He died in the year 1624. His last words were, "Now I go hence into Paradise."

follow: 1. How all things came from a work- || three being, as it were, the basis of all his ing will of the holy triune incomprehensible other writings, it was thought proper to noGod, manifesting himself as Father, Son, and tice them particularly. His conceptions are Holy Spirit, through an outward perceptible often clothed under allegorical symbols; and working triune power of fire, light, and spi-in his latter works he has frequently adoptrit, in the kingdom of heaven.-2. How and ed chemical and Latin phrases to express his what angels and men were in their creation; ideas, which phrases he borrowed from conthat they are in and from God, his real off-versation with learned men, the education spring; that their life begun in and from this he had received being too illiterate to furdivine fire which is the Father of light, ge- nish him with them: but as to the matter nerating a birth of light in their souls; from contained in his writings, he disclaimed hayboth which proceeds the Holy Spirit, or breathing borrowed it either from men or books. of divine love in the triune creature, as it does in the triune Creator.3. How some angels, and all men, are fallen from God. Some of Behmen's principles were adopted and their first state of a divine triune life in by the late ingenious and pious William Law, him; what they are in their fallen state, and who has clothed them in a more modern the difference between the fall of angels and || dress, and in a less obscure style. See Behthat of man.-4. How the earth, stars, and men's Works; Okely's Memoirs of Behmen. elements, were created in consequence of the BELIEF, in its general and natural sense, fallen angels. 5. Whence there is good and denotes a persuasion or an assent of the evil in all this temporal world, in all its crea- mind to the truth of any proposition. In this tures, animate and inanimate; and what is sense belief has no relation to any particular meant by the curse that dwells every where kind of means or arguments, but may be in it.-6. Of the kingdom of Christ; how it|| produced by any means whatever: thus we is set in opposition to and fights and strives || are said to believe our senses, to believe our against the kingdom of hell.-7. How man reason, to believe a witness. Belief, in its through faith in Christ, is able to overcome more restrained sense, denotes that kind of the kingdom of hell, and triumph over it in assent which is grounded only on the authothe divine power, and thereby obtain eternal rity or testimony of some person. In this salvation; also how, through working in the sense belief stands opposed to knowledge and hellish quantity or principle, he casts him-science. self into perdition.-8. How and why sin and misery, wrath and death, shall only reign for a time, till the love, the wisdom, and the power of God shall in a supernatural way (the mystery of God made man) triumph over sin, misery, and death; and make fallen man rise to the glory of angels, and this material system shake off its curse, and enter into an everlasting union with that heaven from whence it fell.

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We do not say that we believe snow is white, but we know it to be so. But when a thing is propounded to us, of which we ourselves have no knowledge, bat which appears to us to be true from the testimony given to it by another, this is what we call belief. See FAITH.

BELIEVERS, an appellation given, toward the close of the first century, to those Christians who had been admitted into the church by baptism, and instructed in all the mysteries of religion. They were thus called in contradistinction to the catechumens who had not been baptized, and were debarred from those privileges. Among us it is often used synonymously with Christian. See CHRISTIAN

The year after he wrote his Three Principles, by which are to be understood-the dark world, or hell, in which the devils live-the light world, or heaven, in which the angels live-the external and visible world, which has proceeded from the internal and spiritual worlds, in which man, as to BENEDICTINES, an order of monks his bodily life, lives; Behmen produced his who professed to follow the rules of St. BeThreefold Life of Man, according to the nedict. They were obliged to perform their Three Principles. In this work he treats devotions, seven times in twenty-four hours. more largely of the state of man in this They were obliged always to go two and two world: 1. That he has that immortal spark together. Every day in Lent they fasted till of life which is common to angels and de- six in the evening, and abated of their usual vils-2. That divine life of the light and time in sleeping, eating, &c.-Every monk spirit of God, which makes the essential dif- had two coats, to cowls, a table-book, a ference between an angel and a devil, the knife, a needle, and a handkerchief; and the last having extinguished this divine life in furniture of his bed was a mat, a blanket, himself; but that man can only attain unto a rug, and a pillow. The time when this this heavenly life of the second principle order came into England is well known, for through the new birth in Christ Jesus.-3. to it the English owe their conversion from The life of the third principle, or of this idolatry. They founded the metropolitan external and visible world. Thus the life of church of Canterbury, and all the cathedrals the first and third principles is common to that were afterwards erected. The order all men; but the life of the second principle has produced a vast number of eminent only to a true Christian, or child of God. men. Their Alcuinus founded the universiBehmen wrote several other treatises, be-ty of Paris; their Dionysius Exiguus persides the three already enumerated; but these fected the ecclesiastical computation; their

