The Calvinist Copernicans History of Science and Scholarship in the Netherlands, volume I The series History of Science and Scholarship in the Netherlands presents studies on a variety of subjects in the history of science, scholarship and academic institu­ tions in the Netherlands. Titles in this series 1. Rienk Vermij, The Calvinist Copernicans. The reception of the new astronomy in the Dutch Republic, IJ7J-IJJo. 2002, ISBN 90-6984-340-4 2. Gerhard Wiesenfeldt, Leerer Raum in Minervas Haus. Experimentelle Natur­ lehre an der Universitdt Leiden, 167J- IJIJ. 2002, ISBN 90-6984-339-0 3. Rina Knoeff, Herman Boerhaave (I668- IJ}8). Calvinist chemist and pf?ysician. 2002, ISBN 90-6984-342-0 4. Johanna Levelt Sengers, How fluids unmix. Discoveries ~ the School of Van der Waals and Kamerlingh Onnes. 2002, ISBN 90-6984-357-9 Editorial Board K. van Berkel, University of Groningen W.Th.M. Frijhoff, Free University of Amsterdam A. van Helden, Utrecht University W.E. Krul, University of Groningen A. de Swaan, Amsterdam School of Sociological Research R.P.W. Visser, Utrecht University The Calvinist Copernicans The reception of the new astronomy in the Dutch Republic, 1575-1750 Rienk Vermij Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Amsterdam 2002 © 2002 Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy­ ing, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the pub­ lisher. Edita KNAW, P.O. Box 19121, IOOO GC Amsterdam, the Netherlands edita@ bureau.knaw.nl, www.knaw.nl/edita The paper in this publication meets the requirements of @l Iso-norm 9706 (1994) for permanence The investigations were supported by the Foundation for Historical Re­ search, which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Contents Acknowledgements V111 Introduction PART 1. A WORLD OF ORDER 9 I. The context of learning I I A bourgeois society II Leiden university: general 15 Mathematics and the humanist program 18 2. Cosmography and classical studies 26 Leiden professors and the system of the world 26 Ancient precedence 30 Cosmic harmony: the Capellan system 32 3. Humanist mathematicians and Copernicus 43 Willebrord Snellius 43 Nicolaus Mulerius 45 4· Simon Stevin and the tradition of practical mathematics 53 Mathematical practitioners and the system of the world 53 Simon Stevin, a mathematician with pretentions 58 Stevin's astronomy 60 Stevins' Copernican ism 65 Willem Jansz Blaeu 68 5. Philips Lansbergen's Christian cosmology 73 Life and work 73 Lansbergen's Copernicanism 82 Lansbergen's Christian cosmology 88 Alchemy and the motion of the earth 92 CONTENTS v PART 11. THE CHALLENGE TO PHILOSOPHY 101 6. Thinking the cosmos after 1610 103 Dissemination of the debate 103 Attempts at a new cosmology III 7· Astronomy at the universities 120 Tychonians 120 Copernicans 126 Philosophers 132 PART Ill. THE UNIVERSE OF LAW 137 8. Cartesian cosmology 139 A physics of the universe 139 Daniel Lipstorp: mathematics as philosophy 142 Christophorus Wittichius' decisive argument 146 Out of Descartes: Christiaan Huygens 148 New theories of motion 153 9. Cartesian cosmology at the Dutch universities 156 A new program of learning 156 Resistance to the Cartesian world-view 159 The first conflicts on Cartesianism at the Dutch universities 164 Aftermath of the conflicts 169 Academic discussion on the system of the world in the second half of the seventeenth century 176 Conclusion: character of the debate 185 10. The impact of Cartesianism outside the universities 188 Intellectual life in the second half of the seventeenth century 188 The mathematical practitioners 192 Popular discussions on Copernican ism 202 Surpassing Descartes 2 I 3 The impact of the new astronomy: poetry 218 The testimony of world maps 222 PART IV. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY AND CH RI STIAN FREEDOM: C OPERN I CAN I SM AND BIBLE INTERPRETATION 239 11. Copernican ism in the theological discussion. Preliminaries to a problem 241 The Bible in Reformed theology 241 Early theological positions on Copernicanism 247 Cartesianism enters the fray 251 vi CONTENTS 12. Copernicanism as a theological problem: the Wittich affair 256 A theologian championing Copernicanism 256 Detractors and rejoinders 258 Some other voices 267 13. Copernicanism as a political problem: The Velthuysen affair 272 Voetianism as a political program 272 Lambert van Velthuysen and the struggle with Voetianism at Utrecht 277 The controversy on Copernicanism and beyond 281 Related polemics in 1656 288 A belated echo 293 14. The schism within the Dutch Reformed Church 295 A Voetian counter-offensive 295 Wittich and the synod of Gelderland 299 Preparing the South Holland synod 304 The decree against Cartesian ism and its aftermath 309 Building a Cartesian faction 3I 3 The dispute in a wider setting 