Adam's Lives; Fuller's and Clark's phemy is an injury offered to God, by Lives; Gilpin's Lives of Wickliffe, denying that which is due and belongCranmer, Latimer, c.; Walton's Lives ing to him, or attributing to him what by Zouch; Baxter's Narrative of the is not agreeable to his nature. "Three most remarkable Passages of his Life things," says a divine, "are essential to and Times, by Silvester; Palmer's this crime; 1. God must be the object. Nonconformist Memorial; Lives of P.-2. The words spoken or written, inand M. Henry; Life of Halyburton; dependent of consequences which others Orton's Memoirs of Doddridge; Gil- may derive from them, must be injulies' Life of Whitfield; Doddridge's rious in their nature.-And, 3. He who Life of Gardner; "Life of Wesley by commits the crime must do it knowingHampson, Coke, More, and Whitehead; ly. This is real blasphemy; but there Middleton's Biographia Evangelica; is a relative blasphemy, as when a man Edwards's Life of D. Brainerd; Gib- may be guilty ignorantly by propabon's Life of Wutts; Brown's Life of gating opinions which dishonour God, Hervey; Fawcett's Life of Heywood; the tendency of which he does not perBrown's Lives in his Student and Pas-ceive. A man may be guilty of this tor; Burnet's Life of Rochester; Hayley's Life of Cowper; Benson's Life of Fletcher; Jay's Life of Winter; Cecil's Life of Newton; Priestley's Chart of Biography, with a Book describing it, 12mo.; Haweis's Life of Romaine; Fuller's Life of Pearce.

constructively: for if he speak freely against received errors, it will be construed into blasphemy." By the English laws, blasphemies of God, as denying his being or providence, and all contumelious reproaches of Jesus Christ, &c. are offences by the common law, and punishable by fine, imprisonment, and pillory; and, by the statute law, he that denies one of the persons in the Trinity, or asserts that there are more than one God, or denies Christianity to be true, for the first offence is rendered incapable of any office; for the second, adjudged incapable of suing, being executor or guardian, receiving any gift or legacy, and to be imprisoned for years. According to the law of Scotland, blasphemy is punished with death: these laws, however, in the present age, are not enforced; the legislature thinking, perhaps, that spiritual offences should be left to be punished by the Deity rather than by human statutes. Campbell's Prel. Diss. vol. i. p. 395; Robinson's Script. Plea, p. 58.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. See UNPARDONABLE SIN.

BISHOP, a prelate consecrated for the spiritual government of a diocese. The word comes from the Saxon bischop, and that from the Greek anos, an overseer, or inspector. It is a long time since bishops have been distinguished from mere priests, or presbyters; but whether that distinction be of divine or human right; whether it was settled in the apostolic age, or introduced since, is much controverted. Churchmen in general plead for the divine right; while the Dissenters suppose that the word no where signifies more than a pastor or presbyter; the very same persons being called bishops and elders, or presbyters, Acts xx. 17, 28. 1 Pet. v. 1, 3. Tit. i. 5, 7. Phil. i. 1. See EPISCOPACY. All the bishops of England are peers of the realm, except the bishop of Man; and as such sit and vote in the house of lords. Besides two archbishops, there are twenty-four bishops in England, exclusive of the bishop of Sodor and Man. The bishops BOGOMILI, or BOGARMITE, a sect of London, Durham, and Winchester, of heretics which arose about the year take the precedence of the other bi-1179. They held that the use of shops, who rank after them according churches, of the sacrament of the to their seniority of consecration. See Lord's supper, and all prayer except EPISCOPACY. the Lord's prayer, ought to be abolishBLASPHEMY, from Bruce, ac-ed; that the baptism of Catholics is cording to Dr. Campbell, properly de-imperfect; that the persons of the Trinotes calumny, detraction, reproachful nity are unequal, and that they often or abusive language, against whomso- made themselves visible to those of ever it be vented. It is in Scripture their sect. applied to reproaches not aimed against BOHEMIAN BRETHREN, a sect God only, but man also, Rom. iii. 8. of Christian reformers which sprung up Rom. xiv. 16. 1 Pet. iv. 4. Gr. It is, in Bohemia in the year 1467. They however, more peculiarly restrained to treated the pope and cardinals as antíevil or reproachful words offered to christ, and the church of Rome as the God According to Linwood, blas-whore spoken of in the Revelations.

