Johannes Clericus (Jean le Clerc), born 1657 at Ge­neva, Switzerland, died at Amsterdam in 1736, first belonged to the Calvinists, but soon withdrew from them because of the doctrine of predestination. He studied at the universities of Geneva and Saumur in France and visited England and Holland. In 1684 he was appointed to teach in the Remon­strant seminary of Amsterdam. He taught here for nearly 50 years—until 1728. His field was Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and afterwards also philosophy. He published a large number of learned books in Latin and French. By his con­temporaries he was accused of Socinian views and an unorthodox position concerning the doc­trines of Trinity and original sin; he laid much stress upon practical Christianity, which  Clericus said is taught very clearly in the Scriptures. As a professor of the Remonstrant seminary he had some influence on Mennonite ministers, many of whom, when training for the ministry, attended his lectures, until a Mennonite seminary was estab­lished in 1735.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 623. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

To cite this page: