Jonah Willem te Water

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Jonah Willem te Water. Painting by Nicolas Joseph Delin, 1796.

Jona Willem te Water (born October 28, 1740 in Zaamslag , Netherlands , † October 19, 1822 in Leiden ) was a Dutch Reformed theologian .

Life

Te Water was the son of the pastor and historian Willem te Water (1698–1764) and his wife Sara van Middelhoven. He received his first education in the Latin and Greek languages ​​from his father. From 1750 he attended the Latin school in Vlissingen , which he left on September 3, 1755 with the speech honori et meritis illustrissimae gentis Borsaliae ("a treatise on the history of the Dutch aristocratic Borsselen family "). With financial support from the Borsselen family, he began studying literature and theology at the University of Utrecht . For this he attended the lectures of Petrus Wesseling , Johann Friedrich Reitz and Sebald Rau at the philosophical faculty . He completed his theological training with Albert Voget , Frans Burman , Gisbert Matthias Elsner , Willem van Irhoven and Gisbert Bonnet .

Already during his student days he dealt with historical topics, as evidenced by his philological treatise of the New Testament reports on Jesus' burial and grave, which was defended there in 1761, Disputatio historica critica ad historiam sepulchrt et sepalturoe Jesu Christi publice defensa . At the same time, it is a reflection of his trained orthodox Christian attitude, the orientation of which made him adhere strictly to the authority of the Bible. On March 11, 1761 he was accepted as a candidate for the preaching office and on September 7, 1761 he was appointed as a Reformed pastor in the small community of Haamstede . He began this ministry on October 25 of the same year with a sermon on Paul's second letter to Timothy (2: 1-2). Here he got to know the realities of civil life at the time, which showed a much more tolerant application of church dogmatics in everyday life at that time.

Two years later on August 16, 1763 he was called to Veere as pastor , so he gave his farewell sermon on November 6, 1763 in Hamstede on the letter to the Hebrews (13:22) and began his new office in Veere on November 20 1763 with a sermon on Paul's first letter to Timothy (4:12). Two years later, on August 4, 1765, he was called to Vlissingen as pastor. Therefore, he left Veere on October 20, 1765 with a farewell sermon on the Acts of the Apostles of Luke (Acts 28: 30-31) and entered the office assigned to him on October 27, 1765 in Vlissingen with a sermon on the 1st letter of Paul to the Thessalonians . Here he met the young Jacobus Bellamy , who attended his religious education classes and whom he promoted. After the death of his father, he published his elaborated Reformation history of Zeeland and began to publish about the history of Zeeland himself.

In all of his publications, te Water showed a keen eye for the role of Providence in history. This work earned him the title of historian of Zeeland on September 20, 1776 and it was intended to appoint him as a professor at the University of Groningen. However, he declined the offer made to him. Rather, a conflict broke out at that time. When the public institutions wanted to grant Catholics the freedom to practice their religion, te Water supported these efforts. But not the Reformed Orthodox Christians, who opposed it so much that finally military forces had to be used. As a consequence of his appearance, he lost more and more churchgoers who stayed away from his sermons. On August 9, 1779, he received an appointment as high school professor of philosophy and Dutch history at the Illustrious School in Middelburg .

On October 27, 1779, he gave his farewell sermon in Vlissingen and took over the task assigned to him on March 15, 1780 with the speech de praestantia et dignitate historiae Batavae . In Middelburg, too, he devoted himself to pastoral care. After receiving an appointment as theological professor for the exegesis of the New Testament and church history from the curators of the University of Leiden on October 30, 1784 , he held a farewell sermon on January 30, 1785 in Middelburg on the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (Cor. 16, 23:24). In Leiden, the Senate of the university awarded him an honorary doctorate in theology on March 19, 1785, and on April 9, 1785, with the speech de studio historiae ecclesiasticae cum disciplina theologica diligenter conjungenda, he took over his position as a university teacher. In addition, on April 6, 1785 he received an appointment as pastor in Leiden. He took on the task on May 1, 1785, with a sermon on Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4: 11-15).

Te Water was a moderate Orthodox representative of the Reformed Calvinist Church who, in the period of increasing Enlightenment, followed the teachings of Johann August Ernesti and advanced to become his representative of rationalist supranaturalism. As a supporter of the Dutch House of Orange, he was able to maintain his teaching post during the events of the Batavian Republic in 1795. Te Water, who is well versed in the oriental and ancient languages, was also commissioned on August 22, 1797 to teach the Greek language. As a teacher from Leiden he also took part in the organizational tasks of the university and was rector of the Alma Mater in 1789/90 and 1800/01 . To this end, he gave the speech de theologo erudito (1790) when he resigned from his first term of office and, due to the student uprisings during the new century, he made no speech in his second term of office. He also worked in many church institutions. He was a member of the committee for the affairs of the Dutch Reformed Church and worked under Louis Bonaparte for the affairs of the Evangelical Church.

