Justus Velsius
Encyclopedia
Justus Velsius, Haganus, or Joost Welsens in Dutch
(ca. 1510, The Hague
, Netherlands
– after 1581 at an unknown location) was a Dutch humanist
, physician
, and mathematician
.
Velsius started his career as a highly respected professor of Liberal Arts
in Leuven, Strasbourg, and Cologne. Later on he portrayed himself as a prophet, and promoted his own particular view of Christiany, outlined in a pamphlet "Christiani Hominis Norma" which he wrote in London. He got in conflict with civil and ecclesiastical authorities all over Europe, and spent his final years as a preacher and faith healer in his native Holland. While in Cologne Velsius was married to Beatrix van Steenhoven, and later on, in Groningen, to Grete Cassens.
and Medicine
in Bologna
Velsius graduated as doctor medicinae
in 1538 and settled down as physician in Antwerp, 1540/41. In 1541 he moved to Leuven
, where he met Portuguese
humanist Damião de Góis
, and maintained friendly relations with Vesalius. Even though Velsius did not have a University position he held public lectures in Greek
, Latin
, philosophy
and mathematics. In 1544 he proposed a course on Trebizond
's Dialectica. The authorities balked, and in the ensuing controversy they forced Velsius, whose theological purity was suspect, out of the University. In 1542 he had failed in his bid to succeed Nannius, and he moved to Strasbourg
in 1544 at the recommendation of Bucer
, after a short teaching stint at the Marburg Latin School
and possibly in Basel
.
and Aristotelian ethics
in the higher grades of the Gymnasium
in Strasbourg, as co-worker of Johannes Sturm
. On November 17, 1545 he received a canon
icate at St Thomas'
collegiate church
, through the mediation of Bucer. Some time before October 17, 1548, he married Beatrix van Steenhoven. When Velsius got in trouble because he accepted the Interim
and the resulting conflict with his Protestant colleagues, he moved to Cologne
in the spring of 1550; he probably only gave up his Strasbourg canonicate in 1553.
following the example of the University of Leuven
, and appointed Velsius Professor of Philosophy and Greek, in August 1550. Since Velsius was married, he could not obtain a University prebend, but was instead remunerated by the Council. His compensation was increased in 1551 and 1552, and he was charged with teaching Mathematics as well. Velsius and his colleague Jakob Leichius, who was instrumental in establishing the Gymnasium Tricoronatum
, drafted guidelines for a curriculum of eight grades, similar to Sturm’s humanistic curriculum in Strasbourg.
Velsius attended the meetings of the Anabaptist
s in the Bookbinder's Guild
hall at the Pfaffengasse, where he met Anabaptist martyr
Thomas von Imbroich. Velsius’ philosophical writings, in particular the work of Krisis led to suspicion of heresy
. On October 29, 1554 Krisis was condemned by Cologne University, and Velsius’ teaching license revoked (December 11, 1554, confirmed March 29, 1555), since he did not distance himself from his writing. Emperor Charles V
, who had become involved at the instigation of the Cathedral chapter
, the clergy and the University, urged the Council in vain to take action against Velsius , who on March 25, 1555 had published a defense, Epistola ad Ferdinandum. Only after Velsius attempted to give theological lectures at his home, and rejected the Eucharistic adoration
and celibacy
, did the Magistrate banish him in April 1555.
Velsius refused to leave, and went voluntarily in detention, from December 1555 to the end of March 1556. He asked his influential friend Viglius
to support him, but Viglius declined to get involved. Greatly offended by this refusal, Velsius apparently accused his friend of Protestant leanings, who severed all connections with his former friend. Because of this precedent the Council adopted in 1555 a comprehensive directive against all heretics.
