Johannes Wtenbogaert
Encyclopedia
Johannes Wtenbogaert was a Dutch Protestant minister, a leader of the Remonstrants.
and the service of Count John of Nassau, and then returned to Utrecht to become a pastor. He found conflict between Duifhuis and a group of Calvinists called Consistorials.
In 1580 Wtenbogaert was sent at the city's expense to study theology in Geneva
and came into contact with Theodore Beza
; but his sympathies were with Jacobus Arminius
. On his return to Utrecht in 1584 he found himself in an awkward position in the continuing discord. Eventually in 1590 the magistrates removed the preachers from both sides.
He then went to The Hague
, invited by Maurice of Nassau, and the Walloon
congregation there, in 1591. He was in favour, and also attracted the attention of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. Influential, he became the leader of the Arminian party of Remonstrants, after the death of Arminius in 1609; in fact the name was taken from the Remonstrance of 14 January 1610 to the States of Holland
, masterminded by Wtenbogaert and Oldenbarnevelt. At the same time Wtenbogaert published his Tractaet, causing a controversy and, despite the conferences of 1611 and 1613, an effective schism with the Calvinist or Gomarist Counter-Remonstrant party.
Prince Maurice removed support from Wtenbogaert, and in 1617 the States decided for a synod, against the wish of the Remonstrants. Wtenbogaert lost heart in March 1618, and asked to be relieved of his charge; and when on Augustt 29, 1618, Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius
, and Rombout Hogerbeets
were arrested, Wtenbogaert fled to Rotterdam
and then to Antwerp. On May 24, 1619, he was banned from the Dutch Republic and his goods confiscated, the reason given being that he had introduced new views, contrary to the accepted Reformed theology. In October he sent a document to Prince Maurice in his defense, and continued to direct the affairs of the Remonstrants. In October 1621, he moved to Rouen
.
When Maurice died in 1625, and was succeeded as stadtholder
by Wtenbogaert's pupil Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
, Wtenbogaert returned in September 1626. But Frederick Henry would not openly support the Remonstrants, though he granted protection to his old teacher. Wtenbogaert began to preach quietly at The Hague, and regained possession of his house. For the rest of his life he worked for his cause by his writings and by personal efforts. In particular he wrote an autobiography and a work of church history. He died at The Hague in 1644.
Life
Born at Utrecht, he was brought up a Roman Catholic, and attended the school of St. Jerome there. He intended a legal career, but gave it up from 1578 with Catholicism when required to cease hearing the sermons of the evangelical Huibert Duifhuis. He went to ArnhemArnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
and the service of Count John of Nassau, and then returned to Utrecht to become a pastor. He found conflict between Duifhuis and a group of Calvinists called Consistorials.
In 1580 Wtenbogaert was sent at the city's expense to study theology in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and came into contact with Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the Reformation...
; but his sympathies were with Jacobus Arminius
Jacobus Arminius
Jacobus Arminius , the Latinized name of the Dutch theologian Jakob Hermanszoon from the Protestant Reformation period, served from 1603 as professor in theology at the University of Leiden...
. On his return to Utrecht in 1584 he found himself in an awkward position in the continuing discord. Eventually in 1590 the magistrates removed the preachers from both sides.
He then went to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, invited by Maurice of Nassau, and the Walloon
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
congregation there, in 1591. He was in favour, and also attracted the attention of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. Influential, he became the leader of the Arminian party of Remonstrants, after the death of Arminius in 1609; in fact the name was taken from the Remonstrance of 14 January 1610 to the States of Holland
States of Holland
The States of Holland and West Frisia were the representation of the two Estates to the court of the Count of Holland...
, masterminded by Wtenbogaert and Oldenbarnevelt. At the same time Wtenbogaert published his Tractaet, causing a controversy and, despite the conferences of 1611 and 1613, an effective schism with the Calvinist or Gomarist Counter-Remonstrant party.
Prince Maurice removed support from Wtenbogaert, and in 1617 the States decided for a synod, against the wish of the Remonstrants. Wtenbogaert lost heart in March 1618, and asked to be relieved of his charge; and when on Augustt 29, 1618, Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius
Hugo Grotius
Hugo Grotius , also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law...
, and Rombout Hogerbeets
Rombout Hogerbeets
Rombout Hogerbeets was a Dutch jurist and statesman. He was tried for treason, together with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius, and Gilles van Ledenberg during the political crisis of 1617-1618 in the Dutch Republic, and sentenced to life-imprisonment...
were arrested, Wtenbogaert fled to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and then to Antwerp. On May 24, 1619, he was banned from the Dutch Republic and his goods confiscated, the reason given being that he had introduced new views, contrary to the accepted Reformed theology. In October he sent a document to Prince Maurice in his defense, and continued to direct the affairs of the Remonstrants. In October 1621, he moved to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
.
When Maurice died in 1625, and was succeeded as stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
by Wtenbogaert's pupil Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
, Wtenbogaert returned in September 1626. But Frederick Henry would not openly support the Remonstrants, though he granted protection to his old teacher. Wtenbogaert began to preach quietly at The Hague, and regained possession of his house. For the rest of his life he worked for his cause by his writings and by personal efforts. In particular he wrote an autobiography and a work of church history. He died at The Hague in 1644.