Van Irhoven, Willem, Dd

Van Irhoven, Willem, D.D.

an eminent Dutch divine, was born at Kessel, in North Brabant, Nov. 2, 1698. He received his early education at S Hertogenbosch, first in the Latin schools, and subsequently at the Athenaeum of that place. He then repaired to Leyden, where the eminent professors P. Burman, J. Heyman, and W. Senguerd were his instructors in the ancient and Oriental languages and in philosophy. He also applied himself successfully to the study of chemistry under the celebrated Boerhaave. He devoted special attention to philosophy, in which he attained great proficiency. In 1720 he defended an essay De Intellectu Facultate vere Activa. The year following he prepared another philosophical essay in Latin, upon which he was promoted to artium liberalium magister et philosophiae doctor. It was his purpose, however, to devote himself to the work of the Gospel ministry. He attended the theological lectures of T. H. Van den Holiert, F. Fabricius, J. Marck, and J. Wesselius. In 1722 he was called to Ede, near Arnheim. While discharging his ministerial duties with ardor and fidelity, he zealously prosecuted his studies. He spent a part of each year in Leyden to avail himself of the university library. In 1728 appeared his Coijectanea Philologico-critico-theologica in Psalbnorum Titulos. This work added to his reputation. The next year he published a practical work in Dutch on the Assured Christian, which passed through several editions. In 1737 he accepted a professorship of theology in the University of Utrecht. This position he held for twenty-three years, with credit to himself and with great benefit to his pupils. In 1740 the additional duty was laid upon him of giving instruction in Church history. During his professorate he published but little. He died Nov. 18, 1760, deeply lamented at Utrecht, as also in the world of letters. See Glasins, Godgelerd Nederland, 2, 193; also Burmanni Oratio Funeb. in Obitun Gulielmi Irhovii (Traj. ad Rh. 1760). (J. P. W.)