BODY OF DIVINITY. See THE

OLOGY.

They rejected the sacraments of the beauty, that she had her admirers. Romish church, and chose laymen for From her childhood to her old age she their ministers. They held the Scrip- had an extraordinary turn of mind. tures to be the only rule of faith, and She set up for a reformer, and publishrejected the popish ceremonies in the ed a great number of books filled with celebration of the mass; nor did they very singular notions; the most remake use of any other prayer than the markable of which are entitled, The Lord's prayer. They consecrated lea- Light of the World, and The Testimony vened bread. They allowed no adora-of Truth. In her confession of faith, tion but of Jesus Christ in the communion. They rebaptized all such as joined themselves to their congregation. They abhorred the worship of saints and images, prayers for the dead, celiba-grace; that God is ever unchangeable cies, vows, and fasts; and kept none of the festivals but Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide.

she professes her belief in the Scriptures, the divinity and atonement of Christ. She believed also that man is perfectly free to resist or receive divine

love towards all his creatures, and does not inflict any arbitrary punishment; but that the evils they suffer are the In 1503 they were accused by the Ca-natural consequence of sin; that relitholics to king Ladislaus II., who pu'-gion consists not in outward forms of lished an edict against them, forbidding worship nor systems of faith, but in an them to hold any meetings, either pri- entire resignation to the will of God. vately or publicly. When Luther de-She held many extravagant notions, clared himself against the church of among which, it is said, she asserted Rome, the Bohemian brethren endea-that Adam, before the fall, possessed voured to join his party. At first, that the principles of both sexes; that in an reformer showed a great aversion to ecstacy, God represented Adam to her them; but, the Bohemians sending their mind in his original state; as also the deputies to him in 1535, with a full ac- beauty of the first world, and how he count of their doctrines, he acknow-had drawn from it the chaos; and that ledged that they were a society of Chris- every thing was bright, transparent, tians whose doctrine came nearest to and darted forth life and ineffable glory, the purity of the Gospel. This sect pub-with a number of other wild ideas. She lished another confession of faith in 1535,|| dressed like a hermit, and travelled in which they renounced anabaptism, which they at first practised: upon which a union was concluded with the Lutherans, and afterwards with the Zuinglians, whose opinions from thenceforth they continued to follow.

through France, Holland, England, and Scotland. She died at Fanekir, in the province of Frise, October 30, 1680. Her works have been printed in 18 vols. 8vo.

BOYLE'S LECTURES, a course of BOOK OF SPORTS. See SPORTS. eight sermons, preached annually; set BORRELLISTS, a Christian sect in on foot by the honourable R. Boyle, by Holland, so named from their founder a codicil annexed to his will, in 1691, Borrel, a man of great learning in the whose design, as expressed by the inHebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues. stitutor, is to prove the truth of the They reject the use of the sacraments, Christian religion against infidels, withpublic prayer, and all other external out descending to any controversies acts of worship. They assert that all among Christians, and to answer new the Christian churches of the world difficulties, scruples, &c. For the suphave degenerated from the pure apos- port of this lecture he assigned the rent tolic doctrines, because they have suf- of his house in Crooked Lane to some fered the word of God, which is infalli-learned divine within the bills of morble, to be expounded, or rather corrupted, by doctors who are fallible. They lead a very austere life, and employ a great part of their goods in alms.