Guido invented the scale of music; and their || love their cases require, and which they Sylvester the organ. have ability for. It includes all the kind exertions on the behalf of the poor, the sick, the fatherless, the widow, the distressed, &c. and especially those "who are of the household of faith," Gal. vi. 10. The means of beneficence are-communication of temporal supplies, Gal. vi. 6; prayer, James v. 16; sympathy, Rom. xii. 15; ap16.-Obligations to beneficence arise from the law of nature, Acts, xvii 26; the law of revelation, Heb. xiii. 16; the relations we stand in to each other, Gal. vi. 1, 2; the example of Christ and illustrious characters, Acts x. 38; the resemblance we herein bear to the best of Beings, Acts xiv. 17; and the pleasure we receive and give in so noble an employ. See BENEVOLENCE, CHARITY, Love.

BENEDICTION, in a general sense the act of blessing, or giving praise to God, or returning thanks for his favours. The Jews, it is said, are obliged to rehearse a hundred benedictions per day, of which eighty are to be spoken in the morning. It was usual to give a benediction to travellers on their taking leave; a practice which is still pre-propriate advice and conversation, Col. ii. served among the monks. Benedictions were likewise given among the ancient Jews as well as Christians, by imposition of hands. And when at length the primitive simplicity of the Christian worship began to give way to ceremony, they added the sign of the cross, which was made with the same hand as before, only elevated or extended. Hence benediction in the modern Romish church, is used, in a more particular manner, to denote the sign of the cross made by a bishop or prelate as conferring some grace on the people.

BENEVOLENCE, the love of mankind in general, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness. It is distinguished Benediction is also used for an ecclesias- from beneficence, that being the practice; tical ceremony, whereby a thing is rendered benevolence the desire of doing good. Bene sacred or venerable. In this sense benedic-volence must be universal, reaching to tion differs from consecration, as in the lat-every man without exception; but benefiter, unction is applied, which is not in the former: thus the chalice is consecrated, and the pix blessed; as the former, not the latter is anointed, though in the common usage these two words are applied promiscuously The spirit of piety, or rather of superstition, has introduced into the Romish church benedictions for almost every thing; we read of forms of benedictions for wax candles, for boughs, for ashes, for church vessels, for ornaments, for flags, or ensigns, arms, first fruits, houses, ships, paschal eggs, cilicium, or the hair cloth of penitents, church-yards, &c. In general, these benedictions are performed by aspersions of holy water, signs of the cross, and prayers suitable to the nature of the ceremony. The forms of these benedictions are found in the Roman pontifical, in the Roman missal, in the book of ecclesiastical ceremonies, printed in Pope Leo X's time, and in the rituals and ceremonies || of the different churches, which are found collected in father Martene's work on the rites and discipline of the church.

