Theologian and French Oratorian, b. at Aix-en-Provence 28 Aug., 1619; d. inParis, 24 Dec., 1695. At the age of thirteen he entered the Oratory and for some years was professor of literature in various colleges of the congregation, oftheology at Saumur, and finally in theseminary of Saint Magloire, inParis, where he remained until his death. His chief works are: "Ancienne et nouvelle discipline de l'église touchant les bénéfices et les bénéficiers" 93 vols. in fol., Paris, 1678-79), which passed through several French and Latin editions and several abridgments; "Dogmatum theologicorum . . . de Incarnatione, de Dei proprietatibus . . . etc." (3 vols. in fol., Paris, 1680-89), likewise re-edited several times (the treatise on theIncarnation is regarded as Thomassin's masterpiece); a series of "Traités historiques et dogmatiques" onecclesiasticalfasts, feasts, theDivine Office, theunity of the Church,truth and lying,alms, business andusury (1680-97), a series of methods of studying and teaching the humanities,philosophy, grammar, history (1681-92); the "Glossarium universale hebraicum" (in fol., Paris, 1697); "Traité dogmatique et historique des édits et d'autres moyens. . . dont on s'est servi . . . pour établir et maintenir l'unité de l'église" (3 vols., in 4°, Paris, 1705). The last-named two posthumous works were published by P. Bordes, who wrote a life of Thomassin at the beginning of the "Glossarium". Thomassin was one of the most learned men of his time, "Vir stupendae plane eruditionis", asHurter says, in his "Nomenclator", II (Innsbruck, 1893), 410.
INGOLD, Essay de bibliographie oratorienne (Paris, 1880), 170-76; Mémoires de Batterel, III, 477-515.
APA citation.Ingold, A.(1912).Louis Thomassin. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14697c.htm
MLA citation.Ingold, Augustin."Louis Thomassin."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 14.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14697c.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett.Dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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