317 Theologians on the system of the world after 1656 323 PART V. GOD BACK IN NATURE: COPERNICANI SM IN TH E 18TH CENTURY 333 15. Newton's theories and Copernican ism at the Dutch universities 335 Leiden: the transformation of natural philosophy 336 Leiden professors in defence of Copernicus 339 Copernicanism and anti-Copernican ism at Utrecht university 344 16. New tendencies in theological and apologetic thinking 349 Jean Le Clerc's reception of the Principia 350 Bernard Nieuwentijt and Dutch physico-theology 352 The end of the theological strife 356 17. The cosmological debate in society at large 359 A fashion for astronomy 359 Some final skirmishes 362 General conclusion 372 Abbreviations 376 Bibliography 377 Index 426 CO NTE NTS vii Acknowledgements The debts I have to acknowledge in presenting this work are manifold. In the first place, I am happy to say thanks to Klaas van Berkel of Groningen Uni­ versity, who initiated the whole project and remained a firm supporter and valuable critic throughout. I should also like to thank the other directors of the project 'Culture in the Dutch Republic', in particular A. Th. van Deursen and S. Groenveld, who adopted my work within their overall project. I also thank the other members - directors and researchers alike - of this project for their support and comments. NWO, which provided the funding, deserves special mention. Several other people helped me a great deal by reading and commenting on my text, or parts of it, as it developed. At Groningen, I found a very inter­ ested and enthusiastic colleague in E ric Jorink, who read and commented on all my chapters. Most contacts, however, were abroad or spread across the whole country. Floris Cohen was willing to read my work and provide valu­ able feedback. I also owe much to the encouragement and expertise of Moti Feingold. At a later stage, Albert van Helden offered much support. A person engaged in closely related studies was Wiep van Bunge. I owe him thanks, both because he was prepared to read my work and because he was willing to show me his. Equally, Theo Verbeek was always very helpful in putting his enormous knowledge on Cartesianism at my disposal. I owe many thanks to Willem van Asselt for his expert comments on my views on the Voetian-Coc­ ceian debate, although I am afraid that on some points he did not convince me. Marc Wingens was willing to share his knowledge of early modern Dutch universities and university professors with me, and Charles van de Heuvel read a version of my chapter on Stevin. Many other people answered ques­ tions or gave hints on various aspects of my work. I carried out this research mainly while working at Groningen University. Nevertheless, I was glad to find that I was still welcome at the Utrecht Insti­ tute for the History of Science, where I could use the splendid library and where my former colleagues Bert Theunissen, Frans van Lunteren, Lodewijk Palm, Kees de Pater, Rob Visser and others were always very supportive and v iii ACKN OWLEDGEMENTS helpful. At a later stage, a fellowship at the Herzog August Library in Wol­ fenbuttel proved very useful for finishing the work off (although, in fact, I went there for other reasons). I owe quite a lot to the Library's generous sup­ port, and to discussions with the other fellows. I am glad that Maastricht University, where I am presently engaged, offered me the opportunity to fin­ ish the project. I now come to a very special debt. The late Professor R. Hooykaas studied the reception of Copernicanism in the Netherlands several years before I started my study. His investigations resulted in several publications, the best known of which is his edition of Rheticus' treatise on the Bible and the mo­ tion of the earth - a treatise believed to be lost until Hooykaas identified a copy. However, his death in 1994 left the larger project unfinished and un­ published. I owe much gratitude to Professor Hooykaas' widow, as well as to Floris Cohen, the curator of his papers, for allowing me to study the relevant manuscripts at my leisure. It certainly was of much help to become acquainted with the views of such a renowned scholar and eager student of the subject. Here and there, the reader will find in the notes references to Hooykaas' pa­ pers. Hooykaas' papers have by now been transferred to the State Archives in Haarlem. In time, they will be accessible for scholarly research. Inevitably, there are differences between his approach and my approach. Hooykaas starts right away in 1543 and pays much attention to some early reactions to Coper­ nicus' work from mathematicians living in, or originating from, the territory which later would be the Dutch Republic. In some cases, this concerns de­ tailed investigations which perhaps will be published some day.