RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Plymouth Brethren Poems, Anonymous
secretary and chief secretary of the Senate of Moscow, later becoming professor of civil law at the university of the same city. In 1860 he was appointed tutor to the princes of the blood royal, including the future Emperor Alexander III., and in 1863 accompanied another of the princes in his travels through Russia. Pobiedonostsev was created a senator in 1868 and in 1872 became a member of the cabinet. His chief activity, however, began in 1880, when he was made chief procurator of the Holy Synod, a position which he retained until his retirement from active life in 1905. In this high office, his devotion to the principles of autocratic government and his firm adherence to the welfare of the Greek Orthodox Church exposed him to the enmity of the revolutionary factions and the attacks of rationalists and Protestants of all shades. Nevertheless his course was unswerving and consistent throughout — personally fearless and deeply impressed with the righteousness of his cause, he acted with a severity which could not fail to bring upon him the hatred of those whom his measures affected. Besides a Russian translation of the Imitatio Christi (St. Petersburg, 1869), he wrote " Letters on the Travels of the Imperial Heir Apparent in Russia " (in collaboration with I. K. Bast; Moscow, 1864); "Course of Civil Law" (3 vols., St. Petersburg, 1868-91); and "Historical Investigations on the State " (1876). His Reflexions of a Russian Statesman have been translated into English by R. C. Long (London, 1898).
POCOCK (POCOCKE), EDWARD: Orientalist; b. at Oxford Nov. 8, 1604; d. there Sept. 10, 1691. He was educated at Oxford (B.A., 1622; M.A., 1626; B.D., 1636); elected fellow of Corpus Christi College, 1628; became chaplain to the English factory at Aleppo, 1630-36 (during which time he made a collection of Greek and oriental manuscripts and coins on commission of Archbishop Laud); professor of Arabic at Oxford, 1636-40; was in Constantinople to seek for manuscripts, 1637-40; rector of Childrey, Berkshire, 1642-47; professor of Hebrew and canon of Christ Church, 1647-48; lost the canonry and the two lectureships in 1650; though in the same year the lectureships were restored to him, and in 1660 the canonry; and in spite of opposition from Roundheads, and the indifference of Cavaliers, he retained these positions till his death. He was one of the foremost orientalists in his day. His works are numerous and valuable. His Theological Works were published with a Life by the editor, Leonard Twells (2 vols., London, 1740). They embrace Porta Mosis (a Latin translation of Maimonides' six discourses prefatory to his commentary upon the Mishna, 1655), Commentaries on Hosea (1685), Joel (1691), Micah and Malachi (1677), and a Latin treatise upon ancient weights and measures. The commentaries formed part of Fell's projected commentary upon the entire Old Testament. They are heavy and prolix, but learned. Pocock took a prominent part in Walton's Polyglot, furnished the collations of the Arabic Pentateuch, and was consulted by Walton at every step (see Bibles, Polyglot, IV.). He translated Grotius' De veritate Christiance religionis (1660) and
the Church of England Liturgy and Catechism into
Arabic (1674). His chief work was his edition of
Gregorii Abul Farajii historia dynastiarum, Arabic
text with Latin translation (2 vols., Oxford, 1663).
Bibliography: Besides the Life in the Theological Works,
ut sup., reprinted in The Lives of Dr. Edward Pocock, .
Dr. Zachary Pearce, etc., ed. L. Twells, 2 vols., London,
1816, consult: The Remains of John Locke, viz., 1. Memoirs
of the Life of Dr. E. Pococke, London, 1714; DNB, xlvi.
7-12.
PODEBRAD (PODIEBRAD) AND KUNSTATT, GEORGE OF: King of Bohemia (1458-71); b. at Podebrad (30 m. e. of Prague) Apr. 23, 1420; d. at Prague Mar. 22, 1471. From 1444 he had been the leader of the utraquist party (see Huss, John, Hussites, II., §§ 3, 7). On the death of Ladislas he was elected king of Bohemia by the diet, and his reign marks the decisive period in the religious history of Bohemia. The Hussites had been in a manner reconciled to the Church by the compacts made with the Council of Basel (1433; see Huss, John; Hussites, II., § 6). The papacy neither accepted nor disavowed the compacts, and hoped to bring back Bohemia to Roman Catholicism. Podebrad wished to unite Bohemia and organize it into a great power; but this was impossible so long as it was rent by religious discord and, through want of papal recognition, was isolated from European politics. He accordingly tried to accomplish his purpose by skilful diplomacy with the popes, Calixtus III. and Pius II. At last Pius II. was alarmed at his increasing influence in Germany, and in 1462 disclaimed the compacts, and demanded Podebrad's unconditional obedience. At first Podebrad temporized, and, when he proposed to the various courts of Europe the summoning of a parliament of temporal princes, Pius II. excommunicated him in 1496. His successor, Paul II., authorized the formation of a league of discontented nobles, and called Mathias Corvinus, king of Hungary, to the aid of the Church; but Podebrad was not conquered, and, after his death, the Bohemian crown was given by the diet to Ladislas II.
Bibliography: Creighton, Papacy, vol. iii. passim; Pastor, Popes, iv. 134-146; M. Jordan, Das Konigthum Georgs von Podiebrad, Leipsic, 1861; F. Palacky, Geschichte von Bohmen, vol. iv., Prague, 1857; idem, Urkundliche Beitrage im Zeitalter Georgs von Podiebrad, Vienna, 1860;
E. H. Gillett, Life and Times of John Huss, ii. 550-551, 562-563, New York, 1870; E. J. Whately, The Gospel in Bohemia, London, 1877; H. Ermisch, Geschichte der sachsisch-bbhmischen Beziehungen lJfib-71, Dresden, 1881;
F. Luetzow, Bohemia, London, 1896; C. E. Maurice, Bohemia, London and New York, 1896; Monumenta Vaticana res gestas Bohemias illustrantia, Prague, 1903 ; H. Apianus, Geschichte Bohmens, Leipsic, 1905; E. Schwitzky, Der europaische Filrstenbund Georgs von Podiebrad, Marburg, 1907; Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, vol. viii. passim; and the literature under Pius II.
POEMS, ANONYMOUS, IN THE EARLY CHURCH: A small group of compositions of unknown authorship and of relatively small poetic excellence, though not without interest for the history of literature, dogma, and culture.
1. Carmen ad versus Marcionem: A refutation of Marcionistic dualism in five books, containing 1,302 clumsy hexameters. The first book attacks heresy in general and Marcionism in particular; the second shows the harmony of the Old and the New
Poems, Anonymous Poiret