GONET, JEAN-BAPTISTE. - Dominican theologian, b. at Béziers ca. 1616, d. there on 24 Jan. 1681. He entered the convent of his city at the age of seventeen. In 1640 he was a doctor at the University of Bordeaux, where he taught for over 20 years. From 1660 to 1669 he interrupted his teaching because, it seems, of his conduct in the bitter doctrinal struggles of the time. As soon as he resumed it, he had to leave it again because in 1671 he was elected provincial of Toulouse. After his provincialate he returned to the chair, but for a short time (1675-77). Finally he retired to Béziers. G. is rather resolute against probabilism, so much so as to approach rigorism, without however reaching that extreme. He is not lacking either in Gallican-leaning ideas, although they did not seem dangerous at the time. Moreover, he does not oppose the Holy See. His principal work, which met with much favor, is entitled: Clypeus theologiae thomisticae contra novos eius impugnatores (16 vols.,
Bordeaux 1659-69). By 1680 this complete treatise of dogmatic theology already numbered 9 editions. Mention is also made of the Lyon 1681 edition in 5 vols., edited by J. B. Gonneau, which is the most perfect. The same author summarized the doctrine of the Clypeus in the Manuale thomistarum seu brevis theologiae thom. cursus in gratiam et commodum studentium (6 vols., Béziers 1682). The moral part of the G. was completed by Fr. Maderan: Supplementum Clypei theologiae thom. (ms. of the Municipal Library of Bordeaux, no. 154).