BEN 



rjc?, (kanries, .arclideaconrics, and prebends ; and benefice 

 to psifonages, ncaragts, and doiiativLS. 



There is an obvious reference in the term benL-fice to the 

 feudal lyftem, wliich was incorporated in all the gfoverjinients 

 of Europ«. As the lands of ail private proprietors were 

 holden of the prince, and becaufe lliey were originally gra- 

 tuitous donations, denominated " heiufic'ta," thepopjalT'.imed 

 the privilege of a feudal lord, and claimed the authority of 

 diftribiitinj; the prefernierts of the church at pleafure, which 

 commenced firll in Italy, and grainaily extended itielf 

 to Entjland ; and hence the care of the fouls of a pari(h 

 came to be called a benefice. Blackftone's Comm. vol. iv. 

 p. 106. 



Hence, doiibtlefs, came the term benefice to be applied 

 to church livings ; for, befide that the ecclcrialtics held for 

 life like the foldiers, the riches of the church arofe from the 

 beneficence of princes. 



In ail Chnllian churches, the benefices of the clergy are 

 a fort of freeholds, which they enjoy, not during pleafure, 

 but during life or good behaviour. If they held them by 

 a more prcc;uious tenure, and were liable to be turned out 

 upon every flight difobligation either of the fovereign or of 

 his minillers, it would perhaps be impoffible for them to 

 maintain their authority with the people, who would then 

 cont'der them as mercenary dependents upon the court, in 

 the iincerity of whofeinftruclions they could no longer have 

 any confidence. 



As to the origin of ecclefiaftical benefices, it is hard to 

 determine when the revenues of the church were firft divided: 

 it is certain that, till the fourth centuiy, all the revenues were 

 in the hands of the bilhops, who dilhibuted them by their 

 economy ; they confifted principally in alms, and voluntary 

 contributions. As the ch\irch came to have lands, parts 

 thereof were affigned for the fubfiftence of the clerks, and 

 called benefices ; of which we find fome traces in the fifth 

 and fixth century : but then there does not appear to have 

 been any certain partition, nor any precife quota allotted to 

 each particular ; but the allotments were abfolutely difcre- 

 tional till about the twelfth century. 



At firft, each was contented with a fingle benefice, but 

 pluralities were by degrees introduced on pretence of equity: 

 for a fingle benefice being fometimes fcarce thought a com- 

 petency, the prieft was allowed two ; as his quality or 

 occafions increaftd, fo the number of benefices that were to 

 fupport him were increafed too. Hence fome, aff'efting to 

 equal princes in quality, pretend to revenues anfvverable 

 to it. 



The canonifts diftinguilh three ways of vacating a bene- 

 fice, viz. de jure, tie fado, and l>y the fentence of a judge. A 

 ben'fice is vacated "dejure," when the perfon enjoying it 

 is gti.lty of certain crimes, expreffed in laws, as herefy, 

 fimony, &c. A benefice is vacated " de fafto," as well 

 as " de jure," by the natural death, or the refignation of 

 the incumbent : which refignation may be either exprefs or 

 tacit ; as when he engages in a ftate, &c. inconfiftent with 

 it ; as among the Romauifts, by marrying, entering a reli- 

 gious order, or the like. A benefice becomes vacant " by 

 the fentence of a judge," by way of punilhment for certain 

 crimes, as concubinage, perjury, forcery, &c. SeeDEGR.i- 



DATION. 



Benefices are divided by the canonifts into Jimpk anA/acer- 

 dotal. In the firtl there is no obligation but to read prayers, 

 fing, &c. : fuch are canonries, chaplainfhips, chantries, &c. 

 The fecond are charged with the cure of fouls, or the direc- 

 tion and guidance of confciences •. fuch are the vicarages, 

 re^ories, &c. 



