BENEDICTION. 



BEXEFICE. 



hundred and thirteen abbeys, priori**, and cell* of this order in 

 m*jp*w*A the mim of wboee revenue*, at the time of the Dissolution, 

 mounted to 67.S92/. It. 114., besides seventy-three houses of Benedic- 

 tine nun*, whoee revenue* mounted to 79S5A lit. Id., nuking a total 

 of5,877I. 14*. 



The Benedictine*, aym Tanner, were much against all new orders of 

 religions. By the aeoond Lateran council they were obliged to hold 

 triennial chapter*, which titoae of thin nation generally held at North- 

 ampton. (See Widmore. ' Hist. Wertm. Ab.' pp. 70, 82.) 



Fosbrooke, in hi* ' Britiah Monachism,' hai given an abitract of the 

 Benedictine rule, chiefly from the ' Sanctorum Patnun Reguto Monad- 

 tic*,' 12mo, Lour. 1571. It evidently received enlargement* at dif- 

 ferent time*, the whole of which were consolidated in the concord of 

 rule* promulgated by Dunntan in the reign of Edgar. (See the 

 'Concordia Regularum S. Dunstani Cantuarienaia Archiepiscopi.' 

 printed by Reyner in hi* ' ApostoUtus Beneilictinorum in Angha,' 

 Append. P. iii , and republiahed in the first volume of Dugdale's 

 ' Monanticon.') Thi* concord of rule* regulated the practice of the 

 English monk* till the year 1077. The Clugniac*, Cistercians, Grand- 

 montinei, Premonstrateiudans, and Carthusians, were, in reality, 

 branche* only of the Benedictine order, living under the rule of St. 

 Benedict, but observing a different discipline. 



Aa the order increased in wealth and number corruptions gradually 

 crept in, and various reformer* arose at different times, who endeavoured 

 to remedy these evils. Benedict of Aniano, in 817, formed new rules 

 for the whole order ; but other reformers, as St. Bernard, formed new 

 orders under the names mentioned above. Notwithstanding all the 

 attempts at reform, theold vices recurred with the acquisition of wealth, 

 and immediately before the Reformation, the order counted between 

 15,000 and 16,000 monasteries; these were reduced almost imme- 

 diately to between 6000 and 6000. At the beginning of the present 

 century a large number of them were suppressed in France, Germany, 

 and other continental countries, the estate* distributed in various 

 ways, the monk* dispersed, either with a pension, to be employed in 

 some court capacity, or to mix with the world as simple laics ; and 

 their excellent libraries, in most cases, taken possession of by the 

 government. There has been since that time, a partial revival, but 

 the number of house* now doe* not at most exceed 600. 



The habit of the Benedictine monks wag a black loose coat, or a gown 

 of stuff reaching down to their heels, with a cowl or hood of the 

 same, and a scapulary ; and under that another habit, white, as large 

 as the former, made of flannel ; with boots on their legs. From the 

 colour of their outward habit, the Benedictines were generally called 

 Black Monks. (See Tann. ' Notit. Monast.,' pref. ; and Fosbrooke, 

 ' Brit. Monach.') Stevens, in bis ' Continuation of the Monaeticon,' 

 vol. i., says, the form of the habit of these monks was at first left to 

 the discretion of the abbots, and that St. Benedict did not determine 

 the colour of it. 



The habit of the Benedictine nuns consisted of a black robe, with a 

 ."capillary of the same, and under that robe a tunic of white or undyed 

 wool. When they weut to the choir, they had, over all, a black cowl, 

 like that of the monks. (Fosbrooke's ' British Monaohism,' 3rd edit. 

 1844.) 



BENEDICTION, the act of invoking the favour of God, prosperity, 

 long life, and other blessings upon individuals. The word is derived 

 from the Latin, bentdicere, which originally meant " to speak well," or 

 " to praise or commend," and was afterwards employed for " to wish 

 well." (See Ducange's ' Glossarium.') The ceremony of blessing is of 

 a Tery remote antiquity. We find in the Scriptures that the patriarchs 

 before they died, solemnly bestowed their blessing on their sons. 

 Isaac giving by mistake to his younger son Jacob the blessing which 

 he intended for his elder son Esau (Genesis xxvii.), is an interesting 

 instance of this custom. In Numbers vii. 23-26, the words are specified 

 in which the high priest was to bless the people of Israel. Aaron 

 Messed the people, " lifting his hand toward* them." (Leviticus ix.) 

 Christ after nis resurrection, and before parting from his disciples at 

 Bethany, " lifted up his hands and blessed them." (St. Luke xxrv. 60.) 

 In the early church, the bishop gave his blessing to the people with 

 his hands extended toward* them. In the Roman Catholic church it 

 is the custom for the bishop to lift up his right hand towards the 

 people with the fingers extended, and with it to describe the sign of 

 the crocs, in commemoration of the Redemption. The benediction, 

 " Benedictio super populum," i* also given by the bishop from the 

 altar in the mas* service, with the words " Benedicat vos Omnipotens 

 Dem" The priest* also give the benediction, but with wnni- iliflference 

 in the form and words, and they can only give it at mass, or while 

 administering the sacrament, or in other solemn ceremonies ; but the 

 bishop ha* the power of giving it any where or upon any occasion he 

 may think fit. In the Roman Pontiflcnle arc found the various forms 

 of benediction. One of the mntt impressive instances of thin c- 

 is that of the pope in full pontificals, attended by the cardinals and 

 prelate*, giving hi* benediction " Urbi ct OrM" on Raster Sunday 

 after maw, from the great gallery in the front of St. Peter's church, 

 while the vast area beneath is filled with kneeling spectator*. 