The Dominican
Johannes Slotanus
served as papal Inquisitor
for the Ecclesiastical province
of Mainz
, Cologne and Trier
against Velsius and three other imprisoned people, whom he described as Anabaptist
s. The protestant Prince
s intervened at the Council on his behalf, in particular Christoph von Oldenburg
. Since in December 1555 he had declared to adhere to the Augsburg Confession
, Velsius was protected by the recently concluded Peace of Augsburg
. On the night of 26 to 27 March 1556 he was taken by boat across the river and put ashore on the other side, in the Duchy of Berg
. From there he made it to Mülheim, where he wrote Apologia, addressed to the Emperor Charles and King Ferdinand
. Slotanus replied in 1557 with the Apologia JV Hagani Confutatio. In response Velsius wrote in September 1557 the Epistolae. 1558 followed Slotanus' Disputationes adversus haereticos liber unus.
on July 15, 1556, approached Robert Horne
, pastor of the English Church
, and informed him of the revelations on which he wished to conduct a public dispute. Hearing of the arrival of Calvin
, who came to arbitrate conflicts within the French Refugee Church
, he offered the latter to preside. He proposed to defend the free will
against the Calvinist doctrine of predestination
. The debate
with Calvin, Johannes à Lasco and Horne lasted two days; Velsius' argument boiled down to this: aut esse liberum arbitrium, aut Deum tyrannum esse.
In a letter addressed to Melanchthon, dated September 17, 1556, Calvin commented as follows:
On April 15, 1557 Velsius was expelled by the Council of Frankfurt.
because he spread Theses that were against the Holy Scriptures. Velsius attacked the pastor of the Heiliggeistkirche, Johann Flinner, on his position on the Eucharist
, sent him a series of Theses on New Birth and Free will
, and accused the pastor of being a false apostle and misleader of Prince and people. In November 1559 he was also disallowed to give private lectures, after intervention of Kurfürst Friedrich III
, and was expelled by the Senate of the University. Velsius shook the dust off his shoes
as he left.
In 1560 Velsius was back in Frankfurt. He asked the Council for permission to have a book printed he had written "die Summa christlicher Lehre und Lebens" (the summary of Christian doctrine and life). The Council referred his request to the Lutheran pastors, who on August 2, 1560 reported back that his book contained theses that were against orthodox doctrine. They also expressed concern that these doctrines could lead to unrest in the foreign churches in the city, as had happened in Münster
. On March 18, 1561 the Council ordered Velsius to leave the city, since he had his book printed without permission. The innkeeper where he was boarding, Hansen Braun, was told to no longer allow him to stay in his house.
In May 1561 Velsius was in Strasbourg. He wrote to Flinner (who had returned from Heidelberg) and the preachers, and to the Council as well, submitting 20 propositions, probably the same ones as he announced in Heidelberg and in Frankfurt. These were not accepted, since they disagreed with the catechism
then in use in Strasbourg.
A month later, in June 1561, Velsius was in Basel. He was luckier there, at least he could count on Sebastian Castellio
, with whom he had corresponded before, and advocates of tolerance such as Cellarius
and Celio Secondo Curione
. He submitted a summary to the Council of the University, who considered it on June 16th. The council forwarded it to the Faculty of Theology, since it was outside their area of expertise. Cellarius
proposed a number of theses for an academic disputation
, but Velsius declined after the Council had refused a public debate.
On June 25 Velsius departed for Zürich
, where he arrived the next day. He wrote to the Council, and Bullinger
responded on behalf of the Council, pointing out that his criticism didn't apply since it was directed at Luther and at the Roman Catholic Church. On July 4th Velsius had left town.
On August 1rst Velsius was back in Heidelberg, where he wrote a last time to Bonifacius Amerbach and to Johannes Sturm
.
