BENJOIN-BENNET-BENSON.

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BENJOIN, GEORGE, a clergyman of the Church of England.-Jonah, a faithful translation from the original; with Philological and Explanatory Notes. To which is prefixed a Preliminary Discourse, proving the Genuineness, the Authenticity, and the Integrity of the present text. 1796, 4to.

This is not a work of great value, as the reader will believe, when he is told that the author attempts to convince the world that the present original text is in its primary perfection." The attempt and the translation are equally a failure for any important purpose.

BENNET, GEORGE, formerly a dissenting minister at Carlisle; now in the Church of Scotland at Strathmiglo in Fife.-Olam Haneshemoth; or a View of the Intermediate State. 1800, 8vo.

As Bishop Horsley was not very liberal of praise, it is enough to quote his opinion of this book, in which the author of this Bibliotheca substantially unites. "It is a work of various erudition and deep research. And a reader must be very learned who finds not much in it to instruct him; very dull, if he is not delighted with the ingenuity that is displayed even in those parts in which he may see reason to doubt the solidity of the author's argument, and the truth of his interpretations; and very captious, if, in a variety of novel expositions, many of which he may think inadmissible, he finds any thing to give him offence."

BENSON, GEORGE, D. D. a Protestant dissenting minister of London; born 1699; died in 1763.—A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and the Catholic Epistles of Peter, James, and John. 1752, 2 vol. 4to. Best edit.

This work is a continuation of Locke's attempt to illustrate

the Epistles, and, with Peirce's work, completes the design. Benson possessed considerable learning, but no great portion of genius. He was certainly inferior in taste and acumen to his two coadjutors; but still his labours are entitled to respect. Some of his essays, inserted in the commentaries, contain important information on the points on which they treat. His theological sentiments were Arian, verging to Socinian: on this account all his writings require to be read with caution. "Benson," says Doddridge, " illustrates the spirit of Paul sometimes in an admirable manner, even beyond any former writer." His Paraphrase on James was translated into Latin by J. D. Michaelis, and published with a preface by Baumgarten, at Halle, in 1747. The preface highly extols the labours of Locke, Peirce, and Benson, and mentions with respect many others of the British commentators. To this Latin version Michaelis has added many valuable notes of his own.

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-The History of the First Planting of the Christian Religion, taken from the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles. 1735, 2 vol. 4to. Best edit. 1756, 3 thin vol. 4to.

This, though but a dull book, is full of important matter, and is of great service in explaining many parts of the book of Acts. It displays very considerable research, a great portion of candour, and an accurate acquaintance with the facts of the Jewish and Roman history, which relate to the Christians during the first age of Christianity.

-The History of the Life of Jesus Christ, taken from the New Testament, &c. 1764, 4to.

In this work Dr. Benson discovers much attention to many minute particulars in the history of Jesus, but the principles of his creed prevented him from doing justice to his subject. The work is divided into fifteen chapters, and is accompanied with an appendix, containing seven dissertations.

BENTLEY, RICHARD, Regius Professor of Divinity, and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge; a

very eminent critic; was born 1661; died 1742.Remarks upon a Late Discourse of Free-Thinking, in a Letter to F.H.D.D. by Phileleutherus Lipsiensis. 1713, 1717, 1731, 8vo. Best edit. Camb. 1743, 8vo.

This work of Bentley, which consists of two parts, was first printed the same year with Collins's Discourse, to which it was designed as a reply; and it has frequently been reprinted. It has been translated into several of the foreign languages, and should be studied by every man who is desirous of forming just notions of biblical criticism. His observations on the various readings of the New Testament are especially worthy of atten

tion.

-Proposals for Printing a new Edition of the Greek Testament. 1721, 4to.-An Inquiry into the Authority of the Primitive Complutensian Edition of the New Testament. 1722, 8vo.

Bentley was esteemed the glory of classical criticism while he lived, and, according to Bishop Marsh, "was the most acute critic, not only of this nation, but of all Europe." His edition of the New Testament was never published; so that the Scriptures have derived little benefit from his profound erudition and

acuteness.

