Diaz, Juan

Diaz, Juan a Spanish martyr, was born at Cuenga, in Castile. While a student at Paris, he became a convert to Protestantism, in 1540. In 1545 he left Paris for (Geneva, with a recommendation to Calvin. From Geneva he went to Strasburg, where he was held in high esteem by Martin Bucer; at the latter's request. Diaz accompanied him to the diet of Ratisbon, December, 1545. Pietro Malvenda, who was present at Ratisbon, tried everything to bring Diaz back to the Church of Rome, but in vain. At last Malvenda succeeded in influencing Diaz's brother Alfonzo to commit fratricide. Alfonzo, 'who was an officer at the papal court, hastened from Rome, and perpetrated the foul deed at Neuburg-on-the-Danube, March 27, 1546. In Germany this fratricide produced general horror; but the emperor Charles V and the pope approved of it, and the murderer was not punmished. He however'committed suicide at Trent in 1551. Diaz wrote a confession of faith, Christianae Religionis Summa, which was published at Neubumrg in 1546, and put into the index by Pius IV in 1564. It was reprilnted at Strasburg in 1692 and 1694, and Zurich in 1763. It was translated into French by Crespin, Confession de Foy, qui est un Sommaire de la Religion Chretienne (1565; a Spanish translation was published in 1865): — Summa de la Religion Cristiana. In the epistolary part of Calvin's works are found several letters of Diaz, addressed to Calvin in 1545 and 1546. See Beza, Icones (Geneva, 1580); Bayle, Dict. Hist. 2:312; Boehmer, Spanish Reformess of Two Centuries, from 1520 (Lond. 1874), pages 185-216; Picheral-Dardier, in Lichtenberger's Encyclop. des Scieces Religienses, s.v. (B.P.)