He matriculated in Marburg
at the end of August 1561, where he lectured at the Medical School. However, he remained only a few months in Marburg.
to England
where he joined the Dutch Church
in London
. Again he ran into controversy, this time with Nicolaus Carinaeus, the founder of the refugee church. Carinaeus had explained his thoughts about regeneration
through Christ
. Velsius opposed him publicly developing at length his idea that the perfection of Adam could be reached on earth after inner rebirth had taken place in the individual. Velsius wrote a summary of his religion Christiani Hominis Norma (The Rule of a Christian man), in which he explained his notion that through regeneration
man could become God-in-man, like Christ. He sent copies of this pamphlet to the Bishop of London Edmund Grindal
, to Secretary of State William Cecil
, and to Queen Elizabeth
. He also wrote a letter to the French Ambassador denouncing the vengeance of God on all who refused to receive his propositions. In his letter to the Queen Velsius claimed to have confirmed his calling by performing miracles. The servant to the ambassador, Cosmus, fasted five or six days by Velsius' persuasion that after his abstinence he might receive illuminations a coelo. According to Grindal in the end he fell mad, so neither of those miracles stood the test of further investigation. Bishop Grindal wrote a rebuttal, showing that Velsius' teachings were against orthodox doctrine. Velsius was summoned before the ecclesiastical commission, consisting of Bishop Grindal, the Bishop of Winchester Robert Horne
, and the Dean of St. Paul's
Alexander Nowell
, who had a frank discussion with him, and charged him in the Queen's name to leave the kingdom. This he complained of in very rude words to the Queen, and predicted the death of the bishop of Winchester and other important public figures.
de Robles
, who had a conversation with Velsius, and referred it to the bishop, who charged the Dean of the Cathedral to look into it. On August 24, 1574 the bishop endorsed Velsius' release. However, Velsius refused to leave prison, because he only wanted to be released by God's grace, not by human intervention. This unusual situation lasted until May 1575, when de Robles
required the jail to be vacated, since the adjacent castle had to be strengthened and readied for the garrison.
text of Proclus
's De Motu (On Motion), along with a Latin
translation.
His theological profile in the religious landscape is not clearly defined: first, he did not agreed with Luther
’s dogma of "sola fide
s" and instead held on to the free will of man; on the other hand, he supported the Lutheran Eucharist
and rejected transubstantiation
. Also, Velsius cannot be identified as Anabaptist, and is distinct from Spiritualism
.
What sets Velsius apart is that he taught Justification
by New Birth, not by Forgiveness of Sins. He thought of himself as a messenger of God, sent to warn people for eternal damnation
, and claimed to be able to confirm his teachings by miracle
s.
It has been suggested that Velsius may have known Servetus
, since both were close to Vesalius. Velsius' position about predestination is reminiscent of Servetus', and it is noteworthy that the Calvin-Velsius disputation
on this subject took place less than 3 years after Servetus was executed outside Geneva
. Rembert suggests that Velsius may have known Flemish
Anabaptist
religious reformer Johann Campanus
, or at the very least that they were aware of each other's work.
Velsius' teachings appear to be related to those of the Family of Love
. Velsius was a contemporary of Hendrik Niclaes
, the founder of the Family of Love, and it seems likely that they may have known each other.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(ca. 1510, 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...
, 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...
– after 1581 at an unknown location) was a Dutch humanist
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, and mathematician
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
.
Velsius started his career as a highly respected professor of Liberal Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
in Leuven, Strasbourg, and Cologne. Later on he portrayed himself as a prophet, and promoted his own particular view of Christiany, outlined in a pamphlet "Christiani Hominis Norma" which he wrote in London. He got in conflict with civil and ecclesiastical authorities all over Europe, and spent his final years as a preacher and faith healer in his native Holland. While in Cologne Velsius was married to Beatrix van Steenhoven, and later on, in Groningen, to Grete Cassens.
Life
After studying ArtsLiberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
and Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
Velsius graduated as doctor medicinae
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1538 and settled down as physician in Antwerp, 1540/41. In 1541 he moved to Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, where he met Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
humanist Damião de Góis
Damião de Góis
Damiao de Góis , born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 1523 by King John III of Portugal...
, and maintained friendly relations with Vesalius. Even though Velsius did not have a University position he held public lectures in Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, philosophy
Renaissance philosophy
Renaissance philosophy was the period of the history of philosophy in Europe that falls roughly between the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment. It includes the 15th century; some scholars extend it to as early as the 1350s or as late as the 16th century or early 17th century, overlapping the...
and mathematics. In 1544 he proposed a course on Trebizond
George of Trebizond
George of Trebizond was a Greek philosopher and scholar, one of the pioneers of the Renaissance.-Life:He was born on the island of Crete, and derived his surname Trapezuntius from the fact that his ancestors were from Trebizond.At what period he came to Italy is not certain; according to some...
