LATOMUS, JAKOB (JACQUES MASSON). - Theologian, b. at Cambron (Hainaut) ca. 1475, d. at Louvain on 29 May 1544. In Paris he obtained the degree of magister artium; in 1505 he was called to Louvain, where he directed the house founded by van Standonk for poor students; from 1522 he was theologian consultor to the imperial inquisitor van der Hulst.
L. is known especially for the controversies he sustained against Erasmus and against Luther. In 1519 he published De trium linguarum et studii ratione dialogus (Paris 1519; modern ed. in S. Cramer-F. Pijper, op. cit. in bibl., pp. 7-84), which earned him, on the Erasmian side, the reputation of an enemy of the humanistic movement. In reality L. knew how to give value also to the new tendencies in defense of Catholic truth. Precisely for this reason Erasmus preserved his esteem for him, and Luther said of him: L. optimus omnium, qui contra me scripserunt (Tisch-reden Luthers, ed. W. Preger, Leipzig 1888, n. 431). L., together with the scholars of his University, was among the first and most resolute opponents of Luther's doctrine. When the latter turned against the condemnation by the University of Louvain, L. took up the defense of Catholic doctrine, publishing in 1521: Articulorum doctrinae fratris M. Lutheri per theologos Lovanenses damnatorum ratio (Antwerp 1521), and replying to a second response of Luther with the De primatu Romani pontificis adversus Lutherum (Antwerp 1525; modern ed. in S. Cramer-F. Pijper, op. cit., pp. 85-195) and with the Responsio ad Lutherum (ibid. 1525). By reason of controversy, in these writings L. relies only on Scripture and on the Fathers, although the relevant texts are but little connected with one another and are joined by purely external criteria. Other polemical writings: De confessione secreta (ibid. 1525) against Oecolampadius and Beatus Rhenanus; against Melanchthon: Duae epistolae (ibid. 1544); his writings on Grace, on religious vows, on Marriage, on the cult of the Saints, are of lesser value.
Bibliography5 worksG. Kawerau, s. v. in Realene, für prot. Theol. und Kirche, XI, pp. 302-303; S. Cramer-F. Pijper, Bibliotheca reformationis Neerlandica, III,
BIBL.: G. Kawerau, s. v. in Realene, für prot. Theol. und Kirche, XI, pp. 302-303; S. Cramer-F. Pijper, Bibliotheca reformationis Neerlandica, III, 's Gravenhage 1905; H. de Jongh, L'ancienne faculté de théologie de Louvain, Louvain 1911, pp. 173-180; P. Polman, L'élément historique dans la controverse religieuse du XVIe siècle, Gembloux 1932, passim; G. Thils, Les notes de l'Église dans l'apologétique depuis la Réforme, ibid. 1937, see index.
Rogger, Igino. “Latomus, jakob (jacques masson).” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII, coll. 948–949. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951. https://azioneromana.com/article/latomus-jakob-jacques-masson.
MLA
Rogger, Igino. “Latomus, jakob (jacques masson).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951, coll. 948–949. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/latomus-jakob-jacques-masson.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec7_latomus_jakob_jacques_masson,
author = {Rogger, Igino},
title = {Latomus, jakob (jacques masson)},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {VII},
pages = {948--949},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1951},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/latomus-jakob-jacques-masson}
}
One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.
Click or scroll to zoom · drag to pan · Esc to close
