Vorstius Conrad,  (or Vorst,) was born at Cologne, on the 19th of July, 1569. His grandfather was Councillor to the Elector ; and Diedrick Vorst, his father, was a Dier. Conrad Vorstius was sent, in 1578, to Bedberdyk, in the county of Reifferscheid, where he learned Latin and Greek for five years. From this place he was removed to Dusseldorf, where he studied the Philosophy of Ramus ; and in the year 1586, to Aix-la-Chapelle, where he applied himself to that of Aristotle. Returning to Cologne, he went through a course of Philosophy in the College of St. Lawrence. He refused the degree of Master of Arts, being unwilling to subscribe the Canons of the Council of Trent. John Badius, one of the persecuted Ministers of Cologne, advised him to study Divinity, which he did at Herborn, under Piscator, for about three years ; and at Heidelberg for the space of four years, where he took the degree of Doctor of Theology, in July, 1594. He afterwards travelled into Upper Germany, Switzerland and France ; and in all those countries, he obtained the esteem of the most eminent Divines, and other learned men. In the year 1595, he presided at a theological disputation in the University of Basle, for the Professor Grynaeus ; and read lectures in the Academy of Geneva, at the desire of Theodore Beza.

He had been distinguished at College for his diligence and irreproachable conduct; and in 1596, he published a collection of Theses, which were thought to exhibit a tendency towards Socinianism: but this operated so little to his disadvantage, that, in 1605, he was appointed Professor of Theology in the Gymnasium at Steinfurt. Suspicions, however, at length attached to him ; and he found himself under the necessity of making a confession of his faith at Heidelberg. This was accepted, and he met with no further molestation during his residence at Steinfurt.

In 1610, he was nominated to succeed Arminius, in the University of Leyden; and though he was beloved and honoured at Steinfurt, and foresaw, from the state of parties at Leyden, that he would have to encounter much opposition there, he was tempted to accept the appointment, as it has been said, by the reputation which he expected to acquire, as the leader of a party, that had been greatly weakened by the death of Arminius. He had the reputation of a pious man, and a lover of peace and moderation ; and some eminent Divines among the Reformed, particularly Abraham Scultetus, approved of his appointment, while others strenuously opposed it. Their opposition, however, arose principally from his ascribing too great an authority, as they thought, to the Magistrate, in Ecclesiastical matters ; and from a suspicion, that he would favour the Remonstrant party. He had published his treatise "De Deo" in 1610 ; and some passages in this treatise were thought to favour the doctrine of Arminius ; some to lead to Socinianism ; and some, to have an ulterior tendency.

Before he left Steinfurt, he had two Conferences with Peter Plancius, Minister of Amsterdam, who had inveighed against him in his sermons, as an innovator, and a favourer of the opinions of Arius, Paul of Samosata, and others. These Conferences took place in the presence of the Burgomasters ; and when Vorstius shewed, that Calvin and Mercier had understood several passages of Scripture as he himself did, Plancius was reduced to silence upon that article, and some others. This pugnacious Divine, however, delivered a long discourse, to shew how necessary it was to believe the doctrine of the Trinity ; and asked Vorstius, whether he was orthodox upon that point. Vorstius demanded satisfaction for the insult which he had received ; M. Hooft, one of the Burgomasters, took his part ; and he returned to Steinfurt, with letters from the Committee of the States for the Count of that name, who was requested to grant him leave to settle in Holland.

James the First, King of England, in 1611, caused Vorstius's treatise "De Deo " to be burnt at St. Paul's Cross, and in both Universities ; and made heavy complaints to the States, on account of their tolerating the author. He also wrote a "Confutation of Vorstius," of which Fuller, the Church Historian, speaks in the following adulatory terms. "Once I intended to present the Reader with a Brief of His Majesties Declaration, till deterred with this Consideration, that although great Masses of Lead, Tinne, and meaner Metals, may by the extraction of Chymists be epitomized and abridged into a Smaller quantity of Silver, yet what is altogether Gold already, cannot without extraordinary damage, be reduced into a Smaller Proportion. And seeing each word in His Majesties Declaration is so pure and pretious, that it cannot be lessened without losse, we remit the Reader to the same in his Majesties Works."