's Dialectica. The authorities balked, and in the ensuing controversy they forced Velsius, whose theological purity was suspect, out of the University. In 1542 he had failed in his bid to succeed Nannius, and he moved to Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1544 at the recommendation of Bucer
Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...
, after a short teaching stint at the Marburg Latin School
Gymnasium Philippinum
Gymnasium Philippinum or Philippinum High School is an almost 500-year-old secondary school in Marburg, Hesse, Germany.- History :The Gymnasium Philippinum was founded in 1527 as a Protestant school based at the same time with the University of Marburg created by Philipp I of Hesse...
and possibly in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
.
Strasbourg
From Easter 1644-50 Velsius taught DialecticDialectic
Dialectic is a method of argument for resolving disagreement that has been central to Indic and European philosophy since antiquity. The word dialectic originated in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in the Socratic dialogues...
and Aristotelian ethics
Aristotelian ethics
Ethics as a subject begins with the works of Aristotle. In its original form, this subject is concerned with the question of virtue of character , or in other words having excellent and well-chosen habits. The acquisition of an excellent character is in turn aimed at living well and eudaimonia, a...
in the higher grades of the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Strasbourg, as co-worker of Johannes Sturm
Johannes Sturm
Johannes Sturm, Latinized as Ioannes Sturmius was a German educator, influential in the design of the Gymnasium system of secondary education.- Biography :...
. On November 17, 1545 he received a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
icate at St Thomas'
Saint Thomas Church (Strasbourg)
The Saint-Thomas Church is a historical building in Strasbourg, eastern France. It is the main Protestant church of the city since its Cathedral became Catholic again after the annexation of the town by France in 1681...
collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
, through the mediation of Bucer. Some time before October 17, 1548, he married Beatrix van Steenhoven. When Velsius got in trouble because he accepted the Interim
Augsburg Interim
The Augsburg Interim is the general term given to an imperial decree ordered on May 15, 1548, at the 1548 Diet of Augsburg, after Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, had defeated the forces of the Schmalkaldic League in the Schmalkaldic War of 1546/47...
and the resulting conflict with his Protestant colleagues, he moved to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in the spring of 1550; he probably only gave up his Strasbourg canonicate in 1553.
Cologne: Prosecuted by the Inquisition
Velsius matriculated at Cologne on June 3, 1550. The Council of Cologne wanted to build a Trilingual schoolCollegium Trilingue
The Collegium Trilingue, often also called Collegium trium linguarum, or, after its creator Collegium Buslidianum , was founded in 1517 under the patronage of the Luxembourgian humanist, Jérôme de Busleyden .The College, in fact inspired by Erasmus who was a friend of...
following the example of the University of Leuven
Old University of Leuven
The Old University of Leuven is the name historians give to the university, or studium generale, founded in Leuven, Brabant , in 1425, and closed in 1797, a week after the cession to the French Republic of the Austrian Netherlands and the principality of Liège by the Treaty of Campo Formio.When...
, and appointed Velsius Professor of Philosophy and Greek, in August 1550. Since Velsius was married, he could not obtain a University prebend, but was instead remunerated by the Council. His compensation was increased in 1551 and 1552, and he was charged with teaching Mathematics as well. Velsius and his colleague Jakob Leichius, who was instrumental in establishing the Gymnasium Tricoronatum
Dreikönigsgymnasium
The Dreikönigsgymnasium is a regular public Gymnasium located in Cologne, Germany. Founded in 1450 it is the oldest school in Cologne and one of the oldest in Germany.-Alumni:...
, drafted guidelines for a curriculum of eight grades, similar to Sturm’s humanistic curriculum in Strasbourg.
