Matthias Martinius (Martini) (1572 – 30 December 1630) was a German

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

theologian and educator. Matthias Martinius

Life

He was born in Freienhagen, Waldeck and educated at

Herborn Academy The Herborn Academy ( la, Academia Nassauensis) was a Calvinist institution of higher learning in Herborn from 1584 to 1817. The Academy was a centre of encyclopaedic Ramism and the birthplace of both covenant theology and pansophism. Its faculty ...

. He became court preacher at

Dillenburg Dillenburg, officially Oranienstadt Dillenburg, is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis. The town lies on the German- Dutch holiday road ...

, and then taught at Herborn before moving to Emden in 1607. Lyzeum Kleine Helle - Bremen, Kleine Helle - Portal

From 1610 Martinius was the founding rector of the Gymnasium Illustre at Bremen. The teaching at Bremen influenced in particular Johannes Cocceius, student under Martinius and

Ludwig Crocius Ludwig Crocius (also Ludovicus Crocius; 29 March 1586 – 7 December 1653 or 1655) was a German Calvinist minister. He was a delegate at the Synod of Dort and professor of theology and philosophy in Bremen. Background and career Ludwig Crocius w ...

. At the Synod of Dort of 1618 Martinius was present as a representative of Bremen. He was involved in controversy with the

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

Balthasar Mentzer Balthazar, or variant spellings, may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian animated TV series, 1967-1978 ...

and

Philipp Nicolai Philipp Nicolai (10 August 1556 – 26 October 1608) was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. He is most widely recognized as a hymnodist. Biography Philipp Nicolai was born at Mengeringhausen in Waldeck, Hesse, Germany where his ...

Views

Martinius and the Bremen academy played an important role in the later developments of covenant theology. His views as Calvinist were considered moderate, and anticipated hypothetical universalism. The Bremen delegation at Dort, together with the English delegates

John Davenant John Davenant (20 May 1572, in London – 20 April 1641, in Salisbury) was an English academic and bishop of Salisbury from 1621. He also served as one of the English delegates to the Synod of Dort. Life He was educated at Queens' College, Ca ...

and Samuel Ward, were conspicuous for arguing against the

Gomarist Franciscus Gomarus (François Gomaer; 30 January 1563 – 11 January 1641) was a Dutch theologian, a strict Calvinist and an opponent of the teaching of Jacobus Arminius (and his followers), whose theological disputes were addressed at the Synod ...

line on doctrine. Martinius absented himself from a number of sessions, clashed with Gomarus,

Abraham Scultetus Abraham Scultetus (24 August 1566 – 24 October 1625) was a German professor of theology, and the court preacher for the Elector of the Palatinate Frederick V. Biography Early life Abraham was born in Grünberg in Schlesien in Silesia (aft ...

and

Sibrandus Lubbertus Sibrandus Lubbertus (c.1555–1625) (also referred to as Sibrand Lubbert or Sybrandus Lubbertus) was a Dutch Calvinist theologian and was a professor of theology at the University of Franeker for forty years from the institute's foundation in 1585 ...

, and was close to walking out of the Synod. The Synod's preference for

infralapsarianism In Calvinist theology, lapsarianism is the study of the logical order of God's decree to ordain the fall of man in relation to his decree to save some sinners through election and condemn others through reprobation. Several opposing positions have ...

has been attributed to Martinius.

Works

*''Lexicon philologicum'' *''Idea Methodica et brevis encyclopaediae''. John Platts, ''A Universal Biography: 3rd series'' (1826), p. 699
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Life

Views

Works

Notes

Further reading