Hendrik de Cock
Encyclopedia
Hendrik de Cock was a Dutch
minister.
Hendrik de Cock protested against the perceived theological liberalism in the Netherlands
government controlled Dutch Reformed Church
in the 18th century. This protest led to the Secession (Afscheiding) of 1834. He is sometimes called the father of the Secession of 1834
.
, Groningen
, the Netherlands
on 12 April 1801 to father Regnerius Tjaarda de Cock and mother Jantje Kappen. His grandfather Regnerius Tjaada de Cock was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church
around 1750.
His parents were associated with the Dutch Reformed Church
. Shortly after de Cock's birth his family moved to Wildervank
, Groningen
. In 1824 he married Frouwe Venema (b 1803 - d 1889).
to study to become a minister of theology
. In 1823 he graduated from this university.
He was called to the congregation of Eppenhuizen
, Groningen
and (shortly after his marriage in 1824) was ordained there as a Minister. He would serve this congregation for three years until in 1827 he became Minister in Noordlaren
, Groningen
for two years.
in the town of Ulrum
, near the city of Groningen. He was not evangelical but his congregation was. One of the members gave him the Canons of Dordt to read. This, plus his own discovery of John Calvin
’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
, led to a great change in his preaching.
This change in his preaching attracted many people from other congregations to his worship services. Later these same people requested Hendrik de Cock to baptize their new babies. They could not, in good conscience have their babies baptized in their own churches, partly because the old Baptism Form had been replaced with, in their view, other heretical practices and liturgy, and partly because if the old Form was still used they could not answer "Yes" to the question whether they "believed the doctrine taught in their church was the truth of God's Word".
After careful consideration, consultation with his consistory and others, and through anxious prayer, de Cock did baptize these children. This infuriated the clergy from the other congregations, who in turn notified the authorities. It was, in fact, this issue that de Cock's colleagues brought in protest against him at Classis
. In his defense he wrote a pamphlet defending what he and his consistory believed to be the truth. This sparked off much debate and as a result the Dutch Reformed Church
suspended him as a minister on 13 December 1833.
Hendrik de Cock submitted to his suspension and stayed off his pulpit, but tensions continued to rise. They reached a kind of climax when Rev. Heinrich Scholte (later to settle and establish a colony in Pella, Iowa
), who was known to be friendly to him, was forbidden to preach in Hendrik de Cock's church. In this way, a modernist could occupy the pulpit instead. The congregation did not take kindly to this and the police were called in to prevent what was a near riot.
Hendrik de Cock refused to recant, and finally, with his congregation, officially parted (seceded) on 13 October 1834 from the Dutch Reformed Church
. The next day they signed the Act of Secession or Return (1834).
Other churches also left the Dutch Reformed Church
to join Hendrik de Cock in forming the Christian Reformed Churches
in the Netherlands
(CGKN). These churches and their members would be called the "Secessionists" or "Seceders".
and the Dutch government made the Seceders suffer terribly for their convictions. Their meetings were often broken up by mob violence; they were fined and imprisoned. On 25 October 1834 a company infantry (104 soldiers) were sent by the Dutch government to Ulrum
and to other places where the Seceders had established separate congregations and were billeted in the homes of the seceders. These people were usually rather poor, which also why the other clergymen held them in contempt; yet they were forced to feed and shelter the soldiers, tend to their needs, and live their lives with the soldiers always present. The soldiers stayed there until the end of January 1835, and even then, half of them remained until 7 July 1835.
As a counter-measure to the Secession, the Dutch government reinstated an old French
law from the time of Napoleon, that forbade any assembly of more than 20 people. This made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Seceders to gather to worship.
If any regulations imposed on them were broken, they were fined vast sums of money. And if they were unable to pay the fines, their possessions were sold in Sheriff's sales and the proceeds paid to the government
. If even this did not suffice, they would be imprisoned. Hendrik de Cock himself was fined 150 florin (guilders) and spent three months in prison
, separated from wife and family.
Not until under King William II
in 1841 would this counter-measure and the religious persecution end.
The known names of his children are Helenius de Cock
(son), Eelbrina de Cock (daughter) and Jantje de Cock (daughter) (born 20 January 1836).
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
minister.
Hendrik de Cock protested against the perceived theological liberalism in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
government controlled Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
in the 18th century. This protest led to the Secession (Afscheiding) of 1834. He is sometimes called the father of the Secession of 1834
Secession of 1834
The Secession of 1834 refers to a split that occurred from out of the Dutch Reformed Church in the year 1834. The federation of churches resulting from this Secession, the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken , still exists in the Netherlands today...
.
Early life
Hendrik de Cock was born in the city of VeendamVeendam
Veendam is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen.A Holland America Line cruise ship, the MS Veendam, is named after the city.- Population centres :...
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on 12 April 1801 to father Regnerius Tjaarda de Cock and mother Jantje Kappen. His grandfather Regnerius Tjaada de Cock was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
around 1750.
His parents were associated with the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
. Shortly after de Cock's birth his family moved to Wildervank
Wildervank
Wildervank is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Veendam, about 3 km south of the centre of Veendam itself....
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
. In 1824 he married Frouwe Venema (b 1803 - d 1889).
Education
He entered into the University of GroningenUniversity of Groningen
The University of Groningen , located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated...
to study to become a minister of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. In 1823 he graduated from this university.
