Almut, one of the opponents of Calvin, was born at Kempen, in the province of Overysel, in 1490, and was educated at the university of Louvain. He entered upon the field of religious controversy about 1523 with no small reputation. His mathematical knowledge had been shown in several works; his theological attainments had been proved in several of the principal chairs in the Netherlands; and his fame as an orator was so great that Pope Adrian VI. had sent him to Rome. The position which he now assumed in the great contest of the Reformation was not unworthy of such a reputation. The Supreme Pontiff despatched him to defend the cause of the Church of Rome in Germany. It was his privilege shortly afterwards, in 1524, to take part in the discussions and decisions of the diet of Ratisbon. He attained his greatest notoriety when he entered the lists against Calvin, and published his pamphlet De Libero Hominis Arbitrio et Divina Gratia, adversus Lutherum, Calvini, et Allos. Cologne, 1542. Pighius died in 1542, in the possession of the provostship of St John in Utrecht.

Stephanus Vinand, a laborious antiquary, and the nephew of the preceding, was born at Kempen, in the province of Overysel, in 1520, and completed his education at Cologne. Although a churchman, he gave himself up to antiquarian pursuits. Eight years in the early part of his life were devoted to the study of the ancient remains at Rome. During the rest of his career his attention was chiefly occupied in arranging and digesting the information he had collected. He had just published the first volume of his researches, under the title of Annales Romanorum, when he died in 1604. The two remaining volumes were entrusted to the editorial care of Andreas Schott, and the entire work appeared at Antwerp in 1615, in 3 vols. folio.