Alard, Francois

Alard, Francois a Flemish theologian, was born of a noble family at Brussels about the beginning of the 16th century. His father, William Alard de Centier, a zealous convert to popery, obliged him to enter the Order of Dominican Friars. While employed by them as a preacher, a Hamburg merchant procured him, privately, the works of Luther, and aided him in escaping from his convent. He then studied divinity at Jena and Wittenberg, but, deprived by his friend's death of his assistance, he ventured to return to Brussels and ask help of his father. His mother denounced him to the Inquisition; and, upon his refusal to return to the Church, she even offered to furnish wood to burn him. He was sentenced to death and conducted to prison, from which he contrived to escape, and, reaching Oldenburg, became almoner to the prince. Hearing that freedom of religion was granted at Antwerp, and his father coming to see him, he persuaded him to renounce Romanism. When it was no longer safe for him to remain in the Netherlands, Christian IV of Denmark gave him the curacv of Wilster, in Holstein, where he' died, July 10, 1578. His works, written in Flemish or German, consist of, The Confession of Antwerp: — Exhortation of the Ministers of Antwerp: — Agenda; or, Discipline of Antwerp: — Catechism: — Treatise on Original Sin. See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.