Billroth, Joiiaxx Gustav Friedricii, a German theologian, was born in 1808 at Lubeck, became in i 1834 professor of philosophy at Halle, and died there in i 1836. He wrote, among others, the following works : Beitrage zur wisst nsch ftlichen Kritik der herrschenden Theohgk ( Leipz. 1813) ; Commentar zu denBriefen des Apostels Paulus an die Korinthier (Leipz. 1833); Vor~ lesungen fiber Religionsphilosuplm, published after his death by Erdmann (Leipz. 1837).
Bilney, Thomas, one of the English reformers and martyrs, was born at Norfolk about 1500, and educated
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at Cambridge. From his boyhood he was remarkable for bis pious bent, and he Bought aid in the way of ho- liness from his confessor and other priests in the Rom- ish Church. But he sought in vain until, by reading the N. T. in the translation of Erasmus, he was deliv- ered from the errors of popery and the bondage of sin; and, leaving the study of human law, devoted himself wholly to the study of divinity. lie soon began to preach, ami his ministry was wonderfully successful. M.my gownsmen, among whom was Latimer, were led by his instrumentality to the Saviour. He continued his labors witli great effect until Wblsey, alarmed by his success, arrested him, Nov. 25, 1527, and brought him to trial for preaching the doctrines of Luther. After four appearances before his judges, his firmness was overcome rather by the persuasions of his friends than from conviction, and he signed a recantation, De- cember 7, 1529. After this he returned to Cam1, ridge ; but the consideration of what he had done brought him to the brink of despair. Being restored, however, by •the grace of God to peace of conscience, he resolved to give up his life in defence of the truth lie had sinfully abjured. Accordingly, in 1531, he went into Norfolk, and there preached the Gospel, at first privately and in houses, afterward openly in the fields, bewailing his former recantation, and begging all men to take warn- ing by him, and iv r< r to trust the counsels of friends, so • ■ dL d, when their purpose is to draw them from the true religion. Being thrown into prison, Drs. Call and Stokes were sent to persuade him again to recant; but the former of these divines, by Bilney's doctrine and conduct, was greatly drawn over to the side of the Gos- pel. Finding him inflexible, his judges condemned him to be burned. At the stake he rivalled the no- blest martyrs of antiquity in courage and constancy. His friend Dr. Warner, who had accompanied him, in taking his last leave of his beloved friend, was so much affected that he could say ' ut little for his tears. Bil- ney accosted him with a heavenly smile, thanked him kindly for all his attentions, and, bending toward him, whispered, in a low voice, his farewell words, of which it is hard to say whether they convey more of love to his friend or faithfulness to his Master: " Pa see grc- 'i< m /nun}, p isce gregem tuum .- itt cum venerit Dominus, inveniat te sic facientem: Fad your flock, feed your flock; /hit the Lord, when he cometh, may find you so doing." The fagots were then applied, and the body of the dying martyr was consumed to ashes, A.D. 1531. — Middleton, Evang. Bog.; Fox, Book of Martyrs; Burnet, Hist, of Reformation, i, 53, 268; Collier, .Eccl. //i<>. of England, p. 70, 184; Hook, Eccl. Biog. ii, 406.
Bil'shan (Ileb. Bilshan' ', "|1ZJ!?2, son of the tongue, i. e. eloquent; Sept. BaXaaav and BaXcrav), a man of rank who returned from the Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra ii, 2; Neh. vii, 7). B.C. 536.
Bilson, Thomas, Bishop of Winchester, was of German descent, but was born at Winchester in 1547. He was educated at Winchester, and was elected in 1565 to New College, of which he afterward became warden. In 1585 he published ins True Difference be- in- i> Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion; .■ml in 1593, his Perpetual Government of Christ his Church (reprinted Oxford, 1842, 8vo). He was ele- rated '" lh" see of Worcester in 1596, and transferred to that of Winchester May 13th, 1597, when he was made a privy councillor. His most celebrated work is Ins Survey of the Sujf\ rings ofChristfor the Redemp- tion nj Man, and of his Des* ut into Hellforour Deliver- "'"'■' "•"»<'• 1604, fol.), which is a learned work against Calvin and the Puritans. To him, in conjunction with Dr. Miles Smith, was intrusted the care of re- vising the new translation of the Bible made in the reign of dames [. Re attended the Hampton Court
conference, and was one of the -t zealous advocates
of the prerogatives of the Church. He was a person of great learning, and specially well read in the fa-
thers and schoolmen. He died June 18, 1616. His Perpetual Government is considered by High Church- men as one of the ablest defences of apostolical suc- cession ever published. — Hook, Eccl. Biog. ii, 422.
Bim'hal (Heb. Bimhal' , bnra, son of circumcision, i. e. circumcised ; Sept. Ba/ta/yA), a son of Japhlet and great-great-grandson of Ashcr (1 Chron. vii, 33). B.C. cir. 1658.
Bind (represented by numerous Heb. words). To bind and to loose (ciio and Xvoj) are figurative expres- sions, used as synonymous with command and forbid; they are also taken for condemning and absolving (Mutt, xvi, 19). Binding and loosing, in the language of the Jews, expressed permitting or forbidding, or judicially declaring any thing to be permitted or forbidden (comp. John xx, 23 ; xvi, 13). In the admission of their doc- tors to interpret the Law and the Prophets, they put a key and a table-book into their hands, with these words; " Receive the power of binding and loosing," to which there seems to be an allusion in Luke xi, 52. (See Lightfoot, I/or. Heb. in loc.) So Christ says, " I am not come to destroy," to unloose or dissolve, " the law, but to fulfil it," that is, to confirm and establish it (Matt, v, 17). The expression " to bind the law upon one's hand for a sign," etc., is figurative, and implies an acquaintance with it, and a constant regard to its precepts ; but the Jews construed the phrase literally, [ and bound parts of the law about their wrists; hence ! the custom of wearing phylacteries. Rolls or volumes of writing were tied up ; hence the expression in Isa. viii, 16. See Phylactery. | Bill'ea (Heb. B'na and BinaV, JC'33 and nr?3 [the latter in the first occurrence], according to Si- monis, by transposition for i"!>23, a gushing forth, i. c. fountain ; according to Fiirst, for n;"a"*2, son of dis- sipation, i. e. scatterer; Sept. Boom v. r. Bavc'i), a Benjamite, son of Moza and father of Rapha, of the descendants of King Saul (1 Chron. viii, 37; ix, 43). B.C. cir. 850.