THE NEW SCHAFF-IIERZOG
in the latterpartof the thirteenth century; d. after 1358. He was educated at Paris, and was made rector in 1327 The story of his expulsion from the city, like his love affair with a queen of France, seems to be a myth, for it is clear that he occupied a prominent position at Paris between 1348 and 135S. He was the author of the Summula de dialectica, or Compendium logicw (Paris, 1487), and also wrote on the " Politics," " Ethics," and other Aristotelian writings, but he paid no attention to theology. As an admirer and follower of Occam, he was a consistent nominalist, and hence felt a special interest in ethical and psychological questions, in which he showed the characteristic union of skepticism and dogmatism. He became famous by his thorough research into the problem of the freedom of the will, but his works contain ingenious investigations rather than clear decisions, so that it is doubtful whether he was a determinist or an indeterminist. His psychology allowed no decision of the will without a motivating judgment of the understanding. The famous aphorism of the ass standing between two hay-stacks, and obliged either to starve or to decide deterministically for one or the other, is not found in his writings, and it is uncertain whether either he or his opponents used it, or whether later legend ascribed to him the example already found in Aristotle. His collected works were first edited at Paris by J. Dullardus in 1500, and were frequently reprinted.
R. Schmid.
Bibliography: Sketches of his life and philosophy will be found in the works on the history of philosophy by Ueberweg, Ritter, and Erdmann. Consult also A. Stockl, Geschichte der Philosophic des Miltelalters, ii. 1023-28, 3 vols., Mainz, 1864-66.
BURKE, THOMAS MARTIN ALOYSIUS: Roman Catholic bishop of Albany, N. Y.; b. in County Mayo, Ireland, Jan. 10, 1840. He came to the United States in childhood, and was educated at St. Michael's College, Toronto, St. Charles' College, Md. (B.A., 1861), and St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore (B.T., 18(14). He was ordained to the priesthood in 1864, and was successively assistant and rector at St. John's Church, Albany, N. Y. (1864-74), and rector of St. Joseph's Church in the same city (1874-94). He was appointed vicar-general of the diocese of Albany in 1887 and consecrated bishop in 1894. He was created a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher in 1890, and a Knight of the Grand Cross in 1894.
BURKITT, FRANCIS CRAWFORD: Church of England theologian and Syriac scholar; b. at London Sept. 3, 1864. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1886), where he was appointed University lecturer in paleography in 1904-05. Since 1905 he has been Norrisian professor of divinity in the same university. He was elected fellow of the British Academy in 1905, and was also president of the Cambridge Philological Society in 1904-05 and Jowett lecturer in 1906. In addition to numerous contributions to theological periodicals and encyclopedias, he has written: The Rule* of Tyc.onius (Cambridge, 1S94); The Old Latin and the Itala (1896); Fragment* of Aquila (1897); Hymn of Bardaisan (London, 1899);
Early Christianity outside the Roman Empire (Cambridge, 1899); Two Lectures on the Gospels (London, 1900); Gospel Quotations of St. Ephraim (Cambridge, 1901); Evangelion da-M epharreshe (2 vols., 1904); and Early Eastern Christianity (London, 1905). He also made an English translation of the Lehrbuch der dgypto-arabischen Umgangssprache of K. Vollers (Cairo, 1890) at Cambridge in 1895, and collaborated with R. L. Bensly and J. R. Harris in editing The Four Gospels in Syriac transcribed from the Sinaitic Manuscript (Cambridge, 1894), and with G. H. Gwilliam and J. F. Stenning in the Biblical and Patristic Relics of the Palestinian Syriac Literature from Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1896).
BURKITT, WILLIAM: Church of England; b. at Hitcham (12 m. n.w. of Ipswich), Suffolk, July 25, 1650; d. at Dedham (10 m. s.w. of Ipswich), Essex, Oct. 24, 1703. He studied at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge (B.A., 1668; M.A., 1672); became curate at Milden, Suffolk, about 1672, and vicar of Dedham, 1692. He is remembered for his Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament (the Gospels, London, 1700; Acts- Revelation, 1703; many subsequent editions). It is a compilation and bears some resemblance to the commentaries of Matthew Henry.
BURMA: [At present the largest and easternmost province of British India, having been gradually annexed after three wars in 1826, 1852, and 1885. It extends southward from Tibet into the Malay peninsula a distance of 1,250 miles, with a breadth from east to west varying from 30 or 40 to 550 miles. According to the census of 1901 the area is 236,738 square miles, the population 10,- 490,624 persons, classed by religions as follows: Hindus 457,391; Sikhs 3,147; Buddhists 8,951,- 649 (85.3 per cent.); Mohammedans 533,973; Christians 248,628; Animists 294,787; other religions 1,049. The native peoples are of Malay- Chinese stock, belonging to many tribes. The capital is Rangun. Buddhism appears at its best in Burma; the prevailing form is of the southern type, most closely approximating the teachings of Gautama, and it has done much to uplift the people, who are better educated (by the Buddhist monks) than the people of India. Temples and shrines are numerous and have been built at much expense. The monasteries are well organized.]
Baptist Missions: The earliest attempt at Protestant missionary work in Burma was at Rangun, where Messrs. Chater and Mardon, of the Baptist Missionary Society of England, opened a mission in 1807. During a service of four years Chater translated the Gospel of Matthew into Burmese. Felix Carey, son of William Carey (q.v.), came soon after Chater and Mardon, remaining until 1814, when he entered the service of the Burman Government and removed to Ava. The London Missionary Society sent two missionaries to Rangun in 1808, but within a year one died and the other left.
The first permanent Protestant mission in Burma was that of the American Baptist Missionary Union, which began work at Rangun in 1813. The first