However, he could not achieve any change in the Reformed Church in these functions, as he adhered to the decisions of the Dordrecht Synod. Te Water was also a member of no fewer than fifteen learned societies. Above all, his founding membership on May 4, 1808 at the royal institute for science, literature and fine arts (Koninklijk Instituut van Wetenschappen, Letterkunde en Schoone Kunsten), his time as chairman of the Society of Dutch Literature in Leiden from 1793 to 1822, to highlight his membership in the Imperial and Royal Academy of Sciences and Free Literature in Brussels in 1784 and his membership in the Latin Society in Jena in 1802. For these societies he wrote a large number of biographies of deceased members. In 1807 his house was damaged in the great explosion (Leidens Ramp). According to an anecdote, his then deaf wife is said to have asked at the time “Did you say something, te Water”.

After working as a professor for several years, he retired from his teaching position on November 6, 1815. Six months later, as pastor in Leiden, on May 29, 1816, he gave his farewell sermon on Paul's letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 4: 11-15). On March 7, 1816, the Dutch royal family awarded him the Order of Knight of the Dutch Lion for his life's work. In the last years of his life he devoted himself above all to preparing the history of the Leiden university.

In March 1766 te Water married Paulina Cornelia Mounier (* October 16, 1738 in Middelburg, † September 14, 1814 in Leiden), the daughter of the merchant Jacob Mounier (1694 in Middelburg-1755 ibid.) And Susanna Plevier (* 30. March 1700 in Middelburg; † May 20, 1763 ibid.). The marriage remained childless.

He was buried next to his wife in Katwijk am See. After his death, his brother published the résumé he wrote himself.

Works

Te Water published numerous papers in the specialist journals and journals of his time. Many individual biographical treatises also appeared. Therefore only his most important works should be listed here.

  • Oratio honori et meritis illustrissimae gentis Borsaliae. Vlissingen published in Dutch in 1755 by his father under the title: Redenvoering ter eere, en over de Merits of the doorluchtigen geslachts van Borssele. Vlissingen 1755, ( books.google.de )
  • Disputatio historica critica ad historiam sepulchrt et sepalturoe Jesu Christi publice defensa. Utrecht 1761
  • The reformatie van Zeeland in de zestiende eeuw met some negotiations daartoe betrekkelijk, started by W. te Water, by JW te Water voortgezet en voltooid. Middelburg 1766, ( books.google.de )
  • Caring inhuldiging van ZDH Prins Willem den V as erfheer van Vlissingen. Met eene voorafgaande Beschrijvinge van de voornaamste divorced the city Vlissingen sedert hare eerste beginseten tot op dien tijd. Middelburg 1767
  • Tweede eeuwfeest van de vrijheid in the burgerstaat en godsdienst binnen de stad Vlissingen sedert den zesden van Grasmaand 1572. Middelburg 1772 ( books.google.de )
  • Aanspraak tot de herrormde kerke in Nederland bij the invoering of the nieuwe psalmberijming. Middelburg 1774
  • Historie van het verbond en de smeekschriften der Nederlandsche edelen, 1565-1567. Middelburg 1776-1796, 4th vol., 1st vol., 1776, ( books.google.de ); 3rd vol., 1795, ( books.google.de )
  • Oratio de praestantia et dignitate historiae Batavae. Middelburg 1780, ( books.google.de )
  • Description of the oude buitenplaats St. Jan ten Heere in het eiland Walcheren. Middelburg 1780
  • Oratio de studio historiae ecclesiasticae cum disciplina theologica diligenter conjungenda. Leiden 1785
  • Oratio de theologo erudito publice dicta the VIII February m. 1790 cum magistratum academicum deposited. Leiden 1790
  • Bijvoegsels en aanmerkingen, existed in noodige naleezingen voor de Vaderlandsche Historie van J. Wagenaar. Amsterdam 1797-1801, 2nd vol.
  • Narratio de rebus academiae Lugduno-Batavae saeculo XVIII prosperis et adversis. Accedunt B. Vulcanii consilium de studio medicinae; auctarium legati Papenbroechiani; series professorum et curatorum. Leiden 1802, ( books.google.de )
  • Levensbijzonderheden van Pieter Adriaensz. van der Werff. Leyden 1814
  • Levensberigt van den heere Mr. Johan Meerman, heer van Dalem en Vuren. 1816 ( books.google.de )
  • Levensbeschrijvinge van Mr. Herman Tollius. 1822 ( books.google.de )

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Water, Jona Willem te
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch Reformed theologian and historian
DATE OF BIRTH October 28, 1740
PLACE OF BIRTH Zaamslag
DATE OF DEATH October 19, 1822
Place of death Suffer