Episcopius was acknowledged, even by his enemies, to be a man of very rare abilities, as well as of great learning. Heidanus (one of his opponents) says he was endowed with "great learning, penetration, elo- quence, and skill." His friend Uitenbogaert declared that he had never met a theologian "to be compared with Episcopius for his knowledge of the Scriptures and of divine subjects." ISIabillon recommends his Tn- stitutes as of great value to students of divinity, except the parts in which he speaks against Romanist doc- trines. Bull (in his Judgment (fthe Catholic Church) speaks of him as the " very learned Episcopius." His
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tolent for controversy was of a verj' high order ; but his J/istitiilrs shows that he also possessed the power of clear and luminous statement to a rare degree. The theology of Episcopius is, in substance, that of Ar- minius. He has been charged with Socinianism, but his writings, controversial and other, sufficiently re- fute that charge as brought not onlj'^ against him, but against the early Remonstrants in general. The charge was in part due to the fact that he held the ethic-;il side of ('hristianity to be the test of communion rather than the doctrinal; holding that Christianity is not so much a doctrine as a life, and that it has its doctrines only with a view to its life. The two great champions of the doctrine of the Trinity in England, Wuterland and Bull, both wrote against Episcopius. ^\'aterland {Importance of the Doctrine of the Ti-inity, 11 oj-fo, Oxford, 1853, iii, 440 sq.) states that Episcopi- us holds "the doctrine of the Trinity, as to the main substance of it, to be certain and clear, but yet not necessarj' to be believed in order to salvation," and adds that the doctrine is "taught in full and strong terms in the 'Confession of the Remonstrants,' and in other places in the works of Episcopius." He then goes on, and successfulh', to show the error and dan- ger of the unguarded statement of Episcopius as to its iuiportance. Bull's Jiidnment if the Catholic Church on the neccsd'n of believing that our Lord Jesus Christ is very God {]Vo7-I:s on the Triniti/, Oxford, 1854, vol. iii), was written expressly to refute the statement of Episco- pius {Institutes, bk. iv, ch. xxxiv, § 2), that ' ' in the primitive churches, during at least three centuries, the belief and [irofession of the special divine sonship of Christ was not judged necessary to salvation." It is hardly necessary to say that Bull makes out his case. He does not, however, charge Episcopius with doc- trinal error, Ijut with too great and even dangerous liberality. Pie states also that, " although Episcopius was a man of unquestionably great ability, and in many respects possessed learning of no ordinary kind, yet he but little consulted or regarded, nay, he actual- h' despised the writings of the ancient fathers and doc- tors." But on this see Limborch (cited bj^ Calder, Lfe of Episcopius, N. Y. ed. p. 433). After the death of Episcopius, Jurieu charged him with Socinianism, which gave rise to a sharp letter from Clericus (Le Clerc) refuting the charge (see Bajle, s. v. Episcopius).
The writings of Episcopius were collected by Cur- cellajus, who published vol. i, Amst. 1650, with a sketch of the author's life ; vol. ii, edited by Poelenburg, ap- peared in 1G(55. A second edition was published un- der the title S. Episcopii opera omnia theologica, cum autographo coUata, et a, mendis aliquot graviorihus re- purgata (Lond. 1678, 2 vols. fol.). His life was also written by Philip Limliorch, first in Dutch, and after- wards enlarged in Latin {Hist. Vita' S. Episcopii, etc., Amst. 1701). There is an English version of his Lah- yrinfhus Pontificius under the title Popish Labyrinth, or ({ Treatise on Infallibility (Lond. 1763). See also Calder, Memoirs of Simon Episcopius (New York, 1837, 12mo) ; Heppe, in Herzog, lieal-Encyllop. iv, 100 ; a translation of Curcella;us's sketch, in the Methodist Quarterly Reriew, Oct. 1863, p. 612 ; Nichols, Calvinism and A rmiuimmm, compared (Lond. 1824, 2 vols. 8vo) ; IMorison, On the ninth of Romans, p. 40 (Kilmarnock, 1840, 8vo) ; Schrockh, Kirckengeschichte seit d. Refor- mation, V, 2,39-296 ; and the articles Akminianisji ; DoKT ; Remonstrants.
Epiacopus Episcoporum, lishojj of bishops, a title assumed by the jiopes.
Episcopus in Partibns, bishop in parlibus in- fidi Hum, see Bisiior, vol. i, p. 821, col. 2.
Episcopus CEcunieniciis, OCcumcnical bishop, a title f)f the Patriarch of t'onstantinople.
Epistle Q-irj-o\li, sometiiing sent, as, a "letter"). The use of written letters implies, of course, consider- able progress in the development of civilized life.