Martyrs 22a: Juan Diaz - a Spanish Lutheran??

Juan Diaz
Spanish Lutheran martyr
(a hatchet in the head)
from Rabus

     This continues from Part 21 (Table of Contents in Part 1a and Part 1b) publishing the book of Hermann Fick on the martyrs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  —  Part 22a presents Juan Diaz (or Díaz) a most striking history... so striking that I am in amazement... a Spanish ... Lutheran ... martyr?  Surely not...  but read on for a most remarkable story that is keeping me on the edge of my seat... as a Lutheran.
      This account is nearly 30 pages long and I was considering only taking the time to translate a small portion.  But then Fick introduced this most remarkable martyr in a way that I can hardly wait to get it all translated and presented, for it is a wonderful example to bolster the Lutheran (i.e. Christian) faith.
      Because it is so long, I noticed that Fick himself broke it into 7 chapters, and so I will follow his chapter breaks.  What follows below is his introduction.

Some highlighting added hyperlinks added for reference.

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The Martyrs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

by C.J. Hermann Fick

(tr. by BackToLuther)

XXII.(a) [2019-10-24 fix link]

Juan Diaz. [2019-03-22 fix link]

"I think it is beautiful and glorious to even leave this life for the testimony of the Christian religion, which I wish to confirm with my blood."

(Juan Diaz against Malvenda.)

Probably no country except Italy, the seat of the Antichrist, seemed so inaccessible for the Reformation as Spain, this bastion of papal superstition.  For there prevailed the Roman priesthood with unlimited violence, there was the terrible Court of Inquisition and bloodthirstily pursued everyone who stood only in the suspicion that he deviated at any point of the papal doctrine.

But the all-wise God also knew how to open this country to the Gospel.  He would have it that the King of Spain, Charles V, was chosen in 1519 as Emperor of Germany.  Now there arose between Spain and Germany a large amount of traffic.  Many Spaniards accompanied the emperor in Germany and so were given the opportunity to learn about the Gospel, and some of his officials, particularly his theologians who accompanied him to Germany, took the part to dispute with Luther's friends, and went back to Spain convinced of the truth of evangelical Lutheran doctrine, where they continue to spread the same.  

Luther's writings were brought to Spain; the New Testament of Francis Enzinas translated into Spanish, caught fire everywhere, and since 1550, the number of Lutherans increased every year so much that it seemed as though the flame of the Gospel throughout Spain was on fire.  Only the outrageous fury of the Inquisition, which spilled the blood of the faithful in streams, finally succeeded to stifle the sacred fire of truth.

Of all the Evangelical Lutheran martyrs of Spain, the blessed Juan Diaz has found the most general interest, since his martyrdom occurred under the most harrowing circumstances.  This  was first described by his friend and housemate, Claudius Senarcle [* Francisco de Enzinas?], a nobleman from Savoy, in [page 146] a separate booklet [Google Books here, Spanish libary here], and also the first Evangelical Lutheran writers, Baron von Seckendorf, Joh. Sleidanus and others, tell of  in detail.  May his memory then also remain with us as a blessing.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Annotations.

(to follow at the end of series)

= = = = = = = = = = =  cont'd in Part 22b  = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The sources Fick used are rather extensive... so extensive, that I am holding off presenting these until the very last installment in this series. —  In the next Part 22b, is Chapter 1 of this story of Juan Diaz.
==================== Table of Contents (Juan Diaz) ===================
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Annotations