Blair, James, D.D., was born in Scotland 1656, and died at Williamsburg, Va., 1743. He was one of the most eminent of the earlier Episcopalian ministers in America. Having been sent as missionary to Vir- ginia in 1685, he rendered himself highly acceptable, and in 1689 was appointed commissary — the highest ecclesiastical office in the province. He was the found- er and first president of William and Mary College, re- ceiving the latter appointment in 1692. Dr. Blair was for some time president of the council of the colony and rector of Williamsburg. Many traditions are ex- tant which testify to the excellence of his character and the usefulness of his life. In 1722 he published an Exposition of the Sermon on the Jfounl (4 vols. 8vo ; also London, 1724, 5 vols. 8vo). It was again printed 1740 (4 vols. 8vo), with a commendatory notice by Wa- terland, and is highly commended by Doddridge. — Sprague, Annals, v, 7 ; Hawks, Ecclesiastical Contribu- tions, vol. i ; Allibone, Diet, of Authors, i, 201.
Blair, John, a Presbyterian divine, brother of Samuel Blair (q. v.), was born in Ireland 1720, and emigrated in his youth to America. He studied at the "Log College," and in 1712 was ordained pastor of three churches in Cumberland Co., Pa. In 1757 he removed to Fosrg's Manor. In 1767 he was appointed professor of divinity and vice-president of the college at Princeton. In 1769 he became pastor at Walkill, N. Y., where he remained until his death, Dec. 8, 1771. He published a Treatise on Regeneration, another on Terms of A dmission to the Lord's Supper, and several sermons. — Sprague, Annals, iii, 118.
Blair, John, a native cf Edinburgh, and relative of Hugh Blair (q. v.). He removed at an early age to London, where he received some valuable prefer- ments, and became at last prebendary of Westminster. He died in 1782. He is the author of an important work on The Chronology and Ilistoi'y of the World from the Creation to A. I). 1753 (Lond. 1754, fob), which has passed through a large number of editions (a recent ed. Lond. 1844, with additions and corrections by Sir H. Ellis ; again, Lond. 1851), and is still considered a very valuable book. He also wrote lectures on the Canon cf the Old Testament, published after his death (Lond. 1785), and comprehending a learned dissertation on the Septuagint version. — Allibone, Diet, of Authors, i, 202.
Blair, Robert, remembered as the author of The Grave, a poem, was born at Edinburgh in 1699, and educated there and on the Continent. In 1731 he was ordained minister of Athelstaneford, in East Lothian, where he died in 1746. His Grave is still reprinted.
Blair, Samuel, brother of John, an eminent Pres- byterian divine, was born in Ireland June 14, 1712, and emigrated to America in his youth. After study- ing at the "Log College," Neshaminy, he was ordain- ed pastor at Middletown, N. J., 1733." In 1740 he re- moved to Londonderry (Fogg's Manor); Pa., where ho labored as pastor, and also as head of a seminary in which a number of ministers were educated. In the " revival" controversy he took sides with Gilbert Ten- nent, and ranked high among the so-called "New Lights." He died July 5, 1751. His writings, in- cluding a Treatise on Predestination and Reprobation, with several sermons, were published 1754. — Sprague, Annals, iii, 64.
Blake, John L., a learned divine of the Protestant Episcopal Church, was born at Northwood, N. H., in 1788, and graduated at Brown University in 1812. He was for about twelve years the principal of a young ladies' school, during which time he published a num- ber of popular text-books. A peculiar feature of his books, and which greatly contributed to their popular- ity, was the introduction of printed questions at the bottom of each page, a plan which has since been fre- quently adopted. Blake was also the author of many sermons and numerous theological orations and ad- dresses, of a Family Encyclopedia, and a General Bio- graphical Dictionary (9th ed. 1857). He was, in suc- cession, rector of Protestant Episcopal churches at Providence, Concord, and Boston. He died at Orange, N. J., July 6, 1857.— Allibone, Diet, of Authors, s. v.
Blandlna, one of the forty-eight martyrs of Lyons, A.D. 177, was a slave, of weakly body and little natu- ral fortitude ; yet she was exposed, tied to a cross, to 1 savage beasts, burned with fire, and at length, being fastened up in a net, was tossed repeatedly by a furious I bull, and finally dispatched by having her throat cut. During all her tortures she continued to exclaim, " I i am a Christian ; we do not allow ourselves in any crime." She is honored in the Roman Church above the other martyrs of Lyons, and her festival is observed June 2. — Eusebius, Hist. Lccl.x, 1; Butler, Lives of Saints, June 2 ; Landon, s. v.
Blandrata (or Biandrata), Georgio, one of the first of the modern Arians, with Gentilis and Faus- tus Socinus, was born about 1515. He at first prac- tised medicine with success. Having exposed himself to the Inquisition by his free criticisms upon Roman- ism, he fled to Geneva, where, in his conversations with Calvin, he showed that the germs of Socinianism were already in his mind. From there he repaired first to Germany, and subsequently to Poland, where he was elected one of the superintendents of the Hel- vetian churches of Little Poland, and successfully spread his Antitrinitarian views. He travelled^ in Poland, Germany, and Transylvania, and becoming physician to the Queen Bona, of Savoy, he communi-