(Alexander), a celebrated divine of the confession of Augsburg, born at Edinburgh the 23d of April 1500. He soon made a considerable progress in school-divinity, and entered the lists very early against Luther, this being then the great controversy in fashion, and the grand field wherein all authors young and old used to display their abilities. Soon after, he had a share in the dispute which Patrick Hamilton maintained against the ecclesiastics, in favour of the new faith he had imbibed at Marburgh. He endeavoured to bring him back to the Catholic religion; but this he could not effect, and even began himself to doubt about his own religion, being much affected by the discourse of this gentleman, and still more by the constancy he showed at the stake, where David Beton archbishop of St Andrew's caused him to be burnt. Beginning thus to waver, he was himself persecuted with so much violence, that he was obliged to retire into Germany, where he became at length a perfect convert to the Protestant religion. The change of religion which happened in England after the marriage of Henry VIII. with Anna Bullen, induced Ales to go to London in 1535. He was highly esteemed by Cranmer archbishop of Canterbury, Latimer, and Thomas Cromwel, who were at that time in high favour with the king. Upon the fall of these favourites, he was obliged to return to Germany; where the elector of Brandenburgh appointed him professor of divinity at Frankfort upon the Oder, in 1540. But leaving this place upon some disgust, he returned to Leipzig, where he was chosen professor of divinity, and died in March 1565. He wrote a Commentary on St John, on the Epistles to Timothy, and on the Psalms, &c.