A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale | Page 6

the fire, brings foorth
zeale that will abide the touch-stone.
[Sidenote: [Greek: kakozêlia].]
The second is erroneous or blinde zeale, not according to knowledge,
Rom. 10. I beare many devout Papists witnesse (though I feare the
learnedst of them be selfe-condemned) that they have this zeale,
perswading themselves they doe God best service, when they please the

Divell most in their will-worship. The same witnesse I beare many
_Seperatists_; though I feare most of them be sicke of
selfe-conceitednesse, newfanglenesse, and desire of mastership: for
who would not suspect such zeale, which condemnes all reformed
Churches, and refuseth communion with such as they themselves
confesse to bee Christians, and consequentely such as have communion
with Christ? It would greeve a man indeede, to see zeale misplaced,
like mettle in a blinde horse; to see men take such paines, and yet fall
into the pit. This made Paul to wish himselfe Anathema, for the sake of
such; and yet the multitude and common people, reason thus; Is it
possible but these men have the right? But alas, how should it bee
otherwise, when a blinde company will follow a blinde sect-master;
This being one property of blinde zeale, a fond admiration and apish
imitation of some person, for some excellency they see in him, which
so dazles their eyes, that they cannot discerne their errours and
infirmities, which they oftner inherit then their vertues; as appeares in
the Lutherans and the Jewes, that would sacrifice their children to
Molech, in imitation of _Abraham_: In these the Divell becomes an
Angell of light, and playeth that Dragon, Revel. 12. powring out flouds
of persecution against the Church, causing devout men and women, to
raise tragedies, breath out threatnings, and persecute without measure;
then these the Divell hath no better soldiers: but when their scales fall
from their eyes, and they come into Gods tents; God hath none like
unto them. The cure of this divinely is forelayd by Christ also, to buy
eye-salve of him; Angells have eyes as well as wings to guide their
flight: when the ship is under saile, and hath the freshest way; it hath
most neede to looke to the sterage, keep the watch, have an eye to the
Compasse and land-marks.
The third kinde is turbulent zeale, called by James bitter zeale, a kinde
of wilde-fire transporting men beyond all bounds and compasse of
moderation; proceeding sometime of a weaknesse of nature in men, that
have no stay of their passion, like to Clockes whose springs are broken,
and Cities whose walls are down. Zeale is a good servant, but an ill
master: mettle is dangerous in a head-strong horse. And so the Poets
(which were the Heathens Prophets) shadowed out the cure of this, in
_Minerva's_ golden bridle, wherewith she menaged her winged

Pegasus. There is too much of this bitter zeale, of this Hierapicra in all
our bookes of controversies: but especially there hath been too much in
our domesticall warrs; some sonns of Bichri have blowen the trumpet
of contention, trumpets of anger; the Churches of God should have no
such custome: Oh that our Churches understood that saying.
[Sidenote: Rom. 14. 10.]
In quarrells of this nature Paul spends his zeale, not in partaking but in
parting the fray, beating downe the weapons on both sides: Who art
thou that judgest? who art thou that condemnest thy brother? as if hee
should say, The matters are not Tanti, wee have made the Divell too
much sport already; who threw in these bones to set us together by the
eares, whilst hee lets in the common Enemy upon us. _Charitie,
Charitie_, is the builder of Churches: Strife about trifles, hath wasted
many famous ones, and placed the temples of Mahomet, where the
golden candle-sticke was wont to stand. Wee pitty the former ages,
contending about leavened and unleavened bread, keeping of Easter,
fasting on Sundayes, &c. The future ages, will do the like for us. Oh
that the Lord would put into the hearts both of the governours & parties
to these quarrells, once to make an end of these Midianitish warrs; that
wee might joyntly powre out the vialls of our zeale upon the throne of
the beast.
Thus have you heard the errors and counterfets of zeale, through whose
sides, and upon the backe of which, divers of the malicious world use
to beat those whom it hates, because their workes are better then their
owne; injuriously concluding, that all Zelots are alike. Thus I have
heard our Marchants complaine, that the set up blewes have made
strangers loath the rich oaded blewes, onely in request; this is an olde
sophisme. True judgement would teach us to conclude, that the best
druggs have their adulterates; the most current coins their slipps; and
that