Jacobus Taurinus

Jacobus Taurinus (Jacob van Toor) (1576 – 22 September 1618)[1] was a Dutch preacher and theologian, a main supporter of the Remonstrants and polemical writer in their cause.

Portrait of Jacobus Taurinus

Life

He was born in Schiedam, where his father Petrus Taurinus was a preacher of the Reformed Church. He studied theology at the University of Leiden from 14 November 1590, under Franciscus Junius the Elder, Lucas Trelcatius, Petrus Bertius and Franciscus Gomarus; and associated with Willem van Zyll, Karl Ryckewaert, Everardus Booth, Johann Narsius, Eduardus Poppius, and Simon Goulart the Younger.[2]

In 1600 Taurinus took the post of lecturer in the ‘t Woud parish of Delft.[3] In the following year he had a call to Delftshaven, and in 1605 to Utrecht.[2] There he collaborated with Gilles van Ledenberg. In 1617 a polemical pamphlet involved Taurinus in serious political trouble, it having offended James I of England.[4] The political changes of 1618, in which Maurice of Nassau took control, made him leave the Netherlands, and he died that year at Antwerp with Johannes Wtenbogaert.[2]

Works
Title page of Weegh-Schael (1617), anonymous pamphlet by Jacobus Taurinus.

Sir Dudley Carleton, English ambassador in The Hague, made a speech against the Remonstrants to the States-General of the Netherlands (6 October 1617).[5] Taurinus subjected this oration to criticism in the anonymous Weegh-schael (The Balance),[6] after consulting Johan van Oldenbarneveldt. Carleton was taken to task for acting inconsistently with the wishes of his royal master.[7] Carleton in November asked the States General on 22 November for the author to be punished; and was informed in December by Matthew Slade that the pamphlet had been written by Taurinus.[5] Carleton pursued the matter vigorously, brought up several stringent demands, and made the French translation a target also.[8] The French version was by Carolus Niellius, and included a satirical introduction.[9]

Other works included Van de onderlinge Verdraagsammheydt: tegen Jacobi Triglandi Recht-Gematigden Christen (1615) against Jacobus Triglandius.[10]

Notes
  1. Lutzen H. Wagenaar (1909). Van strijd en overwinning: de groote Synode van 1618 op '19, en wat aan haar voorafging (in Dutch). Ruys. p. 203.
  2. de:s:ADB:Taurinus, Jacobus
  3. Theo Clemens, Wim Janse (editors), The Pastor Bonus: Papers Read at the British-Dutch Colloquium at Utrecht, 18–21 September 2002 (2004), p. 197; Google Books.
  4. Keith L. Sprunger, Trumpets from the Tower: English Puritan printing in the Netherlands, 1600-1640 (1994), p. 40; Google Books.
  5. Anthony Milton, The British Delegation and the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) (2005), p. 22 note 64; Google Books.
  6. Also known as Weegschael, in updated spelling.
  7. Jan Den Tex, Oldenbarnevelt: 1606-1619, Volume 2 (1973), p. 605; Google Books.
  8. Hanno Brand, Trade, Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange: continuity and change in the North Sea area and the Baltic, c. 1350-1750 (2005), p. 223; Google Books.
  9. Milton, p. 63 note 43; Google Books.
  10. Mark A. Ellis, Simon Episcopius' Doctrine of Original Sin (2006), p. 61 note 161; Google Books.
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