Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/254

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SPINA


216


SPINOLA


order was banished from Germany, he went to England to complete his theological studies, and in 1874 was ordained priest. The life work of Spillmann, who had already shown his poetical gift in his contributions to "Der Hausfreund" (a calendar pubhshed by Father Pachtler in 1872), was clearly marked out for him. He was appointed collaborator on the "Stimmen aus Maria-Laach " (founded in 1871) and the Katho- lische Missionen" (founded in 1873).

Spillmann's fruitful literary activity resulted chiefly from his connexion with these periodicals, espe- cially the "Katholische Missionen", which he edited froni 1880 to 1890. From his "Beilagen fur die Jugcnd" grew seven portly volumes of "Reisebilder", while twenty-one booklets, "Aus ferncn Landern", owe their origin to the same source ; these consisted of edifying and tastefully illustrated stories for the young, with whom they have become favourites, as the nu- merous editions and translations prove. His compre- hensive "Geschichte der Katholikenverfolgung in England von 1535-1681" began with articles in the "Stimmen aus Maria-Laach", was continued in the supplements to this periodical, and was completed in fi\-e large volumes. For the calendar, the "Haus- freund", which was given up in 1881, Spillmann wrote many stories ; these were afterwards collected under the title "Wolkenund Sonnenschein", eight pretty stories for the young which have been frequently republished and translated into other languages. Spillmann also wrote seven longer romances, the first (Die Wunder- blume von Woxindon) appearing in 1S93; and the last (Der sehwarze Schumacher) ten year.s later; they are WTitten in the style of his favourite authors. Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens. An eighth romance was sketched, but a serious illness prevented its comple- tion. Spillmann's importance arises chiefly from his works for the young.

In addition to the necrologies in various newspapers and period- icals, see B.iiTMG.\RTN'ER in Stimmen aus Maria-Laach, LXIX, 1-22.

N. SCHEID.

Spina, Alfonso de, Spanish Franciscan, date of birth unknown; d. about 1491. A convert from Juda- ism, he was for many years superior of the house of studies of the Friars Minor at Salamanca, and in 1491 was created Bishop of Thermopyla' in Greece. He was a man of great learning and attained considerable renown as a preacher, but his cliief title to fame is the work entitled "Fortalitium Fidei" which Mariana (lib. XXn "Dc rebus Hispan.", c. xlvi) describes as "opus eruditura, splendido titulo, voce barbara, et divinarum rerum cognitione prjestanti". As ap- pears from the text, this work was WTitten in 1458, but it was added to by the author at different times up to the year 1485. The first edition was issued about 1464-7t); the edition published at Nuremberg in 1485 begins thus: "Incipit prohemiuni Fortalitii Fidei conscriptum per quendam Doctorem eximium ordinis niinorum anno AICCCCLIX in partibus occi- dentis." The fact that the "Fortalitium Fidei" ap- peared anonymously gave rise to some difference of opinion as to its authorship. The reason why the work is included in the "Scriptores O.P." is that one edition of it ajjpeared under the auspices of Guliclmus Totani, O. P., for its author was undoubtedly a Fran- ciscan, as Echard himself notes (Script. Ord. Pra'd., ed. 1721, II, 61), and modern scholars are practically unanimous in attribviting it to Alfonso de Spina. The "Fortalitium Fidei" deals with the different kinds of armour to be used by preachers and others in tlieir warfare against the enemies of the Cliristian religion. It is divided into five books, the first directed against tho.se who deny the Divinity of Christ, the .second against heretics, the third against the ,Iews, and the fourth against the Mohammedans, while the fifth book treats of the battle to be waged against the (jates of Hell. In this last book the author dwells at length


upon the demons and their hatred of men, the powers they have over men and the diminution of these powers, owing to the victory of Christ on the Cross, the final condition of the demons, etc.

Besides the "Fortalitium", Alfonso de Spina pub- lished at least three other works: (1) Sermones de Nomine Jesu Vigintiduos, issued about 1454 (errone- ously confounded with the "Fortalitium" by Oudin); (2) "Sermones plures de exeellentia nostras fidei", preached in 1459; (3) a treatise on fortune, dedicated to John, King of Castile (1404-54).

Wadding, Annales minorum, ad an. i4-"'-, XXXI; Idem, Scriptores ord. min. (Rome, 1906), 14; Sb.vralea, Supplementum, pt. I (Rome, 1908), 29-30; Hcrter, Nomcndalor. II (1906), 1019.

Paschal Robinson.

Spina, Bartolommeo, Scholastic theologian, b. at Pisa about 1475; d. at Rome, 1.546. He joined the Dominican Order at Pisa about 1494. Having taught for many years in the schools of his order, he was appointed (1536) by the Venetian Senate to the chair of theology at Padua. He was also for a time sociiis of the master-general of his order, and prior provincial of the Holy Land. In July, 1542, he was made Master of the Sacred Palace by Paul III, and during the four years that he discharged the duties of that office he rendered great services to the Holy See and to the Fathers of the Council of Trent, re- garding many difficult and mooted questions. From the year 1518 Spina was engaged in a heated con- troversy with his famous confrere. Cardinal Cajetan. Still more harsh was his opposition to Ambrose Catharinus, whom he denounced as guilty of heresy to Paul III about the beginning of the year 1546. The most important of Spina's works are: "Tutela Veritatis de Immortalitate Animaj contra Petrum Pomponatium" and "Flagellum in Tres Libros Apologia; Pomponatii de Immortalitate Anima;", both published in 1518. Of special interest are also "Tractatus de Stringibus et Lamiis" (Venice, 1523), and "Apologia; Tres adversus Joann. Franc. Pon- zinibium Jurisperitum " (Venice, 1525). These last two works were also published at Rome in 1576. In his treati.se "De Conceptione B. Marise Virg." (Venice, 1533), Spina opposed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Alv.\ y Astorg.\. Monumenta Dominicana: pro immac. con- cept. (Louvain, 1666), 4 sq.; ECHARD, Script. Ord. Prml., II, 126 .sq.; Hurter, Aomenc/aior.

Chas. J. Callan.

Spinola, Christopher Royas de, Bishoj) of Wiener- Neu.stadt, b. of a iiiil)le Spaiiisli family, near Roer- mond in Gelderland in 162(1; d. at Wiener-Xeustadt, 12 March, 1695. Educated at Cologne, he entered the Franciscan Order at that place and for some time taught philosophy and theolog}'. Going to S|)ain, he was made provincial of his order, and in 1661 accom- panied Margaret Theresa, the first wife of Emperor Leopold I, to Vienna, where he became one of the em- peror's influential diplomats. He was appointed titu- lar Bishop of Knin in Dalmatia in 1668 and Bishop of Wiener-Neustadt, 19 January. lf)S6. In his en- deavours to bring about a reunion between Protes- tants and the Catholic Church he had the support of Leopold I. His negotiations with well-known Protestant theologians, svich .-is Molanus, Callistus, Leibniz, etc., and various Protestant courts, esjie- cially Hanover and Brantlenburg, were encouraged by Innocent XI, and in 1(583 leil to a conference of Protestant theologians to whom Spinola submitted his plan of reunion. The plan was apparently a[)- proved by the Protestant theologians, but French influence and Spinola's too liberal concessions in- duced Innocent XI to take no action. On 20 March, 1691, the emperor appointed Spinola com- missary-general of the movement for ecclesiastical reunion in Austria-Hungary. The extreme conces-