BENEDICT X. 



BBNOKL 



did in a ooowot. He WM ftooompanittl by th monk Hildebrand, 

 wbo bvoftiDtf \ft?rwanl kuown o (iroitry VII. 



BENEDICT X (J<*, bishop of Veil, tri), a native of Capua, wu 

 elec-ed by a faction after tbe death of Stephen IX. in 1058; but 

 Hildebrand, Peter Damianue, bishop of Otia, and other prelates, sup- 

 ported by the Empress Agnes, assembled a council at Siena, which 

 nominated Gerard, bishop of Moreno.-, who took the name of Nicholu II. 

 Beasdiot did not tubmit till tbe following year, wh-n Nicholas made 

 hit entrance into Rome. 1'anviniu* and other writers do not place 

 the legitimate pop*)*, but we find him in the 

 table* published in Italy. 



BENEDICT XI. (A'icAoiw, cardinal of Ostia) wu a Dominican and 

 native of Treviso. He wu elected in 1308, after the death of 

 Boniface VIII. He excommunicated those who bad laid violent hands 

 upon Boniface at Anagni, bat be soon after forgave the Colonna family. 

 and arranged the disputes of his predecessor with Philip the Fair, king 

 of Franoe. He sent Cardinal di Prato to Florence, to act u mediator 

 bet wee* the factions which diitractrd that city. After a pontificate of 

 months, Benedict died at Perugia in 1304. The contemporary 

 and Dino Compagni in particular, apeak highly of his 

 and virtues. Hs was succeeded by Clement V., after an 

 interregnum of nearly eleven months. 



BEN K 1 1 1 1 T MI. (Jt<in Funnier, a native of France) succeeded 

 John XXII. in 1334. The popes at that time resided at Avignon. 

 Benedict laboured in earnest to reform the abuses and corruptions of 

 the church, which bad grown to an alarming extent under his prede- 

 cessor. He was also inclined to transfer the papal tee again to Home, 

 but wu prevented by the policy of tbe French king, Philip da Valois, 

 supported by the influence of the numerou* French cardinals at the 

 papal court. Hi* strictness in enforcing discipline among the monastic 

 orders excited many enemies against him, wbo endeavoured to cut 

 sspenioos upon bis character, lie died at Avignon in 1342, and wu 

 succeeded by Clement VI. Several biographies of Benedict XII. are 

 found in Baluse'* ' Live* of the Avignon Popes,' and in Muratori, ' Her. 

 ItaL Scriptures.' 



BENEDICT XIII. (Cardinal Ortimi, archbishop of Benevonto) suc- 

 ceeded Innocent XIII. iu 1724. He wa* simple in bis habit* and 

 Banner*, strict in hi* morality, generous and charitable, and although 

 Melon* for maintaining the prerogatives of bis see, yet conciliating 

 and unwilling to resort to extremes. Unfortunately he bestowed hi* 

 confidence upon Cardinal Coscia, a man of some abilities, but covetous 

 and ambition*, and who became hateful to the Roman* through his 

 avarice and hi* abuse of the pope's favour. The people however knew 

 bow to distinguish between the favourite and his masUr. The old 

 dispute about the lull Unigenttus still agitated tbe Church of France. 

 [I'LKMIKT XI.) Benedict succeeded in reconciling in some measure 

 the dispute by prevailing on the Cardinal de Nooillex, archbishop of 

 Paris, to accept the bull ; and by issuing another bull, called Pretioeu* 

 from its first word, in which he gave an explanation of tbe forim r, ami 

 an exposition of the doctrine of grace. In this pontificate there were 

 disputes with Ring John V. of Portugal, with the Tribunal de 

 Monarehia of Sicily, with the King of Sardinia, and with Charles VI.; 

 but Benedict did his best to settle these differences by timely con- 

 cession and negotiation. He also showed himself anxious for the 

 preservation of peace in Europe : he favoured by means of his nuncios 

 the tiegoctations of Paris and Soissons in 1727-28, which led afterwards 

 to the treaty of Seville in 1780 between Franoe, Spain, England, and 

 Holland, in which tbe successions of Tuscany and Parma were finally 

 settled. Benedict increased the pension settled by hi* predecessor, on 

 the Pretender, Jtme* Stuart, wbo had fixed hi* residence at Bologna. 

