RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bohemian Bods
The sixth decade of the century ushered in a period of comparative peace for the Brethren, and they now sought, under the leadership of Johann Blahoslay, to gain state recognition of their Church, their chances seeming especially favorable in view of the supposed Protestant tendency of Maximilian. In 1555 and the following years they accordingly endeavored to win the favor of the archduke through repeated conferences between Blahoslav and Maximilian's court preacher, Pfauser of Vienna, but their efforts to secure definite promises for the future bore little fruit. The same object was pursued by Utraquism, which had now
2 Cessa- become essentially Lutheran, and which tion of bad prepared a new creed for the Lu-
Persecu- theran Church in Bohemia in 1575, after tion. the compacts had been annulled by the diet of deputies in 1567 as antiquated. Through their representatives the Brethren sought to have their independence clearly expressed in the preface of the new creed, but their chance of recognition by the side of the " N-eo-Utraquists " steadily decreased, while their essential community of interest with the new body became more and more clear. In 1609, when the estates forced Rudolf to issue his charter, the Brethren shared the religious liberty which it granted by joining in the Bohemian Confession of 1575, after having already given a full explanation of its acceptance in the previous year.
All special names were now to cease, and the members of the united Bohemian Evangelical Church were henceforth to be called " Utraquistic Christians." The Brethren were represented in the common consistory, but despite the abolition of a separate name, this was, strictly 3. The speaking, not a union, but rather
Brethren a confederation between the Unitas Merged m Fratrum and the Bohemian Church.
the fJtra- The Brethren, therefore, retained their own organization and regulations, and even their independent creed (1564), while the Bohemian Lutherans, in like manner, held to the Augsburg Confession, although both creeds are declared to be in full harmony with the Bohemian Confession of 1575. Definitive form was accordingly given the church discipline of the Brethren at the Synod of 2eravic in 1616 under the title Ratio disciplines ordinisque ecclesiastici w unitate fratrum Bohemorum, but the plan of making this valid for the whole Bohemian Church was not realized. This organization, however, had but a brief period of prosperity, for the battle at the White Hill (Nov. 8, 1620) destroyed Protestantism m Bohemia and Moravia for more than a century and a half.
W. The Brethren in Prussia and Poland: The Brethren expelled from Bohemia in 1547 in consequence of the Schmalkald War emigrated partly to Moravia and partly to Prussia, where they were received by Duke Albert. After his death in 1568 they returned to Moravia and Poland, exercising an important influence on the introduction of the reformation in the latter country, and attempting k> establish friendly relations between the various Evangelical bodies at a synod held at Sendomir in
1570. Their scanty remnants still exist in the five so-called communities of Unity in the Prussian province of Posen: Posen, Lissa, Lasswitz, Waschke, and Orzeszkowo. Josef Mueller.
Bibliography: For full bibliography of the subject consult W. G. Malin. Catalogue of Books relating to or illustrating the History of the Unitas Fratrum or United Brethren now generally known as the Moravian Church, Philadelphia, 1881.
For general history consult: J. Camerarius, Historica narratio de fratrum orthodoxorum ecclesiis in Bohemia, Moravia, et Polonia, Heidelberg, 1605; J. Lasicius, De origine et institutis Fratrum libri viii (only the eighth book was published, ed. J. A. Comenius, 1649); Historia persecutionum ecclesias Bohemicw, Amsterdam, 1648, Eng. transl., London, 1650; J. A. Comenius, Eccksiee Slavonics historiola, Amsterdam, 1660; idem, Historia fratrum Bohemorum, ed. Buddeus, Halle, 1702; Martyrologium Bohemicum, oder die bbhmische Verfolgungsgeschichte, 894-1632, Berlin, 1766; D. Cranz, Alte und neue Bruder Historic, Barby, 1771, Eng. transl., London, 1780; The Reformation and Anti-Reformation in Bohemia, ib. 1845; V. Krasinski, Religious History of the Slavonic Nations, Edinburgh, 1851; A. Gindely, Geschichte der bohmischen Bruder, 2 vols., Prague, 1857; A. Bost, Hist, of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren, London, 1863; E. W Croger, Geschichte der alien Bruderkirche, Gnadau, 1865; D. Benham, Notes on the Origin and Episcopate of the Bohemian Brethren, London, 1867; B. Czerwenka, Geschichte der evangelischen Kirche in Bohmen, 2 vols., Bielefeld, 1870; E. Jane Whately, Sketches of Bohemian Religious History, London, 1876; E. de Schweinitz, Hist, of the Church known as the Unitas Fratrum, Bethlehem, 1885.
For the church order consult: Ratio discipline ordinisque ecclesiastici in unitate fratrum Bohemorum, Leszno, 1632, Amsterdam, 1660, and Halle, 1732; B. Seifferth, Church Constitution of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren. The Original Latin with a Transl., London, 1866.
The original text of the Confession is reproduced in A. Gindely, Quellen zur Geschichte der bohmischen BriiJer, p. 354 sqq., Vienna, 1861, and in ds Schweinitz, History, ut sup., pp. 648 sqq. Consult also J. C. Koecher, Die drey letzten und vornehmsten Glaubensbekenntnisse der bohmischen Bruder, Leipsic, 1741; H. A. Niemeyer, Collectio confessionum, pp. 771 sqq., ib. 1840.
For catechisms consult: J. G. Ehwalt, Die alte und neue Lehre der bohmischen Bruder, Danzig, 1756; C. A. G. von Zezschwitz, Die Katechismen der Waldenser und bohmischen Bruder, Erlangen, 1863; J. Miiller, Die deutschen Katechismen der bohmischen Bruder, Berlin, 1887.
On the Hymnology consult: P. Wackernagel, Das deutsche Kirchenlied, iii, 229-368, iv, 346-485, Berlin, 1870-75; J. Zahn, Die geistlichen Lieder der Bruder in Bohmen, Mahren und Polen, Nuremberg, 1875; Julian, Hymnology, pp. 153-160.
BOIS (BOYS), JOHN: Church of England scholar; b. at Nettlestead, near Hadleigh (35 m. e.s.e. of Cambridge), Suffolk, Jan. 3, 1561; d. at Ely Jan. 14, 1644. He studied at St. John's and Magdalen Colleges, Cambridge, was elected fellow of the former in 1580, and was Greek lecturer 1584- 1595; became rector of Boxworth (5 m. n.w. of Cambridge) 1596, and prebendary of Ely 1615. He was one of the translators of the Authorized Version, belonging to the Apocrypha company, and when his own part was done is said to have assisted the other Cambridge company on the section from Chronicles to Canticles; he was one of the delegates engaged in the final revision. He assisted Sir Henry Savile (who calls him " most ingenious and most learned") in his edition of Chrysostom (8 vols., Eton, 1612 [1610-13]), and left many manuscripts, but his only published work was Veteris interpretis cum Beza aliisque recentioribus collatio in quattuor evangeliis et apostolorum actis (London, 1655).
Boling-broke Bolzano