cence cannot be so universal, for it is necessarily confined by several considerations; such as our knowledge of objects, and their different circumstances, as well as our own abilities and opportunities of exercising them. Benevolence or good will to others does not imply that we are to neglect our own interests. Our salvation, health, prosperity, and reputation, should all be objects of concern: nor will this clash with the affection we may bear to others; on the contrary, experiencing the importance of these blessings ourselves, we shall be anxious for others to possess them also. The duties of benevolence include those we owe to men, purely on the ground of their being of the same species with ourselves; such as sympathy, relief, &c.; those we owe to our country, desiring its honour, safety, prosperity; those we owe to the church of God, as love, zeal, &c; those we owe to families and individuals, as affection, care, provision, justice, forbearance, &c. Benevolence manifests itself by being pleased with the share BENEFICENCE, the practice of doing of good every creature enjoys; in a dispogood; active goodness.-Next to justice, the sition to increase it; in feeling an uneasiness most prominent virtue in the system of mo- at their sufferings; and in the abhorrence of rality, is beneficence. Power makes us to cruelty under every disguise or pretext. The be feared, riches to be flattered, learning to desire of doing good unconnected with any be admired; but beneficence renders us idea of advantage to ourselves is called amiable and useful in the scale of society. disinterested benevolence, though some doubt Some qualifications are solitary, and centre whether, strictly speaking, there be any mostly in ourselves; but this is social, diffu- such thing; as benevolence is always attendsive, and kind. The objects of our benefi-ed with a pleasure to ourselves, which forms cence are all those who are in the sphere of our influence and action, without respect to party or sect. Toward superiors, beneficence expresseth itself in respect, honour, submission, and service; toward inferiors, in liberality, condescension, protection, and support; toward equals, in all the offices of

a kind of mental interest. So far, however, as we are able to prefer the good of others to our own, and sacrifice our own comfort for the welfare of any about us, so far it may be said to be disinterested. See Hutcheson on the Passions, p. 13-26; Doddridge's Lect. 65; Beattie's Elements of Moral Sci

ence, vol. i. p. 244-249; Brown's Second gue, as Mr. Paine in fact does in his Age of Essay on Shaftesbury's Characteristics;|| Reason, that there is no occasion for any and articles LOVE and SELF-LOVE. revelation or word of God, if man can disBEREANS, a sect of protestant dissenters cover his nature and perfection from his from the church of Scotland, who take their works alone. But this the Bereans argue is title from and profess to follow the example beyond the natural powers of human reaof the ancient Bereans, in building their sys- son; and therefore our knowledge of God is tem of faith and practice upon the scrip- || from revelation alone, and that without revetures alone, without regard to any human lation man would never have entertained authority whatever. an idea of his existence.-2. With regard to As to the origin of this sect, we find that faith in Christ, and assurance of salvation the Bereans first assembled as a separate through his merits, they differ from almost society of Christians, in the city of Edin- all other sects whatsoever These they burgh, in the autumn of 1773, and soon after reckon inseparable, or rather the same, bein the parish of Fettercairn. The opponents cause (say they) "God hath expressly deof the Berean doctrines allege that this newclared, he that believeth shall be saved; system of faith would never have been heard and therefore it is not only absurd but imof, had not Mr. Barclay, the founder of it, pious, and in a manner calling God a liar, been disappointed of a settlement in the for a man to say, I believe the Gospel, but church of Scotland. But the Bereans in an- have doubts, nevertheless, of my own salvaswer to this charge appeal not only to Mr. tion." With regard to the various distincBarclay's doctrine, uniformly preached in tions and definitions that have been given of the church of Fettercairn, and many other different kinds of faith, they argue that there places in that neighbourhood, for fourteen is nothing incomprehensible or obscure in years before that benefice became vacant, the meaning of this word as used in scripbut likewise to two different treatises, con- ture; but that as faith, when applied to hutaining the same doctrines, published by him man testimony, signifies neither more nor about ten or twelve years before that period. less than the mere simple belief of that tesThey admit, indeed, that previous to May timony as true, upon the authority of the 1773, when the general assembly, by sus- testifier, so, when applied to the testimony taining the king's presentation in favour of of God, it signifies precisely "the belief of Mr. Foote, excluded Mr. Barclay from suc- his testimony, and resting upon his veracity ceeding to the church of Fettercairn (not- alone, without any kind of collateral supwithstanding the almost unanimous desire of port from concurrence of any other evidence the parishioners,) the Bereans had not left||or testimony whatever." And they insist the established church, or attempted to erect that, as this faith is the gift of God alone, themselves into a distinct society; but they so the person to whom it is given is as conadd, that this was by no means necessary on scious of possessing it as the being to whom their part, until by the assembly's decision God gives life is of being alive; and therethey were in danger of being not only de-fore he entertains no doubts either of his prived of his instructions, but of being scattered as sheep without a shepherd And they add, that it was Mr. Barclay's open and public avowal, both from the pulpit and the press, of those peculiar sentiments which now distinguish the Bereans, that was the first and principal, if not the only cause of the opposition set on foot against his settle- || ment in Fettercairn.

