Hoffmannites. See Hoff.maxn, Melchior.
Hoffmeier, Joiix Hi£SRY, a minister of the German Reformed Church, born at Anhalt-Cohten, Germany, March 17, 1760, was educated at the University of Halle. He spent some time as private tutor in Ham- burg; then went to Bremen, where he preached a I short time, and finally emigrated to America in 1793,
HOFLING
292
HOGE
Here he became pastor of several German Reformed con- gregations in Northampton County, Pa. In 1806 he was called to Lancaster, Pa., where he continued to labor tiU 1831. He was able to preach only in German ; and, the English language being needed in his charge, he retired from the active duties of the ministr^^ He died March 18, 1838. Well educated and diligent in his work, he was a successful minister. Two of his sons and threp of his grandsons also devoted themselves to the ministry.
Hofling, JoHANX WiLHELM Friedrich, an emi- nent German Lutheran minister, born in Drossenfeld, near Baireuth, in 1802, was educated at the Gymnasium of Baireuth and at the University of Erlangen, where he was an attentive hearer of Schelling, whose lectures strengthened his regard for historical Christianity. In 1823 he was appointed minister at Wiirzburg, and in 1827 at Jost, near Nuremberg. During his residence here he published two little pamphlets in defence of positive Christianity against Eationalism, which was then making rapid progress. These, it is thought, procured him the appointment as professor of practical theology at the University of Erlavigen (1833). He died April 5, 1853. Hofling was a firm adherent to the old Protestant idea of the ministry and of the Church, and defended them vigorously with all the means of modern science. His theological writings were mainly in the department of practical theology, especially on the constitution of the Church, worship, and related dogmas. Of his earlier works the best are De sijmholoTum natu- ra, necessitate, auctoritate et usu (Erlangen, 1835; 2d cd. ISil) : — Liturgische Ahhandl. v. d. Composition der christl. Gemeinde Gottesdiemte (ib. 1837). But his most important work is mrdoubtedly that on baptism : Das Sakrament d. Taufe, etc., dor/matisch, historisch, uiid lii- urgisch dargestellt (vol. i, 1816 ; vol. ii, 1848). But his Grundsdtze evangel.-luther. Kircheiiverfassimg (1850 ; 3d edition, 1852) attracted more general attention than any other work of his. Since his decease Thomasius and Harnack have edited and published his Liturgisches Ur- hundenhuch (1854), containing the rites of communion, ordination, introduction into the Church, and marriage. This book is only a fragment of a larger work, on which he had been engaged the last years of his life. See Zum Geddchtnisz J. W. F. Ilujling's, etc., by Dr. Nagelsbach and Dr. Thomasius ; Kurtz, Text-hook ofCh. Hist, ii, 317, 373 ; Herzog, Real-Eiicyklop. vi, 170, 171. (J. H. W.)
Hofmann, Johann Georg, a German theologi- an, born at Windsheim October, 1724, was educated at Erlangen and Leipzig. In 1757 he began philosophical lectures at Leipzig, and in 1762 was honored with a pro- fessorship. In 1764 he went to Giessen as professor of Oriental languages, and in 1765 was made D.D. In 1769 he was called to Altorf as professor of theology, and here he became also archdeacon. He died ;May 10, 1772. His principal works are Die Erbanung v. ihrem wuhren Begri(fe ihren Mitteln wid nindorniszen (Frankf. 1756, 8vo): — Grammatica Ihlini'it I><iii:iiiiin imilindn (Gieszen, 1765, 8vo) -.—Lock'.-^ jHintphni^^l. ErUiinniii <h r Briefe an d. Galater, Koriiillicr, Jl,iiii<r, iiml /-.'ji/kmi; aus d. Engl. Ubers. (Frankf. 1708-69, 2 vols. 4to), besides several essays. — Adelung's Jocher, Gelehrt.-Lexik. Add. ii, 2079.
Hofmann, Karl Gottlob, D.D., a distinguished German theologian, born at Sclinecberg Oct. 1, 1703, was educated at the University of Leipzig, and lectured there for several years on philosophy and philology. Later he became a preacher at St. Paul's and St. Thorn- as's churches, and later still he was called to the St. Nicolas Church. In 1739 he was called to the Univer- sity of Wittenberg as professor of theologj'. Here he became the senior of the theological facultj^, and one of the brightest lights of the day. He died Sept. 19, 1774. He puWished many valuable works, of which Adelung's Jocher gives a complete list. We have space only to mention his Introdtictio Theolog.-Crit. in Lectioneni f'pist. Pauli ad Galat. et Coloss, (Lips. 1750, 4to), and a series of
minor works, under the title Varia Sacra (Wittenb. et Lips. 1751). He also edited and enlarged the Introduc- tio in Lectionem N. T. of J. G. Pritius (Leipsic, 1737).— Jocher, Gelehrt. Lexik. (Addenda by Adelung, ii, 2049) ; Kitto, Biblical Cyclop, ii, 318.
Hofnieister, Sebastian. See Wagner.
Hofstede de Groot, Peter, a distinguished Dutch theologian, was born at Rotterdam in 1720, and educated at Groningen. Soon after the completion of his university course he was called to Rotterdam as pro- fessor of theology. Here he became a leader of a theo- logical school of " mediation," known as the Groningen School, founded by the Platonist Van Heusde (1778- 1839), who was also a professor in the Rotterdam Uni- versity at that time. Hofstede, assisted by Pareau, published a dogmatic theology, containing a complete exposition of the doctrines of this school, which are nothing more or less than a spiritual Arianism. They held that there is in human nature a divine element which needs development in order to enable humanity to reach its destination. This destination is conformity to God. All religions have aimed and worked at the same problem, but Christianity has solved it in the highest and purest manner. StiU there is onlj' a differ- ence in degree between that and other religions. God has fidfilled the desire of man, whom he had prepared for salvation by sending perfection embodied in Christ. To know Christ we need the exegetical study of that preparation of man for Christ which is furnished by the Old Testament. The New Testament is the ful- filment. The latter contains the sayings of Jesus and the conclusions of the apostles. The ■WTiters of the Scriptures were not infallible, though they did not often err. Sin is regarded as a mere inconvenience, since all sinners will ecentually he holy and happy. In stating the influences of the Groningen school in Dutch theol- ogy, Hurst {Rationalism, p. 306, 367) saA'S that it is sim- ilar to the position occupied by Channing with regard to the orthodoxy of the American Church. Hofstede was a violent opponent of the Lutheran Church ; and when, in 1779, a Lutheran church was about to be estab- lished at the Cape of Good Hope, he protested loudly, and wrote Oost-indiansche Kerkzaaken, or Ecclesiastic- al Affairs of India (Hague, 1779-1780, 2 vols. 8vo). Against Marmontel's celebrated novel Belisaire he also wrote a Avork exposing the vices of distinguished hea- thens, and showing their utter unfitness for a claim to salvation, to which Marmontel believed those entitled who had lived before Christ's coming. He died Nov. 27, 1803. See Schrockh, Kircheng. viii, 735; Hurst, Hist, of liationalism, p. 364-367 ; Farrar, Hist, of Free Thought, p. 445 sq. ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gen. xxiv, 903 sq. (J.H.^\^)