BEYSCHLAG, WILLIBILD (1823 1900). A German Protestant theologian. He was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and studied theology at Bonn and Berlin from 1840 to 1844. In ISM he became Court preacher at Karls ruhe, and in 180 was called to the chair of practical theology at Halle. With Wolters he founded the Deutscherangelischc Matter, and in ISSG he was a prominent organizer of the so called Evangelical Alliance, for the safeguard ing of German Protestant interests. His works include: Ch•istologie des. C 14 rn Testaments (1806) ; Der Altkatholizismus (1552) ; Lcbcn Jesu (1885) ; Yeutcstamentliehe Theologie ( 1891 92) ; us meincm Leben (189(1-98); Melanchthon and vein Antra an der deutschen Reformation (1897) : and Christenlehre auf Grund des lad nen luthcranischen Katechismus (1900).
BE'ZA (properly DE /3EZE), THEODORE (1519 1605). Next to Calvin the most energetic and influential of the Genevese reformers. He was horn of a noble family at Wzelay, in Bur gundy, June 24, 1519. He received an admir able education in Orleans and Bourges (1528' 35), from Melchior \Volmar, a German, who was especially learned in the Greek language, and also imbued with the principles of the Reformation, which he communicated to his pupil. In 15:35 he went back to Orleans to study law, studied hard. and obtained his de gree as licentiate of civil law. Ile then went to live in Paris, where he appears to have spent several years in a kind of fashionable dissipa tion, though he does not accuse himself of any gross profligacy. Beza possessed a handsome fig ure, which, together with his fine talents and good birth, opened to him the most brilliant prospects. :11though not a priest, he pocketed the revenues of two benefices, while his income was largely increased by the death of an elder brother. 11e abandoned the law and took up literature, and distimmished himself as a wit, a scholar, and a poet. In 1548 he published Ju venilia, a volume of poems, which gave him high rank among the Latin poets of hisday. Only malice and ignorance could twist them into even occasional indecencies; but they were, by the ene mies of the Reformation, persistently vilified after their author had become a Protestant leader. Beza himself, in after-life, regretted having published frivolous verses, because he had come to see no value in anything which was not distinctly religious., It was the desire of his relatives that he should enter the Church; but a private marriage which Beza had contracted in 1544 rendered this impossible. severe illness attacked him in 151S, during the lapse of which the folly and sinfulness of his career vividly presented them selves to his conscience; he repented, and on his recovery, in order to avoid the perils and perplexities of his position, he went to Geneva, along with his wife. October, 1548. In 1549 he was appointed Greek professor at Lausanne, an office which lie held for ten years. In 1550 he pub lished with success a drama entitled The Sacri fice of Abraham, and delivered lectures on the Epistle to the Romans and the Epistles of Peter to crowded audiences. Out of those lectures ulti mately sprang his translation of the New Testa ment into Latin. In 1559 lie went to Geneva, where lie became Calvin's ablest coadjutor, and was appointed a theological professor and presi dent of the college. lle had already signalized himself by his work De IlaTctieis a gistratu Puniendis, in Whieh, like many other good but mistaken men, lie approved of the burn ing of Servetus. His diplomatic tact was very
pronounced. He induced the King of Navarre to exert his influence on behalf of the persecuted French Protestants, and was persuaded by the latter to attend the conference of Catholic and Protestant divines held at Poissy in 1561. Here his courage, presence of mind, and dexterity made a very favorable impression on the French Court. Catharine de' Medici entertained so high an opinion of his abilities that she desired him to remain in France. 'While in Paris, he often preached before the King of Navarre and Condo. On the outbreak of the Civil War (1562), he accompanied the latter as a kind of military chaplain, and after his capture attached himself to Coligny. In 1563 lie once more returned to Geneva. In the following year Calvin died. and the care of the Genevese Church now fell princi pally upon Beza's shoulders. He presided over the synods of French reformers held at La Rochelle in 1571 and at Nimes in 1572. In 1574 he was deputed by Cond(: to transact important business at the Court of the Palatinate: and in 1586 measured himself with the Wurttemberg divines, especially Jacob Andre:A. at the religions confer ence held at Montbdiard. In 1555 his first wife died, and, although verging on seventy, he mar ried again the next year, a eircumstance which his enemies, the Jesuits, tried to turn against him, but Beza, who still retained complete mas tery over his faculties, retorted with his accus tomed liveliness and skill. his first wife was Claudine Dena:se. a burgher's daughter: his sec ond was Catherine del Piano, the widow of a Gen evese. Ile had no children by either wife, but he adopted the niece of the first. Genevieve Denosse, and the granddaughter of the second. In 1597 his calumniators spread the report that Beza was dead, and at the last hour had returned to the Inisinn of the Church. The witty patriarch re plied in an epigram full of sparkling vigor. lle died October 13, 1605, at the age of eighty-six.
Beza was thoroughly grounded in the princi ples of his master. Calvin, in whose spirit he vigorously ruled the Genevan Church for forty years, exercising the influence of a patriarch. o secure its unity, strength, and permanence, he spared no pains, sacrificing even his personal possessions. By his abundant learning, his per severing zeal, his acute intellect, his great elo quence, and his impressive character, he pOrt nt to Church, 1 IC was the born gentleman among the Reformers, and so was often closes to represent the French formed Church in dealing with royalty and aristocracy. His numerous theological writings, however, cannot be said to have proved attractive to posterity. They have almost ceased to be read. The works by which he is best known are his translation of the New Testament into Latin (15561; his editions of the Greek New Testa ment (1565), largely based upon that of Robert Stephens (1550), and his biography of John Calvin, which was the first written. He presented the University of Cambridge with the uncial New Testament MS. known as "Codex Bezx." His collected works bear the title Tractationes The ologicce (Geneva, 15S2, 2 vols.). He was editor of Histoire ecclesiastique des jglises refortnees au royaume de France (best ed. Baum and C'unitz. Paris, 1883-S9. 3 vole.). For his biog raphy, consult H. M. Baird (New York, 1899).