BOURIGNONISTS, the followers of Antoinette Bourignon, a lady in France, who pretended to particular inspirations. She was born at Lisle in 1616. At her birth she was so deformed, that it was debated some days in the family whether it was not proper to stifle her as a monster; but, her deformity diminishing, she was spared: and afterwards obtained such a degree of

tality, to be elected for a term not exceeding three years. But, the fund proving precarious, the salary was ill paid; to remedy which inconvenience, archbishop Tennison procured a yearly stipend of 501. for ever, to be paid quarterly, charged on a farm in the parish of Brill, in the county of Bucks. To this appointment we are indebted for many excellent defences of natural and revealed religion.

BRANDENBURG, Confession of. A formulary or confession of faith, drawn up in the city of Brandenburg by order

BRIEFS, (apostolical) are letters which the pope dispatches to princes and other magistrates concerning any public affair.

of the elector, with a view to reconcile | on any account. This order spread the tenets of Luther with those of Cal- much through Sweden, Germany, and vin, and to put an end to the disputes the Netherlands. In England we read occasioned by the confession of Âugs- of but one monastery of Brigittins, and burgh. See AUGSBURGH CONFESSION. this built by Henry V. in 1415, opposite BRETHREN AND SISTERS OF to Richmond, now called Sion House; THE FREE SPIRIT, an appellation the ancient inhabitants of which, since assumed by a sect which sprung up to- the dissolution, are settled at Lisbon. wards the close of the thirteenth century, and gained many adherents in Italy, France, and Germany. They took their denomination from the words of St. Paul, Rom. viii. 2, 14. and maintained that the true children of God were invested with perfect freedom from the jurisdiction of the law. They held that all things flowed by emanation from God; that rational souls were portions of the Deity; that the universe was God; and that by the power of contemplation they were united_to_the|| Deity, and acquired hereby a glorious and sublime liberty, both from the sinful lusts and the common instincts of nature, with a variety of other enthusiastic notions. Many edicts were published against them; but they continued till about the middle of the fifteenth

century.

BRETHREN AND CLERKS OF THE COMMON LIFE, a denomination assumed by a religious fraternity towards the end of the fifteenth century. They lived under the rule of St. Augustin, and were said to be eminently useful in promoting the cause of religion and learning.

BROTHERS, Lay, among the Romanists, are illiterate persons, who devote themselves in some convent to the service of the religious.

BROWNISTS, a sect that arose among the puritans towards the close of une sixteenth century; so named from their leader, Robert Brown. He was educated at Cambridge, and was a man of good parts and some learning. He began to inveigh openly against the ceremonies of the church, at Norwich, in 1580; but, being much opposed by the bishops, he with his congregation left England, and settled at Middleburgh, in Zealand, where they obtained leave to worship God in their own way, and form a church according to their own model. They soon, however, began to differ among themselves; so that Brown, growing weary of his office, returned to England in 1589, renounced his principles of separation, and was preferred to the rectory of a church in Northamptonshire. He died in prison in 1630. The revolt of Brown was attended with the dissolution of the church at Middle

he had sown in England were so far from being destroyed, that Sir Walter Raleigh, in a speech in 1592, computes no less than 20,000 of this sect.

BRETHREN WHITE, were the followers of a priest from the Alps about the beginning of the fifteenthburgh; but the seeds of Brownism which century. They and their leader were arrayed in white garments. Their leader carried about a cross like a standard. His apparent sanctity and devotion drew together a number of followers. This deluded enthusiast practised many acts of mortification and penance, and endeavoured to persuade the Europeans to renew the holy war. Boniface IX. ordered him to be apprehended, and committed to the flames; upon which his followers dispersed.

BRETHREN UNITED. See Mo

RAVIANS.

