend the dissertation as an eighteen year old de Judaeorum et Christianorum Messiah in Hebrew.

In addition, he also dealt with the writings of John Cocceius and had obtained through the guide of the Utrecht pastor Justus van den Bogaerdt a deep understanding of the basic theological positions that time. On November 20, 1654, he enrolled at the University of Groningen, where he attended the lectures of Samuel Maresius ( 1599-1673 ) and practiced in the French language, especially in the preaching. His studies he wanted to continue in Coccejus in Leiden for a year. However, there a prevailing epidemic stopped him.

Instead, he returned in 1655 returned to Utrecht, where he led the defense Theses de Trinitate SS ex Judaeis contra Judaeos defended in October of the same year under Leusden. After he had passed his theological examination at Utrecht Ministry in May 1656, he became pastor in 1657 in the Frisian Westwoud. Here he married in 1660 Aletta from Borchorn († 1684) and wrote his first work Judaeus christianizans about principia fidei et SS Trinitatem (Utrecht 1660). In the same capacity as a priest he was in 1661 in Wormer, 1666 in Goes and 1668 in Leeuwarden active.

In all places of activity he had proved himself as a good preacher, accompanied the members of the community in variety of situations and this could give to the interpretation of the Bible numerous information about design of her life as a catechist. On his last place of action Leeuwarden he came with his counterpart Johann van der Waeijen in the theological distress of the followers of Jean de Labadie. This prompted both the font Ernstige betuiginge van J. vd W. HW en aan de afdwalende kids of Kerke, dead wederlegginge van de Gronden van J. de Labadie en de syne (Amsterdam 1670 ) set up.

Above all, he had a much- aufgelegtes and then like to read works of Heeren Twist with sijn Wyngaert at that time.. . ( Leeuwarden 1669, 1671, u.ö ) written. In it, he spoke out against the sins of his time, especially against the anti-Christian Cartesian philosophy of René Descartes. In particular, the desecration of the Sabbath it was pushed open and he denied himself even against the followers of Cocceius, who saw the holy day of rest only as a ceremony. During these disputes Witsius had acquired a reputation as a scientific working and serious theologian.

So it was decided at the Frisian Statthalterhof to appoint him as a professor of theology at March 7, 1675 at the University of Franeker. This position he resigned on April 15 of the same year with the speech Oratio exhibens specimen veri ac sinceri theological (Utrecht 1692, Herborn in 1712, Leiden 1736) and obtained her PhD shortly afterwards on 21 March as a doctor of theology. From many parts of Europe attracted students to Franeker who attended his lectures. In addition, he had taken over there, the office of a preacher. On March 1, 1680 it convened the Curators of the University of Utrecht as a professor of theology and preacher in Utrecht at their university.

This office he stepped up to the speech Oratio de praestantia veritatis evangelicae on April 29 of that year. Here he took part in the organizational tasks of the Academy and was in 1686 /87 and 1697/98 Rector of the Alma Mater. On July 8, 1698, he was appointed at the request of Governor William III. of Orange, whom he had met on a mission in England in 1685 and to whom he had dedicated his main work de oeconomia foederum, professor of theology and chaplain at the University of Leiden. This office he stepped up to the speech Oratio de theo logo modesto on 16 October of the same year. The following year he was on September 18, director of the Staten Collegium, entered the grounds of age on 9 October 1707 by his offices and died in the following year.

Work

Witsius had moved mainly in the field of systematic theology. His major work is De oeconomia foederum The cum hominibus libri IV ( Leeuwarden 1677, 1685, Amsterdam, 1694, Herborn in 1712, Basel 1739, two Dutch translations and an English translation under the title: The Oeconomy of the covenants ). He had written because he rebelled against the partial nasty disputes between supporters of Gisbert Voetius and its immediate reformation and the followers of John Cocceius this work. He was a member of the Federalist school. Yet he was by no means blind to the value of a scholastic established ecclesiastical dogmas system and he thus became a mediating person of Reformed orthodoxy and federalism. As biblical Ireniker he simplified the formal scheme of the federal system of Cocceius and had earned as an elegant philologist a name.

Works

• De judaeorum et christianorum messianic. Utrecht 1654th
• De S. S. trinitate ex Judaeis contra Judaeos probanda. Utrecht in 1655.
• Judaeus christianizans about principia fidei et SS trinitatem. Utrecht 1660.
• De practijk of christians doms, voorgestelt in vragen s antwoorden, mitsgaders geestelijke printen van enes onwedergeboren op zijn best en een neither born op zijn slegtste. Utrecht 1665th
• De twist of armies met sijn Wijngaart. Leeuwarden 1669; with J. van der Waeyen
• Eeny ernstige betuiginge aan de afdwalende kids of Kerke, dead wederlegginge van de Gronden van J. de Labadie en de sijne. Amsterdam in 1670.
• Afscheydtpredikatie. Leeuwarden 1675th
• De oeconomia foederum Dei cum hominibus libri IV Leeuwarden 1677th
• Excercitationes sacrae in the Creed quod dicitur et apostolorum in orationem dominicam. Franeker 1681st
• Aegyptiaca et Δεχάφυλον sive de Aegyptiorum Sacrorum cum hebraicis collatione libri III. Amsterdam in 1683.
• Dissertatio ad epistolica Ulr. Huberum de S. S. auctoritate divina ex sola ratione adstruenda. Utrecht 1687th
• Dissertationes duae de theocratia Israëlitarum et de Rechabitis. Utrecht year 1690.
• Miscellanea sacra. Utrecht 1692, Vol 2, 1700.
• Excercitationum academicarum XII. Utrecht 1694th
• Lijkrede op koningin Mary. Utrecht 1695th
• Meletemata leidensia. Leiden 1703.
• Disquisitio de Paulo Tarsensi, cive romano. Leiden 1704.
• Van de Opera omnia verscheen een uitgave. Basel, Vol 2, 1739th
• Schediasma theologiae practicae. Groningen 1729th