BEN 
imlitflrions perfons are delighted in feafidmig out natural 
rarities ; reflecting upon the Creator ol them his due prai- 
fes and bencdidlious. Ray. — '1 he form of instituting an ab¬ 
bot.—What confeoration is to a bifliop, tliat benediction is 
to an abbot; but in a different -way : for a bifhop is not 
properly fucli till confecration ; but an abbot, being elected 
and confirmed, is properly fucli before bcnediBion. Ayliffe. 
Nuptial Benediction’, the external ceremony perform¬ 
ed bv the pried in the office of matrimony. This is alto 
called facer dotal and matrimonial benediction, by the Greeks 
*sgofoyi» and Htj-orstecnx. The nuptial benediction is not 
■efl'ential to, but the confirmation of, a marriage in the ci¬ 
vil law. 
Beatic Benediction, (benecliclio beatica,) is the viaticum 
given to dying perfons. 1 he pope begins all his bulls 
with this form: Salutem et apofioiicam ' bcnediclioncm. 
Benediction is alfo ufed in the Roinilh church for an 
•eocleftafiical ceremony, whereby a thing is rendered fa- 
cred, or venerable. In this fenfe benediction, differs from 
confecration, as in the latter unction is applied, which is 
not in the former: thus the chalice is confecrated, and the 
pix blefled ; as the former, not the latter, is anointed : 
though, in the common ufage, thefe two words are applied 
promifeuoufly. The lpirit of piety, or rather of fuperdi¬ 
tion, has introduced into the Rpmifli church benedictions 
for alrnoft every thing. We read of forms of benedictions 
for wax-candles, for boughs, for allies, for church-veflels, 
and ornaments; for flags or enfigns, arms, firfi-fruits, 
houfes, fiiips, pafeal eggs, cilicium or the hair-cloth of 
penitents, church-yards, &c.. In general, thefe benedic¬ 
tions are performed by afperlions of holy Water, figns of 
the crofs, and prayers fuitable to the nature of the cere¬ 
mony. The forms of thefe benedictions are found in the 
Roman pontifical, in the Roman miflal, in the book of ec- 
•cleliadical ceremonies printed in pope Leo’s time, and in 
the rituals and ceremonies of the different churches which 
.are found collected in father Martene’s work on the rites 
and difeipline of the church. 
BENEFA'CA, a town of Spain, in the province of Va¬ 
lencia, ten leagues from Valencia. 
BENEF.AC 1 TION,yi [from bcncfacio, Lat.] Tlie aCtof 
conferring a benefit. The benefit conferred : which is the 
more ufual fenfe.—One part of the benefaclions, was the 
expreflion of a'generous and grateful mind. Atterbury. 
BENEFAC'TOR, f. [from bcnefacio, Lat.] He that 
confers a benefit: frequently he that contributes to fome 
public charity : it is ufed w ith of, but oftener with to, be¬ 
fore the perfon benefited : 
Then fwell with pride, and muff be titled gods, 
Great bcnfaElors of mankind, deliverers, 
Worfhip’d with temple, pried, and facrifice. Milton. 
BENEFAC'TRESS,/. A woman who confers a benefit. 
BE'NEFICE,y". [from bentficium, Lat.] Advantage con¬ 
ferred on another. In middle-age writers, it is ufed for a 
fee, fometimes denominated more peculiarly -beneficium mi- 
lilarc. In this fenfe, benefice was an eftate in land, at firft 
granted for life only ; fo called, becaufe it was held ex mero 
benefeio of the donor : and the tenants were bound to fwear 
fealty to the lord, and to ferve him in the wars. In after- 
times, as thefe tenures became perpetual and hereditary, 
they left their name of benefeia to the livings of the cler¬ 
gy,and retained to themfelves the name oi feuds. 
Benefice, in an eccleliaftical fenfe, a church endowed 
with a revenue for the performance of divine fervice; or 
the revenue itfelf affigned to. an ecclefiaftical perfon, by 
wav of ftipend, for the fervice he is to do in that church. 
All church-preferments, except biihoprics, are called be¬ 
nefices ; and all benefices are, by the canonifts, fometimes 
ftyled dignities: but we now ordinarily diftinguifli between 
benefice and dignity ; applying dignity to biihoprics, dea¬ 
neries,archdeaconries, and prebendaries; and benefice to 
parfonages, vicayages, and donatives. Benefices are divi¬ 
ded by the canonifts into Pimple and facerdotal. In the 
firfi there is no obligation but to read prayers, ling, &c. 
