BAXTERIANS is the term that was formerly applied to those who adhered to Bax ter's theological system, the peculiar doctrines of which were: 1st, That though Christ died in a special sense for the elect, yet he also died in a general sense for all; 2d, The rejection of the dogma of rebrobation; 3d, That it is possible even for saints to fall away from saving grace. The tendency of Baxter's views was towards a more liberal theology, but they are deficient in logical consistency. Nevertheless, they have been, and still are, embraced by many pious people—especially among the dissenters—who shrink from accepting what they consider the hard conclusions of Calvinism, or the lati tudinarian views of Arminianism. The two most eminent B. are Dr. Isaac Watts and Dr. Philip Doddridge.
BAY (from a Saxon root, "to bend ") is properly applied to an indentation of the sea into the land, with an opening wider than the depth. A gulf is understood to be deeper than a bay. and has often a narrow opening. These terms are often loosely applied; Baffin's bay, e.g., is really a gulf. When the body of water is large, and the entrance narrow, it becomes a shut sea, as the Baltic, the Red sea. etc. Hudson's bay, the Per sian gulf, and the gulf of Mexico might with propriety be termed seas.
BAY, a name given to a number of trees and shrubs more or less resembling the lau rel or victor's laurel (laurus nobilis), which is also called SWEET BAY (see LAUREL); the name baye, which was once exclusively applied to the fruit, having been extended to the whole plant. The common laurel or cherry laurel (prunus laurocerasus) is sometimes called BAY LAUREL. See LAUREL.—The RED BAY of the Southern states of America is laurits caroliniensis. See LAUREL.—The WHITE BAY of America is magnolia glauca (see MAGNOLIA), and the LOBLOLLY BAY of the same country is gordonia lasianthus. See
GORDONIA.
From early times, bay-leaves have been associated with popular superstitions and usages. Along with other evergreens, they have adorned houses and churches at Christ mas; and in token of rejoicing or of some meritorious deed, sprigs of bay, as well as of laurel, have been worn in the hat, or wreathed around the head. There appears to have been a notion that the B. was an antidote against the effects of thunder, In an old play, The 1Vhite Deed, Cornelia says: ' Reach the bays: Ill tie a garland here about his head, 'Twill keep my boy from lightning." According to Shakespeare, the withering of bay-trees was reckoned an omen of death. Thus Richard says: " 'Tis thought the king Is dead; we'll not stay. The bay-trees in our country are withered." The following passage occurs in Parkinson's Garden of Flowers, 1629, p. 598: " The bay leaves are necessary both for evil uses and for physic, both for the sick and for the sound, both for the living and the dead. It serveth to adorn the house of God, as well as man; to crowne or enriche, as with a garland, the heads of the living; and to strike and decke forth the bodies of the dead; so that from the cradle to the grave, we have still use of it, we have still need of it." For other notices of this kind respecting the B., we refer to Brand's Popular Antiquities, also to lione's Year Book. Bay-leaves are some times used in cookery for the sake of flavoring.
BAY, a co. in n.e. Michigan on Saginaw bay; intersected by Saginaw river and a branch of the Michigan Central railroad; 750 sq.m.; pop. '74, 24,832. There is little of agriculture, lumber being the main article of trade. Co. scat, Bay City.