Hale, with the view of 'relaxing the terms of conformity to the established church.' The project was revived in 1674 by Tillotson and Stillingfleet, and settled by them to the satisfaction of the leading nonconformists, but again was defeated, and unsupported by Beveridge. So with William III's scheme of a synod of divines. Tillotson was prompted by Beveridge's attitude to these reforms to address to him the words: 'Doctor, doctor, charity is better than rubrics.' Beveridge spoke vehemently against the Act of Union between England and Scotland, on the ground that the presbyterianism of Scotland would endanger the national church of England.
In 1691 Beveridge was selected to fill the see of Bath and Wells vacated by the deposition of Ken, who with other bishops refused to take the oath of allegiance to King William and Queen Mary. He took three weeks to consider, and at first accepted the preferment, but he ultimately declined it. It was the pressure brought to bear upon him by the Jacobites that caused him to take this final decision, and he appears to have repented of it when too late. His refusal gave great offence at court (Kennett, Eng. iii. 634; D'Oyly, Life of Sancroft, i. 463), and he was roughly dealt with in the pamphlet: 'A Vindication of their Majesties' Authority to fill the Sees of the Deprived Bishops. In a Letter out of the Country, occasioned by Dr. B——'s refusal of the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells,' 1691.
Beveridge had reached a good old age before he wore the mitre. It was not until 1704 that he was again invited to become a bishop. He was installed bishop of St. Asaph on 16 July 1704. His new dignity left the man unchanged. He addressed a pathetic letter to his clergy on catechising, and prepared a kind of text-book for it. On 5 Nov. 1704 he preached before the House of Lords on the gunpowder treason, and again on the martyrdom of Charles I. In his place in the house he opposed the union with Scotland (Burnet). His last public appearance was on 20 Jan. 1707-8. He died in apartments in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey on 5 March 1707-8. He left 100l. to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, he gave his books to found a library at St. Paul's, and gave the vicarage of Barrow to St. John's. His wife was sister to William Stanley, of Hinckley, Leicestershire. They had no issue. After his death his executor published (1) 'Private Thoughts upon Religion,' 1709; (2) 'Private Thoughts upon a Christian Life,' 1709; (3) 'The Great Necessity ... of Public Prayer and Frequent Communion,' 1710; (4) 'Defence of the Book of Psalms (preferring Steinhold and Hopkins to Tate and Brady),' 1710; (5) 'Exposition of the 39 Articles,' 1710; (6) 'Thesaurus Theologicus,' 1711. There have been two modern collected editions of the works of Beveridge: (a) by the Rev. T. Hartwell Home, 9 vols, 8vo, 1824; (b) in the 'Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology,' 12 vols. 8vo, 1842-6. Neither is complete nor critically careful. The largest proportion consists of sermons—chiefly of a poor type. Their authorship explains their translation into German by Engleschall (1732) and others. The later edition gives a much more accurate text than any previous of his 'Ecclesia Anglicana Ecclesia Catholica; or the Doctrine of the Church of England' (1846), from the original manuscript. His posthumously published 'Private Thoughts' alone continues to be read. Dr. Whitby (Short View of Dr. Beveridge's Writings, 1711) said severely of him: 'He delights in jingle and quibbling, affects a tune and rhyme in all he says, and rests arguments upon nothing but words and sounds.'
[Life, by Home, also in Anglo-Cath. edition of Theological Works; Biog. Brit.; Burnet's Own Times; Le Neve's Fasti; Patres Apost. of Cotelerius; Baker's Hist. of St. John's, 703-5; Ayscough's Catal.; Add. MSS. 4724, 11, and 4275; Rawlinson MSS. fol. 9, ii. 176.]
BEVERLEY, CHARLES JAMES (1788–1868), naturalist, the son of a soldier, was born in August 1788 at Fort Augustus in the highlands of Scotland, where his father's regiment was then quartered. Of his early education we have no trustworthy information, beyond the fact of his having been apprenticed to a surgeon, and having entered the navy as assistant surgeon in 1810. Beverley was employed in that capacity during four years on the Baltic and Mediterranean stations, but chiefly on the latter. He was frequently sent in boats on cutting-out expeditions, and was present at the capture of Porto d'Anzo in 1813. He displayed much bravery in these expeditions, and exhibited at all times considerable mental activity. He was placed on Lord Exmouth's list for promotion, but, his health failing him, he was sent home from the fleet in charge of the sick and wounded. On recovering he was appointed to H.M.S. Tiber, and served in that ship until 1818, when, upon strong recommendation, he was selected by the admiralty to be assistant surgeon in the Isabella, about to proceed under the command of Sir John Ross to the Polar regions. In 1819-20 he served under Sir Edward Parry in his first
