22 Oct 1708: Dutch Theologian Herman Witsius Dies

22 October 1708. Herman Witsius dies.

 

A Wikipedia article. Followed by Monergism’s online resources for 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

• The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man (originally published in Latin: De oeconomia foderum Dei cum hominibus, Leeuwarden, 1677)
• Hermanni Witsii De œconomia foederum Dei cum hominibus libri quatuor: Ex ... (1739) http://archive.org/details/hermanniwitsiid00witsgoog

Besides his principal work he published:

• Judaeus christianizans circa principia fidei et SS. Trinitatem (Utrecht, 1661)
• Diatribe de septem epistolarum apocalypticarum sensu historico et prophetico (Franeker, 1678)
• Exercitationes sacrae in symbolum quod apostolorum dicitur et in orationem Dominicam (Franeker, 1681)
• Exercitationes sacræ in symbolum quod Apostolorum dicitur (1697) (1697)OL23390157M
• Miscellanea sacra (Utrecht, 1692-1700, 2 vols).
• Hermanni Witsii 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 (1696) OL23303262M
• Hermanni Witsii Meletemata leidensia: Quibus continentur praelectiones de vita et rebus gestis ... (1739)
• Hermanni Witsii Miscellaneorum sacrorum libri IV.: quibus de prophetis & prophetia, de ... (tomus primus) (1736) (volume 1)
• Hermanni Witsii Miscellaneorum sacrorum libri IV.: quibus de prophetis & prophetia, de ... (tomus alter) (1736) (volume 2)

Of his minor works, there have appeared in English

            A Treatise on Christian Faith (London, 1761);

• On the Character of a True Theologian (Edinburgh, 1877); and
• The Question: Was Moses the Author of the Pentateuch Answered in the Affirmative (1877). OL18093496M
• Sacred dissertations on the Lord's Prayer (1839); Translation of: Exercitationes in Orationem Dominicam; OL6426114M
• Sacred Dissertations: On what is Commonly Called the Apostles' Creed (Volume 1) (1823)
• http://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat02witsgoog
• http://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat00witsgoog
• Sacred Dissertations: On what is Commonly Called the Apostles' Creed (Volume 2) (1823)
• http://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat01witsgoog
• http://archive.org/details/sacreddissertat03witsgoog
• Conciliatory or irenical animadversions on the controversies agitated in Britain : under the unhappy names of antinomians and neonomians (1807) OL25183530M
• The restoration of the Jews - Herman Witsius (London, 1806) -- Infant baptism - Herman Witsius (London, 1806) in The stone laid before Joshua : the substance of a sermon http://archive.org/details/stonelaidbeforej00whit OL25009519M

External links

• A summary of Witsius' The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man by C. Matthew McMahon
• Introduction to The Economy of the Covenants by J. I. Packer

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now 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.

Monergism with online resources for Herman Witsius: http://www.monergism.com/directory/search.php?action=search_links_simple&phrase=witsius

·         The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man (.pdf)
Herman Witsius

·         Calvin and Witsius on the Mosaic Covenant (.pdf)
J. V. Fesko

·         Justification by Faith Alone as the Central Dogma of the Reformed Church
Quotes from Herman Witsius, Thomas Watson, Francis Turretin, Wilhelmus a Brakel and more...

·         Justification
Herman Witsius

·         Of the Violation of the Covenant of Works on the Part of Man
Herman Witsius

·         Introduction to Herman Witsius' "The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man"
J. I. Packer

·         Economy of the Covenants
Herman Witsius

·         Economy of the Covenants (PDF Version)
Herman Witsius - the same hand, is a body of divinity, in its method so well digested ; in its doctrines so truly evangelical; and (what is not very usual with our systematic writers) in its language so refined and elegant;

·         Who Suffered?
Herman Witsius on “Suffered Under Pontius Pilate”

·         The Covenant of Works and the Stability of Divine Law in Seventeenth-Century Reformed Orthodoxy: A Study in the Theology of Herman Witsius and Wilhelmus à Brakel (.pdf)
Richard Muller

·         Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer
Herman Witsius

·         The Covenant of Works and the Stability of Divine Law in Seventeenth Century Reformed Orthodoxy: A Study in the Theology of Herman Witsius and Wilhelmus à Brakel (.pdf)
Dr. Richard A. Muller

·         Of Election
Herman Witsius

·         Sacraments of the Covenant of Works - Genesis 13:10; Ezekiel 36:35 (MP3)
Herman Witsius

·         Of the Violation of the Covenant of Works by Man - Amos 4:13; Ezekiel 35:6 (MP3)
Herman Witsius

·         Of the Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction - Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 1:29 (MP3)
Herman Witsius

·         On the Character of a True Theologian
Herman Witsius