MARTYR, Peter, a famous divine, born at Florence in 1500. He studied philosophy and the languages at Padua and Bononia, was a regular Augustine in the monastery of Fiscoli, and was counted one of the
best preachers in Italy. Zuinglius and Bucer's writings gave him a good opinion of the Protestants, and his conversation with Valdes confirmed it. He preached that doctrine at Rome in private; but, being impeached, fled to Naples, and thence to Lucca, where he brought over to the Protestant interest Emanuel Tremellius, Celsus, Martinengas, Paul Lasicius, and Jeremiah Zanchy. He was sent for to England by King Edward VI. and made professor of divinity at Oxford in 1549. In Queen Mary's reign he returned to Strasburg, and was present at the conference of Poissy. His sentiments were not the same with Calvin's about Christ's presence in the eucharist. He wrote a great number of works, and died in 1562.