The benediction forms an essential part of many ceremonies of the 

 Roman Catholic church, such as the coronation of kinga and queens, 

 the confirmation of abbots and abbesses, the consecration of churches, 

 alter*, and sacramental rases. The*e are all performed by the bishop, 



and are accompanied by different ceremonies, such a* anointing, 

 imposing of hand* upon the head of the person consecrated, Ac. The 

 benediction of church utensil*, of bell*, of sacerdotal garment*, of 

 churchyard*, ix., may be performed by priest*. The nuptial bene- 

 diction, which ia an essential part of the marriage ceremony, i* given 

 by the pariah clergyman. The priests also in souie instances give 

 benediction to house*, lieldx, horse*, cattle, Ac.. )>y Kprinkling them 

 with holy water. This custom of blessing those things which .-. 

 the u*e or support of man is of great antiquity. It is found in 

 St. Gregory's' Sacramentale,' and, Iwfore him, in that of Pope Golan: us I., 

 who lived in the 6th century. The " benedictiu menwe et ciborum," 

 was a general practice among all Christians before sitting down to 

 dinner : the English custom of saying grace is a continuation of it. 



There is also in Roman Catholic churches a service which is com- 

 monly called, in Italy at least, " the Benediction," and is perforn 

 particular days, and generally in the evening.; after certain ] 

 being said or sung, the consecrated host ia raised up by tin- ofti 

 priest, who describes with it the sign of the cross towards the con- 

 gregation. 



The benedictorium ia the vase containing the holy water, wl 

 placed at the entrance of Roman Catholic churches for the un- 

 people, who dip their finger* into it and cross themselves a* tl 

 in and out. The water is blessed by the priest, and is mixed with salt. 



The pope begins his bull* and other communications addressed to 

 Roman Catholic individuals with the greeting " Salutein et apostolicain 

 benedictionem." 



In the Liturgy of the Church of England there are but two bene- 

 dictions : one, which is as much a supplication by all the congregation 

 as a blessing from the priest, at the end of the prayers ; the ct 

 introduced on administering the sacrament, and pronounced at tl: 

 of the sermon. 



BENEFICE, from the Latin bcnejielum, a term applied by the canon 

 law to a provision for an ecclesiastical person. In its most compre- 

 hensive sense it includes the temporalities as well of archbishop*, 

 bishops, deans and chapters, abbots and priors, as of parsons, vicars, 

 monks, and other inferior spiritual persons. But a distinction is made 

 between benefices attached to communities under the monastic rule 

 (sub regula), which are called regular benefices, and those the pos- 

 sessors of which live in the world (in stcculo), which arc thence called 

 iffular benefices. The writers on the canon law distinguish, more- 

 over, between simple or sinecure benefices, which do not require 

 residence, and to which no spiritual duty is attached but that of 

 reading prayers and singing (as chaplainries, canonrie*, and chantries), 

 and tacmiotal benefices, which are attended with cure of souls. 



Lord Coke says, " Beneficium is a large word, and is taken for any 

 ecclesiastical promotion whatsoever." ('2 ' lust.' 20.) But in modern 

 English law treatises the term is generally confined to the temporal- 

 ities of parsons, vicars, and perpetual curates, which in popular 

 language are called livings; the legal possessor of a benefice at 

 with cure of souls being generally called the incumbent. 



The history of the origin of benefices is involved in great obscurity. 

 The property of the Christian Church appears, for some centuries after 

 the apostolic ages, to have been strictly enjoyed in common. It was 

 the duty of the officers called deacons (whose first appointment i* 

 mentioned in Acts, chap, vi.) to receive the rants of the real estates, or 

 pairimonia as they are called, of every church. Of these, a* well as 

 of the voluntary gifts in the shape of alms and oblations, a sufficient 

 portion was set apart, under the superintendence of the bishop, i 

 maintenance of the bishop and clergy of the diocese ; another portion 

 was appropriated to the expenses of public worship (in which were 

 included the charge for the repairs of the church), and the remainder 

 was bestowed upon the poor. This division was expressly inculcated 

 by a canon of Gelaaiui, bishop of Rome, A.D. 470 ; and after the pay- 

 ment of tithe* had become universal in the west of Europe, as a means 

 of support to the clergy, it was enacted by one of the capitularies of 

 Charlemagne, that they should be distributed according to this division. 

 When the bishoprics come to be endowed with estates, the bishops, to 

 encourage the foundation of churches, and to establish a provUi 

 the resident clergy, gave up their portion of the tithe*, and were after- 

 ward* by the canon* forbidden to demand it. if they rutild live without 

 it. Although the revenues of the Church were thus divided, th< 

 from which they were derived remained for a long time entirely 

 the same administration as before. But by degrees every minister, 

 instead of Dairying the offering* made in his own church to the biihop 

 for the purpose of division, began to retain them for his own use. The 

 land* also wore apportioned in severally among the resident clergy of 

 each diocese. These changes were not, however, made in all place* or . 

 all at one time, or by any public edict, but by insensible degrees, a* all 

 other customs are introduced. " Some writer* have attributed the origin 

 of parochial divisions to a pen n the 4th century : and it is 



not imprtibnbluthat this change took place in some parts of the Eastern 

 Empire, cither in that or the succeeding age. Some of the constitu- 

 tions of Juitiniaii seem to imply that in his time (the beginning of the 

 6th century) the system of ecclesiastical property, a* it existed in the 

 East, was very similar to that which has pn \ ., ; , 



in modern times." For the churches, monasteries, and other pinu* 

 foundations possessed landed and other property (slaves among the 

 rest), which, by the constitutions of Justinian, they are restrained from 



