Matthias Martinius (1572–1630) was a German Calvinist theologian and educator.

Life

He was born in Freienhagen

Freienhagen

Freienhagen may refer to the following places in Germany:*Freienhagen, Thuringia, in the Eichsfeld district, Thuringia*A locality in the city of Liebenwalde, in the Oberhavel district, Brandenburg...

, Waldeck

Waldeck

-Places:* Waldeck Castle, a medieval fortress/castle in Germany* Waldeck, Hesse, a town in Hesse* Waldeck or Waldeck-Pyrmont, a principality in the German Empire and German Confederation, and a state in the Weimar Republic, named after the above castle and town* Waldeck, Bavaria, a village in the...

 and educated at Herborn Academy

Herborn Academy

The Herborn Academy was a German institution of higher learning very similar to a university in Herborn, which existed from 1584 to 1817...

. He became court preacher at Dillenburg

Dillenburg

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....

, and then taught at Herborn before moving to Emden

Emden

Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...

 in 1607.
From 1610 Martinius was the founding rector of the Gymnasium Illustre at Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

. The teaching at Bremen influenced in particular Johannes Cocceius

Johannes Cocceius

Johannes Cocceius , Dutch theologian, was born at Bremen.-Life:After studying at Hamburg and the University of Franeker, where Sixtinus Amama was one of his teachers, he became in 1630 professor of biblical philology at the Gymnasium illustre in his native town...

, student under Martinius and Ludwig Crocius

Ludwig Crocius

Ludwig Crocius 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:...

.

At the Synod of Dort

Synod of Dort

The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was on November 13, 1618, and the final meeting, the 154th, was on May 9, 1619...

 of 1618 Martinius was present as a representative of Bremen. He was involved in controversy with the Lutherans Balthasar Mentzer and Philipp Nicolai

Philipp Nicolai

Philipp Nicolai was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer, author of two famous hymns: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern...

.

Views

Martinius and the Bremen academy played an important role in the later developments of covenant theology

Covenant Theology

Covenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...

. 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

John Davenant was an English academic and bishop of Salisbury from 1621.-Life:He was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, elected a fellow there in 1597, and was its President from 1614 to 1621...

 and Samuel Ward

Samuel Ward

Samuel Ward was a farmer, politician, colonial Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a delegate to the Continental Congress. The son of an earlier Rhode Island Governor, Richard Ward, he was well educated as he grew up in a large Newport, Rhode Island family...

, were conspicuous for arguing against the Gomarist line on doctrine. Martinius absented himself from a number of sessions, clashed with Gomarus, Abraham Scultetus

Abraham Scultetus

Abraham Scultetus was a German professor of theology, and the court preacher for the Elector of the Palatinate Frederick V.- Early life :...

 and Sibrandus Lubbertus

Sibrandus Lubbertus

Sibrandus 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. He was a prominent participant in the Synod of Dort...

, and was close to walking out of the Synod. The Synod's preference for infralapsarianism has been attributed to Martinius.

Further reading

• Gerhard Menk (1980), Kalvinismus und Pädagogik: Matthias Martinius (1572-1630) und der Einfluß der Herborner Hohen Schule auf Johann Amos Comenius