The Bereans agree with the great majority of Christians respecting the doctrine of the Trinity, which they hold as a fundamental article; and they also agree in a great measure with the professed principles of both our established churches respecting predestination and election, though they allege that these doctrines are not consistently taught in either church. But they differ from the majority of all sects of Christians in various other important particulars, such as, 1. Respecting our knowledge of the Deity Upon this subject they say, the majority of professed Christians stumble at the very threshhold of revelation; and, by admitting the doctrine of natural religion, natural conscience, natural notices, &c. not founded upon revelation, or derived from it by tradition, they give up the cause of Christianity at once to the infidels; who may justly ar-"

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faith or his consequent salvation through the merits of Christ, who died and rose again for that purpose. In a word, they argue that the Gospel would not be what it is held forth to be, glad tidings of great joy, if it did not bring full personal assurance of eter nal salvation to the believer; which assurance, they insist, is the present infallible privilege and portion of every individual believer of the Gospel.-3. Consistently with the above definition of faith, they say that the sin against the Holy Ghost, which has alarmed and puzzled so many in all ages, is nothing else but unbelief; and that the expression-"it shall not be forgiven neither in this world, nor that which is to come," means only that a person dying in infidelity would not be forgiven neither under the former dispensation by Moses (the then present dispensation, kingdom, or government of God,) nor under the Gospel dispensation, which, in respect of the Mosaic, was a kind of future world or kingdom to come.-4. The Bereans interpret a great part of the Old Testament prophecies, and in particular the whole of the Psalms, excepting such as are merely historical or laudatory, to be typical or prophetical of Jesus Christ, his sufferings, atonement, mediatlon, and kingdom; and

