Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BISCAY- BISHOP. 115
a dialect of tile Celtic, and nearly allied according to the apostolic idea of the
to the Armorican. (See Basques.) —B. office, chosen by the congregations, were
forms a kind of separate state, distinct the assistants and successors of the aposfrom the rest of Spain, governed accord- ties in their labors for the propagation of
ing to its ancient laws and usages. The Christianity. They had the supervision
king of Spain, who is simply styled lord of the whole congregation, and its officers.
of Biscay, has no right to impose taxes; the presbyters and deacons, but withouc
and no custom-houses were allowed, till claiming, in the first century, any preernlately, within the province. inence or rights of diocesans, which they
Biscay Proper is bounded N. by the afterwards acquired, as the church-govbay of Biscay, E. by Guipuscoa, S. by ernment was gradually established. When
Alava, and W. by Santander. The coast the system of ecclesiastical rule was mais inhabited by seafaring people and fish- tured, the almost absolute authority which
ermen; in the interior, great quantities they exercised over the clergy of their
of iron are extracted from the ore, and dioceses; their interference in the secular
wrought into different articles. The rich- concerns of governments, to which they
est mines are in the vicinity of Bilboa and soon rendered themselves necessary, by
Somorrosto. their superior information and their eleBiscay, bay of; that part of the Atlantic vated rank; the administration of the
which lies N. of the province of Biscay, church-revenues; the maintenance of their
between the projecting coasts of France ecclesiastical prerogatives, and their exand Spain, extending from Ushant to cape tensive ecclesiastical as well as criminal
Finisterre. jurisdiction, occupied them too much to
Biscay, bay of; a large bay on the south leave them any time or inclination for the
coast of Newfoundland, between cape discharge of their duties as teachers and
Race and cape Pine; lon. 53~ 6' W.; lat. spiritual fathers. They therefore reserv46~ 50' N. ed to themselves only the most important
Biscay, New, or Durango; a province functions of their spiritual office, as the
in Mexico, bounded N. by New Mexico, ordination of the clergy, the confirmation
E. by New Leon, S. by Zacatecas, and of youth, and the preparation of the holy
VW. by Culiacan; 600 miles long, and 400 oil. In the middle ages, they attached to
broad; pop. 159,000. The country is, in themselves particular vicars, called suffrageneral, mountainous, and watered by a gans, bishops in partibus, or coadjutors,
great number of rivers and brooks: it has for the performance even of these funcsome mines of silver and lead. Durango tions, which they had reserved to themis the capital. selves, and for the inspection of all that
BiSCHOFSwVER ER, John Rudolph von, concerned the church. Bishops who have
a Prussian general and minister, born in preached themselves, and attended to the
Saxony, in 1756, entered the university of spiritual welfare of their congregations,
IHalle, was admitted into the Prussian have been rare since the seventh century.
service in 1760, and appointed major in The episcopal office being such as we
1779. Under Frederic William II, he have described it, the nobility, and even
exercised an unlimited influence at the the sons of princes and kings; strove to
court of Berlin. The attachment which obtain a dignity which was as honorable
he had shown Frederic William, while as it was profitable; and which, moreover,
yet crown-prince, procured him the lasting permitted festivals and sensual enjoyments
affection of this short-sighted and prodi- of every description. These applications,
gal monarch. As plenipotentiary, he took which were aided by rich donations made
a great part in the congress at Sistova. to the churches, and, in the case of the
He afterwards effected the interview with German bishops, by the influence of
lord Elgin, at Pilnitz. After the king's the emperor, gave to the bishops of
death, he was dismissed, and died at his Germany, particularly, a high degree of
country-seat, in the neighborhood of Ber- dignity. The German bishops became
lin, 1803. His views, as a statesman and princes of the empire, and their influence
a man, were very limited. His propensity upon all public affairs was important. The
to mysticism had consequences in the reformation, however, lessened their numhighest degree injurious. B. belonged to ber, and although, in some of the Protestthe society of the Illuminati. ant countries of the north of Europe, the
BiSHOP, in the New Testament, is the higher clergy have retained the title of
instructer and spiritual superior of a Chris- bishop, yet they have lost the greater part
tian congregation. The bishops who were of their former revenues and privileges.
installed by the apostles themselves, or, The Swedish bishops constitute one of