HOFFMANN, RICHARD ADOLF: German Protestant; b. at Königsberg June 22, 1872. He was educated at the universities of Königsberg and Halle, and after being assistant to Prof. A. H. E. Klbpper from 1893 to 1897, became in the following year privat-docent for New Testament exegesis and dogmatic theology at Königsberg, and professor of New Testament exegesis in 1907. He has written Die Abendmahlegedanken Jesu Christi (Königsberg, 1896) and Das Markusevangelium und seine Quillen (1904).

HOFFMANNITES. See Friends of the Temple.

HOFFMEISTER, lief-mai'ster, JOHANNES- Augustinian; b. at Oberndorf (43 m. s.w. of Stuttgart), Württemberg, e. 1510; d. at Günzburg (30 m.

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w.n.w. of Augsburg) Aug. 21 or 22, 1547. It is uncertain where he received his education, and when and where he entered the Augustinian order. About 1527 he lived in Mainz, and was designated as an Augustinian when he was . matriculated at the University of Freiburg, Dec. 15, 1528. From 1533 he was prior in the monastery of the imperial city of Colmar. The monastery was much demoralized, and Hoffineister took great pains to effect better conditions. The Evangelical faith threatened to enter its doors, and the prior inflicted the severest punishments upon monks who deserted their faith. He perceived that deficiency in preaching was one of the great causes of the decline of the Roman Catholic Church, and by his own example attempted reforms. In 1542 he became provincial of the Augustinians in the Rhenish-Swabian province. There were only eleven monasteries left, with less than forty monks, and Hoffineister tried his beat to keep them from the Lutheran heresy. In the mean time his efficiency and activity in preaching had become known. He was called to preach in the cathedral of Worms during the session of the diet in 1545. Shortly after his return to Colmar, the emperor summoned him to take part in a colloquy at Regensburg. Rut he was little adapted for peace ful negotiations, and religious disagreement was in tensified by personal differences and mutual lack of respect. During his sojourn in Regensburg Hoff meister preached in the cathedral, and at the solicitation of the - emperor continued his activity there even after the colloquy. In 1548 he was appointed vicar-general over all Augustinian monasteries of Germany; but his main interest was devoted to the politics of the emperor. After his activity in Regensburg he preached for two months at Munich. On Jan. 15, 1547, he went to Uhn, and a few months later to Dillingen. Shortly before his death the emperor called him to the Diet of Augsburg, but he died on the way thither. Hoffmeister's first published work was Dialogorum hbri duo, quibus aliquot ecclesite dogmata Luthers norum et verbis et aententiis roborantur (Freiburg, 1538), in which he tried to show that the "innova tors" not only disagreed among themselves, but that they defended the Roman doctrines by some statements in their writings. A second treatise, written in still more vehement language, was directed against Luther's Schmalkald Articles, Wahrhdftige Entdeckung and Widerlegung deren Artikeln die M. Luther au, f das Concilium zu schicken and darauf beharren furgenammen. Mit vorgesetzter Anzeig wer das Conch fliche oder hinders (Colmar, 1539). The Council of Colmar, although it was Roman Catholic, confiscated the publication be cause it feared serious trouble in consideration of the growing Evangelical sentiment; but Hoffmeister was not discouraged. The colloquies at Hagenau, Worms, and Regensburg induced him to treat the Augsburg Confession as he-had done the Schmalkald Articles. In this way originated his treatise, Judi eium de articulis eonfesstonis Jtdei anno MDXXX Ccesar. M. Augusta; exh"is, quatenus scilicet d Catholicis admittendi sunt aut reiieiendi (published after his death, Mainz, 1559; German, Constance, 1597). In the hope of winning the Protestants by

a real betterment of conditions which he expected from the council, Hoffmeiater made at times sweeping concessions, and with great frankness expressed himself on the conditions of his Church. Another polemical treatise of Hoffineister is entitled Canones give clause aliquot, ad interpretandum sttcrae Biblir arum scrn:Pturas (Mainz, 1545). He also published Loci, communes rerun theologicarecm (Ingolatadt, 1547), a comprehensive compilation of passages from the Church Fathers, which has been frequently edited, and several series of sermons.

(T. Kolde.)

Bibliography: A. HShn, Chronologia provincia RlwnaSueuicw ordinis . . . S. Aupuetini, Würaburg, 1744; H. Rocholl Einführung der Reformation in Kolmar Colmar, 1878; A. van Druseel, in AMA, 3d class, i., f (1878), 137 sqq.; idem, ZK(#, iii (1879), 484; N. Paulus, Dar AuyustinermGnda Johann Ho$meiater, Freiburg, 1891; G. Bogy serf, in sU#er ,/fir tottrttembergische Kirohen?uchichte, 1894 p 70, 1895, p. 172; J. Sohleoht, Johann Hoffineister ale Dichtcr, in Katholik, lxavii. 2, pp. 188 sqq.