Paul Gabriel Antoine

Drawn from the authors' own words; every quotation links to its place.

Jesuit · 1679–1743

In Prümmer's Catalogue and Haringer's Index

“Antoine, Paul Gabr., S.J., French (1679-1743), wrote the works Theologia universa speculativa et dogmatica, Pont-a-Mousson 1723 and often afterward, and Theologia moralis universa. This last work, edited very often with additions, was prescribed by Benedict XIV as a manual for the students of the College de Propaganda Fide. According to St. Alphonsus, Homo apostolicus, tract 16, 108, Antoine is an author of a very rigid opinion.” — Prümmer, Catalogue of authors
[+*: rigid] “Antoine Paulus Gabriel, S.J., author of a very rigid opinion (Homo apostolicus XVI.108; Theologia, book VI, n. 505), born 1679, died 1743.” — Haringer's index of writers (Gury-Ballerini) (p. XII, sign read on the page)

His Moral System, as Our Authors Report It

Every report quoted in the author's own words and linked to its place; point at a name to see his words. Haringer's signs give St. Alphonsus's judgment as Haringer found it in St. Alphonsus's works (his notice, Gury-Ballerini, 1884, p. XI); a sign on a writer the 1884 editor added to the list is the editor's own, and is said to be his.

Our authors disagree. Probabiliorist: Koch-Preuss, Noldin, Prümmer, Tanquerey, Gury-Ballerini, Merkelbach. Tutiorist (rigorist): Noldin, Bucceroni. Against probabilism: Concina, Koch-Preuss.

Probabiliorist
Counted among them by 5 of our authors	Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, the moral systems; Noldin, Summa I, n. 231; Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 401; Gury-Ballerini, Compendium I, n. 66, note; Merkelbach, Summa II, excursus on the moral systems
“the theology of Fr. Antoine, S.J., a vigorous Probabiliorist”Prümmer calls him a vigorous probabiliorist, whose theology Benedict XIV ordered to be expounded in the Seminary of Propaganda Fide	Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 345
Tutiorist (rigorist)
Counted among them by 2 of our authors	Noldin, Summa I, n. 230; Bucceroni, Institutiones, n. 118
Against probabilism
Counted among them by one of our authors	Concina, Compendium II, diss. II, ch. IX, n. XII
“Antoine was an opponent of Probabilism. St. Alphonsus says of him: "Inter rigidos auctores non infimum tenet locum."”Koch-Preuss: an opponent of probabilism, whom St. Alphonsus set among the rigid authors; his work was prescribed by Benedict XIV for the College of the Propaganda	Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, history of moral theology
Rigid in his opinions
“Antoine is an author of a very rigid opinion”Prümmer, after St. Alphonsus: of a very rigid opinion	Prümmer, Catalogue of authors
“Antoine Paulus Gabriel, S.J., author of a very rigid opinion (Homo apostolicus XVI.108; Theologia, book VI, n. 505), born 1679, died 1743.”Haringer marks him +*, giving St. Alphonsus's judgment of him (rigid)	Haringer's index, Index of writers, p. XII

Where Our Authors Discuss Him

Each read in its full passage; the words quoted are the author's own. Where several authors say the same thing, one is quoted and the others follow “in nearly the same words”; point at a name to see his words.

“a probabiliorist, whose Universal Moral Theology (published in the year 1726) was explained by order of Benedict XIV”	Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 51
“Thus commonly teach Fr. Antoine, Fr. Cárdenas, Fr. La Croix, Fr. Sporer”Concina: he teaches that the condemned propositions are condemned as they lie, not as they stand in their authors	Concina, Theologia V, diss. III, ch. XIV, n. II

Works Our Authors Used

Antoine, Paulus, S.J., 1679-1743, Theologia moralis universa. — Tanquerey's list
Antoine, S.J., Cours d'Economie sociale, 6th ed., revised by H. du Passage, Paris (Alcan). — Tanquerey's list

In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)

“Paul Gabriel Antoine”, vol. 1, by George F. Johnson. Public domain; transcription from Wikisource.

Antoine, Paul Gabriel, a French theologian, b. at Lunéville, 10 January, 1678; d. at Pont-à-Mousson, 22 January, 1743. At the age of fifteen he applied for admission into the Society of Jesus, and was received 9 October, 1693. On the completion of his studies, he taught "humanities" for several years, first a Pont-à-Mousson, and then at Colmar. Returning to the former city, he occupied the chair of philosophy, and later that of theology with considerable success, the first edition of his "Dogmatic Theology" appearing in 1723, and three years later his "Moral Theology" in three volumes. He was afterwards rector of the College of Pont-à-Mousson, where he died in his sixty-fifth year. His "Theologia universa, speculativa et dogmatica", embracing the whole field of scholastic inquiry met with an enthusiastic reception, and at once stamped the author as one of the first theologians of the age. It went through nine editions during his lifetime, and ten after his death. It is remarkable for its clearness and solidity. Still more flattering was the reception accorded his "Theologia moralis universa", first published in Nancy in 1726, in duodecima. It has since gone through sixty editions in different countries. The Roman edition of 1747, published by Philip Carbognano, O.M., contained several additions to the original, among them chapters on Condemned Propositions, Reserved Cases, decrees of Benedict XIV, etc. Antoine's "Moral Theology" was so highly esteemed by Benedict XIV that he prescribed its use by the students of the College of Propaganda, and it was likewise received by many of the bishops throughout France and Italy. Yet despite the fact that it is remarkable for three qualities seldom found united, viz, brevity, clearness, and completeness, it is no long a text-book at the present day. For, in the opinion of the learned Gury, Antoine inclines too much toward the side of severity, a judgment fully confirmed by St. Alphonsus Ligouri (Homo Ap., xvi, 108). Besides his theological works, Antoine published also several ascetical and devotional treatises.

Sommervogel, Bibl. de la c. de J., s. v.; Hurter, Nomenclator, II, 1289.

George F. Johnson.