containing all necessarie rules of Faith d Zelus cum in bono accipitur est quidam feruor animi quo mens relicto humano timore pro defensione veritatis accenditur Alcuinus The office of zeale about this is to preserue the honour thereof vntainted from all blemishes of error staines of heresie indignities of Tyrants and Atheists striuing for the faith of the e Phil. 1.27 Gospell Holding fast f T it 1.9 the faithfull word not quarrelling to separation for euery difference in opinion touching points not fundamentall and vndecided In which case no man must be iudged for his doubting g Rom. 14.1 See the marginall note of our last Translators nor may any doubting man iudge others who h Ibid. ver 3 doubt not The fire of zeale must blaze highest in maintenance of capitall truths i Iude ver 3. Earnestly contending for the faith once deliuered vnto the Saints Wise men will defend that part of a Citie most which may occasion most dammage by suffering a breach And zeale will then especially be as one of the Cherubins with a flaming sword to keepe safe the word of Life when the chiefest mysteries are corrupted or questioned Saint Paul when the honour of his Gospell lay at the stake seemeth vnable to expresse the heate he was in marke his vehemency though we saith he or an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospell vnto you k Gal. 1.8 then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed A heauie doome most vehemently denounced And yet not satisfying himselfe in shewing so much zeale as he was able to expresse by one single pronouncing this dreadfull anathematisme he doubles his speech as if the fornace of his heart were now heated with zeale seauen times hotter then it was wont l Ibid. ver 9. As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach vnto you another Gospell then that ye haue receiued let him be accursed Thus in cases of like consequence must we be affected But to be all on fire in defence of questionable truths which if they were yeelded vnto vs could adde nothing to that stocke of graces which accompanie saluation is a thing ill beseeming those diuine flames of holy zeale To what profit are those hot disputes and sharpe contentions about the place assigned for that maze of horror vnto vngodly men the Oecumenicall Assise the Equalitie of glorie the Hierarchie of Angels and many more He that putteth himselfe vpon the office of a Superuisor and Controuler of other mens opinions touching points of this nature may breed vaine ianglings but will edifie but a little These things are of the nature of sauce rather then meate dish them out as curiously as Art can deuise and when all is done they nourish not Marke such as are zealous of spirituall gifts if they seeke not to excell to the vse of edifying you shall be sure to finde them excelling in vanitie And more quarrels arise by one such conceited Doctor then many wise men with all their wisedome shall be able to take vp This is that bloudie knife that cutteth asunder the very sinewes of Christian loue This causeth Professors of the same faith to leade huge armies of sectaries like Pigmies and Cranes one against another so wasting their zeale in defence of trifles that they haue none left to make a wall of fire about points of more moment With what heart can we ioyne against a common enemie when euery little difference is prosecuted with such heate as if it were vnlawfull or at least dangerous to vnite our forces for feare of fiering one anothers tents by encamping together He that can be so hote with his brother for a trifle would certainly exceed the proportion of any cause with an enemie destroying more by intemperance then he is able to build by his zeale Witnesse the bickerings betweene some Lutherans Caluinists as they are by some nick-named which haue giuen RELIGION since the last reformation thereof a greater blow then all the thunderbolts of Rome set together Is it not Nuts to our Romish neighbours to see men belch out such bitter raylings and to put out such tart volumes one against another touching the manner of Christ discension into hell the libertie of the Sabbath the power of Witches the possibilitie of Demoniacall possessions the seate of faith the superioritie of preaching reading and praying In all which and many more the diuisions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart Is it now a time to be diuided among our selues when all our forces vnited are little enough to withstand the common aduersarie Oh when will our eyes be opened to see our hearts be mollified to bewaile the breaches of the enemy vpon vs by such vnbrotherly childish contentions among our selues Ere while wee could see nothing in S. Paul but fire when the foundation of the Gospell began to shake by the vndermining of seducers But in an inferiour point which was but as a Pinacle not of so much necessitie as beautie to set out the Pile he layeth his hand off the bellowes and puts out the fire For being