their defence against Mr. Davenport, page 2, pref. "We heartily desire that as much as may be, all expressions and reflexions may be foreborn, that tend to break the bond of love. Indeed such is our infirmity, that the naked discovery of the fallacy or invalidity of another's allegations or arguings is apt to provoke. This in disputes is unavoidable."

And therefore I am less for a disputing way than ever; believing that it tempteth men to bend their wits, to defend their errors, and oppose the truth, and hindereth usually their information. And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle to all men, &c. therefore I am most in judgment for a learning or a teaching way of converse. In all companies I will be glad, either to hear those speak that can teach me, or to be heard of those that have need to learn.

And that which I named before on the bye, is grown one of my great diseases; I have lost much of that zeal which I had, to propagate any truths to others, save the mere fundamentals. When I perceive people or ministers, which is too common, to think they know what indeed they do not, and to dispute those things which they never thoroughly studied, or expect I should debate the case with them, as if an hour's talk would serve instead of an acute understanding, and seven years' study, I have no zeal to make them of my opinion, but an impatience of continuing discourse with them on such subjects, and am apt to be silent, or turn to something else: which, (though there be some reason for it) I feel cometh from a want of zeal for the truth, and from an impatient temper of mind. I am ready to think that people should quickly understand all in a few words, and if they cannot, lazily to despair of them, and leave them to themselves. And I the more know that it is sinful in me, because it is partly so in other things; even about the faults of my servants or other inferiors, if three or four times' warning do no good on them, I am much tempted to despair of them, and turn them away, and leave them to themselves.

I mention all these distempers, that my faults may be a warning to others to take heed, as they call on myself for repentance and 'watchfulness.-O Lord, for the merits and sacrifice and intercession of Christ, be merciful to me a sinner, and forgive my known and unknown sins!

SIR MATTHEW HALE.

So natural is the union of religion with justice, that we may boldly deem there is neither, where both are not. For how should they be unfeignedly just, whom religion doth not cause to be such, or they religious, which are not found such by the proof of their just actions? If they, which employ their labour and travail about the public administration of justice, follow it only as a trade, with unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gain, being not in heart persuaded that justice is God's own work, and themselves his agents in this business; the sentence of right God's own verdict, and themselves his priests to deliver it,-formalities of justice do but serve to smother right, and that, which was necessarily ordained for the common good, is through shameful abuse made the cause of common misery.

HOOKER.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE following Account is reprinted intire, from The Life and Death of Sir Matthew Hale, Knt. sometime Lord Chief Justice of His Majesties Court of King's Bench; written by Gilbert Burnett, D.D. London, 1682. I have purposely forborne to insert at large the additional Notes to the Life and Death, &c. by Richard Baxter, in a Letter to Mr. Edward Stephens; as being, I think, but of small value; and have contented myself with two or three extracts, in the way of notes.