The Romauifts, again, diftinguifh benefices into regular 



BEN 



znifecular. Regular or titulur benefices are thofe held by a 

 reliijious, or a regular, who has made profcfliou of fome re- 

 ligious order : fuch are abbeys, priories conventual, &c. Or 

 rather, regular benefice is that which cannot be confei red 011 

 any but a religious ; either by its foundation, by the inllitu- 

 tion of fome fuperior, or by prefcription. For prefcription, 

 forty years poileffion by a religious makes the benefice regu- 

 lar. Si-rular benefices are thofe which are only to be given 

 to fecular priefto, i. e. to fuch as live in the world, and are 

 not engaged in any nionailic order. All benefices are re- 

 puted fecular, till the contrary is made appear. Tr.ey are 

 called " fecular benefices," becaufe held by Icculars ; of 

 which kind are almoll all cures. Some benefices, regular in 

 themfelves, have been fecularifcd by the pope's bull. 



^Benefice in commeuJam, is that, the direction and 

 management whereof, upon a vacancy, is given or recom- 

 mended to an ecclefialtic for a certain time, till it may be 

 conveniently provided for. See Commen'DAM. 



Benefice, Pofeffion of a. See Possession. 



BENEFlCTARIl, in Roman Antiquity, denote foldiers 

 who attended the chief officers of the army, being exempted 

 from other duty. Beneficiarii were alio ioldiers dtlcharged 

 from the military ferviee or duty, and provided with " bene- 

 ficia" to fubfill on. Tiiefe were probably the fame with the 

 former, and both might be comprifed in the iamt definition. 

 They were old experienced foldiers, who having ferved out 

 their legal time, or received a difcharge, as a particular 

 mark of honour, were invited again to the ferviee, wiiere they 

 were held in great elleem, exempted from all militaiy drudg- 

 ery, and appointed to guard the Ibr.dard, &c. Theie, 

 when thi'.s recalled to ieivice, were alfo denominated evo- 

 cati ; and before their recall, enicriti. 



Beneficiarii was alfo ufed for thofe raifed to a higher 

 rank by the favour of the tribunes, or other maglllrates. 

 The word '' beneficiarius" frequently occurs in the Roman 

 infcriptions found in Britain, where confulis is always joined 

 with it ; but befides heneftciarius confulis, we find in Gruter 

 bcnejinarius trihuni, pretoris, legati, pr^fedi, proconfuh, Sic. 



BENEFICIARY, in a general feufe, fomething that re- 

 lates to benefices. 



Bkneficiarv, lenefcinrius, is mere particularly ufed for a 

 beneficed perfon, or him who receives and enjoys one or 

 more benefices. 



Beneficiary is more particularly ufed among Roman 

 IVrilers, for a perfon exempt from public offices. In which 

 fenfe, beneficiarii ftand contradillinguiihed from ttnniitipa. 

 It alfo denotes, in Middle Age U'riters, a feudatory or vafial ; 

 and it is alfo ufed for a clerk or officer, who kept the ac- 

 count of the iencficia, and made the writings neccfliuy 

 for it. The fame denomination was likewifc given to the 

 officers who collcfted the rents and duties belonging to the 

 ffcus. 



BENEFICIO. See Deprivation a Bevefcio. 



Beneficio, Sujpeii/io a. See Suspension. 



B E N e F I c I o prima cccleftaflico halendo. See Pr i M 0. 



BENEFIELD, Sebastian, in Biography, an eminent 

 Englifh divine, was born at Prellonbury, in (jloucefierfiiire, 

 in 1559, and educated at the univerfity of Oxford, where 

 he occupied the chair of Margaret profeflbr of divinity for 

 14 years with great reputation. Towards the clofe of his-, 

 life he retired to his reftoiy of Meyfey-Hampton, near 

 Fairford, in his native county, and there died in 1630. 

 Dr. Bcnefield was fo eminent a fcholar, difputant and divme, 

 and particularly fo well verfed in the fathers and fchoolmen, 

 that he had not his equal in the univerfity. In his theological 

 opinions he was a rigid Calvinift ; and in his general con- 

 duct he was remarkable for ftridlnefs of life and fincci;ity. 

 6 His 