consulted touching Virginitie m 1. Cor. 7. and hauing no particular direction therein from the Lord he sparingly and mildly set downe his iudgement and that by way of friendly aduise onely not of command from the Lord. And as if this were not enough to manifest his moderation he will by no means peremptorily determine the question but giueth euery man libertie therein that is of another mind n Ibid. ver 36 to do what he will These two presidents of the Apostle may suffice to declare what temper our zeale must ascend vnto in defence of the Word Maintaine we must with all our might the Principles of faith But of inferiour doubtful truths we may onely gently discourse what seemes most probable not violently hold them to dissention o 2. Tim. 2.23 c. Schisme no though the grounds of such our opinions seeme neuer so solide Herein it is as honourable to yeeld as to conquer since euerie man must follow the things which p Rom. 14.19 make for peace and wherewith one may edifie another 2. The worship of God 2. Another particular which zeale must fortifie is that Worship of God which the Word prescribeth The second Commandement which interdicts Idolatrie and false worship doth as firmely enioyne zeale for preseruation of that true worship which the Lord doth appoint Therfore the Apostle ioynes Zeale and Worship together requiring that worshippers be zealous q Rom. 12.11 in spirit seruing or worshipping the Lord. It is then a good and comely thing to be zealously affected towards and for the worship of God For this our Lord was so zealous that the zeale of the very house of God did euen euen eate him vp by the house no doubt vnderstanding and meaning Synecdochically the whole Worship r Quis comeditur
with some contrary Hence is it translated to expresse that fierie heate in the seuerall passions of the soule vehemently extended to their seuerall obiects and proiects Such was that burning fire c Ier. 20.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the bones of Ieremie Such that feruencie of spirit d Rom. 12 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Paul exhorted the Romanes vnto And such those coales that Timothie was to blow vp e 2 Tim. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Opposite hereto was that Luke-warme f Reuel 3.16 temper in distempered Laodicea of which she was zealously warned to repent to grow more hot Sect. 2. Sect. 2. Of the vse of the word in Scripture We see the nature of the word behold how it is vsed The Scripture attributes it to God to man First to God to signifie sometimes his iust indignation and direfull vengeance smoaking against sinners and burning g Deut. 32.23 vnto the lowest hell Sometimes the extreame heate of his loue expressed in protecting his Church afflicted Thus himselfe setteth it out by the Prophet Zacharie h Zach. 8.2 I was iealous for Sion with great iealousie and I was iealous for her with great furie that is with a zealous affection for her defence Secondly the Scripture attributes zeale to man and so either in a bad i Aug. de Ciuit. dei lib. 20. cap. 12. sense to denote some euill in him or in a good to signifie some vertue Zeale taken in the bad part is vsed in a fourefold sense First sometimes for enuie and spleene at anothers well-doing or being the disease of those pining and selfe-macerating Priests and Saduces at the Apostles of our Lord. k Act. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in this sence that cankred enuy of the Patriarckes which moued them to that tyrannicall sale of their naturall brother Ioseph in this only faulty because more loued is stiled Zeale 2. l Act 7 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes for Iealousy m Pro. 6.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of some person suspected of doing wrong to a man in something neere vnto him and intimately loued by him 3. Sometimes for a quarrelous contentious disposition n Iam. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that vpon euery trifling occasion breaks out against all that are neere 4. Lastly for counterfeit iealousie o Gal. 4.17 which some seeme to haue of others they pretend great loue vnto and care of for feare they should doe amisse whereas this faire shew is but a shew to hold the others the faster in their nets for the better compassing of their owne sinister ends and to make them more willing to stoop at their Lure Zeale taken in the good sense as it is attributed to Man importeth three things viz. First an emulation to ouertake outgo others in goodnesse without enuying those a man striues to outstrip Such was the zeale of many in Macedonia p 2. Cor. 9.2 vnto liberalitie prouoked thereto by those of Achaya and particularly of Corinth the Metropolitan Citie Secondly Godly iealousie ouer some we loue for feare they should sinne against Christ their husband The affection of Saint Paul for his beloued Corinthians and termed by himselfe in opposition to the bad q 2. Cor. 