O'Leary, Arthur, an Irish Roman Catholic divine of note, was born, near the middle of last century, at Cork, and educated at St. Maloes, where he became a Franciscan. On his return to his native place he dis- tinguished himself by his open adherence to the British government. He persuaded his brethren to take the oath of allegiance ; for which and his other exertions in the cause of loyalty he obtained a pension, and won the esteem of moderate men of all parties. He afterwards settled in London, and officiated as principal minister in the Roman Catholic chapel in Soho Square. He died in 1802. His addresses to the Roman Catholics of Ire- land, and other tracts, were collected into one volume, under the title Miscellaneous Tracts, Theological and Political (1780-1, 2 vols. 8vo: 3d ed. 1782, and often; N. Y. 1821, 8vo) ; besides which he published .4 Defence of his Conduct and Writings, in reply to the bishop of Cloyne. O'Learj' was an acute and spirited writer, and was remarkable for his powers of wit and humor. He engaged in controversy with Wesley also, and though the two divines occupied ground which kept them for- ever at a distance in theological views, John Wesley yet hesitated not to pay tribute to O'Leary, and called him "an arch and lively writer." See Life of Rev. Arthur 0' Leary, by England (1822, 8vo); Chalmers, Biog. Diet. ». y. ; Lond. Gentleman's Magazine, vol. Ixxii. (J. H. W.)
Oleaster, Geronisio, a Portuguese Roman Catho- lic theologian, was born at Lisbon. Some Portuguese writers call him Geronimo de Azamhuja, because they regard him as a native of that place. About 1520 he joined the Dominicans, and acquired great reputation for his proficiency iu philosophy, theology, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. In 1545 he went to Italy, and was one of the theologians appointed by Juan III of Portu-
gal to take part in the Council of Trent. After his re- turn he was appointed bishop of St. Thomas, in Africa, but declined, preferring to continue his literary labors. He, however, filled the office of inquisitor, and several others in his order. He died in 1663. Oleaster wrote, Commenfaria in Pentateuchum 3foysi (Lisbon, 1556, fol. ; Antwerp, 1568, and Lyons, 1586, 1589, fol.) : — Di Esaiam Commentaria (Paris, 1623, 1658, fol.). See Antoinc de Sienne, Bibl. Domin. ; N. Antonio, Bibl. Hispana Nova ; Echard, Scrij)tores ord. Prmdicat. ; Hook, Eccles. Biog. vii, 460. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxxviii, 607. (J. N. P.)
Olesnicki, Xiciioi-Ars, lord of Pinagom, a noted Polish nobleman, who figured prominently in the Ref- ormation movement, and decidedly leaned towards Protestantism, deserves a place here. In 1549 Oles- nicki boldly defended the right of priests to marrj' ; and a short time after he turned out the monks from a convent in his town, ejected the images from the church, and established there a public Protestant wor- ship, according to the tenets and rites of Geneva. Of course Olesnicki was persecuted by the ecclesiastical authorities, but his influence at court prevented severe punishment for a long time. Three Roman Catholic writers assert that the king and senate favored the pun- ishment of Olesnicki. but it seems unreasonable to sup- pose that Romish ecclesiastics would have suffered the offender to pass unmolested if they had dared to chas- tise him. Olesnicki died soon after, and thus the trou- ble came to a precipitate close. See Krasinski, Hist. Reformation in Polaml, i, 160-171. (J. H. W.)
Olevianus, Caspar, one of the founders of the Reformed Church of Germany, the co-laborer of Ursinus (q. v.), and one of the compilers of the Heidelberg Cate- chism, was born Aug. 10, 1536, near Treves. His family name was derived from Olewig, his native village. His father was a baker, but a man highly esteemed by his contemporaries. Thus they honored him with the dig- nity of mayor and senator. Caspar's early education was obtained in his native town. In his fifteenth year he was sent to Paris to study law. At the schools of that city and of Orleans and Bourges he spent seven years. In 1557 he obtained the degree of doctor of laws at Bourges. During his studies in France he be- came acquainted with the Reformed theology, and im- bibed both its principles and spirit. In 1558 he went to Geneva to study theology, and while in Switzerland entered into intimate association with the celebrated Reformers Calvin, Beza, Farel, Bullinger, and Martyr, enjoying the privilege of sitting with them at the ta- ble ; and, what was much more important to him, he became acquainted, by personal knowledge and experi- ence, with the condition and workings of the Presby- terial Church at Geneva, then in an extraordinarily flourishing state. He spoke warmly to his esteemed teacher, Calvin, concerning the quiet desire of many in Treves towards the Reformation, and induced Calvin, in 1558, to write to two members of the council, Otto Seele and Peter Sierk, who were known to be secretly well disposed towards the evangelical movement, to exhort and encourage them to take a more open and decided stand in favor of the spread of their faith, without heed- ing too much the unavoidable danger which such a course seemed necessarily to involve. True to his for- mer vow, the fiery youth, Olevianus, then only twenty- three years of age, returned to Treves, and commenced his ministry there earl)- in the }'ear 1559. He was greeted in the most friendly manner, and immediately received an appointment as teacher of Latin in a school which had at that time become almost extinct. His province was to explain the dialectics of Melancthon, then in vogue over the whole of Germany. In the course of his duties he took occasion frequently to make use of such examples as would serve quietly, and with- out awakening suspicion or prejudice, to instil evangel- ical truth into the minds of his pupils. Owing to the