EPISCOPIUS (BISCHOP), SIMON. - Protestant theologian, b. at Amsterdam on 8 Jan. 1583, d. there on 4 Apr. 1643. A disciple of Gomar at the University of Leiden, he later became a pupil of Arminio, whose doctrine he embraced, becoming a convinced follower of it, so much so that after the death of his master he was regarded as the head of Arminianism. Opposed by the Calvinists, he had to take refuge at Bleiswijk, near Rotterdam, where he exercised the pastoral ministry. Shortly afterwards he was called to succeed Gomar at the University of Leiden (1612-18).
Because of the condemnation of the “Remonstrants” by the Synod of Dordrecht (1610), he was again obliged to flee, first taking refuge at Antwerp and then in France. Having returned to his homeland in 1626, he was a preacher at Rotterdam, until in 1631 he was appointed professor and then head of the College of the Friar Preachers at Amsterdam, remaining in office until his death. All his theological works, dealing especially with Grace, free will, and Predestination, were published posthumously by Stefano de Courcelles and Arnoldo Poelenburgh (8 vols., Amsterdam 1650-55; 2nd ed., Leiden 1658, with a biography of the author). Among them is the Confessio seu Declaratio sententiae pastorum qui in forderata Belgio remonstrantes vocantur super praecipuri articulis religionis christianae, regarded as the authentic profession of faith of the Arminians.