Soto, Francisco Domingo De

Soto, Francisco Domingo de, a monk and theologian, was born of poor parents, in A.D. 1494, at Segovia. He began life as a sacristan at Orchando. and after a severe struggle with difficulties growing out of his indigent condition, he entered the University of Alcala, where he was the pupil of Thomas de Villanova, and afterwards the University of Paris. In 1520 he became teacher of philosophy at Alcala, and took ground as a victorious opponent of the nominalism then prevalent in the university. He wrote a Comment. in Aristotelis Dialecticam (Salam. 1544, and often): — Categorioe (Venet. 1538): — Libri 8 Physicorum (Salam. 1545): and Summuloe (1575). He was suddenly induced to become a monk, and entered first at Montferrat, but finally became a Dominican at Burgos in 1524. At Burgos he taught philosophy and theology until 1532, when he removed to Salamanca, and was associated with John Victoria and Melchior Canus in the promulgation of scholastic theology. In 1545 he was appointed by Charles V to participate in the Council of Trent, and at once took prominent rank. In the first four sessions he represented his order, and in the fifth and sixth filled the place of the new general of the Dominicans, Fr. Romeo. He also contributed much towards the settling of the canons of the fifth and sixth sessions was spokesman of the Thomist school, and met with determined opposition from the Scotist Ambrosius Catharinus; their disputations dealing with the doctrines of original sin, the condition of the human will after the fall, justification, grace and predestination, the works of unbelievers, and similar matters. These controversies gave occasion for his works De Natura et Gratia Lib. II1, etc. (Venet. 1547; Antwerp, 1550): — Apologia, qua Episcopo Minorensi de Certitudine Gratioe respondet D.S. (Venet. 1547): — Discept. F. Ambr. Catharini Episc. Minor. ad Dom. de Soto, Ord. Proedic. super Quinque Articulis Liber (Rom. 1552). On the removal of the council to Bologna, Soto returned to the court of Charles V. He became confessor to the emperor and archbishop of Segovia in 1549, but renounced both dignities, and went back to the monastery of Salamanca, where he became prior in 1550. At this time he wrote, against Protestantism, Comment. in Epist. Pauli ad Romanos (Antwerp, 1550;. Salam. 1551). After two years' service as prior, he resumed a professorship in the University of Salamanca, and wrote De Ratione Tegendi et Detegendi Secretum Relectio Theologica (Salam. 1552): — Annot. in J.

Feri Francisc. Mogunt. Comment. super Evang. Johannis (Salam. 1554). Four years after resuming the professor's chair, he returned to the convent, was reelected prior, and died Nov. 15, 1560. In addition to a number of minor works, he composed, besides those already given, De Justitia et Jure Libri 7, etc. (Salam. 1556): — SententiarumC Comment. s. de Sacramentis (1557 and 1560): — a Commentary on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, not printed: — a treatise De Ratione Promulgandi Evangelium, etc. See Antonio [Nicolao], Biblioth, I ispanicra, etc. (Rom. 1672), 1, 255-258.