View source for Bekker, Balthasar (1634-1698)

[[File:BalthasarBekker.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Balthasar Bekker by J. Hilarides (1691). 

Source: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BalthasarBekker.gif Wikipedia Commons]'']]     Balthasar Bekker (b. 20 March 1634 at Metslawier, d. 11 June 1698 at Jelsum) from 1657-1692 was a Dutch Reformed pastor and author of a number of theological writings, of which <em>De Betooverde Weereld </em>(Amsterdam, 1691) had a great influence and was also read by many Mennonites. This book dealt with the common opinion of that time concerning devils and ghosts; it attacked superstition in various forms. But the book was not well accepted in the Reformed Church, and a synod, observing some Carthesian philosophy in it, dismissed Bekker from the ministry in 1692. Bekker is also of interest in Mennonite history for his quarrel (1688) with [[Graaf, Lieuwe Willemsz (1652-1704)|Lieuwe Willems Graaf]], the Mennonite minister of Harlingen (the subject of this quarrel was not at all theological, but merely geographical), and especially for his two books <em>Beright van den kinderdoop </em>(1689) and <em>Nader beright over den kinderdoop </em>(1690) in which he defended [[Infant Baptism|infant baptism]]. The last of these books was a refutation of a writing by [[Bakker, Johannes de (b. ca. 1645)|Johannes de Bakker]],<em> Korte en noodige aanmerkingen over het bericht van den kinderdoop </em>(1689).
= Bibliography =
Visscher, H. and L. A. van Langeraad. <em>Het protestantsche vaderland: biographisch woordenboek van protestantsche godgeleerden in Nederland, </em>8 vols.<em> </em>Utrecht, 1903-1918: v. I, 389-412.
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