§. 2. And yet if Judgement be not your Guide, the most zealous affections will but precipitate you;1 and make you run, though quite out of the way, like the Horses when they have cast the Coachman, or the Riders. To ride Post when you are quite out of the way, is but laboriously to lose your time, and to prepare for further labour. The Jews that persecuted Christ and his Apostles, had the testimony of Paul himself, that they had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. And Paul saith of the deceivers and troublers of the Galatians (whom he wisheth even cut off) that they did zealously affect them, but not well. Rom. 10. 2. Gal. 4. 17. And he saith of himself, while he persecuted Christians to prison and to death, [I was zealous towards God, as ye are all this day] Acts 22. 3, 4. Was not the Papists Saint Dominick that stirred up the persecution against the Christians in France and Savoy, to the murdering of many thousands of them, a very zealous man? And are not the Butchers of the inquisition zealous men? And were not the Authors of the third Canon of the General Council at the Lateran under Pope Innocent the third, very zealous men, that decreed that the Pope should depose Temporal Lords, and give away their Dominions, and absolve their Subjects, if they would not exterminate the godly, called Heretics? Were not the Papists Powder-Plotters zealous men? Hath not zeal caused many of later times, to rise up against their lawful Governors? and many to persecute the Church of God, and deprive the people of their faithful Pastors, without compassion on the peoples souls? Doth not Christ say of such Zealots, The time cometh, when whosoever killeth you, will ⟨p. 39⟩think he doth God service? John 16. 2. (or offereth a service (acceptable) to God.) Therefore Paul saith, It is good to be zealously affected always in a good matter, Gal. 4. 18. Showing you that zeal indeed is good, if sound judgement be its guide. Your first question must be, Whether you are in the right way? and your second, Whether you go apace? It is sad to observe what odious actions are committed in all Ages of the world, by the instigation of mis-guided zeal?
§. 2. And yet if Iudgement be not your Guide, the most zealous affections will but precipitate you;1 and make you run, though quite out of the way, like the Horses when they have cast the Coachman, or the Riders. To ride Post when you are quite out of the way, is but laboriously to lose your time, and to prepare for further labour. The Jews that persecuted Christ and his Apostles, had the testimony of Paul himself, that they had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. And Paul saith of the deceivers and troublers of the Galathians (whom he wisheth even cut off) that they did zealously affect them, but not well. Rom. 10. 2. Gal. 4. 17. And he saith of himself, while he persecuted Christians to prison and to death, [I was zealous towards God, as ye are all this day] Acts 22. 3, 4. Was not the Papists Saint Dominick that stirred up the persecution against the Christians in France and Savoy, to the murdering of many thousands of them, a very zealous man? And are not the Butchers of the inquisition zealous men? And were not the Authors of the third Canon of the General Council at the Laterane under Pope Innocent the third, very zealous men, that decreed that the Pope should depose Temporal Lords, and give away their Dominions, and absolve their Subjects, if they would not exterminate the godly, called Hereticks? Were not the Papists Powder-Plotters zealous men? Hath not zeal caused many of later times, to rise up against their lawful Governours? and many to persecute the Church of God, and depriue the people of their faithful Pastors, without compassion on the peoples souls? Doth not Christ say of such Zealots, The time cometh, when whosoever killeth you, will ⟨p. 39⟩think he doth God service? John 16. 2. (or offereth a service (acceptable) to God.) Therefore Paul saith, It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter, Gal. 4. 18. Shewing you that zeal indeed is good, if sound judgement be its guide. Your first question must be, Whether you are in the right way? and your second, Whether you go apace? It is sad to observe what odious actions are committed in all Ages of the world, by the instigation of mis-guided zeal?
- 1Scienti• quae est […]ota à just[…], ca••idita• po••us quam sapientia […] est. •. […] ▪ Of the necessity of Prudence in Religious men, •ead […]. The unprudenci•s of wel•-meaning men, have done as much hurt to the Church sometime•, as the persecution of enemies. e. g. When Constantine the Son of Constans was Emperor, some busy men would prove from the Orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity, That his two Brethren, Tibtrius, and Heraclius should reign with him: saying, Si i• Trinitate cre•i••is, •res etiam […] which cost the chief of them a hanging▪ Abbas Urspergens. Edit. Melancth. p. 162.Scienti• quae est 〈…〉ota à just〈…〉, ca••idita• po••us quam sapientia 〈…〉 est. •. 〈…〉 ▪ Of the necessity of P•udence in Religious men, •ead 〈…〉. The unprudenci•s of wel•-meaning men, have done as much hurt to the Church sometime•, as the persecution of enemies. e. g. When Co•stantine the Son of Constans was Emperour, some busie men would prove from the Orthodo• Doctrine of the Trinity, That his two Brethren, Tibtrius, and Heraclius should reign with him: saying, Si i Trinitate creiis, res etiam which cost the chief of them a hanging Abbas Urspergens. Edit. Melancth. p. 162.