Vol. II. No. 109. 
B E N 8% 
futh are canonries, chaplainfliips, chantries, Sec. the fecund 
are charged with the cure of iouls, or the direction and 
guidance.of confidences; fucli as vicarages, redories, <Scc. 
The Romanifis again diftinguifli benefices into regular and 
fecular. Regular or titular benefices are thofe held by a 
religious, or a regular, who has. made profefiion of fome 
religious order; fuch are abbeys, priories, conventuals, 
&c. or rather, a regular benefice is that which cannot be 
conferred on any but a religious, either by its foundation, 
by the inftifution of fome fbperior, or by prefeription : for 
prefeription,'-forty years poffellion by a religious makes the 
benefice regular. Secular benefices are only fuch as are to 
be given to fecular priefts, i.e, to fuch as live in the. world, 
and are not engaged in any monafiic order. All benefices 
are reputed fecular, till the contrary is made to appear. 
They are called fecular benefices, becaufe held by feculars; 
of which kind are almoft all cures. The Canonifts diftin- 
guifii three manners of vacating a benefice, yiz. 1. Dejur'e, 
when the perfon enjoying it is guilty of certain crimes ex- 
p re (Fed in thofe laws, as herefy, fimony, Sec. 2. DefaElo , 
'as well as dtjure , by the natural death or the reffgnation 
of the incumbent; which relignation may be either ex- 
prefs or tacit, as w hen he engages in a ftate, &c. inconfift- 
ent with it, as, among the Romanifis, by marrying, enter¬ 
ing into a religious order, or the like. 3. By the [enterice 
of a judge, by way of punifhment for certain crimes, as 
concubinage, perjury, &c. 
Benefices began about roo. The following account of 
thofe,in England is given as the faff by Dr. Burn, viz. 
that there are 1071 livings not exceeding iol. per annum; 
1467 livings above iol. and not exceeding 20I. per an¬ 
num; 1126 livings above 20I. and not exceeding 30I. per 
annum; 1049 livings above 30I. and not exceeding 40I. 
per annum; 884 livings above 40I. and not exceeding50I. 
per annum; 5597 livings under 50I. per annum. It mult 
be 500 years before every living can be raifed to 60I. a- 
year by queen Anne’s bounty, and 339 years before any 
of them can exceed 50I. a-year. On the whole, there arc 
above 11,000 church-preferments in England, exclufive 
of bifhoprics, deaneries, canonries, prebendaries, priefi- 
vicars, lay-vicars, fecondaries, Sec. belonging to cathe¬ 
drals, or chorifiers, or even curates to vveil-beneficed cler¬ 
gymen. 
Benefice in commendam is that, the direction and 
management of which, upon a vacancy, is given or recom¬ 
mended to an ecclefiaftic, for a certain time, till he may 
be conveniently provided for. 
BE'NEFICED, adj. Pofi’efTed of a benefice, or church 
preferment.—The ufual rate between the hencficed man and 
the religious perfon, was one moiety of the benefice. Ay- 
liffc. 
BENE'FICKNCE,/! The practice of doing good ; act¬ 
ive goodnefs.—Love and charity extends our beneficence to 
the miferies of our brethren. Rogers. 
Beneficence is emblematically defc’ribed byadamfel 
of an agreeable afpedt; young, becaufe the remembrance 
and acknowledgment of benefits fliould neper grow old ; 
beautiful, becaufe beneficence charms everyone; naked*, 
to fliew that it ought to be without intereft or oftentation 3 
holding in one hand a bag of gold, and variety of jewels, 
as ready to diftribute them, and in the other a chain of 
'gold, to (ignify that beneficence ties and obliges. Bene¬ 
ficence, fay the moralifts, is the higheft and utmoft drain 
of humanity, when a man out of a pure inclination that 
arifes either from a native gencrofity of foul, or from pity 
and compaflion to a perfon in diftref?, is at fome pains or 
charge in bellowing freely upon another, what may relieve 
his necefiity or promote his advantage. The virtue that an- 
fwers to beneficence in the giver, is gratitude in the receiver. 
BENE'FICENT, adj. [from bcneficus, bcnejicentior, Lat.3 
Kind; doing good. It differs from benign, as the adf from 
the difpofition ; beneficence being kindnefs, ox benignity ex¬ 
erted in adtion.—Such a creature could not have his ori¬ 
gination from any lefs than the mod wife and beneficent be¬ 
ing, the great God. Hale. 
10 Q BENEFl'ClAXjp 
