Gomar

Gomar, FRANCIS, theologian, and leader of the party who opposed most zealously the doctrines of Arminius (q.v.). Gomar, or Gomarus, was born at Bruges, 30th January 1563, studied at the universities of Strasburg, Heidelberg, Oxford, and Cambridge, in the last-mentioned of which he took his degree of B.D. in 1584. In 1594 he was appointed professor of Divinity at Leyden, and signalised himself then and ever after by his vehement antipathy to the views of his colleague, Arminius. At the synod of Dort in 1618 he was mainly instrumental in securing the expulsion of the Arminians from the Reformed Church. He died as professor at Groningen, 1641. An edition of his works was published at Amsterdam in 1645 and 1664.