BEYSCHLAG

beyschlag, willibald (1823-1900), german protestant divine, was born at frankfort-on-main on the 5th of september 1823. he studied theology at bonn and berlin (1840-1844), and in 1856 was appointed court-preacher at karlsruhe. in 1860, he moved to halle as professor ordinarius of practical theology. a theologian of the mediating school, he became leader of the _mittelpartei_, and with albrecht wolters founded as its organ the _deutschevangelische blatter_. as a representative of this party, he took a prominent part in the general synods of 1875 and 1879. his championship of the rights of the laity and his belief in the autonomy of the church led him to advocate the separation of church and state. he died at halle on the 25th of november 1900. among his numerous works are _die christologie des neuen testaments_ (1866), _der altkatholicismus_ (three editions, 1882-1883), _leben jesu_ (2 vols., 1885; 3rd ed., 1893), _neutestamentliche theologie_ (2 vols., 1891-1892; 2nd ed., 1896), _christenlehre auf grund des kleinen luth. katechismus_ (1900), and an autobiography _aus meinem leben_ (2 parts, 1896-1898). see p. schaff, _living divines_ (1887); lichtenberger, _hist. germ. theol._ (1889); calwer-zeller, _kirchenlexikon_. beza (de besze), theodore (1519-1605), french theologian, son of _bailli_ pierre de besze, was born at vezelai, burgundy, on the 24th of june 1519. of good descent, his parents were known for generous piety. he owed his education to an uncle, nicolas de besze, counsellor of the paris parlement, who placed him (1529) under melchior wolmar at orleans, and later at bourges. wolmar, who had taught greek to calvin, grounded beza in scripture from a protestant standpoint; after his return to germany (1534) beza studied law at orleans (may 1535 to august 1539), beginning practice in paris (1539) as law licentiate. to this period belong his exercises in latin verse, in the loose taste of the day, foolishly published by him as _juvenilia_ in 1548. though not in orders, he held two benefices. a severe illness wrought a change; he married his mistress, claude desnoz, and joined the church of calvin at geneva (october 1548). in november 1549 he was appointed greek professor at lausanne, where he acted as calvin's adjutant in various publications, including his defence of the burning of servetus, _de haereticis a civili magistratu puniendis_ (1554). in 1558 he became professor in the geneva academy, where his career was brilliant. his conspicuous ability was shown in the abortive colloquy of poissy (1561). on calvin's death (1564) he became his biographer and administrative successor. as a historian, beza, by his chronological inexactitude, has been the source of serious mistakes; as an administrator, he softened the rigour of calvin. his editions and latin versions of the new testament had a marked influence on the english versions of geneva (1557 and 1560) and london (1611). the famous codex d. was presented by him (1581) to cambridge university, with a characteristically dubious account of the history of the manuscript. his works are very numerous, but of little moment, except those already mentioned. he resigned his offices in 1600, and died on the 13th of october 1605. he had taken a second wife (1588), catherine del piano, a widow, but left no issue. he was not the author of the _histoire ecclesiastique_ (1580), sometimes ascribed to him; nor, probably, of the vulgar skit published under the name of benedict panavantius (1551). see laingaeus, _de vita et moribus_ (1585, calumnious); antoine la faye, _de vita et obitu_ (1606, eulogistic); schlosser, _leben_ (1806); baum, _th. beza_, portrait (1843-1851); heppe, _leben_ (1861). (a. go.*) bezant or byzant (from byzantium, the modern constantinople), originally a byzantine gold coin which had a wide circulation throughout europe up to about 1250. its average value was about nine shillings. bezants were also issued in flanders and spain. silver bezants, in value from one to two shillings, were in circulation in england in the 13th and 14th centuries. in wycliffe's translation of the bible he uses the word for a "talent" (e.g. in luke xv. 8). in heraldry, bezants are represented by gold circles on the shield, and were introduced by the crusaders.