Velsius attended the meetings of the Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
s in the Bookbinder's Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
hall at the Pfaffengasse, where he met Anabaptist martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
Thomas von Imbroich. Velsius’ philosophical writings, in particular the work of Krisis led to suspicion of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. On October 29, 1554 Krisis was condemned by Cologne University, and Velsius’ teaching license revoked (December 11, 1554, confirmed March 29, 1555), since he did not distance himself from his writing. Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, who had become involved at the instigation of the Cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
, the clergy and the University, urged the Council in vain to take action against Velsius , who on March 25, 1555 had published a defense, Epistola ad Ferdinandum. Only after Velsius attempted to give theological lectures at his home, and rejected the Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
and celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
, did the Magistrate banish him in April 1555.
Velsius refused to leave, and went voluntarily in detention, from December 1555 to the end of March 1556. He asked his influential friend Viglius
Viglius
Viglius , was the name taken by Wigle Aytta van Zwichem, a Dutch statesman and jurist, a Frisian by birth....
to support him, but Viglius declined to get involved. Greatly offended by this refusal, Velsius apparently accused his friend of Protestant leanings, who severed all connections with his former friend. Because of this precedent the Council adopted in 1555 a comprehensive directive against all heretics.
The Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Johannes Slotanus
John Slotanus
John Slotanus was a Dutch Roman Catholic polemical writer.-Life:Slotanus was born in Geffen, Brabant. He joined the Dominican Order at Cologne about 1525. For many years he worked to defend Roman Catholicism against the its opponents through preaching and writing...
served as papal Inquisitor
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official in an Inquisition, an organisation or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church...
for the Ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Cologne and Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
against Velsius and three other imprisoned people, whom he described as Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
s. The protestant Prince
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
s intervened at the Council on his behalf, in particular Christoph von Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg . German Count, regent in Eastern Denmark during the Count's War 1534–36 which was named after him....
. Since in December 1555 he had declared to adhere to the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, Velsius was protected by the recently concluded Peace of Augsburg
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement, was a treaty between Charles V and the forces of the Schmalkaldic League, an alliance of Lutheran princes, on September 25, 1555, at the imperial city of Augsburg, now in present-day Bavaria, Germany.It officially ended the religious...
. On the night of 26 to 27 March 1556 he was taken by boat across the river and put ashore on the other side, in the Duchy of Berg
Berg (state)
Berg was a state – originally a county, later a duchy – in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed from the early 12th to the 19th centuries.-Ascent:...
. From there he made it to Mülheim, where he wrote Apologia, addressed to the Emperor Charles and King Ferdinand
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. Slotanus replied in 1557 with the Apologia JV Hagani Confutatio. In response Velsius wrote in September 1557 the Epistolae. 1558 followed Slotanus' Disputationes adversus haereticos liber unus.
Frankfurt: Disputation with Calvin
Velsius arrived in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
on July 15, 1556, approached Robert Horne
Robert Horne (bishop)
Robert Horne was an English churchman, and a leading reforming Protestant. One of the Marian exiles, he was subsequently bishop of Winchester from 1560 to 1580....
, pastor of the English Church
Marian exiles
The Marian Exiles were English Calvinist Protestants who fled to the continent during the reign of Queen Mary I.-Exile communities:According to English historian John Strype, more than 800 Protestants fled to the continent, mainly to the Low Countries, Germany, Switzerland, and France, and joined...
, and informed him of the revelations on which he wished to conduct a public dispute. Hearing of the arrival of 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...
, who came to arbitrate conflicts within the French Refugee Church
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, he offered the latter to preside. He proposed to defend the free will
Free will in theology
Free will in theology is an important part of the debate on free will in general. This article discusses the doctrine of free will as it has been, and is, interpreted within the various branches of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism...
against the Calvinist doctrine of predestination
Predestination (Calvinism)
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination is a doctrine of Calvinism which deals with the question of the control God exercises over the world...
. The debate
Disputation
In the scholastic system of education of the Middle Ages, disputations offered a formalized method of debate designed to uncover and establish truths in theology and in sciences...
with Calvin, Johannes à Lasco and Horne lasted two days; Velsius' argument boiled down to this: aut esse liberum arbitrium, aut Deum tyrannum esse.