Being favoured with an audience of the States, most of the members of that assembly were satisfied with the answers which Vorstius made to the accusations of his adversaries. Many thought that his vindication of himself was quite satisfactory ; and that he ought to be allowed to take possession of his Professorship. Others, who still had doubts upon the subject, recommended that he should be dismissed with an advantageous testimonial. At last the States thought fit to send his Apology, which was couched in the most respectful terms, to the King of Great Britain. They ordered him to answer, in a printed book, all that had been published against him. They allowed him a whole year, for the purpose of preparing that Answer, in the town of Gouda ; and urged him to examine his works, and acknowledge any errors which he might perceive in them. His first defence of himself was entitled, "Conr. Vorstii S. Theol. D. Brevis Refutatio Speciminis, a Leowardiensibus Ecclesiastis adversum ipsum editi. Lugd. Bat. 1612," 4to. This was followed by his "Prodromus Plenioris Responsi, suo Tempore cum Deo secuturi, ad Declarationem D. Sibrandi Lubberti, et iteratam Ministrorum Leowardiensium Cautionem, aliaque plura id genus aliorum Eristica scripta, recenter in Lucem adversus ipsum emissa;" and then by the "Responsum Plenius" itself. Lugd. Bat. 1612, 4to.

Uitenbogaerdt, who had promoted his appointment to the Professorial chair at Leyden, wrote to him a short time afterwards in these terms. "The University, the Church, the Curators, and the States expect a Christian Professor, not an Ostorodian." (Epp. Remonstrant, p. 275.)

Fuller says, "This Vorstius had both written and received severall Letters from certain Samosatenian Hereticks, in Poland, or thereabouts ; and it hapned that he had handled Pitch so long, that at last it stuck to his Fingers, and he became infected therewith." Sandius hesitated, however, for a while, whether he should include him in his list of Antitrinitarian writers. At last his scruples were removed, when he read a Confession of Faith, signed with Vorstius's own hand, near the close of his life, in which he explicitly declared his sentiments, respecting God the Father, and Jesus Christ. But of this more hereafter.

At the hundred and forty-ninth Session of the Synod of Dort, May 2nd, 1619, the Commissioners recommended to the assembly, to examine the writings of Vorstius. Being informed that they were about to judge him in his absence, he addressed to them a long letter in Latin, in which he endeavoured to justify himself. After the reading of this letter, several passages were produced, which the Dutch Professors had extracted from his writings ; but his friends had neither courage, nor interest enough to prevent his condemnation, and it does not appear that any member of the assembly spoke on his behalf. On the day following the English deputies read similar extracts from his works ; and demanded that his book "De Deo" should be burnt in a solemn manner. The other Divines declared that he ought to be deprived of his Professorship ; and in reference to an offer which he had made to write against the Socinians, the assembly said,—Non tali auxilio, nec defensoribus istis Tempus eget. Virg. En. ii. 521.

At the next sitting, May 4th, the first draught of the sentence to be passed upon him and his doctrine was read ; and at another sitting, on the same day, it was approved by the assembly, and adopted with some amendments. It set forth, That Conrad Vorstius, in addition to his maintaining the errors of the Five Articles of the Remonstrants, had called in question most of the fundamental doctrines of the Reformed Religion ; the Trinity of persons in the divine essence; the simplicity, immensity, omniscience, omnipotence, and immutability of the divine nature; the creation ; the providence of God ; the personal union of both natures in Christ ; his perfect expiation for our sins ; men's justification by faith ; and many other articles,—as the Most Potent King of Great Britain, and several Divines had shewn: That he maintained many doctrines, which agree with the blasphemies of the wicked Socin, or come very near them: That he endeavoured to weaken the main arguments for the eternal divinity of Christ, which venerable antiquity, and the Reformed Divines take from the Holy Scriptures: and, That he craftily laboured to introduce the impious heresies of Socin and other sects. Lastly, the Synod declares, that Yorstius is unworthy of the office and title of an Orthodox Professor, and a Doctor of the Reformed Church ; and beseeches Their High Mightinesses to interpose their authority, for removing that scandal, &c.