they esteem it a gross perversion of these psalms and prophecies to apply them to the experiences of private Christians. In proof of this, they not only urge the words of the apostle, that no prophecy is of any private interpretation, but they insist that the whole of the quotations from the ancient prophecies in the New Testament, and particularly those from the Psalms, are expressly applied to Christ In this opinion many other It is said that their doctrine has found classes of protestants agree with them.- converts in various places of Scotland, Eng5. Of the absolute all superintending sove- || land, and America; and that they have reignty of the Almighty, the Bereans enter- congregations in Edingburgh, Glasgow, Paistain the highest idea, as well as of the unin-ley, Stirling, Crieff, Dundee, Arbroath, terrupted exertion thereof over all his works, Montrose, Fettercairn, Aberdeen, and other in heaven, earth, and hell, however un- towns in Scotland, as well as in London, and searchable by his creatures A God without various places in England. election, they argue, or choice in all his For farther particulars of the doctrines of works, is a God without existence, a mere this sect, see the works of Messrs. Barclay, idol, a non-entity. And to deny God's elec- Nicol, Brooksbank, and M Rae. See also tion, purpose, and express will in all his Mr. A. M'Lean's Treatise on the Commisworks is to make him inferior to ourselves. || sion, first edition, p. 88, in which Mr. BarAs to their practice and discipline, they clay's notion of assurance is combated, consider infant baptism as a divine ordi- BERENGARIANS, a denomination, in nance, instituted in the room of circumcision; the eleventh century, which adhered to the and think it absurd to suppose that infants, opinions of Berengarius, who asserted that who all agree are admissible to the kingdom the bread and wine in the Lord's supper are of God in heaven, should, nevertheless, be not really and essentially, but figuratively incapable of being admitted into his visible changed into the body and blood of Christ. church on earth. They commemorate the || His followers were divided in opinion as to Lord's supper generally once a month; but the eucharist. Some allowed them to be as the words of the institution fix no parti changed in effect; others admitted a change cular period, they sometimes celebrate it in part; and others an entire change, with oftener, and sometimes at more distant pe- this restriction, that, to those who commuriods, as it may suit their general conve- nicated unworthily, the elements were nience. They meet every Lord's day for changed back again. the purpose of preaching, praying, and exhorting to love and good works. With re-an Arabian, bishop of Bozrah, who flourished gard to admission and exclusion of mem- in the third century. He taught that Christ bers, their method is very simple: when did not exist before Mary; but that a spirit any person, after hearing the Berean doc-issuing from God himself, and therefore trines, professes his belief and assurance of superior to all human souls, as being a porthe truths of the Gospel, and desires to be tion of the divine nature, was united to him admitted into their communion, he is cheer- at the time of his birth. fully received upon his profession, whatever BETHLEHEMITES, a sect called also may have been his former manner of life. Star-bearers, because they were distinguishBut if such a one should afterwards drawed by a red star having five rays, which back from his good profession or practice, they first admonish him, and if that has no effect, they leave him to himself. They do not think that they have any power to deliver a backsliding brother to Satan; that text, and other similar passages, such as, "whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," &c. they consider as restricted to the apostles, and to the inspir-street. ed testimony alone, and not to be extended to any church on earth, or any number of churches or of Christians, whether decided by a majority of votes, or by unanimous voices. Neither do they think themselves authorized, as a Christian church, to enquire into each others political opinions, any more than to examine into each others notions of philosophy. They both recommend and practice, as Christian duties, submission to lawful authority; but they do not think that a man by becoming a Christian, or joining their society, is under any obligation

by the rules of the Gospel to renounce his right of private judgment upon matters of public or private in portance. Upon all such subjects they allow each other to think and act as each may see it his duty and they require nothing more of the members than a uniform and steady profession of the apostolic faith, and a suitable walk and conver|| sation.

BERYLLIANS, so called from Beryllus,

they wore on their breasts, in memory of the star which appeared to the wise men. Several authors have mentioned this order, but none of them have told us their origin, nor where their convents were situated; if we except Matthew Paris, who says, that, in 1257, they obtained a settlement in England, which was at Cambridge, in Trumpington

BIBLE, the name applied by Christians, by way of eminence, to the collection of sacred writings, or the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

I. BIBLE, ancient Divisions and Order of. After the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, Ezra collected as many copies as he could of the sacred writings, and out of them all prepared a correct edition, arranging the several books in their proper order. These books he divided into three parts. 1. The law. 11. The prophets. 111. The Hagiographia, i. e. the holy writ

