THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 396
a
the Mystery of Moderation (Edinburgh, 1753, 5th
ed., 1763; a satire upon the moderate party in the
Church of Scotland, published anonymously, but
acknowledged by Witherspoon as his own in his
Serious Apology, 1763); Essay on the Connection be-
tween the Doctrine of Justification by the Imputed
Righteousness of Christ and Holiness of Life (Glas-
gow, 1756; one of the ablest Calvinistic expositions
of that doctrine in any language); A Serious Enquiry into the Nature and Effects of the Stage (1757; new ed. by W. Moffat, Edinburgh, 1876; occasioned by the performance of the Rev. John Home’s drama, Doug-
las); A Practical Treatise on Regeneration (1764);
The History of a Corporation of Servants Discovered a
Few Years Ago in the Interior Parts of South America
(Glasgow, 1765; a clever satire upon abuses in the
Church of Scotland). He was the author also of
several volumes of sermons, besides works dealing
with matters of civil government.
BrpitioGRAPHy: Besides the Life prefixed to the Works (ut sup.), consult: D. W. Woods, John Witherspoon, New York, 1906 (by his great grandson, who used rare public documents); E. H. Gillett, Hist. of the Presbyterian Church, 2 vols., Philadelphia, 1864; R. Chambers, Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, new ed. by T. Thomson, Edinburgh, 1856; W. B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, iii. 288-300, New York, 1858; J. Sanderson, Biography of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, pp. 296-314, Philadelphia, 1865; J. Maclean, Hist. of the College of New Jersey, 2 vols., Philadelphia, 1877; Princeton Book; Hist., Organization, and present Condition of the College of New Jersey, Boston, 1880; C. A. Briggs, American Presbyterianism, New York, 1885; M. C. Tyler, Literary Hist. of the American Revolution, ii. 319-330, New York, 1897; I. W. Riley, American Philosophy, the Early Schools, pp. 483-497, New York, 1907; C. Evans, American Bibliography, vol. v., nos. 15224, 16173, Chicago, 1909; DNB, lxii. 271-274.
WITSCHEL, vit/shel, JOHANN HEINRICH WILHELM: German pastor, author of devotional literature; b. at Henfenfeld (17 m. e.n.e. of Nuremberg) May 9, 1769; d. at Kattenhochstadt near Weissenburg (30 m. s.w. of Nuremberg) Apr. 24, 1847. After preparatory studies at Grifenberg and Nuremberg he attended the University of Altdorf (1788-93); in 1794 was appointed noon preacher at the Dominican Church in Nuremberg; removed to the parish of Igensdorf in Nuremberg, 1801; succeeded his father as preacher in Grifenberg in 1810, becoming dean in 1815 and school-inspector of the district; in 1819 he assumed charge of the parish of Kattenhochstadt, where after 1820 he conducted for thirteen years an institution for the higher education of school-teachers. He was the author of several collections of poems that corresponded to the taste of the time. He was the representative of an amiable and respectable rationalism, as is evident from his principal work, Morgen- wnd Abendopfer in Gesdingen (Sulzbach, 1803). This contains a series of devotional exercises in rime, for morning and evening, arranged according to weeks and seasons, and became a very popular book of devotion in spite of its rationalism. It is still used in all parts of Germany, among both Protestants and Catholics, and the demand remains so large that it is constantly reprinted. Other works are Pantheon ftir Damen (1799); and Moralische Blitter (1801).
(T. Koxpz.)
Bisuioarapuy: The Morgen- und Abendopfer after the 11th ed. contains a biography.
WITSIUS, HERMANNUS (HERMANN WITS): Dutch theologian; b. at Enkhuizen (30 m. n.e. of Amsterdam) Feb. 12, 1636; d. at Leyden Oct. 22, 1708. After a very thorough training, especially in the classics, in 1651 he entered the University of Utrecht, and in 1654 removed to the University of Groningen; in 1656 he passed his theological examination at Utrecht, and in 1657 was installed preacher of Westwoud, not far from his native place; in 1661 he removed to Wormer, in 1666 to Goes, and in 1668 to Leeuwarden. In all these pastorates he proved to be an excellent preacher, a distinguished catechist, and a faithful pastor. In 1675 he accepted a call as professor and preacher to Franeker; in 1680 he undertook like duties at Utrecht; in 1698 he became professor at Leyden, remaining till illness caused his retirement in 1707. While in his theology Witsius aimed at a reconciliation between orthodoxy and federalism, he was first of all a Biblical theologian, his principal field being systematic theology. His chief work is entitled, De economia federum Dei cum hominibus (Leeuwarden, 1677; often reprinted, e.g., Basel, 1739; it appeared in Dutch transl, also in Engl. transl., The Giconomy of the Covenants between God and Man, 3 vols., Edinburgh, 1771-72). 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. Besides his principal work he published, Hxerciiationes sacre in symbolum, quod Apostolorum dicitur (Franeker, 1681; Dutch transl., Delft, 1700; Eng. transl., Sacred Dissertations on what is commonly called the Apostles Creed, 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1823); Afgyptiaca: sive, de Agyptiacorum sacrorum cum Hebraicis collatione.(Franeker, 1683; frequent eds.); Hxercitationwm academicarum, maxima ex parte historico-critico-theologicarum duodecas (Utrecht, 1694); Animadversiones irenice ad controversias, que sub infaustis antinomorum et neonomorum nominibus in Britannia nunc agitantur (1696); Meletemata Leidensia (Leyden, 1703); Disquisitio critico-theologica de Paulo Tarsensi, cive Romano (1704). Of minor works there have appeared in Eng. transl. 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). (S. D. Van VEEN.)
BrsiiocrapHy: The funeral oration by J. a Marck, Leyden, 1708; Witsius, Schediasma theologia practica, Groningen, 1729, contains a biography by H. C. van Bijler; B. Glasius, Godgeleerd Nederland, iii. 611-617, ’s Hertogenbosch, 1856; W.B S. Boeles, Frieslands Hoogeschool en het Rijes Atheneum te Franeker, ii. 256-261, Leeuwarden, 1889; C. Sepp, Het godgeleerd Onderwijs in Nederland gedurende de 16. en 17. Heuw, Leyden, 1874.