BAL'NAVES. IIEsar, of Halhill, an eminent lay-reformer of the 16th century. Born at Kirkcaldy in Fifeshiro of poor parents, who, however, contrived to give him a univer sity education at St. Andrews, he went to the continent, and entered a free school at Cologne, where lie greatly improved his scholarship, and received instruction in the principles of the new faith which Luther had just promulgated. On his return to Scotland, lie studied law, and acted for some time as a procurator at St. .Andrews. In 1538, James V. made him a senator of the college of justice; and on Arran being appointed to the regency, B. was made secretary of state. In 1543, lie was imprisoned on account of his Protestantism, lint appears to have been liberated in the following year. Ile now appears to have made himself active on the Protestant side; and it is asserted that he was privy to the conspiracy formed for the murder of cardinal Beaton, and that he acted for the conspirators at the English court. In 1547, he took refuge in the castle of St. Andrews, and was declared a traitor and excommunicated. When the
castle was captured by the French, B., with Knox and others, were sent to Rouen as_pris oners of war. While in prison here, 13. wrote a treatise on justification, to which Knox added marginal notes, and prefixed a dedication. and which was afterwards published with the title of The Confession of Faith. When Mary of Guise was raised to the regency in 1554, B.'s forfeiture was rescinded, and be returned to Scotland, and took an active part on the side of the lords of the congregation, by whom he was appointed one of the commissioners who settled the treaty of llerwick in 1559-60. which established bylaw the reformed religion in Scotland. In 1563, B. was nominated a commissioner to revise Tile Book of Nacipline. Ile afterwards acted for the regent Murray in the inquiry lobo the charges against Mary for the murder of Darnley. He d. in 1579; one account says 1570. Both Knox and 'Melville had a high opinion of him alike for his piety, wisdom, and learniug. •