In a letter addressed to Melanchthon, dated September 17, 1556, Calvin commented as follows:
"I have been dragged hither by the dissentions with which Satan has rent, for nearly two years, the little French church established here, and reduced to such extremities that it must have disappeared, unless some remedy had been very promptly applied. Since I entered the town I have not had a moment’s repose, and as if I had not had sufficient occupation in this affair, a madman called Velsius, to whom you had written twice, involved us in new fooleries. But we have devoted only two days to this importunity. I am continually distracted up to this moment, in appeasing those dissentions which, from the long lapse of time, have struck deep root".
On April 15, 1557 Velsius was expelled by the Council of Frankfurt.
Heidelberg: trouble with the Kurfürst
August 5, 1557 Velsius matriculated at Heidelberg, and obtained a license to give public lectures in philosophy. In June 1558 this license was revoked by the Senate of the University at the orders of Kurfürst OttheinrichOtto Henry, Elector Palatine
Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine, a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Count Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1505 to 1559 and prince elector of the Palatinate from 1556 to 1559...
because he spread Theses that were against the Holy Scriptures. Velsius attacked the pastor of the Heiliggeistkirche, Johann Flinner, on his position on the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, sent him a series of Theses on New Birth and Free will
Free will in theology
Free will in theology is an important part of the debate on free will in general. This article discusses the doctrine of free will as it has been, and is, interpreted within the various branches of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism...
, and accused the pastor of being a false apostle and misleader of Prince and people. In November 1559 he was also disallowed to give private lectures, after intervention of Kurfürst Friedrich III
Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559...
, and was expelled by the Senate of the University. Velsius shook the dust off his shoes
Shaking the dust from the feet
Shaking the dust from the feet was a practice of pious Jews during New Testament times. When Jesus called his twelve disciples, he told them to perform the same act against the non-believing Jews....
as he left.
In 1560 Velsius was back in Frankfurt. He asked the Council for permission to have a book printed he had written "die Summa christlicher Lehre und Lebens" (the summary of Christian doctrine and life). The Council referred his request to the Lutheran pastors, who on August 2, 1560 reported back that his book contained theses that were against orthodox doctrine. They also expressed concern that these doctrines could lead to unrest in the foreign churches in the city, as had happened in Münster
Münster Rebellion
The Münster Rebellion was an attempt by radical Anabaptists to establish a communal sectarian government in the German city of Münster. The city became an Anabaptist center from 1534 to 1535, and fell under Anabaptist rule for 18 months — from February 1534, when the city hall was seized and...
. On March 18, 1561 the Council ordered Velsius to leave the city, since he had his book printed without permission. The innkeeper where he was boarding, Hansen Braun, was told to no longer allow him to stay in his house.
In May 1561 Velsius was in Strasbourg. He wrote to Flinner (who had returned from Heidelberg) and the preachers, and to the Council as well, submitting 20 propositions, probably the same ones as he announced in Heidelberg and in Frankfurt. These were not accepted, since they disagreed with the catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
then in use in Strasbourg.
A month later, in June 1561, Velsius was in Basel. He was luckier there, at least he could count on Sebastian Castellio
Sebastian Castellio
Sebastian Castellio was a French preacher and theologian; and one of the first Reformed Christian proponents of religious toleration, freedom of conscience and thought....
, with whom he had corresponded before, and advocates of tolerance such as Cellarius
Martin Cellarius
Martin Borrhaus was a German Protestant theologian and reformer.-Life:Borrhaus was born in Stuttgart and raised as an adopted child of a Simon Keller.. He enrolled at the University of Tübingen, where in 1515 he graduated and came to know Philipp Melanchthon...
and Celio Secondo Curione
Celio Secondo Curione
Celio Secondo Curione was an Italian humanist, grammarian and suspected antitrinitarian.thumb|160px|Celio Secondo Curione-Works :* Pasquillus ecstaticus et Marphorius. Basel, 1544....
