The Augustinians have never been able to gain the same importance as the other mendicant orders, and j at present they exert no great influence in the Church i of Roma. The most remarkable men, besides Luther, j which the order has produced, are Onuphrius Panvini (of the sixteenth century), Cardinal Korris, Abraham j a Santa Clara, and Ludovicus Leon. The constitu- tion, which was established at the general chapters of J 1287, 1290, 1575, and especially at that of 1580, is aris- tocratic. The general chapters, which assemble ev- erj' sixth year, elect a prior-general, and may depose him. His power is limited by the definitores, who, as his councillors, reside with him. Every province has a provincial, four definitores, and one or several visi- tatores. Every convent has a prior. The Discalcea- ted Augustinians have their vicar-generals, while the general of the order is taken from the calceated (con- ventual-).
The sources of information are Bingham, Orig. Ec- <•'<;<. I Mink vii ; Dugdale, Monasticon Anglicanvm, vi; Fchr's Geschichte der Monchsorden ; Helyot, Ordres Re- Ugieux, i, 288 sq., with the authorities cited there, es- pecially N.Crusenii Monasticon Augustinianum(162S); St. Martin, Vie de St. Augustin, etc. (Toulouse, 1611); Osingeri Bibliothec i Augustina (Ingolstadt, 17GS, fol.); j Zunggo, Histories Can. Keg. August. Prodronm (Ratisb. 1 i 12, •-' vols, fol.) ; P. Karl vom heil. Aloys, JakrbucA j der Kirche (Regensb. 1860); Migne, Dictionntxire des Ordres Religieux, torn. Lv (Paris, 1859).
Augustinian Nuns, a religious order of the Ro- man Catholic Church following the rule of Augustine. Like the Augustinian monks, they have claimed Au- gustine as founder, without, however, any historical proofs. They partly form congregations* under the guidance of the Augustinian monks, and partly are j placed under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishops. Congregations of Disoalceated or Barefooted Augus- tinian nans were founded iii 1589, 1597, and 1604 in Spain, and one about the same time in Portugal by Queen Louisa, wife of John IV. The most recent congregation of Augustinian nuns is that called An- gustmes de VInterieur d< Marie, established on Oct. 14. lllJ. It had. in 1839, «-»nly one house, at Crand Mon- ,
trouge. In I860 the Augustinian nuns had, altogether, 42 establishments in France, and a few others in Italy, Switzerland, Prussia, Spain, Holland and Belgium, Poland, Canada (at Quebec), and South America. The sources of information are the same as those men- tioned at the close of the preceding article. See also Migne, Diet, des Ordres Religieux, torn, iv, p. 105-11G.
Augustinism, the theological system of St. Au- gustine, as developed in opposition to Pelagianism and Semi- Pelagianism. "Augustine considered the human race as a compact mass, a collective body, re- sponsible in its unity and solidarity. Carrying out his system in all its logical consequences, he laid down the following rigid proposition as his doctrine: 'As all men have sinned in Adam, they are subject to the condemnation of God on account of this hereditary sin and the guilt thereof" (Smith's Hagenbach, His- tory of Doctrines, i, 299). Wiggers {Augustinism and Pelagianism, p. 2G8) gives the following summary view of the theological system of Augustine: I. In- fant Baptism. — The baptism of infants as well as adults is for the forgiveness of sin. Children have, indeed, committed no actual sins, yet by original sin they are under the power of the devil, from which they are freed by baptism. Hence Christian chil- dren who die before baptism no more escape positive punishment in the future life than do all who are not Christians. II. Original Sin. — By Adam's sin, in whom all men jointly sinned together, sin, and the oth- er positive punishments of Adam's sin, came into the world. B3' it human nature has been both physically and morally corrupted. Every man brings into the world with him a nature already so corrupt that he can do nothing but sin. The propagation of this qual- ity of his nature is by concupiscence. III. Free Will. —\iy Adam's transgression, the freedom of the human will has been entirely lost. In his present corrupt state, man can will and do only evil. IV. Grace. — If nevertheless man, in his present state, wills and does good, it is merely the work of grace. It is an inward, secret, and wonderful operation of God upon man. It is a preceding as well as an accompanying work. Bjr preceding grace, man attains faith, by which he comes into an insight of good, and by which power is given him to will the good. He needs co-operating grace for the performance of every individual good act. As man can do nothing without grace, so he can do noth- ing against it. It is irresistible. And as man by na- ture has no merit at all, no respect at all can be had to man's moral disposition in imparting grace, but God acts according to his own free will. V. Predestination and Redemption. — From eternity God made a free and unconditional decree to save a few from the mass that was corrupted and subjected to damnation. To those whom he predestinated to this salvation, he gives the requisite means for the purpose. But on the rest, who do not belong to this small number of the elect, the merited ruin falls. Christ came into the world and died for the elect only.