, one of the early martyrs to the protestant religion, was born at
, one of the early martyrs
to the protestant religion, was born at Cnenza, in Spain,
in the beginning of the sixteenth century, and studied
theology at Paris, where, from reading the books of Luther
and his disciples, he soon embraced his doctrines. This
circumstance rendering it necessary to quit Paris, he went
to Calvin at Geneva, with whom, and with Budeus and
Crispinus, he studied for some time. He then went to
Strasburgh, and became known to Bucer, who, perceiving
his promising talents, obtained leave of the council of that
town to take him with him to the conference at Ratisbon.
Diaz was no sooner arrived there, than he found out Malvenda, whom he had known at Paris, who employed the
strongest arguments he could muster to induce him to return into the bosom of the church; but Diaz persevered
in his opinions. Soon after, having got\e to Nenbnrg, to
attend the correcting of a book of Bucer’s which was then
at press, he was surprised to see arrive at that place one of
his brothers named Alfonsus, an advocate at the court of
Rome, who, having heard of his apostacy, as he termed
it, immediately set out in hopes to reclaim him, but was
not more successful than Malvenda. Instead, however, of
lamenting what he might term the obduracy of his brother,
he laid a plan against his life; to execute which base purpose, he feigned to return home, and went as far as
Augsburg; but the day following he returned, accom.panied by a guide, and at break of day was again at Neuburg. His first business was to seek his brother accordingly he went straight to his lodgings with his companion,
who was disguised as a courier, and waited at the foot of
the staircase, while the accomplice went up to the apartment of Diaz, for whom he pretended he had letters to
deliver from his brother. Dia/ being roused from sleep,
the pretended messenger delivered lam the letters, and
while he read them, made a fatal stroke at his head with
an axe which he had concealed under his cloak, and fled
with his instigator Alfonsus. The report of this murder,
which happened March 27, 1546, excited great indignation at Augsburg and elsewhere; the assassins were vigorously pursued, were taken, and imprisoned atlnspruck;
but the emperor Charles V. put a stop to the proceedings
under pretext that he would take cognizance himself of the
affair at the approaching diet. This did not, however,
appease the conscience of Alfonsus, the fratricide, who
put an end to the torments of reflection by hanging himself. A particular history of the whole transaction was
published in Latin under the name of Claude Senarclaeus,
8vo, which is very scarce. Jt was addressed to Bucer,
under the title “Historia vera de morte J. Diazii.
” Diaz
was the author of a “Summary of the Christian Religion,
”
of which a French translation was published at Lyons,