The sentence was dated May 4^th ; but Vorstius, who lived at Gouda, had no notice of it till some days after. The States of Holland deprived him of his Professorship at Leyden, and banished him from their province ; and he was afterwards banished from all the United Provinces. Many were of opinion, that he had been treated with too much severity. One of the Counts of Bentheim, who had a great esteem for him, ordered that he should be received into his palace. It is not known why he refused the Count's offer ; but the historian intimates, that Vorstius was afraid of being arrested on the road, and transported into England, where Bartholomew Legate, and Edward Wightman, had been burnt on a charge of heresy, a few years before. 

At first, Vorstius concealed himself in a house not far distant from Utrecht, and in other places ; but, fearful of being discovered, he retired, in the year 1622, into Holstein, with an honourable certificate from the Magistrates of Gouda, who testified, that his conduct had always been virtuous, modest and edifying. He had previously requested the Duke of Holstein's permission to settle in his dominions, and sent to that Prince an Apology, in which he declared, that he followed the opinions of the Remonstrants, contained in their "Confession of Faith;" and that the other doctrines, ascribed to him by his enemies, were mere calumnies, or philosophical matters, which did not concern Christianity. The Duke having received this Apology, submitted it to the examination of certain Divines ; and, they having approved of it, the Duke intimated to Vorstius, not only that his arrival would be acceptable to him, but also that he would take him into his protection and service.

Vorstius received another invitation from the Count of Steinfurt, who sent him an officer of his household, and a Minister, with a calash. That Count was resolved to employ him in the Church, notwithstanding the sentence passed upon him by the National Synod of Dort. But Vorstius politely declined the Count's liberal offer ; and set out privately for Holstein. He went first to Amsterdam, where the celebrated Dutch poet, Joost van Vondel, afforded him shelter and protection in his house for some days; and then conducted him to Horn, from which place he repaired to Tonningen by sea, in the month of June. Vorstius undertook that voyage with the approbation of the directors of the affairs of the Remonstrants ; and as soon as he arrived, the Duke of Holstein received him with great demonstrations of kindness, and made him his Chaplain.

Vorstius hoped to enjoy some quietness, after all his misfortunes ; but his hopes were short-lived and vain. He had been literally hunted to death, like his predecessor Arminius. (Vide Appendix, No. viii.) Exhausted by his troubles, he was attacked by a disease in the month of September, and died in the course of ten days. The remedies administered by his friend and Physician, Dr. Peter van Dam, who had accompanied him from Utrecht to Tonningen, proved unavailing ; and he taught his Physician, and his other friends, how it became a Christian to die. He gave over all thoughts of a longer continuance in this world ; and devoted the remainder of his short term of life chiefly to prayer, and the repetition of favourite passages of Scripture. He declared several times, that he had no scruple about any of his books. He said more than once, that he was perfectly satisfied with the Confession of the Remonstrants. In his last conversations, he frequently mentioned the resurrection of the dead ; and wished that those, who had charged him with disbelieving that doctrine, might hear his last Confession. He desired that the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and the fifteenth of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which mention is made of the resurrection, might be read to him. When his strength failed, and he began to lose his power of utterance, with the signs of approaching death in his countenance, he desired Herbold Tomberg to write down what he should dictate to him about certain articles of the Christian Faith. He spoke as long as he was able; and concluded with these words. "After this," (alluding to his previous declaration of belief in God, as the Maker of heaven and earth ; and in Jesus Christ, as our Saviour, who is to be adored with the most perfect veneration, and under whom his heavenly Father has put all things, without excluding anything but Him who has put all things under him,) "if any one should undertake to abuse my little authority, I positively declare, as I have done formerly, that I make a difference between the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, our only and eternal Saviour, and Him, who is the only true God Almighty, according to the words of the Holy Spirit, which occur so frequently in the New Testament."