 He died at tbe beginning of 1730, and wu succeeded by Clement XII. 

 Benedict XIII 's works, including sermons written by him before his 

 exaltation, were published at Home in 3 vols. folio, 1728. 



T XIV. (Cardinal Pntptn Lombrrtuti of Bologna) suc- 

 ceeded Clenvnt XII. in August, 1740. He wu already favourably 

 known for bis extensive learning and for tbe suavity of hi* temper 

 and manners. He becan bis pontificate by finally adjusting the long 

 disputes with the court of Sardinia concerning the nomination to 

 several sbbaciee and other benefices, besides certain ecclesiastical fiefs 

 in Piedmont, which he gave up to the house of Savoy. He restored 



between Rome and Portugal, and 

 Sicilies, which had been interrupted 

 predecessors. In his intercourse with foreign powers ho 

 d a tone moderate yet dignified, by which be won general eon- 

 and respect. During the war of the Austrian succession be 

 d strictly neutral ; and although he could not prevent the 

 -Spaniard, and tbe Austrian*, wbo were disputing the possession of tbe 

 kingdom of Nai-Ua, from marching through his territories, on which 

 they even fought a battle at Velletri. thry stipulated not to ent. r his 

 capital, sod to spsra, u Car u it lay in the power of the respective 

 oomsMaden, the lives and properties of bis subject* Peace being at 

 Ungth restored to southern Italy, Bmedict was enabled to turn bis 

 ehief attention to tbe improvement of bis own dominions. Ho 

 mint wxl was generous toward* tbe learned. Homo 

 in hi* time the seat of science and of the arts. The 

 thiip.illiia.as Bosoovicb and U Maire. tbe cardinal. Valenti, Querini, 

 and Psswionei. the nbuoiogist Quadrio, tbe architect. Vanvitelli and 

 Polsai, and other dMtinfuisbed men, were employed or encouraged 



in noanosn, wnicn ne gave up to 

 likewise the good undentending 

 with the kingdom of the Two Si 

 under bis predecessors. In his ii 



by this pope. He eiuhellUbed Home; repair- J churches, among other* 

 the splendid one of Santa Maria Maggiore ; constructed magnificent 

 fountains, that of Trevi among the rest ; built tbe vast granaries near 

 tbe Therm* of Diocletian, and dug out the obelisk of the Campus 

 MturtiuK, which was afterwards raised by Pius VI. ; fuuu'led chairs of 

 physios, chemistry, and mathematics in the university of Home ; a id .1 

 to the collection in the Capitoline Museum; established a sch<>l of 

 drawing; enlarged tbe great hospital .of Santa Spirito; established 

 academies for the instruction of the prelates of his court in ecclesias- 

 tical history, in the canon law, in the knowledge of the rites and 

 discipline of the church, kc. Nor did h neglect hi* native town 

 Bologna, to whose Institute of Science* he contributed by donation*. 



Benedict instituted at Home a congregation or board for the purpose 

 of examining the character, moral*, and other qualifications of candi- 

 dates for vacant sees ; and he was solicitous for the maintenance of 

 correct morals among hi* clergy. He found the treasury poor and 

 encumbered, but by reductions and economy he re-establUhed a balance 

 in the finances of the state. During tbe eighteen yean of his reign 

 Home enjoyed peaor, plenty, and prosperity ; and half a century after 

 his death the pontificate of Lambertiui was still remembered and 

 spoken of at Home a* the last period of unalloyed happiness which 

 tbe country had enjoyed. Hi* tolerance wu remarkable; in<l 

 exposed him to the censure of the rigorUts among tbe College of 

 Cardinals. Without exhibiting anything like indifference to the 

 doctrines of the church of which ho was the head, he showed urbanity 

 iiu'l friendliness towards all Christiana of whatever denomination, 

 whether kings or ordinary travellers, who vUited his cspiul ; and iu 

 Germany, France, and Naples his influence wa* constantly exerted to 

 discourage persecution, and to restrain the abuse of ecclesiastical 

 power. Benedict wu learned not only in theology but in history, in 

 the cLuwical writer.*, and in elegant literature, and be hod a tante for 

 the fine arts. His work* were published at Home in 12 vols. 4 to. 

