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

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 vertue which so many hypocrites put on, to grace themselves withall; is surely some rare and excellent jewell.
_The third part._
The true Zelot, whose fervency is in the spirit, not in shew; in substance not in circumstance; for God, not himselfe; guided by the word, not with humours; tempered with charity, not with bitternesse: such a mans praise is of God though not of men: such a mans worth cannot bee set foorth with the tongues of men and Angells.
[Sidenote: Arguments of commendation.]
Oh that I had so much zeale, as to steep it in it owne