RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Caspari Cassianus
1608; ed. H. Grotius, Amsterdam, 1642). To bring about a union Cassander starts with the " consensus " of the most ancient church, expressed in the Apostles' Creed. Though the Holy Scripture is to be authoritative, he wishes to maintain the importance of tradition, especially of the great Church Fathers (down to Gregory I.); only a difference which concerns the position to Christ himself, not " opiniones " or " ritus," may become a cause of division, but the bond of " caritas " is by no means to be violated. In the doctrine of original sin, the Lord's Supper, and justification, he tries to mediate. He is even inclined to give the cup to the laity, and he will also admit of the marriage of the clergy as a makeshift. In the other controversial questions (worship of saints, monasticism, indulgences, papal power) he tries to soften the difficulties and do away with exaggerations. A recantation before his death has been imputed to him. It is hard to save him for the Roman Catholics, however, and still less can he be claimed by the Protestant side. Seckendorf is correct when he says in the Commentarius (Frankfort and Leipsic, 1680, p. 347): " Georgius Cassander, a good theologian, to be sure not a Lutheran, but a lover of truth." K. Benrath.
Bibliography: The Opera appeared Paris, 1616. Consult F. H. Reusch, Index der verbotenen Biicher, i. 361 sqq., Bonn, 1883.
CASSEL, CONFERENCE OF: A religious colloquy at Cassel, July 1-9, 1661, between certain Reformed theologians from the University of Marburg and Lutheran theologians from the University of Rinteln, arranged by Landgrave William VI. of Hesse. The aim was to bring about agreement or at least mutual toleration. They succeeded in finding some not unessential points, in the doctrines of the Lord's Supper, predestination, the person of Christ, and baptism, on which both parties agreed. It was resolved, moreover, not to revile one another in the future because of the differences still remaining, to free sermons from the burden of confessional polemics, and in any case no longer to attack an opponent personally. But this peaceful agreement did not meet with a kind reception in the rest of Germany. Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg, was, to be sure, an exception, and the Reformed party in France and Holland were inclined to come halfway; but the Lutherans rejected the arrangement absolutely. The union became the subject of lively literary combats, and the final result was a further intensification of confessional differences.
Cael Mirbt.
Bibliography: E. L. T. Henke, Das Unionskolloquium zu Cassel 1661, Marburg, 1861; H. Heppe, Kirchengeschichte beider Hessen, vol. ii., ib. 1876; H. Landwehr, Die Kirchenpolitik Friedrich Wilhelms, Berlin, 1894.
CASSEL, PAULUS STEPHANUS (SELIG) : German Protestant theologian; b. at Gross-Glogau (55 m. n.w. of Breslau), Silesia, Feb. 27, 1821; d. at Friedenau, a suburb of Berlin, Dec. 23, 1892. He was of Jewish parentage, studied history at Berlin, and from 1850 to 1856 edited a newspaper at Erfurt. On May 28, 1855, he was baptized at
Biissleben near Erfurt, and the next year became librarian of the Royal Library at Erfurt. In 1859 he settled at Berlin, where he acted as tutor and devoted himself to literary work. In 1866-67 he was a member of the Prussian Parliament, then he entered the service of the London Jewish Missionary Society and became its minister at the Christuskirche in Berlin. In 1891 he resigned his position and died shortly afterward. Cassel was a most prolific writer, and his article on the history of the Jews from the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus to the year 1847, written while still a Jew for Ersch and Gruber's Allgemeine Encyklopddie, sect. II., vol. xxvii., pp. 1-238, Leipsic, 1850, is still valuable. By public lectures delivered in different cities of Germany, he tried to influence the educated Jews in favor of Christianity, and baptized many. He also combated anti-Semitism. Other works by him include the commentaries on Judges and Ruth in Lange's Commentary; also Weihnachten, Urspriinge, Brduche und Aberglauben (Berlin, 1862); Altkirchlicher Festkalender nach Urspriingen und Brduchen (1869); Vom Wege nach Damaskus (Gotha, 1872); Die Gerechtigkeit aus dem Glauben (1874); Das Buch Esther (Berlin, 1878); and Die Symbolik des- Blutes (1882). (H. L. Strack.)
CASSETTA, cas-set'ta, FRANCESCO DI PAOLA: Italian cardinal; b. at Rome Aug. 12, 1841. He was educated at the Roman Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood in 1865. In 1884 he was consecrated titular bishop of Amiata and appointed canon of Santa Maria Maggiore, and three years later became titular archbishop of Nicomedia and grand almoner to Pope Leo XIII. As titular patriarch of Antioch he was nominated vicegerent of Rome, in which capacity he acted as the deputy of the cardinal vicar. He was created cardinal priest of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia in 1899, and is titular bishop of Sabina, perpetual abbot of Farfa, apostolic visitor of the Hospice of the Catechumens, commissioner for the apostolic visitation of the Italian dioceses, and a member of the Congregations of Bishops and Regulars, the Council, the Index, the Consistory, the Propaganda, the Propaganda for the Oriental Rite, and Indulgences.
CASSIAN: A martyr whose death is described by Prudentius in the ninth hymn of his Peristephanon. The poet says that he saw the martyr's grave at Forum Cornelii (Imola), with a picture of him, and that the custodian related that Cassian had been stabbed by his own pupils with their styli and otherwise cruelly handled. Gregory of Tours gives substantially the same account. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum names Aug. 11 as the day of his death. The fact of his martyrdom at Forum Cornelii need not be doubted, but the manner related by Prudentius is improbable, and it is impossible to fix the date. (A. Hatjok.)
CASSIANUS, cas"si-a'nus, JOHANNES: Monk of the fifth century and the real founder of Semi- Pelagianism (q.v.); b. probably in Provence c. 360; d. at Marseilles c. 435. He received a thorough education, and then visited the East with an
Cassianus Castellion