The Godly Man's Picture

1 A false zeal is a blind zeal, Rom. 10. 2. They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; this is not the fire of the spirit, but wild-fire. The Athenians were very devout ⟨p. 156⟩and zealous, but they knew not for what, Acts 17. 23. I found an Altar with this Inscription, [Greek or Hebrew], To the unknown God, Thus the Papists are zealous in their way, but they have taken away the key of knowledge.

1 A false zeal is a blinde zeal, Rom. 10. 2. They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; this is not the fire of the spirit, but wild-fire. The Athenians were very devout ⟨p. 156⟩and zealous, but they knew not for what, Acts 17. 23. I found an Altar with this Inscription, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, To the unknown God, Thus the Papists are zealous in their way, but they have taken away the key of knowledge.

2 A false zeal is a self-seeking zeal; Jehu cries, come see my zeal for the Lord, 2 King. 10. 16. but it was not zeal, but ambition, he was fishing for a Crown. Demetrius pleads for the Goddess Diana, but it was not her Temple, but her Silver shrines he was zealous for: Such zealots Ignatius complains of in his time, that they made a Trade of Christ and Religion, thereby to enrich^* themselves. 'Tis probable many in King Henry the eights time were forward to pull down the Abbeys, not out of any zeal against Popery, but that they might build their own houses upon the ruins of those Abbeys; like Eagles which fly aloft, but their eyes are down upon their prey: If blind zeal be punished seven fold, hypocritical zeal shall be punished seventy and seven fold.