(II.) In 1648 Francois Combefis published at Paris, in two vols, fol., Graco-Eat. Patrum Bibliotheca Novum Auctu vrium, and iii 1672 his Bibliotheca' Gnecorum Pa- trum Auctuarium Novlssimum, in two parts.
(III.) In 1677 appeared at Lyons (27 vols, fol.) the Bibliotheca Patrum, which generally, and deservedly, bears the name of Bibliotheca Maxima Patrum Lugdu- ntnsis. It contains nearly all the writers found in the
BICIIRI
811
BIDDULPII
preceding works, together with many others (Latin only), chronologically arranged.
(IV.) After this gigantic undertaking, no similar work appeared until that of Andre Galland was pub- lished, under the title of Bibliotheca veterum Patrum atitiquorumque Scriptorum /■>< l siasticorum postremd Lug- dunensi multo locupletior atque accunttior, in 14 vols. fol. (Venice, 17G6, 1781). Galland omits many authors given in the Bibl. Max., but adds also 180 not given in it. There are many other collections of the fathers not bearing the name Bibliotheca. See Fathers.
Bich'ri (Heb. Btitri', ^23, first-born or youthful, perhaps Becherite; Sept. Bo\oni ; Vulg. Bichri), ap- parently a Benjamite, father of Sheba, the revolter from David (2 Sam. xx, 1 sq.). B.C. ante 101G. See Becher.
Bickell, Johann Wilhelm, a learned writer on ecclesiastical law, was born at Marburg in 1799, be- came in 1820 privatdocent, and in 1824 professor of law at Marburg. In 1846 he was the representative of Hesse-Cassel at the Protestant General Conference of Berlin, and soon after was placed at the head of the ministry of justice in the Electorate of Hesse. He died at Cassel in 1848. He is the author of a history of ecclesiastical law (Geschichte tics Kirchenrechts, Gies- sen, 1843). Among his other works are Ueber die Re- form dei- Proiestantischen Kirchenvi rfassung (Marb. 1831), and Ueber die Yerpflichlung der evangel ischen Geistlichen aufdie symbolischen Schriften (Marb. 1839).
Bickersteth, Edward, was born March 19, 178C, at Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmoreland. He received his early education at the grammar-school of Kirkby Lonsdale, then spent five years in an attorney's office in London, and commenced business as a solicitor at Norwich in 1812. "While yet in business he took a prominent part in various religious movements. He wrote and published in 1814 A Help to the Study of (he Scriptures, which in its enlarged form has had an enor- mous circulation. His strong religious feelings led him to devote himself to the ministerial office, and in 1815 he was ordained deacon ; the Bishop of Norwich having been induced to dispense in his case with the usual university training, in consequence of its being represented to him that the Church Missionary Society were anxious to obtain his services to reorganize the stations of the society in Africa, and to act afterward as their secretary. A fortnight later the Bishop of Gloucester admitted him to full orders, and he almost immediately departed with his wife to Africa. He re- turned in the following autumn, having accomplished the purposes of his visit. He continued in the secre- taryship for fifteen years, and in the course of his of- ficial journeys he acquired great, influence and popu- larity. In 1830 he resigned his offic?, and accepted the rectory of Watton, in Hertfordshire, where he spent the rest of his life. He was during the whole of that time in constant request as the advocate, by sermons and speeches, not only of the missionary, but of al- most every other religious society connected with the Church of England, or in which, as in the Bible Society and the Evangelical Alliance (of which he was one of the founders), Church of England men and members of other churches associate. He also produced dur- ing his residence at Watton a constant succession of religious publications, which were for the most part read in the circles to which they were chiefly address- ed with the greatest avidity. He was earnest in de- nouncing the spread of Traetarian opinions in the Church of England. In his later years he manifested a growing interest in the stud)' of prophecy. The un- fulfilled prophecies were made the frequent subject of his discourses, and he published several treatises on the prophetic writings. Among his literary labors ought to be mentioned the Christi in Family Library, which he edited, and which extended to 50 vols. Mr. Bickersteth was in 1841 attacked by paralysis, but re-
covered. In 184G he was thrown from his chaise under a laden cart, the wheels of which passed over him ; but, though dreadfully injured, he was after a time re- stored to health and activity, and survived till Feb. 24, 1850, when he died of congestion of the brain. His writings are characterized by earnest religious feeling rather than by power or depth of thought. They are collected in an edition published in 1853 (16 vols, fcp; 8vo). See Birk's Memoirs of per. E. Bicker- steth (New York, 1851, 2 vols. 12mo) ; Eng. Cyclop, p. v.
Eidding Prayer. One of the offices of deacons in the early Church was to direct the people in the ex- ercise of their public devotions. They were accustom- ed to use certain forms of words, to give notice when each part of the service began, and to exhort the peo- ple to join attentively. This was called by the Greeks KtipvTTUv, and by the Latins pnrdicare, which means performing the office of a nijoct, or pram. By some writers the deacons are called hpoKrjpvKse, the holy criers of the Church, as those who gave notice to the church or congregation to pray and join in the several parts of the service. The form, "Let us pray," re- peated before several prayers in the English liturgy, is derived from this ancient practice in the Church. l!ur- net gives the form used before the Reformation as fol- lows: After the preacher had named and opened his text, he called on the people to go to their prayers, and told them for what they should pray. Ye shall pray, says he, for the king, the pope, etc. After this, all the people said their beads in a general silence ; and the minister also knelt down and said his. They were to say a paternoster, an ave maria, etc., and then the sermon proceeded (Burnet, Hist, of Reformation, ii, 20). Not only did the deacons call the people to pray, but they gave direction as to the particulars they were to pray for. In the apostolical constitutions we have a bidding prayer for the communicants, in which are specified upward of twenty subjects for prayer. The prayer at the commencement of the communion ser- vice, and also the litany of the Common Prayer-Book, bear a close affinity to the bidding prayers in the apos- tolical constitutions. The formulary which the Church of England, in the 55th canon, directs to be used, is called the bidding prayer, because in it the preacher is directed to bid the people to pray for certain specified objects. — Bingham, Orig. Eccles. bk. ii, ch. xx, § 10, and Ik. xv, ch. i, § 1 ; Procter on Common Prayer, p. 171 ; Buck, Theol. Diet. s. v.