. He submitted a summary to the Council of the University, who considered it on June 16th. The council forwarded it to the Faculty of Theology, since it was outside their area of expertise. Cellarius
Martin Cellarius
Martin Borrhaus was a German Protestant theologian and reformer.-Life:Borrhaus was born in Stuttgart and raised as an adopted child of a Simon Keller.. He enrolled at the University of Tübingen, where in 1515 he graduated and came to know Philipp Melanchthon...
proposed a number of theses for an academic disputation
Disputation
In the scholastic system of education of the Middle Ages, disputations offered a formalized method of debate designed to uncover and establish truths in theology and in sciences...
, but Velsius declined after the Council had refused a public debate.
On June 25 Velsius departed for Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, where he arrived the next day. He wrote to the Council, and Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster...
responded on behalf of the Council, pointing out that his criticism didn't apply since it was directed at Luther and at the Roman Catholic Church. On July 4th Velsius had left town.
On August 1rst Velsius was back in Heidelberg, where he wrote a last time to Bonifacius Amerbach and to Johannes Sturm
Johannes Sturm
Johannes Sturm, Latinized as Ioannes Sturmius was a German educator, influential in the design of the Gymnasium system of secondary education.- Biography :...
.
He matriculated in Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
at the end of August 1561, where he lectured at the Medical School. However, he remained only a few months in Marburg.
London: more religious turmoil
In 1563, Velsius had crossed the ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he joined the Dutch Church
Dutch Church, Austin Friars
The Dutch Church is a familiar landmark within Broad Street Ward, in the City of London. The original church was a monastic foundation and the Dutch connection goes back to 1550 when King Edward VI gave Protestant refugees from the Netherlands permission to establish their own parish...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Again he ran into controversy, this time with Nicolaus Carinaeus, the founder of the refugee church. Carinaeus had explained his thoughts about regeneration
Regeneration (theology)
Regeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the Ordo salutis , is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous state of subjection to the decay of death...
through Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. Velsius opposed him publicly developing at length his idea that the perfection of Adam could be reached on earth after inner rebirth had taken place in the individual. Velsius wrote a summary of his religion Christiani Hominis Norma (The Rule of a Christian man), in which he explained his notion that through regeneration
Regeneration (theology)
Regeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the Ordo salutis , is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous state of subjection to the decay of death...
man could become God-in-man, like Christ. He sent copies of this pamphlet to the Bishop of London Edmund Grindal
Edmund Grindal
Edmund Grindal was an English church leader who successively held the posts of Bishop of London, Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I of England.-Early life to the death of Edward VI:...
, to Secretary of State William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, and to Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. He also wrote a letter to the French Ambassador denouncing the vengeance of God on all who refused to receive his propositions. In his letter to the Queen Velsius claimed to have confirmed his calling by performing miracles. The servant to the ambassador, Cosmus, fasted five or six days by Velsius' persuasion that after his abstinence he might receive illuminations a coelo. According to Grindal in the end he fell mad, so neither of those miracles stood the test of further investigation. Bishop Grindal wrote a rebuttal, showing that Velsius' teachings were against orthodox doctrine. Velsius was summoned before the ecclesiastical commission, consisting of Bishop Grindal, the Bishop of Winchester Robert Horne
Robert Horne (bishop)
Robert Horne was an English churchman, and a leading reforming Protestant. One of the Marian exiles, he was subsequently bishop of Winchester from 1560 to 1580....
, and the Dean of St. Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
Alexander Nowell
Alexander Nowell
Alexander Nowell was an English Puritan theologian and clergyman, who served as dean of St Paul's during much of Elizabeth I's reign.-Biography:...
, who had a frank discussion with him, and charged him in the Queen's name to leave the kingdom. This he complained of in very rude words to the Queen, and predicted the death of the bishop of Winchester and other important public figures.
