J. F. Martinet (1729–1795)

Many later 18th-century books on natural philosophy were based on the notion that the spread of knowledge of nature would contribute to respect for the Creator and thus to devotion and virtue. An example is the ‘physico-theological bestseller’ Katechismus der Natuur (‘Catechism of nature’, 1777-1779), written by the teacher, clergyman, and natural philosopher Johannes Florentius Martinet (1729-1795) (Paasman 1971, pp. 47-9). Like Nieuwentijt’s book, Martinet’s Catechism was reprinted many times and came out in an abbreviated version for children, which like the original edition was reprinted and translated into several languages. Between 1790 and 1850 as many as 24 editions of The catechism of nature for the use of children appeared in the English-speaking world alone. Martinet’s physico-theological doctrine continued to be influential through the middle of the 19th century in the Netherlands.

http://www.hyle.org/journal/issues/12-2/homburg.htm

Also discussed in Rearing the Republican Child: Attitudes and Practices in Post-Revolutionary Philadelphia
Jacqueline S. Reinier
William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Ser., Vol. 39, No. 1, The Family in Early American History and Culture (Jan., 1982), pp. 150-163
doi:10.2307/1923421… (meer)