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godly iealousie Thirdly an extreame heate of all the affections for and towards one we esteeme burning in our loue to him our desire of him our ioy in him our indignation against all that speake or do any thing against the honour and good liking of him thinking nothing too good too deare too much to bestow vpon him whether we make man r 2. Cor. 7.7 Gal. 4.15 Num. 11.28.29 or God ſ Psal 69 9. Ioh. 2.17 himselfe the obiect hereof Sect. 3. Sect. 3. Of the acceptation of zeale in this Treatise These being the chiefe acceptations of zeale that the Scriptures mention among them all I pitch on the last and the definition thereof I thus expresse Zeale Zeale defined is a spirituall fire inflaming all the affections of a Christian for preseruation and aduancement of the glorie of God Zeale considered according to the rules of Art is a Qualitie and such a qualitie as Logicians call an Habite which must be defined by the generall nature Obiect and Endes of it All these are expressed in this definition Spirituall fire is in roome of the Genus and declares the generall nature of it to which I adde by the way for plainnesse sake the subiect and state in which it is viz. all the affections of a Christian Gods glorie is the principall Obiect * Obiectum cui it lookes at the aduancement and preseruation whereof is the highest End it tends vnto First for the Genus or generall nature of it 1. The generall nature of it I tearme it a fire a spirituall fire A fire not a heate onely which is in some degrees found euen in Luke-warmenesse wherein yet coldnesse is the predominant qualitie and this makes it faulty Zeale hath heate as hot as fire therefore so is it called by Ieremie in Analogie to Elementarie or materiall fire And in this respect is it spirituall which in this definition is put in not as intending a specificall difference betweene this and culinarie fires but to shew the subalternate generall nature of it as the word spirituall comprehends all analogicall fires in mans passions which are diuers some lawfull others irregular and vnlawfull some holy others impure There is the fire of lust t Rom. 1.27 and the fire of the tongue u Iam. 3.6 as well the fire of zeale Adde hereunto that zeale is kindled by the Spirit and therefore is it spirituall also Howbeit the spiritualitie of it can be no specificall note to distinguish it from other graces they being all in this respect spirituall This spirituall fire hath for it hearth to burne in Subiectum in quo all the affections and passions of a Christian as they serue or may be of vse for aduancement of the glorie of God Nor doth zeale onely inhabite the affections and worke in them but vpon them too they are not onely the hearth to burne in but fewell to kindle on Thus zeale set all Dauids affections on fire which in his holy poeticall raptures we may see blazing In his loue * Psal 119.97 we may find him transported beyond expression In his desire extreamely thirsting and panting x Psal 42.1 and this heate by an Antiperistasis droping downe teares in such plentie as if he were to make them his meate z Psal 42.3 Yea his griefe proues a Moses rod to smite the rocke of his heart that riuers of water gush out at his eyes a Psal 119.136 And as for his anger that so burned that it consumed him vp b Ibid. ver 139. Nay his zeale did not omit to inflame his very hatred making him
his offence will hardly blame himselfe or thinke hee hath deseru'd t Non enim sibi videtur peccare quaÌ„ do a nullo corripâ—tur Idem it Thirdly the preuenting of greater and more outragious sinnes He that reproues not open faults opens a gapp to more desperate attempts u Chrisost Ibid. vt supra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that when hee may forbids not sinne commands x Senec. Trag. Qui non vetat peccare cum possit iubet it Vpon these grounds the Apostle chargeth and euen coniureth Timothy before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels to obserue among other things this without preiudice or y 1 Tim. 5.11 partiality But it will bee obiected saith z Ibid. vt supra Chrisostome that Christ bids vs to goe and tell our brother betweene him our selues alone Yea but he permits him also to bee rebuked in tho Church a Idem Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too If neede require But is not that a greater scandall to reproue him so openly No surely If the fault be publique It were a greater offence to the beholders that such a sinne should escape away without any blow at all Indulgence to the bad is oppression to the b Bonù nocet quâ— malis parâ—it Senec. Philos Vide â—tia Aquin. 2. 