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change the old Hebrew character for it, ings. 1. The law, contains-1. Genesis ;2. Exodus ;-3. Leviticus;-4. Numbers;- which hath since that time been retained 5. Deuteronomy. 11. The writings of the only by the Samaritans, among whom it is prophets are 1. Joshua ;-2. Judges, with preserved to this day. Prideaux is of opinica Ruth-3. Samuel;-4. Kings;-5. Isaiah; that Ezra made additions in several parts of 6. Jeremiah, with his Lamentations;-7. the Bible, where any thing appeared neces Ezekiel ;-8. Daniel; 9. The twelve mi- sary for illustrating, connecting, or com nor prophets -10. Job;-11. Ezra-12. pleting the work; in which he appears to Nehemiah ;-13. Esther. 111. The Hagio-have been assisted by the same Spirit in graphia consists of-1. The Psalms-2 The which they were first written. Among such Proverbs;-3. Ecclesiastes ;-4. The Song additions are to be reckoned the last chapof Solomon. This division was made for the ter of Deuteronomy, wherein Moses seems sake of reducing the number of the sacred to give an account of his own death and books to the number of the letters in their burial, and the succession of Joshua after him. alphabet, which amount to twenty-two. Af- To the same cause, our learned author terwards the Jews reckoned twenty-four thinks, are to be attributed many other inbooks in their cannon of scripture; in dispos- terpolations in the Bible, which created difing of which the law stood as in the former ficulties and objections to the authenticity of division, and the prophets were distributed || the sacred text, no ways to be solved without into former and latter: the former prophets allowing them. Ezra changed the names are Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings; the of several places which were grown obsolete, latter prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Eze- and, instead of them, put their new names kiel, and the twelve minor prophets. And by which they were then called in the text. the Hagiographia consists of the Psalms, Thus it is that Abraham is said to have the Proverbs, Job, the Song of Solomon, Ruth, pursued the kings who carried Lot away the Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, captive as far as Dan; whereas that place Daniel, Ezra, the Chronicles. Under the in Moses's time was called Laish, the name name of Ezra they comprehend Nehemiah: Dan being unknown till the Danites, long this order hath not always been observed, after the death of Moses, possessed, thembut the variations from it are of no moment. selves of it. The Jewish canon of scripture was then settled by Ezra, yet not so but that The five books of the law are divided into forty-five sections. This division many of several variations have been made in it. the Jews hold to have been appointed by Malachi, for instance, could not be put in Moses himself; but others with more pro- the Bible by him, since that prophet is allow bability, ascribe it to Ezra. The design of ed to have lived after Ezra; nor could Nethis division was, that one of these sections hemiah be there, since that book mentions might be read in their synagogues every (chap. xii. v. 22.) Jaddua as high priest, and sabbath day: he number was fifty-four, be- || Darius Coddamannus as king of Persia, who were at least a hundred years later than cause in their intercalated years, a month being then added, there were fifty-four sab- Ezra. It may be added, that, in the first baths: in other years they reduced them to || book of Chronicles, the genealogy of the fifty two, by twice joining together two short sons of Zerubbabel is carried down for so sections. Till the persecution of Antiochus many generations as must necessarily bring Epiphanes, they read only the law; but, the it to the time of Alexander; and consereading of it being then prohibited, they quently this book, or at least this part of it, substituted in the room of it fifty-four sec- Could not be in the canon in Ezra's days. It tions out of the prophets; and when the is probable the two books of Chronicles, Ezra, reading of the law was restored by the Nehemiah, Esther, and Malachi, were adopMaccabees, the section which was read eve-ted into the Bible in the time of Simon the ry sabbath out of the law served for their Just, the last of the men of the great syna first lesson, and the section out of the pro-gogue. The Jews, at first, were very re phets for their second. These sections were served in communicating their scriptures to divided into verses; of which division, if Ezra strangers; despising and shunning the Genwas not the author, it was introduced not tiles, they would not disclose to them any of long after him, and seems to have been de- the treasures concealed in the Bible. We may add, that the people bordering on the signed for the use of the Targumists, or Chaldee interpreters; for after the return of Jews, as the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Arabs, the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, when &c. were not very curious to know the laws Their first ac the Hebrew language ceased to be their or history of a people, whom in their turn mother tongue, and the Chaldee grew into they hated and despised. use instead of it, the custom was, that the quaintance with these books was not till after law should be first read in the original He-the several captivities of the Jews, when the brew, and then interpreted to the people in the Chaldee language; for which purpose these shorter sections were very convenient. II BIBLE, History of. It is thought that Ezra published the scriptures in the Chaldee character, for, that language being generally used among the Jews, he thought proper to