BENZELIUS, ERIC, a learned Swede, Archbishop of Upsal; born 1675; died 1743.-Sacrorum Evangeliorum Versio Gothica ex Codice Argenteo emendata atque suppleta, cum Interpretatione Latina et Annotationibus E. Ben. etc. Oxon. 1750, 4to.

This splendid edition of the Gothic Gospels is very valuable. It was edited by Edward Lye, who has prefixed to it a Gothic Grammar; besides adding many learned observations. The Gothic version was made in the fourth century, by Ulphilas. The MS. from which the above work was printed is written on vellum in silver, with gold initials. It is supposed to have been

executed in the sixth century, and is preserved as a most precious document in the University of Upsal. It was first printed along with the Anglo-Saxon in 1665. The edition by Benzel is superior to this; but has been excelled in its turn by that published by Zahnat Weissenfels, in 1805, 4to. This has Ihre's Latin version in a parallel column; besides an interlineary Latin version. There is also an excellent historical introduction, critical notes at the foot of the page, and a glossary.

BERLIN, N. M. a Swedish divine.-Psalmi, ex recensione Textus Hebraei et Versionum Antiquarum Latine versi, notisque criticis et philologicis illustrati. Upsal. 1805, 8vo.

"This," says Mr. Horne, "is one of the most useful Latin versions of the Psalms that has appeared in modern times; it is faithfully executed, without being servilely literal. The notes, though brief, are sufficiently explicit, and are designed to explain obscure passages; to elucidate by a short paraphrase, peculiar expressions that could not be rendered in the text by a single word; to point out the principal various readings worthy of note; to state briefly those arguments for the renderings of particular words, concerning which interpreters are by no means agreed, with references to philological works, in which those arguments are more copiously discussed; and to suggest probable meanings to words of doubtful interpretation, which are submitted to the reader's judgment."

BERRIMAN, JOHN, a clergyman of the Church of England; born 1688, died 1750.-A Critical Dissertation upon 1 Tim. iii. 16; with an account of above one hundred MSS. of Paul's Epistles, and rules to distinguish the various readings, &c. 1741, 8vo.

This dissertation is the substance of a Lady Moyer Lecture. It is a defence of the received reading sòs, in opposition to os, the relative pronoun, which is the reading of the most ancient MSS. and also of the chief of the ancient versions-the Syriac, the Vulgate, the Coptic, the Sahidic, the Ethiopic, &c. Griesbach has accordingly rejected sòs from the text.

BERRINGTON-BERTRAM-BEVAN-BEZA.

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BERRINGTON, SIMON, a Roman Catholic writer; who died in 1758.-Dissertations on the Mosaical Creation, Deluge, Building of Babel and Confusion of Tongues. 1750, 8vo.

In these dissertations, the author combats Infidels and Hutchinsonians, La Pluche and Woodward, and Sir Isaac Newton, and many others. He discovers a good deal of reading, and a great respect for revelation; but advances many things that are absurd in philosophy and weak in religion.

BERTRAM, BON. CORNELIUS, one of the Ministers of Geneva, and Professor of Hebrew there; born in Poitou, 1531; died 1594.-Lucubrationes Franktallenses; sive specimen expositionum in difficultiora utriusque Testamenti loca. Spirae, 1588. Heidelberg. 1607. Cura Hackspan. Altorf. 1645. They are also printed in the sixth vol. of the Critica Sacra, Lond. 1660. The substance of them is given by Poole in the Synopsis. Some of his critical remarks are good; but the book is now scarce. Bertram wrote also a work "De Republica Hebraeorum," Gen. 1580; which was afterwards edited with notes by Constantine l'Empereur. Lugd. Bat. 1641.

BEVAN, JOSEPH GURNEY, a member of the Society of Friends.-The Life of the Apostle Paul, as related in the Scriptures; with Select Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Relating to Persons and Places. 1807, 8vo.

This work does credit to the talents and piety of the writer; and is interesting, as affording some explanation of the theological sentiments of the Quakers.

BEZA, THEODORE, one of the Geneva Reformers, and among the most learned men of his age; born 1519; died 1605.-Novum Testamentum, cujus Graeco contextui respondent interpretationes