Eduard Poppius

Eduard Poppius (Enkhuizen, 1576/1577 - Loevestein, March 9, 1624) was a Dutch pastor and theologian. He was one of the founders of the Remonstrant Brotherhood and a participant to the Synod of Dordrecht.

Biography
Poppius was a son of the pastor Pieter Eduardsz Poppius. He studied theology at Leiden University. After his studies, he became a minister in Amstelveen in 1599. From 1609 to 1619 he was a minister of the Reformed Church of Gouda. He was appointed in Gouda because of his choice for the Arminian ideas of Jacobus Arminius, who rejected the doctrine of double predestination.

In 1610, Poppius was one of the signatories of the Remonstrance, in which the followers of Arminius called on the States of Holland to help them in their struggles within the Reformed Church. At the National Synod of Dordrecht in 1618/1619, the views of the Remonstrants were condemned, after which their representatives - including Poppius - were sent out to the meeting. They were exiled from the Republic and brought on farm carts to Waalwijk, which was then under Spanish authority.

In 1619, Poppius was one of the founders of the Remonstrant Brotherhood in Antwerp and was appointed one of the six directors of the brotherhood. He nevertheless returned to Gouda and held church services there, both in secret churches and in open air assemblies. In Gouda, the moderate bailiff Schaep was replaced in November 1620 by Anthony Cloots. He fanatically hunted the Remonstrants. Poppius had fear for his arrest after 800 guilders were promised for his arrest. His wife was also denied access to the city.

In 1623 he was captured in Haarlem and taken to the Loevestein castle, because of an alleged complicity in plotting an attack on Maurice, Prince of Orange. He died in captivity there the following year.

Historical novel
In 2006 the historical novel Titia and the Pastor: a historical story about religion, hate and love was published by Dick Jonker and with the collaboration of Marlies Temmink-Hos about the life of Poppius in Gouda. This publication was co-produced with the collaboration of the Remonstrant Municipality of Gouda.