BORRHAUS (BORRHAIC), MARTIN. - Protestant humanist and theologian, also known by the name of Cellarius M., born at Suttgard in 1499, died at Basilea in 1564. He first studied at Tubinga, where he had the opportunity to become acquainted with Melantone; afterwards he devoted himself to languages and philosophy at Heidelberg and obtained the degree of Master of Philosophy.
While teaching at Wittenberg, a post procured for him by Melantone himself, Marco Stubner, a celebrated Anabaptist, arrived in that city and drew him to his doctrine. But neither this doctrine nor the innovations they wished to introduce into worship pleased Lutero and Melantone, and thus both B. and Stubner had to leave the city. In 1525 B. propagated Anabaptist doctrines in Prussia; but, disappointed and discouraged, he abandoned them, and in 1536 accepted a school of Greek and Latin at Basilea. Once his competence became known, he was offered in the same city the chair of the Old Testament (1540). During this period, besides several works on Aristotle, he wrote commentaries on the Pentateuco, Giosuè, Giudici, Libri dei Re, on certain prophets, on Solomon’s Ecclesiastate, on Giobbe, and on the Apocalisse, and shortly before his death on the Proverbi.