Who was Episcopius?
Simon Bisscop (better known by his Latinized last name, Episcopius) was James Arminius’ student and close friend. He attended the University of Leiden when the hot debates between Arminius and Gomarus were going on. He visited Arminius on his death bed and after Arminius died, Episcopius experienced persicution, being excluded from the Lord’s table and blocked from the pastorate. Episcopius was one of the authors and 43 signers of the 5 points of the Remonstrants.
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc09/htm/iv.vii.cliii.htm
After that Episcopius became a professor of theology at Leiden, but there he experience the same controversy that Amrinius did. Only now the conflict had gotten too hot and had moved from verbal to physical. Arminians were being attached in the streets. They needed protection. Episcopius saw only one answer, a national synod. Wtnbogaert, the leader of the Reomstrants, feared for his life and fled the country, leaving Episcopius as the Arminian leader going into the synod of Dort.
The synod itself was heavily slanted towards the Calvinists. 13 of the 400+ participants were Armininan and they were treated as the accused, not equals. Episcopius was the spokesman for the Arminians. They were not allowed to criticizes Calvinist positions and after they figured out that the synod was not going to be balanced, they walked out.
The council lead to two documents, the Cannons of Dort which give us the famous 5 points of Calvinism:
http://www.all-of-grace.org/dort.html
and the Arminian confession which Episcopius authored:
http://www.christianheritageworks.com/arminianfaith.htm
As a result of the synod, Johan van Oldenbarneveldt the political supporter of the Remonstrans was killed, Hugo Grotius was imprisoned and Simon Episcopius was exiled. 20 years latter Episcopius returned and started a Remonstrant College.
I chose Episcopius as a name for this site, both because his name is a bit more obscure than my usual handle “Godismyjudge” which had already been taken, and also because Episcopius is a good reminder of where I come from.
Dan
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc09/htm/iv.vii.cliii.htm
After that Episcopius became a professor of theology at Leiden, but there he experience the same controversy that Amrinius did. Only now the conflict had gotten too hot and had moved from verbal to physical. Arminians were being attached in the streets. They needed protection. Episcopius saw only one answer, a national synod. Wtnbogaert, the leader of the Reomstrants, feared for his life and fled the country, leaving Episcopius as the Arminian leader going into the synod of Dort.
The synod itself was heavily slanted towards the Calvinists. 13 of the 400+ participants were Armininan and they were treated as the accused, not equals. Episcopius was the spokesman for the Arminians. They were not allowed to criticizes Calvinist positions and after they figured out that the synod was not going to be balanced, they walked out.
The council lead to two documents, the Cannons of Dort which give us the famous 5 points of Calvinism:
http://www.all-of-grace.org/dort.html
and the Arminian confession which Episcopius authored:
http://www.christianheritageworks.com/arminianfaith.htm
As a result of the synod, Johan van Oldenbarneveldt the political supporter of the Remonstrans was killed, Hugo Grotius was imprisoned and Simon Episcopius was exiled. 20 years latter Episcopius returned and started a Remonstrant College.
I chose Episcopius as a name for this site, both because his name is a bit more obscure than my usual handle “Godismyjudge” which had already been taken, and also because Episcopius is a good reminder of where I come from.
Dan
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