Uytenbogaert, Jan

UYTENBOGAERT, ni'lten-ba'gart, JAN (HANS) Influential leader of the Dutch Remonstrants (q.v.); b. at Utrecht Feb. 11, 1557; d. at The Hague Sept 4, 1644. He came of Roman Catholic ancestry, and his early education he received at home and at the school of St. Jerome in his native city; he then turned to the study of law, entering the office of a notary, and a remarkable future seemed insured by 1578, when he was offended by the con ditions attached to an offer, it being demanded that he cease attendance upon the sermons of the evan gelically inclined Huibert Duifhuis. He thereupon broke with the Roman Catholic Church. He was a short time at Arnheim in the service of a secretary of Count John of Nassau, and then returned to Utrecht with the intention of becom ing a pastor. Here the strife between Duifhuia and his partizana and the Calvinists (called Con sistoriata) had already broken out. In 1580 Uy tenbogaert was sent at the city's expense to Geneva to study theology and came into connection with Beza; but his sympathies were not in that direction, rather they inclined to Arminius. On his return to Utrecht in 1584 he found the strife between theadherents of Duifhuia and the Conaiatorials still sharper, the upper classes siding with the former. But the Consiatoriala called him to a pas torate in which he did not feel at home, as the con ditions did not favor the expression of his own senti ments. In the course of the controversy between the parties, the magistrates decided to retire hon orably all the preachers of both partite and install others in their places, and so Uytenbogaert was, in 1590, out of position. At the invitation of Prince Maurice he went to The Hague in 1591, where he was soon installed over the Walloon congregation, and there his preach ing was attended by the prince and the nobility. He gained the high favor of the prince and of Louise de Coligny, and undertook the education of the young Prince Frederik Hendrik, as well as the labors of court preacher. The appointments were to the taste of Oldenbarneveld, . who expected to make use of the great influence which Uytenbogaert had already gained. The latter undertook the ed ucation of Oldenbarneveld's two daughters, and in ecclesiastical matters was the adviser of the grand pensionary, but the friendship and cooperation of Uytenbogaert and Oldenbarneveld eventually coat the former his influence with the ecclesiastics. Yet for a long time he was the recognized head of an ecclesiastical party, and to him was attributed prac tically everything that was done, while his counsel was constantly sought: Yet as the head of his party he was no dogmatician, and in his pastoral work he emphasized piety and the renewing of the life; but he emphasized freedom of thought and speech, in which his opponents thought they saw the over throw of the Church and of the republic. His in fluence was used time and again for peace, as in the case of Arminius (q.v.) in 1591, but in several of these cases he was accused of attempting to sub ject the Church to the State. On the death of Ar minius Uytenbogaert became the head of the Armin ians, now compacted into a party, to whom was to be given the name Remonstrants. Forty of these

as pastors met at the invitation of Oldenbarneveld and under the leadership of Uytenbogaert, Jan. 14, 1610, the result of which meeting was the famous "Remonstrance" (see Remonstrants) . to the States of Holland. At the same time game Uytenbogaert's first writing, .TractaeE van 't Ampt ende Authoriteyt eener Hoogher. Christelicker Overheyd.E in Kerckelicke Saecken (The Hague, 1610), which called forth .a series of answers and focused the strife which the conferences of 1611 and 1613 could not abate. The Calvinists began to institute their own services, the, favor of Prince Maurice was lost to Uytenbogaert, and he at last declared he would no longer go to hear the tatter's preaching.' In 1617 the States decided for a synod, against the wish of the Remonatrants. Uytenbogaert lost courage, in Mar., 1618, asked to be relieved of his charge, and when, Aug. 29, 1618, Oldenbarneveld, Grotius, and Hogerbeets were arrested, Uytenbogaert- fled to Rotterdam and thence, to Antwerp. On May-24, 1619, he was publicly banned from the republic and his goods confiscated, the reason assigned being that he had introduced new views, contrary to those of the accepted Reformed doctrine. In October he sent a document to Prince Maurice in his own defense, Schriftelijcke Yerantwoordinghe . . . of de openbaere Klock inluydinghe Edicts . . . (1619 ), and continued from afar to direct the affairs of the Remonstrauta. In Oct., 1621, he removed to Rouen,. When Maurice died, Apr. 23, 1625, and was followed as atadholder by Uytenbogaert's pupil Fred erik Hendrik, affairs looked more favorable for the Remonatrants, and Uytenbogaert returned; reaching Rotterdam unheralded Sept. 26, 1626. But Frederik would not espouse openly the cause of the Remonstrants, though he granted his protection to his old - teacher. Uytenbogaert began to preach quietly at The Hague, and regained possession of his own house. For the rest of his life he'WOrked for his cause by his writings and by personal effort.

Although Uytenbogaert's literary activity, began late in his life, the results were fruitful. A list of his works is given in the appendix to the third edition of his autobiography (see bibliography, below); most of them were polemics, drawn from him by the stress of the times. Yet two of his productions, historical in nature, are of permanent value- The first is his autobiography, brought . down to May 13, 1638. It was not intended for the public eye, and was edited by Rijckewaert. It is apologetic in character, and gives valuable information concerning the persons and events of his times. The second work was suggested by another which he issued anonymously under the title Oorspronck ends YoorEganck der Nederlantsche Kerckelijeke verschillen . tot op het Nationals Synods van Dordrecht (1623), and aimed. to be a history of the Church, especially in the Netherlands. It was called De Kerkelicke.Historie, vervetende verscheyden ghedenckwaerdige saken, in de Chrisienheyt voor-gevallen, appeared in 1646, and covered the period 400-1619. The work is excellent in character, uses various sources, and is not uncritical. While the tone is moderate, the great fault is that in fact it is a defense of the Remonstrants.

Uytenbogaert was one of the great men of his

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times. While he was not a notable scholar, he was a man of learning and earnest in his pursuit of knowledge He had a talent for organization, the sense of practicality, and a ready eloquence. His diplomatic ability was such that, had his sphere been that of polities, he would have won eminence as a statesman. His piety was earnest, and he died in peace with his conscience.

(S. D. van Veen.)

Bibliography: Sources are: The autobiography, Johannia WEenbopaerta Leven, n.p., 1845, 3d ed., 1847; and his Brievan an onuitpepeoen Stu&ken, ed. H. C. Rogge, Utrecht, 1888-75. Consult: H. C. Rogge, Johannes WteMogaert en zijn Tsjd, 3 parts, Amsterdam; 1874-78; idem, in Godpelaerde Bdjdrapen, voI. ami.; idem, in Jaarboeken roan wdena. Theotop%s, new series, vol. i.; J. M. 3chrSckh, Christliche Kirchengeschichte aeiE der Reformation, v. 228 278, 35 parts, Leipsic. 1772-1803; J. L. Motley, John of Barneveld, 2 vols., New York, 1874 (often reprinted); and the literature under Arminius, Jakobus; Episcopius, Simon; and Remonstrants.