Jacobus Koelman

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Jacobus Koelman (1632 - 1695), Dutch Puritan minister, was a leader of the Nadere Reformatie. He wrote and translated many Puritan works, and is most famous for The Duties of Parents, which was published conjointly with a catechism and examples of godly children who died at a young age, to inspire Dutch youth to godliness.

This book contains, among other things, many recommendations for books to be read by parents and children. Here is a list of some of the recommendations, which I think give insight into the heart of Dutch Reformed piety:

* Abraham Van de Velde, The Wonders of the Most High

* Elnathan Parr, Abba Father

* Nicholas Byfield, The Promises; or a Treatise Showing How a Godly Christian May Support His Heart

* William Teellinck, Key of Devotion and North Star

* Ewout Teelinck, The Pillar of Fire and the Pillar of Cloud

* Henry Scudder, The Christian's Daily Walk in Holy Security and Peace

* John Brown, Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life

* William Guthrie, The Christian's Great Interest

* Samuel Rutherford, Letters

* Hugh Binning, Common Principles of the Christian Religion

* Works by Christopher Love, Joshua Hall, Arthur Hildersham, Daniel Dyke, William Ridder

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
... it's also worth quoting Jacobus Koelman (1632-1695) (there is a good article about him in the November 2005 The Outlook), the Dutch Reformed minister who wrote a well-known book called The Duties of Parents in which he said (p. 31 of the Reformation Heritage Books edition):

The catechisms composed by others have served me as aids and guides. The reason why in this process I do not follow so much the Heidelberg Catechism as I do the Westminster Shorter Catechism of England, Scotland, and Ireland is simply that the latter is in all respects superior. For why should we not honestly acknowledge such an obvious truth? It would be good if the church of The Netherlands would be willing to learn and take over a variety of things from the churches in England and Scotland, things which they formulated in their church order and other formularies more clearly in accordance with God´s Word than our church has done.

[Edited on 12-10-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

[Edited on 8-7-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

There is a bio of Koelman in Meet the Puritans ed. by Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Jacobus Koelman

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Jacobus Koelman on parental duties with respect to holy days:

100. Do not allow your children to celebrate the days on which unbelief and superstition are being catered to. They are admittedly inclined to want this because they see that the children of Roman Catholic parents observe those days. Do not let them attend carnivals, observe Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), see Santa Claus, or observe Twelfth Night, because they are all remnants of an idolatrous papacy. You must not keep your children out of school or from work on those days nor let them play outside or join in the amusement. The Lord has said, "After the doings of the land of Egypt, where you lived, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, you shall not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances" (Lev. 18:3). The Lord will punish the Reformed on account of the days of Baal (Hosea 2:12-13), and he also observes what the children do on the occasion of such idolatry (Jer. 17:18). Therefore, do not let your children receive presents on Santa Claus day, nor let them draw tickets in a raffle and such things. Pick other days on which to give them the things that amuse them, and because the days of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost have the same character, Reformed people must keep their children away from these so-called holy days and feast days.

-- The Duties of Parents, p. 73

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Jacobus Koelman: eene kerkhistorische studie (1901, Dutch) by A. F. Krull is available online here.