Dens Peter

Dens Peter, a Roman Catholic theologian, was born in 1690 at Boom, in Belgium. "Apparently nothing is known at least by Protestant writers-regarding the incidents of his life, as his name appears in no encyclopaedia or biographical work that we are acquainted with. The scanty information we possess is derived from the epitaph inscribed on his tomb in the chapel of the archiepiscopal college of Malines by the present (1857) rector. From this epitaph it appears that he was reader in theology at Malines for twelve years, plebanus or parish parish of St. Rumold's or Rumbold's Church in the same city, and president of the College of Malines for forty years. He also held various honorary church offices. He was canon and penitentiary, synodical examiner and scholastic archpriest of St. Rumold's — the metropolitan church of Belgium. He died February 15, 1775, in the 85th year of his age. The work which has rendered Dens's name familiar, even to the Protestant public, is his Theologia Moralis et Dogmatica (new ed. Dublin, 1832, 8 vols. 12mo). It is a systematic Exposition and defense —

in the form of a catechism — of every point of ethics and doctrine maintained by Roman Catholics, and is extensively adopted as the text- book of theology in their colleges. It appears to owe its popularity more to its being a handy compilation than to any great talent exhibited by its author" (Chambers, Encyclopaedia, s.v.). A synopsis of the work by Dr. J. F. Berg, with copious notes illustrating the dangerous tendency of the Romanist moral theology, was published in 1840 (Philadelphia), and passed through repeated editions.