WALENBURCH, ADRIAN and PETER van. - Theologians and controversialists of the See. XVII.
ADRIAN was born in Rotterdam (Holland) around 1608. Because of the religious struggles that disturbed his homeland, he went to Düsseldorf in the Rhineland, where he earned a degree in utroque iure and entered the ecclesiastical state. In 1646 he was made canon of the cathedral of Cologne and in 1661 auxiliary bishop. He played a major role in the diocesan synod of 1662, where he was appointed examiner, judge, and member of the commission for the seminary. For health reasons he wished to go to Bad Schwalbach, but death overtook him at Mainz, at the home of his brother Peter, on 14 Sept. 1669.
PETER, two years younger than Adrian, like him earned a degree in utroque iure at Düsseldorf and became a priest. In 1656 he was appointed canon of St. Victor in Mainz and dean of St. Peter in that city, and then in 1658 auxiliary bishop of Mainz. Upon his brother’s death he was called to succeed him as auxiliary of Cologne, where he died on 21 Dec. 1675.
The name of the Walenburch brothers is chiefly associated with their controversies with Protestants, in which they achieved notable success in conversions. They disputed with the leading Protestants of the day: Cocceius, Hund, Crocius, Schreil-ler, Hülshoven, Danhower, Hülfemann. In his later years Peter corresponded with Leibniz on the reunion of the Churches (on their correspondence, V. De la tolérance des religions. Lettres de M. de Leibnitz et réponses de M. Pélisson, Paris 1692). The numerous apologetic treatises they composed between 1642 and 1667 were printed in two volumes: Tractatus generales de controversiis fidei per Adrianum et Petrum de Walemburch (Cologne 1670). It is not easy to distinguish each brother’s share, but the works appear to be chiefly Peter’s. The Walenburchs’ work is distinguished by clarity, logic, and moderation: ab iniuriis abstinemus was their guiding principle.