GOBAT, GEORGES. - Jesuit, moralist, b. at Charmoille (Basel), 1 August 1600, d. at Constance on 23 March 1679. A Jesuit in 1618, he was a professor, first of philosophy at Fribourg in Switzerland (1631-40), then for 24 years (1641-66) of moral theology in the same Fribourg, at Lucerne, Hall, Munich, Regensburg and Constance, where he was also for 21 years penitentiary of the Cathedral. At the same time he was also rector at Hall (1647-50) and at Fribourg (1654-56).
He wrote many works of moral theology and casuistry concerning indulgences, the Sacraments, drunkenness, vows, superstitions, and Matrimony, so widely circulated that his superiors ordered him to collect them together. G. attended to this, revising everything carefully; but his work was interrupted by death. Thus this principal work, which embraces all the others, came out posthumously: Opera moralia omnia (3 vols., Munich 1681). Of the treatises contained therein, particular mention should be made of Clipeus clementium iudicum (Constance 1659; the Augsburg ed. of 1612 is better; further improved in the Opera moralia omnia) in defense of probabilism against the assaults and accusations of Pascal. The Opera omnia were struck by the censure of the bishop of Arras, who from the Douai ed. (1701) extracted 32 propositions, judged laxist: Censure faite par mons. l'évêque d'Arras (Arras 1703); this aroused many defenders, among whom the principal: [Crist. Rassler]. Vindicine Gobotianae (s. l. 1706). In truth G., of an extraordinary strictness and austerity when it was a matter of himself, showed himself, driven by too much good heart toward others, excessively lenient in certain opinions, which were condemned by Innocent XI on 2 March 1679.