Soto, Pedro De

Soto, Pedro de, a Dominican theologian and bitter foe of German Protestantism. was born of aristocratic parentage, at Cordova, and in 1519 became a monk. He gradually obtained the reputation of great learning, particularly in scholastic theology, where he took ground as a stanch Thomist. Charles V appointed him privy councillor and father confessor, and his order appointed him vicar of the province of Low Germany. In this capacity he accompanied the emperor to Germany, but there exchanged the emperor's service for that of the seminary at Dillingen, where he became a teacher of theology, and began his literary activity by writing his Romish Institutiones Christianoe (Aug. Vind. 1548, and afterwards): — Method. Confessionis s. Doctr. Pietatisque Christ. Epitome (Antwerp, 1556): — Tractat. de Institut. Sacerdotum, etc. (Dill. 1558), a sort of pastoral theology. The Assertio Catholicoe Fidei, etc., involved him in a controversy with Brentius (q.v.), which called forth the further work Defensio Cathol. Confessionis, etc. (Antw. 1557). He also came into contact with cardinal Pole (q.v.) at Dillingen. After a time he accompanied Philip II to England, and was employed by queen Mary to restore Romanism and teach theology in the University of Oxford. In 1558, on Mary's death, he returned to Dillingen, and in 1561 accepted the call of pope Pius IV to Trent, in order to participate in the reopened council. Soto died April 20, 1563. See Biblioth. Hisp., etc. (Rom. 1672), 2, 193 sq.