It is one of the basest offices of man to make his tongue the lash of the worthy. Even if we do know of faults in others, I think we can scarcely show ourselves more nobly virtuous, than in having the charity to conceal them, so that we do not flatter or encourage them in their failings. But to relate anything we may know against our neighbour, in his absence, is most unbecoming conduct. And who will not condemn him as a traitor to reputation and society, who tells the private fault of his friend to the public and ill-natured world.

When two friends part, they should lock up one another's secrets and exchange their keys. The honest man will rather be a grave to his neighbour's errors than in any way expose them.

WILLIAM CHILLINGWORTH,

WILLIAM CHILLINGWORTH, a polemical divine, and an active partisan of Charles I. during the civil war, is chiefly remembered by his most elaborate work, The Religion of the Protestants a Safe-way to Salvation.

THE RELIGION OF PROTESTANTS

WHEN I say the religion of Protestants is to be preferred before yours, I do not understand the doctrine of Luther, or Calvin, or Melancthon; nor the confession of Augsburg or Geneva, nor the catechism of Heidelberg, nor the articles of the Church of England, no, nor the harmony of Protestant confessions; but that, wherein they all agree, and which they all subscribe with a greater harmony as the perfect rule of their faith and actions—that is, the BIBLE.

The Bible, I say the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants. Whatever else they believe besides it, and the plain irrefragable, indubitable consequences of it, well may they hold as matter of opinion; but as matter of faith and of religion, neither can they with coherence to

their own grounds believe it themselves, nor require the belief of it of others, without most high and most schismatical presumption. I, for my part, after a long, and, as I verily believe and hope, impartial search of the true way to eternal happiness, do profess plainly that I cannot find any rest to the sole of my foot but upon this Rock only. I see plainly, and with my own eyes, that there are popes against popes, councils against councils, some fathers against others, the same fathers against themselves, a consent of fathers of one age against a consent of fathers of another age, the church of one age against the church of another age.

Traditive interpretations of Scripture are pretended, but there are few or none to be found. No tradition but only of Scripture, can derive itself from the fountain, but may plainly be proved either to have been brought in in such an age after Christ, or that in such age it was not in. In a word, there is no sufficient certainty but of Scripture only for any considering man to build on.

This, therefore, and this only, I have reason to believe; this I will profess; according to this I will live; and for this, if there be occasion, I will not only willingly, but even gladly lose my life, though I should be sorry that Christians should take it from me. Propose me anything out of this Book, and require whether I believe it or no, and seem it never so incomprehensible to human reason, I will subscribe it with hand and heart, as knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this-God hath said so; therefore it is true. In other things I will take no man's liberty of judgment from him, neither shall any man take mine from me. I will think no one the worse man nor the worse Christian. I will love no man the less for differing in opinion from me. And what measure I mete to others I expect from them again.

I am fully assured that God does not, and therefore that man ought not, to require any more of any man than this, to believe the Scripture to be God's Word; to endeavour to find the true sense of it, and to live according to it, This is the religion which I have chosen after

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a long deliberation; and I am verily persuaded that I have chosen wisely, much more wisely than if I had guided myself according to your church's authority.

JEREMY TAYLOR.

JEREMY TAYLOR was born at Cambridge, A.D. 1613, was appointed immediately after the Restoration Bishop of Down in Ireland, where he died in 1667. He was one of the most prolific as well as discursive of writers, the most notable of his productions being Liberty of Prophesying, Holy Living and Dying, Life of Christ, etc.

PRAYER.

I KNOW not which is the greater wonder, either that prayer which is a duty so easy and facile, so ready and apted to the powers, and skill, and opportunities of every man, should have so great effects and be productive of such mighty blessings; or that we should be so unwilling to use so easy an instrument of procuring so much good. The first declares God's goodness; but this publisheth man's folly and weakness, who finds in himself so much difficulty to perform a condition so easy and full of advantage. But the order of this felicity is knotted like the foldings of a serpent; all those parts of easiness which invite us to do the duty are become like the joints of a bulrush, not bending, but consolidations and stiffenings; the very facility becomes its objection, and in every of its stages we make or find a huge uneasiness.

At first we do not know what to ask; and when we do, we find difficulty to bring our wills to desire it; and when that is instructed and kept in awe, it mingles interest and confounds the purposes; and when it is forced to ask honestly and severely, then it wills so coldly that God hates the prayer; and if it desires fervently, it sometimes turns that into passion, and that passion breaks into murmurs or unquietness; or if that be avoided, the

indifferency cools into death, or the fire burns violently and is quickly spent; our desires are dull as a rock, or fugitive as lightning; either we ask all things earnestly, or good things remissly; we either court our own danger, or are not zealous for our real safety; or if we be right in the matter, or earnest in our affections, and lasting in our abode, yet we miss in the manner; and either we ask for evil ends, or without religious and awful apprehensions, or we rest on the words and signification of the prayer, and never take care to pass on to action; or else we sacrifice in the company of Korah, being partners of a schism or a rebellion in religion; or we bring unhallowed censers, our hearts send up to God an unholy smoke, a cloud from the fires of lust, and the flames of lust or rage or wine or revenge kindle the heart that is laid upon the altar; or we bring swine's flesh or a dog's neck; whereas God never accepts or delights in a prayer, unless it be for a holy thing, to a lawful end, presented unto Him upon the wings of zeal and love, of religious sorrow or religious joy, by sanctified lips, and pure hands, and a sincere heart. It must be the prayer of a gracious man; and he is only gracious before God, and acceptable and effective in his prayer, whose life is holy, and whose prayer is holy; for both these are necessary ingredients to the constitution of a prevailing prayer; there is a holiness peculiar to the man, and a holiness peculiar to the prayer, that must adorn the prayer before it can be united to the intercession of our Lord Jesus, in which union alone our prayers can be prevailing.

The first thing that hinders the prayer of a good man from obtaining its effects is a violent anger, and a violent storm in the spirit of him that prays. For anger sets the house on fire, and all the spirits are busy upon trouble, and intend propulsion, defence, displeasure, or revenge; it is a short madness and an eternal enemy to discourse and sober counsels and fair conversation; it intends its own object with all the earnestness of perception and activity of design, and a quicker motion of a too warm distempered blood; it is a fever in the heart, and

a long deliberation; and I am verily persuaded that I have chosen wisely, much more wisely than if I had guided myself according to your church's authority.

JEREMY TAYLOR.

JEREMY TAYLOR was born at Cambridge, A.D. 1613, was appointed immediately after the Restoration Bishop of Down in Ireland, where he died in 1667. He was one of the most prolific as well as discursive of writers, the most notable of his productions being Liberty of Prophesying, Holy Living and Dying, Life of Christ, etc.

PRAYER.

I KNOW not which is the greater wonder, either that prayer which is a duty so easy and facile, so ready and apted to the powers, and skill, and opportunities of every man, should have so great effects and be productive of such mighty blessings; or that we should be so unwilling to use so easy an instrument of procuring so much good. The first declares God's goodness; but this publisheth man's folly and weakness, who finds in himself so much difficulty to perform a condition so easy and full of advantage. But the order of this felicity is knotted like the foldings of a serpent; all those parts of easiness which invite us to do the duty a like joints of a bulrush, not