Tomberg having written these words, the sick man had hardly strength enough to set his hand to them ; and his name could not be read without much difilculty. Soon after, (it was on the 29th of September, O. S., between three and four o'clock in the morning,) he recommended his soul to God, and Jesus Christ his Saviour, and then expired. His body was carried from Tonningen to Frederickstadt, being attended by seven coaches ; and was buried in a vault, under the place, where the Church of that new town was afterwards built. Graevius preached his funeral sermon.

Vorstius was a married man; and his wife followed him to Tonningen, and arrived there the very day that his last illness commenced. She survived him, with a family of five young children ; one of whom afterwards greatly excelled as a Hebrew scholar, and had the pastoral charge of a Remonstrant Church at Warmond.

The following will be found to contain the titles of most of the works of Conrad Vorstius.

1. Theses on various Points of Dogmatic Theology, published at different Times ; viz. On the Sacrament ; On the Causes of Salvation ; On Jesus Christ the Saviour ; On Predestination ; On the Trinity ; On the Person and Office of Christ; and an Idea of Theology in general. Siegen, 1596, 8vo.

2. Disputations concerning God, or concerning the Nature and Attributes of God. Steinf. 1602, 4to. This work was afterwards enlarged, and published with copious notes at Steinfurt, in 1610, 4to.; and at Hanover, in 1610, 4to.

3. Manual of the Controversies between the Calvinists and the Roman Catholics ; or, an Index of the Errors of the Romish Church, with an Antidote. Steinf. 1604, 8vo.; Hanov. 1608, 8vo.; Lond. 1608, 12mo.

4. An Apology for the Orthodox Churches, opposed to the Jesuits of Munster. 1607, 8vo. A reply to this was published under the title "Apodixis," which Vorstius answered in a work, entitled, "Antapodixis, concerning the first three Articles of Faith." Hanov. 1609, 8vo.; 1665, 8vo.

5. Tessaradecas Anti-Pistoriana: or an Answer to a Book of John Pistorius, on fourteen controverted Articles of Religion. Hanov. 1607, 8vo.

6. An Epistolary Protest against the Censure passed upon his Treatise concerning God by the Divines of Heidelberg. Hagenau, 1610.

7. Anti-Bellarmin abridged: or a compendious Examination of all the Controversies carried on between the Calvinists and the Roman Catholics. Hanov. 1610, 4to.

8. Apologetica Exegesis : or a fuller Declaration of some Passages extracted from his "Treatise concerning God," &c, and imputed to him as erroneous. Leyden, 1611, 4to. This was published first in Latin, and afterwards in Dutch.

9. A Reply to some Articles lately sent from England. Leyden, 1611. 1613, 4to. This was Vorstius's Answer to King James I.

10. Preface to Faust Socin's Book concerning the Authority of Scripture. Steinf. 1611, 8vo.

11. Notes upon F. Socin's Disputation concerning Jesus Christ the Saviour.

12. A Compendium of the Doctrine of the Christian Church, now flourishing chiefly in Poland. 1630. This made its appearance both in Latin and Dutch. Cloppenburg, who published a reply to it, attributes it to Ostorod and Voidovius; but others say, that it was compiled, by Vorstius, from the writings of the Socinians.

13. Several Tracts in controversy with John Piscator, on Predestination. 1612—1618.

14. Several Tracts in controversy with Sibrand Lubbert, and others, vindicating himself from a Charge of Heresy. Leyden, 1612.

15. A Reply to Matthew Slade's Disputation on the Blasphemies, Heresies, and Atheisms, distinguished with a black Mark, by James, King of England, in Vorstius's "Treatise concerning God." Gouda, 1615, 4to.

16. An Apologetical Reply to Hommius's Specimen of Dutch Controversies. Gouda, 1618, 4to.

17. On the New Testament. Herborn, 1621, 4to.

18. A Commentary on all the Apostolical Epistles, except 2 Tim., Tit., Philem. and Heb. Amst. 1631, 4to.