VOET, GISBERT, an eminent divine, was born at Heusden on the 3d of March 1589, being the descendant of an ancient and considerable family. The earlier part of his
education he received at the school of his native place, and there he astonished his teachers by his uncommon powers of memory. It is said that he could repeat three entire comedies of Plautus, as many of Terence, the first book of Horace's Odes, the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses, and many other ample portions of the authors whom he had read. In 1604 he was sent to the university of Leyden, where he prosecuted his studies for seven years. During his theological course, he gave private lectures on logic, and among his pupils he numbered the celebrated Burgersdick. Having completed his academical studies in 1611, he became a candidate for the ministry. His professional career was retarded by a long illness; but on his recovery he was appointed to officiate in the church of Vlymen, and he preached occasionally at Engelen, about a league distant. In 1617 he accepted a call to Heusden, where he continued to officiate for seventeen years. In 1619 he assisted for six months at the famous synod of Dordrecht, and proved himself a most zealous supporter of the doctrines of Calvin. In 1634 he became one of the ministers of Utrecht; and, on the foundation of a university in that city, he was appointed professor of divinity. He now took his doctor's degree at Groningen. During the vacation of 1637 he paid a visit to England, where he inspected the public libraries, and formed a personal acquaintance with many learned men. For three years after his return, he discharged his duties in a very laborious manner: besides his private lectures, he gave eight public lectures a-week, and likewise taught Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic. Before he settled at Utrecht, he was accustomed to preach eight times a-week. He rendered himself very conspicuous by the zeal and pertinacity with which he opposed the philosophy of Des Cartes. This philosopher, who had fixed his residence at Utrecht, was exposed to a great variety of attacks, literary and juridical, from the professor of divinity, by whom the tendency of some of his speculations was considered as highly pernicious. His public opposition commenced in 1639, and gave rise to much controversy. Voet was seconded by Rivet, Des Maretts, and other divines eminent for the extent of their learning and the soundness of their theology. Having continued his labours till a very advanced period of life, he died on the first of November 1676, in the eighty-eighth year of his age. Among many other works, he published "Selecta Disputationes Theologicæ." Ultraj. & Amst. 1648-62, 5 tom. 4to. But his principal work bears the title of "Politeia Ecclesiastica." Amst. 1663-76, 4 tom. 4to.