2. quest 33. artic 7. in corpore Good Zeale then is warranted by discretion her selfe to giue reproofes in publique Howbeit that Zeale may make no error in a lawfull thing Discretion requireth a man to consider the dispositions of the Parties offending whether they did offend out of infirmity and by occasion of some sudden tentation or rather out of purpose and setled resolution and accordingly to temper his * Greg. moral lib. 25. ca. 11. Aliud est precipitatione aliud deliberatione peccare Sape enim peccatum prâ—cipitatione commutitur quod tamen concilio deliberatione damnatur Ex infirmitate enim plerumque solet accidere amare bonis sed implere non posse Ex stâ—â—â—to vâ—ro peccare est bonum nec sacere nec amare reproofes If it be a sinne of infirmity the party must bee handled with all compassion If any saith the Apostle c Gal. 6.1 bee ouertaken in a fault yee which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted The same fault may be far worse in one man then in another by reason of their different dispositions * Sicut nonunquam grauius est diligere quaÌ„ perpetraretita nequius est odisse iustitiam quam non fecisse Greg. Ibid. vt supra the one offending of weaknesse the other of malice It is therefore a point of Iustice to temper the reproofe of a weake brother with all lenity and moderation Hee is vnmeete to vndertake a Cure that knowes not to distinguish betweene the anguish of a wound proud flesh growing vp in it To apply corroding Allum or other corrosiues when a soare hath need of healing plaisters may make the orifice bigger and put the patient to greater torture but cannot heale it vp A man shall meete with some poore sinners that will whippe themselues so much I speake not of hypocriticall popish whipping of the body that they need no help vnles to hold their hands powre in oyle There are who will aggrauate their own failings so farre that they rather want a staffe to stay them vp then a club to beate them downe To these a wise Physition will administer Cordials not strong purging medicines Consolations not tart rebukes least they should bee swallowed vp of sorrow and strangled in the bloudy teares which plentifully issue from that inward wound Such as either out of want of iudgement to discerne or bowels of mercy to commiserate the vnwilling falls of weake Christians and that make no difference of offendors are like some furious Stepdame laying on a poore childe as much for falling in the dirt against his will going in her errand as if he purposely should run out of the house when shee forbids him and wilfully wallow in the mire Such vnmercifull and vnnaturall Satyres are fit for no imployment but to whipp mad men in Bedlam or rather they deserue to bee so seru'd themselues Yea many times God lets them fall into as deepe a mire as others vnpitied by them haue done before them And then with what measure they measured to others shall surely be measured to them againe yea good measure pressed downe and shaken together shall men giue into their bosomes Then shall they know the equity of Iudes instruction d Iude. 22. Of some haue compassion making a difference But if on the otherside it shall appeare that the fault proceedeth from * Obstinate offences willingly committed how to be handled a deliberate purpose of one that makes a trade of sinne refractarily breaking downe and trampling vpon all rules bounds of Piety then the rule is rebuke them e Tit. 1.13 sharply Thus Peter dealt with f Act. 8.20 21 â—c Simon Magus And Paul with Elimas and many moe Wisely g Greg. mag 〈◊〉 Paâ—tâ—cur â—i â— admâ—onâ— 8. Aliter admonend saâ—t 〈…〉 dura coâ—p scit iâ—tos autem plerumque ad melius exhortatio modesta compoâ—it illos melius corrigit qui inuehendo reprehendit istos qui ex latere redarguit Gregory Impudent persons must be handled in one manner and such as are more bashful in another Nothing but a seuere thundring reproofe will worke on those but a modest gentle exhortation will bee enough to these Hee best correcteth those that makes inuectiues hee meanes against their sinnes but these hee that mildly and couertly toucheth them vpon the By and aloofe off that so they may rather smell then feele him Thus may a Minister vse the rod as well as the spirit of h 1 Cor 1 2◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ions 〈◊〉 sharp reproofâ—s meeknesse alwaies prouided that in his sharpnes too Cautions bee obserued First euen with the most notorious it is wisedome to beginne mildly that they may see our loue and desire of their reformation and saluation rather then of their shame At first wee must gently warne those that are i 1 Thes 5 1â— vnruly Afterwards if need require wee may proceede to sharpnes according to the power which the Lord hath giuen vs to edification and not to k 2 Cor 13.10 destruction To this effect l Ad Eugen. de consid lib. 3. Qui blando verbo castigatus non corrigitur aâ—rius necessâ— est vt arguatur Cum dolore sint abscindenda quae lâ—citer sâ—nâ—ri non poâ—siâ—â— Bernard Hee that is not reformed with a mild reproofe must be shaken vp more roughly Hee whose wounds will not with gentle lenitiues bee healed must endure the sharpe Launce and causticks with more paine and torture Secondly reproofes of this kinde must bee repeated and iterated although to the