FOSSEVINUS
317
FOSSEVINUS
to have very serious consequences, often of a most
painful and deplorable kind, in the whole subsequent
history of the Church He founded. No Catholic can
dream of admitting either of the explanations. The
theory of accommodation formulated by Winer ("Bi-
blisches Realworterbuch", Leipzig, 1833) may at once
be dismissed (see Demoniacs). Accommodation un-
derstood as the toleration of harmless illusions having
little or no connexion with reUgion might perhaps be
allowed; in the sense of deliberate inculcation of reli-
gious error, we find it very hard to associate it with
high moral principle, and entirely impossible to rec-
oncile it with the sanctity of Christ.
Why possession should manifest itself in one coun- try rather than another, why it should have been so common in the time of Christ and so comparatively rare in our own, why even in Palestine it should have been confined almost entirel)' to the province of GaU- lee, are questions on which theologians have specula- ted but on which no sure conclusion can ever be reached (cf. Dehtzch, "Sys. der biblis. Psychol.", Leipzig, 1861; Lesetre, op. cit.; Jeiler in " Kirchenlexi- kon", II, s. V. "Besessene"; St. Aug., X, xxii, De civ. Dei, 10, 22). The phenomenon itself is preternatural; a humanly scientific explanation is, therefore, impos- sible. But it might fairly be expected, we think, that smce Christ came to overthrow the empire of Satan, the efforts of the powers of darkness should have been concentrated at the period of His earthly life, and should have been felt especially in the province where, with the exception of a few brief visits to neighbouring lands. His private and public life was passed. (See
EXORCLSM, EXORCLST.)
In addition to the works mentioned above, see Perrone, De deo creatore, p. I. c. v, prop, i, ii; BlNTERlM, Denkimirdigkeilen, VII (Mainz, 1841); Maurt, La magie el Vastrologie (Paris, 0000), p. II, c. ii: Ttlor, Primitive Culture (London, 1891), cc. iv, tv; Spen'CEH, Principles of Sociology, I.
M. J. O'DONNELL.
Possevinus, Antonius, theologian and papal en- voy, b. at Mantua in 1533 or 1534; d. at Ferrara, 26 Feb., 1611. At sixteen years of age he went to Rome to study, familiarized himself with many languages, and became secretary to Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga. In 1559 he entered the Society of Jesus, and in 1560 was sent to preach against heresy in Savoy. Passing on to France, he was ordained priest in 1561, and preached at Paris, Bayonne, Rouen, and elsewhere, converting many Calvinists. He became rector oj the colleges of Avignon and of Lyons, and in 1573 was sec- retary to the general of the Society, Everardo Mer- curiano. Gregory XIII himself was among those who learned to appreciate his merit while he occupied the last-named position. When John III of Sweden ex- pressed his desire to become a Catholic, the pope, in 1577, made Possevinus his special legate to that Court, and Possevinus also had to negotiate with the Courts of Bavaria and Bohemia to secure support for John in the event of political complications. The Jesuit envoy, attired as a secular, was received with great honour in Sweden, and the king made his pro- fession of the Catholic Faith.
Many difficulties arose when measures for the con- version of Sweden were debated. Possevinus returned to Rome with proposals, some of which were judged inadmissible. Through his constant efforts several colleges (the German College at Rome, those of Brauns- berg, Fulda, Olmiitz, Prague, and others) received Swedish youths, with the object of forming a national Catholic clergy. At the close of 1578 he returned to Sweden as nuncio antl Vicar Apostolic of Scandinavia. On his way, he again visited the Duke of Bavaria, the King of Poland, and the emperor. Disconcerted by the refusal of Rome to accept the King's terms, and thwarted by the sectarians, who had the advantage in numbers and influence, Possevinus could do nothing but comfort and encourage the few Catholics remain-
ing in Sweden. He displayed the greatest devotion on
the occasion of an epidemic, when the sick were left
helpless by the Protestant ministers.
In 1580 he returned to Rome. In the meantime the Tsar Ivan IV sought the pope's mediation with Stephen Bdthori, King of Poland, in the cause of peace. Possevinus was sent as papal legate (1581) to negotiate the re-union of the Russian Church with Rome. The negotiations made with the Russian en- voys in Poland proved nugatory, as the King of Poland insisted upon profiting by his successes in war, and Possevinus went to Russia to treat with the Tsar. He wisely laid dowm as preliminary conditions of peace with Poland the liberty of Catholic worship for for- eigners in Russia and free passage for pontifical legates. These were granted pro forma. His over- tures of reconciliation with Rome were met only with reassuring words. In 1582 the Tsar signed a treaty of peace, compelled by Pohsh victories. Possevinus left Moscow laden with honours, but not deceived as to the success of his efforts: Ivan the Terrible had nego- tiated with the pope only to mislead both Rome and Poland. Having returned to Rome, Possevinus was immediately sent back to Poland as nuncio, to induce the king to combat heresy in Livonia and Transyl- vania. He himself visited these countries, preaching and arguing with the heretics.
At the Diet of W^arsaw, in 1583, he obtained the passage of resolutions favourable to Catholicism. His efforts were ineffectual in the treaties between Poland and the emperor, on which business he went twice to the Court of Rudolph II. He still stayed in the North, preaching in Livonia, Saxony, Bohemia, and Transyl- vania, writing treatises against the innovators and distributing books on Cathohc doctrine. He did much towards the reconciliation of the Ruthenians, and had a large share in founding the college of the Jesuits at Vilna. He also wrote treatises against the adversaries of the re-union. Through his exertions the Collegium Hosianum of Braunsberg was enlarged for the recep- tion of Swedes and Ruthenians; at Olmiitz and Claudiopolis, in Transylvania, colleges were estab- lished for similar purposes. In 1587 he was invited to teach theology at Padua, where he remained for four years. Among his disciples there was St. Francis of Sales. Returning to Rome, he devoted his time to theological, historical, and philosophical studies. Having played an important role in the recognition of Henry IV of France, he was expelled from Rome by the Spanish party. He then made extended tours to visit the libraries of Italy in quest of books, as on former occasions, in which task he was generously aided by Paul V.
Antonius Possevinus represented the literary, scien- tific, and diplomatic t>'pe of Jesuit, performing im- portant political missions, establishing schools of science and letters, and applying himself to diplo- matic protocols and classical authors with equal assiduity. Had he not met with insurmountable difficulties in Sweden and Russia, and in negotiating the treaties between Poland and the empire, he would have left a still deeper trace on the political history of the Church and of Europe. His writings include "Moscovia" (Vilna, 1586), an important authority on Russian history; "Del sacrificio della Mes.sa", fol- lowed by an appendix, "Risposta a P. Vireto" (Lyons, 1.563); "" II soldato cristiano " (Rome, 1569); "Nota; Verbi Dei et Apostohcae Ecclesis" (Posen, 1586). His most celebrated works are the "Apparatus sacer ad Scripturam Veteris et Novi Test." (Venice, 1603-06), where he records and analyzes more than 8000 books treating of Sacred Scripture; and the "Bibliotheca Selecta" (Rome, 1593), treating of the method of study, teaching, and practical use of various sciences; the .second part contains a critical bibliography of various sciences. (Several chapters of this book have been published separately.) Part of his letters were
