were not yet permitted to partake of these privileges. They had also access to all parts of divine worship, and were authorised to vote in the ecclesiastical assemblies, rights which the catechumens were not permitted to enjoy.

BELIEVER-BAPTISM, a term used in opposition to Infant Baptism, being the baptism of such as are of years sufficient to be capable of instruction, and of making that profession of faith, which entitles them to the benefit of this ordinance, and a consequent admission into church communion.-See M'Lean's Letters, addressed to Mr. John Glas in answer to his Dissertation on Infant Baptism, and his Defence of Believer-Baptism in opposition to SprinklingBaptism.-See Articles, Baptism, Baptists, and Anti-Padobaptism.

BEMA, from ẞñua, a step, th. Baiva, to go, or ascend, a name given by ecclesiastical writers to the altar or sanctuary in the ancient churches, answering to the present chancel. It was sometimes also used for the bishop's seat, or throne, which was placed in the sanctuary, and so called from the steps by which it was ascended. The Latins more commonly use the names Cathedra, and Sedes, for a bishop's throne; whence we have our English names cathedral, and see, for a church, where the bishop's chair, or seat, is fixed.—See Articles, Cathedral, and See.

Bema was sometimes also used for the reader's desk. By the Greek church this was called ẞñua yvóσrav, and in the Latin ambo, or pulpitum.--Bing. Orig. Eccl. lib. viii. c. 5.

BENEDICITE, an appellation given by ecclesiastical writers to the song of the three children in the fiery furnace, on account of its beginning with the word, benedicite. The use of this song in Christian worship is very ancient, it appearing to have been sung in all the churches as early as St. Chrysostom's time. The council of Toledo orders it to be sung by the clergy every Lord's day and festivals upon pain of excommunication.—Bing. Orig. Eccl. lib. xiv. c. 2, s. 6.

BENEDICTINES, an order of monks established in the year 529 by Benedict of Nursia, from whom they derived their name. The purposes intended to be effected by Benedict were the conversion of all Europe to Christianity, the cultivation of her deserts, and the revival of learning.* With these objects in view he was desirous of instituting an order of monks, which might be distinguished as much by the lenity of its discipline, as the regularity

It is the observation of a learned author of the present day, that none of these points were neglected by the Benedictines while any thing remained for them to do.-Harness on the Connexion of Christianity with Human Happiness, vol. i. p. 151.

of its members; and which might afford greater opportunities of piety, and of usefulness, than any of the existing orders. In this indeed he so far succeeded as almost to supersede all the orders of the West; which had long since become degraded by manifold corruptions. By the rules observed by the English monks of this order they were obliged to perform their devotions seven times in the twenty-four hours; always to go two and two together; and to fast till six in the evening every day in Lent, abating something also from their usual time of sleeping. They were never permitted to practise any voluntary austerity without the permission of their superior, and were obliged to attend to the reading of the Scripture during meals. For small offences they were excluded from their usual meals; for greater they were excluded from the chapel, and community of worship; and incorrigible offenders were expelled the society.-See Collier's Eccl. Hist. part ii. book 2. So convinced was St. Benedict of the efficacy of these regulations, lenient as they were in comparison with those generally adopted by other monasteries, that all who were admitted into the order were solemnly bound to preserve its rules inviolate, and not to alter them in any manner whatsoever.

The rule of St. Benedict soon came into great celebrity, and in France, Italy, Germany, and Great Britain, arrived at the highest pitch of glory, so that the other orders, which for some time had already scarcely maintained an existence, in about the ninth century, were absorbed in that of the Benedictines. Pope John XXII. who died in the year 1334, is said to have found, upon an exact inquiry, that since the first establishment of the order there had belonged to it twenty-four popes, nearly 200 cardinals, 7000 archbishops, 15,000 bishops, and as many abbots of renown; and that there had been founded no fewer than 37,000 monasteries that followed the rule of St. Benedict.

This celebrated order however had scarcely reached the zenith of its glory, when it begun to exhibit the symptoms of decline. In spite of the vows of poverty, which its members had solemnly made, they now begun to appropriate to themselves, after the example of their brethren, some of that wealth which the superstitious liberality of those times had lavished upon them. Hence, as remarked by Mosheim, they soon sunk into luxury, intemperance, and sloth, abandoned themselves to all sorts of vices, extended their zeal and attention to worldly affairs, insinuated themselves into the cabinets of princes, took part in political cabals, made a vast augmentation of superstitious rites and ceremonies in their order, to blind the multitude and supply the place of their expiring

virtue; and among other meritorious exercises, laboured most anxiously to swell the arrogance by enlarging the power and authority of the Roman pontiff. (Vol. II. p. 118.) Their reformation however about the middle of the tenth century was attempted with considerable success by Odilo, an abbot of Clugni. His reformation indeed was of such magnitude as in a great measure to have superseded the necessity of this order, by erecting one of his own, so that the order of the monks of Clugni soon became almost as famous over Europe as that of Benedict had previously been. These monks for a long time stood alone in maintaining their ancient simplicity and virtue; but seduced at last by the example of their abbot, Pontius, they became as depraved as the other orders of monks.

It is to this order that the English owe their conversion from idolatry ; Pope Gregory, in the year 596, having sent St. Augustin for this purpose to England, with several other Benedictine monks.

About the commencement of the twelfth century a new society of Benedictines arose, whose principal monastery was erected in a barren and solitary place called Fontevraud, between Angers and Tours, whence they derived their name. Robert of Arbrisellers, a monk, was the founder of this order, who prescribed to it the rule of St. Benedict, amplified however by the addition of many new laws of singular severity. Among other peculiarities which distinguished this institution, was the introduction of both monks and nuns within the same building, who were all subject to the authority and government of one abbess; in justification of which measure the example of Christ was alleged, who recommended St. John to the Virgin Mary, and imposed it as an injunction upon him to be obedient to her. This new order at first gained a very great degree of credit, but the association of monks and virgins in the same community is said to have been soon attended with that inconvenience which was to be expected from it; and even Robert himself has been suspected by some of too great an intimacy with his female disciples. From this charge however his followers made use of their utmost exertions to defend him.

Some of the nuns of this institution were introduced into England by King Henry II., who appropriated for their habitation the monastery of Amesbury, in the county of Wilts, with some lands adjoining, having previously expelled its former female inhabitants, who had lately been convicted of certain irregularities.-See Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. cent. vi. part 2, cent.