 The moat remarkable are hu treatise, ' De Servorum Dei Buatilicatione 

 et Beatorum Canonizatione,' iu four books, a work full of histmic.il 

 and thenlogic.il learning ; ' De Syuodo Dioceaaua,' which is also much 

 esteemed ; ' Institutiones Kcclesiastica! ;' ' De Siis-a; Ufficio,' libri iil. ; 

 besides his ' Bullariuni,' or collection of bulls issued by him, ami 

 several letter* and dissertations in Italian. Benedict XIV. died ou 

 the 2nd of May 175$, being over eighty years of age, and wu succeeded 

 by Clement XIII. 



BENEDICT, SAINT, the founder of the order of Benedictine 

 monks, wo* born at Nursia in the dukedom of Spoleto in Italy, about 

 the year 480. He wu sent to Home when very young, ami there 

 received the first part of his education ; when fourteen year* of age he 

 removed to Sublaco, a desert place about forty miles <ii.it. mt. where 

 he was concealed in a cavern, his place of retirement for a con-:- . 

 time being known only to his frieuil St. li-mianiM, who U said to have 

 descended to him by a rope, and supplied him duly with provisions. 

 The monks of a neighbouring monastery subsoqumitly chose him for 

 their nbbot ; their manners however not Halving with those of 

 Benedict, he returned to his solitude, whither many persons followed 

 him and put themselves under his direction, and iu a short time ho 

 wu enabled to build no fewer than twelve monasteries. About the 

 year 523 he retired to Monte Cassino, where idolatry wu still prevalent, 

 ami where a temple to Apollo yet existed. Having converted tin- 

 people of the adjacent country to the true faith, ho broke the statue 

 of Apollo, overthrew the altar, and built two oratories on the moun- 

 tain one dedicated to St. Martin, the other to St. John. Here St. 

 Benedict also founded a monastery, and instituted the order of hi* 

 name which in time became so famous and extended all over Europe. 

 It wu here too that he composed his ' Regula Mouachorum,' which 

 does not however seem to have been confirmed till half a century after 

 hi* deala. when Pope Gregory the Great gave hi* unction to it. 

 Benedict died about the year 543, or, according to some authorities, iu 

 547 : the day stands iu the calendar fixed to March 21. Gregory the, 

 Great, in the second ' Book of his Dialogues,' hu written a ' Life of 

 St. Benedict,' and has given a long detail of hit supposed miracles. 

 Dupiu says that the ' liegula Mouachorum ' is the only genuine work 

 of St. lieneilict, but other tracts are ascribed to him. 



GEL. The writings of few German divines have exercised so 

 much influence upon English Christians as those of Jobaun Albrecht 

 Bengal. Few have read his works, but many ore influenced by their 

 reader*. John Wesley states in thu preface to his explanatory note* 

 upon the New Testament, which are one of thu standards of the 

 Methodist connexion, and to which every Weileyan Methodiit preacher 

 has to declare his assent, " I once designed to write down barely what 

 occurred to my own mind, consulting none but thu inspired writer* ; 

 but no sooner wu I acquainted with that great light of the Christian 

 world (lately gone to his reward) Iiengeliui<, than I entirely changed 

 my deaign, being thoroughly convinced it might bo of more service to 

 the cause of religion were I barely to translate his 'Gnomon Xovi 

 Testament!,' than to write many volumes upon it. Many of his excel- 

 lent note* I have therefore translated ; many more I have abridged; 

 omitting th it part which was purely critical, and giving the substance! 

 of the rest." Dr. Adam Clarke, in bis ' Commentary on the Bible/ 

 paises a similar encomium upon BengeL 



Bengel wu born on the 24th June 1687, at Winiiendcn, about fifteen 

 mile* from Stutgardt, where his father was a Lutheran clergy. urn 