He was called to the congregation of Eppenhuizen
Eppenhuizen
Eppenhuizen is a small village/town in the Dutch province of Groningen....
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and (shortly after his marriage in 1824) was ordained there as a Minister. He would serve this congregation for three years until in 1827 he became Minister in Noordlaren
Noordlaren
Noordlaren is a small village in the Dutch province of Groningen. In 2010 it was said to be 850 years old. In the past Noordlaren was a farming village. Nowadays there are still a few farmers in Noordlaren, but there are also many people from outside the village, that came to live in Noordlaren,...
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
for two years.
History
In 1829, Hendrik de Cock became minister of the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
in the town of Ulrum
Ulrum
Ulrum is a small village/town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Ulrum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it merged with Eenrum, Kloosterburen, and Leens. The new municipality was called Ulrum at first, but was renamed to De Marne in...
, near the city of Groningen. He was not evangelical but his congregation was. One of the members gave him the Canons of Dordt to read. This, plus his own discovery of John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
Institutes of the Christian Religion
The Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin's seminal work on Protestant systematic theology...
, led to a great change in his preaching.
This change in his preaching attracted many people from other congregations to his worship services. Later these same people requested Hendrik de Cock to baptize their new babies. They could not, in good conscience have their babies baptized in their own churches, partly because the old Baptism Form had been replaced with, in their view, other heretical practices and liturgy, and partly because if the old Form was still used they could not answer "Yes" to the question whether they "believed the doctrine taught in their church was the truth of God's Word".
After careful consideration, consultation with his consistory and others, and through anxious prayer, de Cock did baptize these children. This infuriated the clergy from the other congregations, who in turn notified the authorities. It was, in fact, this issue that de Cock's colleagues brought in protest against him at Classis
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
. In his defense he wrote a pamphlet defending what he and his consistory believed to be the truth. This sparked off much debate and as a result the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
suspended him as a minister on 13 December 1833.
in order to maintain law and order in the Reformed Church, to protect the name and honour of the ministers of the Gospel, and to prevent more disorders, divisions, and revolutions in several congregations in our Fatherland; . . . if preachers as DeCock were not halted in their reckless enterprise, this Board fears the worst.
Hendrik de Cock submitted to his suspension and stayed off his pulpit, but tensions continued to rise. They reached a kind of climax when Rev. Heinrich Scholte (later to settle and establish a colony in Pella, Iowa
Pella, Iowa
Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
), who was known to be friendly to him, was forbidden to preach in Hendrik de Cock's church. In this way, a modernist could occupy the pulpit instead. The congregation did not take kindly to this and the police were called in to prevent what was a near riot.
Hendrik de Cock refused to recant, and finally, with his congregation, officially parted (seceded) on 13 October 1834 from the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
. The next day they signed the Act of Secession or Return (1834).
Other churches also left the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
to join Hendrik de Cock in forming the Christian Reformed Churches
Christian Reformed Churches
The Christian Reformed Churches are a Protestant church in the Netherlands with about 75,000 members.The original name of the church was Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands . The church was formed in 1869 by the merger of two churches, both separated from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(CGKN). These churches and their members would be called the "Secessionists" or "Seceders".
The Secession (Afscheiding)
The Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
and the Dutch government made the Seceders suffer terribly for their convictions. Their meetings were often broken up by mob violence; they were fined and imprisoned. On 25 October 1834 a company infantry (104 soldiers) were sent by the Dutch government to Ulrum
Ulrum
Ulrum is a small village/town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Ulrum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it merged with Eenrum, Kloosterburen, and Leens. The new municipality was called Ulrum at first, but was renamed to De Marne in...
and to other places where the Seceders had established separate congregations and were billeted in the homes of the seceders. These people were usually rather poor, which also why the other clergymen held them in contempt; yet they were forced to feed and shelter the soldiers, tend to their needs, and live their lives with the soldiers always present. The soldiers stayed there until the end of January 1835, and even then, half of them remained until 7 July 1835.
As a counter-measure to the Secession, the Dutch government reinstated an old French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
law from the time of Napoleon, that forbade any assembly of more than 20 people. This made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Seceders to gather to worship.
If any regulations imposed on them were broken, they were fined vast sums of money. And if they were unable to pay the fines, their possessions were sold in Sheriff's sales and the proceeds paid to the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. If even this did not suffice, they would be imprisoned. Hendrik de Cock himself was fined 150 florin (guilders) and spent three months in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, separated from wife and family.
Not until under King William II
William II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
in 1841 would this counter-measure and the religious persecution end.
Later years
In 1837 Hendrik de Cock was called to the city of Groningen to be minister of the Reformed Church (Gereformeerde Kerk) there. He would serve this congregation until his death. He died from a lung disease at the age of 41, on 14 November 1842. He is buried in Groningen at the Southern Cemetery (Zuiderbegraafplaats) in a well marked (and maintained) grave. He was survived by his wife and five children, three of whom were very young. De Cock's grave stone was erected in 1891 (two years after his wife died) and renewed in 1911.The known names of his children are Helenius de Cock
Helenius de Cock
Helenius de Cock was an instructor at the Theological School in Kampen, Overijssel, the Netherlands.He is the son of Hendrik de Cock and Frouwe Venema....
(son), Eelbrina de Cock (daughter) and Jantje de Cock (daughter) (born 20 January 1836).