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 foderum 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

• (originally published as ).
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Besides his principal work he published:

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• OL 23390157M
• , 2 vols.
• OL 23303262M
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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
• . OL 18093496M
• ; Translation of 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
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• OL 25009519M

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

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External links

• Works by Hermann Witsius at Post-Reformation Digital Library