Cassander, George

Cassander, George, one of the most miable and enlightened divines of the Roman Church, was born about 1515, in the island of Cadsand, at the mouth of the Scheldt. He was for a time professor of theology, first at Bruges, then at Ghent; after which he went to Cologne, where he devoted himself to the study of the controversy between the Roman Catholics and Reformers, hoping to allay the dissensions of the time. The duke of Cleves called him to Duisburg, to bring back the Anabaptists, if possible, to the Church; and this led to his preparing his book on infant baptism. His first publication was De officio pii veri in hoc dissidio religionis (Basle, 1561, 8vo). He shared the common fate of those who endeavor to unite parties warmly opposed to each other, and his book was disliked by both Protestants and Romanists. The emperor Ferdinand induced him to write his Consultatio de articulis fidei inter papistas et protestantes controversis (1564), in which he endeavored to reconcile the various articles of the Confession of Augsburg with the faith of the Roman Church. He was willing to grant the cup to the laity, and, in extreme cases, the marriage of priests. Cassander died Feb. 8, 1566. His works were collected by Decordes, Opera quae reperiri potuerunt omnia (Paris; 1616, fol.). This collection contains, among other things, a commentary on the two natures of Jesus Christ; various treatises against the Anabaptists, with testimonies from the fathers, and the doctrine of the early Church on the subject of the baptism of infants; Liturgica; ecclesiastical hymns, with notes; one hundred and seven letters, etc. Some of these treatises were condemned by the Council of Trent. — Landon, Eccl. Dictionary, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Ginerale, 9:27; Gieseler, Church History, vol. 4, § 30, 51; Hook, Ecclesiastes Biography, 3:502 sq.