Peter (Pierre) of Dresden
Peter (Pierre) OF Dresden a German reformer, was born at Dresden in the latter part of the 14th century. Driven from that city for having spread the doctrines of the Vaudois, Pierre sought refuge in Prague, where, in order to subsist, he opened a small school for children. Some time after he attracted to himself one of his friends called Jacobel, with whom he published his opinions. Pierre inveighed especially against the communion in one kind. "To his influence." says Gillett, "is to be attributed in large measure the origin of that discussion in respect to the communion of the cup which almost revolutionized Bohemia, and brought down upon it the energies of crusading Christendom." He was evidently a man of superior talent, and one who possessed great power over the minds of others. At Prague, among the thousands congregated at its university, he had large opportunity for insinuating his peculiar views. The very fact that he was instrumental in shaping the enlarged views of Jacobel suffices to rescue his name and memory from oblivion. He afterwards united with the Hussites against the primacy of the pope, and propagated their ideas upon the nature of the Church. To establish his doctrines he wrote several works now completely forgotten. He died at Prague in 1440. See Eneas Sylvius,
Bohemr. chapter 5; Bonfinius, Hist. Bohem.; Moreri, Dict. Hist.; Jocher, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon; Gillett, Huss and the Hussites, 1:38, 483, 519. (J.H.W.)