BREVIARY, the book containing the daily service of the church of Rome. BRIDGETINS, or BRIGITTINS, an order denominated from St. Bridgit, or Birgit, a Swedish lady, in the fourteenth century. Their rule is nearly that of Augustin. The Brigittins profess great mortification, poverty, and self-denial;|| and they are not to possess any thing they can call their own, not so much as an halfpenny; nor even to touch money

The articles of their faith seem to be nearly the same as those of the church of England. The occasion of their separation was not, therefore, any fault they found with the faith, but only with the discipline and form of government of the churches in England. They equally charged corruption on the episcopal and presbyterian forms; nor would they join with any other reformed church, because they were not assured of the sanctity and regeneration of the members that composed it. They condemned the solemn celebration of marriages in the church, maintaining that matrimony being a political contract, the confirmation thereof ought to come from the civil magistrate; an opinion in which they are not singular. They would not allow the children of such as were not members of the Church

BUCHANITES, a sect of enthusiasts who sprung up in the west of Scotland about 1783, and took their name from a Mrs. Buchan, of Glasgow, who gave herself out to be the woman spoken of in the Revelations; and that all who believed in her should be taken up to heaven without tasting death, as the end of the world was near. They never increased much; and the death of their leader within a year or two afterwards, occasioned their dispersion, by putting an end to their hopes of reaching the New Jerusalem without death.

BUDNÆANS, a sect in Poland, who disclaimed the worship of Christ, and run into many wild hypotheses. Budnæus, the founder, was publicly excommunicated in 1584, with all his disciples, but afterwards he was admitted to the communion of the Socinian sect.

BULLS, Popish, are letters called apostolic by the Canonists, strengthened with a leaden seal, and containing in them the decrees and commandments of the pope.

to be baptized. They rejected all forms || Brownists, too, were the famous John of prayer, and held that the Lord's Robinson, a part of whose congregation prayer was not to be recited as a pray-" from Leyden, in Holland, made the first er, being only given for a rule or model permanent settlement in North Ameriwhereon all our prayers are to be form- ca; and the laborious Canne, the aued. Their form of church government thor of the marginal references to the was nearly as follows. When a church Bible. was to be gathered, such as desired to be members of it made a confession of their faith in the presence of each other, and signed a covenant, by which they obliged themselves to walk together in the order of the Gospel. The whole power of admitting and excluding members, with the decision of all controversies, was lodged in the brotherhood. Their church officers were chosen from among themselves, and separated to their several offices by fasting, prayer, and imposition of hands. But they did not allow the priesthood to be any distinct order. As the vote of the brethren made a man a minister, so the same power could discharge him from his office, and reduce him to a mere layman again; and as they maintained the bounds of a church to be no greater than what could meet together in one place, and join in one communion, so the power of these officers was prescribed within the same limits.-The minister of one church could not administer the Lord's supper to another, nor baptize the children of any but those BURGHER SECEDERS, a numeof his own society. Any lay brother rous and respectable class of dissenters was allowed the liberty of giving a word from the church of Scotland, who were of exhortation to the people; and it was originally connected with the associate usual for some of them after sermon to presbytery; but, some difference of senask questions, and reason upon the doc-timent arising about the lawfulness of trines that had been preached. In a word, every church on their model is a body corporate, having full power to do every thing in themselves, without being accountable to any class, synod, convocation, or other jurisdiction whatever. The reader will judge how near the Independent churches are allied to this form of government. Sce INDEPENDENTS. The laws were executed with great severity on the Brownists; their books were prohibited by queen Elizabeth, their persons imprisoned, and some hanged. Brown himself declared on his death-bed that he had been in thirty-two different prisons, in some of which he could not see his hand at noon-day. They were so much persecuted, that they resolved at last to quit the country. Accordingly many retired and settled at Amsterdam, where they formed a church, and chose Mr. Johnson their pastor, and after him Mr. Ainsworth, author of the learned Commentary on the Pentateuch. Their church flourished near 100 years. Among the

taking the Burgess oath, a separation ensued in 1739; in consequence of which, those who pleaded for the affirmative obtained the appellation of Burgher, and their opponents that of Antiburgher Seceders. See SECEDERS.

