Hermann Witsius

Hermann Witsius

Hermann Witsius (Herman Wits or in Latin Hermannus Witsius; 12 February 1636 – 22 October 1708) was a Dutch theologian.

Life

He was born at Enkhuizen. He studied at the University of Groningen, Leiden, and Utrecht. He was ordained in the ministry, becoming the pastor of Westwoud in 1656 and afterwards at Wormer, Goes, and Leeuwarden. He became professor of divinity successively at the University of Franeker in 1675 and at the University of Utrecht in 1680. In 1698 he was appointed to the University of Leiden as the successor of the younger Friedrich Spanheim. He died in Leiden.

Views

While in his theology Witsius aimed at a reconciliation between the reigning orthodoxy and Covenant Theology (also known as federalism), he was first of all a Biblical theologian, his principal field being systematic theology. His chief work is entitled The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man (originally published in Latin: De oeconomia foederum Dei cum hominibus, Leeuwarden, 1677). He was induced to publish this work by his grief at the controversies between Voetians and Cocceians. Although himself a member of the federalistic school, he was in no way blind to the value of the scholastically established dogmatic system of the Church. In the end, he did not succeed in pleasing either party.

Works

• The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man (originally published as De oeconomia foderum Dei cum hominibus (in Latin), Leeuwarden, 1677).
• Witsii, Hermanni, De œconomia foederum Dei cum hominibus (in Latin), vol. libri quatuor: Ex..., Archive {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help).

Besides his principal work he published:

• Judaeus christianizans circa principia fidei et SS. Trinitatem (in Latin), Utrecht, 1661.
• Diatribe de septem epistolarum apocalypticarum sensu historico et prophetico (in Latin), Franeker, 1678.
• Exercitationes sacrae in symbolum quod apostolorum dicitur et in orationem Dominicam (in Latin), Franeker, 1681 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help).
• Exercitationes sacræ in symbolum quod Apostolorum dicitur (in Latin), Archive OL 23390157M
• Miscellanea sacra (in Latin), Utrecht, 1692–1700 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help), 2 vols.
• Witsii, Hermanni, Aegyptiaca et Dekaphylon : sive, De Aegyptiacorum sacrorum cum Hebraicis collatione libri tres. Et de decem tribubus Israelis liber singularis. Accessit diatribe de legione fulminatrice christianorum, sub imperatore Marco Aurelio Antonino (in Latin), Archive OL 23303262M
• ———, Meletemata leidensia: Quibus continentur praelectiones de vita et rebus gestis... (in Latin), Archive.
• ———, Quibus de prophetis & prophetia, de..., Miscellaneorum sacrorum (in Latin), vol. tomus primus, Archive.
• ———, Quibus de prophetis & prophetia, de..., Miscellaneorum sacrorum (in Latin), vol. tomus alter, Archive.

Of his minor works, there have appeared in English

• A Treatise on Christian Faith (London, 1761);
• An Essay on the Use and Abuse of Reason in Matters of Religion, Trans. John Carter, Norwich, 1795 (New Edition, CrossReach Publications, 2016)
• On the Character of a True Theologian (Edinburgh, 1877); and
• The Question: ‘Was Moses the Author of the Pentateuch?’ Answered in the Affirmative, Archive. OL 18093496M
• Sacred dissertations on the Lord's Prayer, Archive; Translation of Exercitationes in Orationem Dominicam (in Latin) {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) OL 6426114M
• Sacred Dissertations: On what is Commonly Called the Apostles' Creed (Volume 1) (1823)
  • https://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat02witsgoog
  • https://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat00witsgoog
• Sacred Dissertations: On what is Commonly Called the Apostles' Creed (Volume 2) (1823)
  • https://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat01witsgoog
  • https://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat03witsgoog
• Conciliatory or irenical animadversions on the controversies agitated in Britain : under the unhappy names of antinomians and neonomians (1807) OL 25183530M
• Witsius, Herman (1806), The restoration of the Jews, London.
• Witsius, Herman, "Infant baptism", The stone laid before Joshua : the substance of a sermon, London: Archive OL 25009519M

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Witsius, Hermann". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication in the public domain: Jackson, Samuel Macauley, ed. (1914). New Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (third ed.). London and New York: Funk and Wagnalls. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

• McMahon, C. Matthew, A summary of Witsius' The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, A Puritan’s mind.
• Packer, JI, Introduction to The Economy of the Covenants, Gospel pedlar.

External links

• Works by Hermann Witsius at Post-Reformation Digital Library