Toussain (Lat Thussanus), Pierre

Toussain (Lat. Thussanus), Pierre father of Daniel, was born at St. Laurent, Lorraine, in 1499. He studied theology at Cologne, Paris, and Rome, and was made a canon at the cathedral of Metz. When the persecution against the Protestants began, he fled to Basle, and formally embraced the Reformation. Two attempts which he made to propagate his views in Fraace (at Metz and in Paris) ended with imprisonment; but in 1539 the duke of Wirtemberg made him superintendent of Miimpelgard, where he introduced the Reformation, not without great difficulties, however, as he was a Calvinist, and the duke a Lutheran. Toussain died in. 1573. See Plitt-Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v.; Lichtenberger, Encyclop. des Sciences Religieuses, s.v. (B.P.)