BURIAL, the interment of a deceased person. The rites of burial have been looked upon in all countries as a debt so sacred, that such as neglected to discharge them were thought accursed. Among the Jews, the privilege of burial was denied only to selfmurderers, who were thrown out to putrefy upon the ground. In the Christian church, though good men always desired the privilege of interment, yet they were not, like the heathens, so concerned for their bodies, as to think it any detriment to them if either the barbarity of an enemy, or some other accident, deprived them of this privilege. The primitive church denied the more solemn rites of burial only to unbaptized persons, self-murderers, and excommunicated persons, who con

tinued obstinate and impenitent in a manifest contempt of the church's censures. The place of burial among the Jews was never particularly determined. We find they had graves in the town and country, upon the highway or gardens, and upon mountains. Among the Greeks, the temples were made repositories for the dead, in the primitive ages; yet, in the latter ages, the Greeks as well as the Romans buried the dead without the cities, and chiefly by the highways. Among the primitive Christians, burying in cities was not allowed for the first three hundred years, nor in churches for many ages after; the dead bodies being first deposited in the atrium or church-yard, and porches and porticos of the church: hereditary bu- ||

rying-places were forbidden till the twelfth century. See FUNERAL RITES. As to burying in churches, we find a difference of opinion: some have thought it improper that dead bodies should be interred in the church. Sir Matthew Hale used to say, that churches were for the living, and church-yards for the dead. In the famous Bishop Hall's will we find this passage: after desiring a private funeral, he says, "I do not hold God's house a meet repository for the dead bodies of the greatest saints." Mr. Hervey, on the contrary, defends it, and supposes that it tends to render our assembles more awful; and that, as the bodies of the saints are the Lord's property, they should be reposed in his house.

CABBALA, a Hebrew word, signifying tradition: it is used for a mysterious kind of science pretended to have been delivered by revelation to the ancient Jews, and transmitted by oral tradition to those of our times; serving for interpretation of the books both of nature and Scripture.

CABBALISTS, the Jewish doctors who profess the study of the cabbala. They study principally the combination of particular words, letters, and numbers; and by this, they say, they see clearly into the sense of Scripture. In their opinion, there is not a word, letter, number, or accent, in the law, without some mystery in it; and they even pretend to discover what is future by this vain study.

C

nection of parts, was a labour from which they were utterly averse, and which they impiously despised. Instead of such faithful and honest endeavours to know the will of God, they stimulated a sportive fancy, a corrupt and often absurd ingenuity, to the invention of meanings the most remote from the design of the inspired writer, and the most foreign from the dictates of an unsophisticated understanding. No part of the Scriptures was safe from this profanation. The plainest narrative, the most solemn command, the most clear and interesting declaration of doctrine, were made to bend beneath this irreverent violence. History the most true, the most ancient, and the most important in the world, was considered Dr. Smith has given us the following merely as the vehicle of mystic allegory. description of the Cabbalistic rabbies. The rule of faith, and the standard of They have employed the above_mc-indissoluble duty, were made flexible thods of interpretation, which have ren- and weak as the spider's web, and the dered the Scripture a convenient in- commandments of God were rendered strument of subserviency to any pur- void. See Dr. Smith's Sermon on the pose which they might choose. Disre-Apostolic Ministry compared with the garding the continuity of subject, and Pretensions of spurious Religion and the harmony of parts, in any Scriptural fulse Philosophy. composition, they selected sentences, and broken pieces of sentences, and even single words and detached letters; and these they proposed to the ignorant and abused multitude as the annunciations of truth and authority. To ascertain the native sense of the sacred writers, however momentous and valuable, was no object of their desire. Attention to the just import of words, to the scope of argument, and to the con

CAINITES, a sect who sprung up about the year 130; so called, because they esteemed Cain worthy of the greatest honours. They honoured those who carry in Scripture the most visible marks of reprobation; as the inhabitants of Sodom, Esau, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. They had in particular great veneration for Judas, under the pretence that the death of Christ had saved mankind.