Imprisoned in Groningen
Velsius returned to his native Holland, in April 1566 he was Groningen. In 1574 he was in prison there, presumably because of religious reasons. The authorities felt sorry for him, because he was an elderly gentleman, and apparently depressed. They therefore proposed to release him, also because of the hardship imprisonment caused him and his wife Grete Cassens, as they had to provide for his own cost of living. The proposal was considered by the StadtholderStadtholder
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...
de Robles
Caspar de Robles
Caspar de Robles or Gaspard di Robles also known as Billy in Artois, was Stadholder of Friesland and Groningen at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War .-Family:...
, who had a conversation with Velsius, and referred it to the bishop, who charged the Dean of the Cathedral to look into it. On August 24, 1574 the bishop endorsed Velsius' release. However, Velsius refused to leave prison, because he only wanted to be released by God's grace, not by human intervention. This unusual situation lasted until May 1575, when de Robles
Caspar de Robles
Caspar de Robles or Gaspard di Robles also known as Billy in Artois, was Stadholder of Friesland and Groningen at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War .-Family:...
required the jail to be vacated, since the adjacent castle had to be strengthened and readied for the garrison.
Faith healer in Holland
In April 1570 he was again in Cologne and then traveled through the Netherlands as a Protestant preacher. In 1578, 1580 and 1581 he was in Leiden. Place and year of death are unknown.Work
Velsius published the GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
text of Proclus
Proclus
Proclus Lycaeus , called "The Successor" or "Diadochos" , was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major Classical philosophers . He set forth one of the most elaborate and fully developed systems of Neoplatonism...
's De Motu (On Motion), along with a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
translation.
Theology
Justus Velsius is interesting because his life reflects so well the unsettled intellectual conditions of 16th century Europe.His theological profile in the religious landscape is not clearly defined: first, he did not agreed with Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
’s dogma of "sola fide
Sola fide
Sola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone"...
s" and instead held on to the free will of man; on the other hand, he supported the Lutheran Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and rejected transubstantiation
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
. Also, Velsius cannot be identified as Anabaptist, and is distinct from Spiritualism
German mysticism
German mysticism, sometimes called Dominican mysticism or Rhineland mysticism, was a late medieval Christian mystical movement, that was especially prominent within the Dominican order and in Germany. Although its origins can be traced back to Hildegard of Bingen, it is mostly represented by...
.
What sets Velsius apart is that he taught Justification
Justification (theology)
Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
by New Birth, not by Forgiveness of Sins. He thought of himself as a messenger of God, sent to warn people for eternal damnation
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
, and claimed to be able to confirm his teachings by miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s.
It has been suggested that Velsius may have known Servetus
Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus was a Spanish theologian, physician, cartographer, and humanist. He was the first European to correctly describe the function of pulmonary circulation...
, since both were close to Vesalius. Velsius' position about predestination is reminiscent of Servetus', and it is noteworthy that the Calvin-Velsius disputation
Disputation
In the scholastic system of education of the Middle Ages, disputations offered a formalized method of debate designed to uncover and establish truths in theology and in sciences...
on this subject took place less than 3 years after Servetus was executed outside 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...
. Rembert suggests that Velsius may have known Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
religious reformer Johann Campanus
Johann Campanus
Johann Campanus was an Flemish religious reformer of the sixteenth century. In his Autobiographical Letter to Johann Campanus , a public Latin epistle, Sebastian Franck exhorted Campanus to maintain freedom of thought in face of the charge of heresy.As a preacher, Campanus knew the Anabaptist...
, or at the very least that they were aware of each other's work.
Velsius' teachings appear to be related to those of the Family of Love
Familist
The Family of Love or Familists was a mystic religious sect known as the Familia Caritatis , founded by Henry Nicholis, also known as Niclaes....
. Velsius was a contemporary of Hendrik Niclaes
Henry Nicholis
Hendrik Nicholis was a German mystic and founder of the Christian sect "Family of Love" Hendrik Nicholis (or Hendrik Niclaes, Heinrich Niclaes) (c.1501–c.1580) was a German mystic and founder of the Christian sect "Family of Love" Hendrik Nicholis (or Hendrik Niclaes, Heinrich Niclaes)...
, the founder of the Family of Love, and it seems likely that they may have known each other.