Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bitter_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	25	3	9.4145	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69658	An exhortation to peace and union a sermon preached at St. Lawrence-Jury, at the election of the Lord-Mayor of London, on the 29th of September, 1681 / by Gilbert Burnet ...	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.	1681 (1681)	Wing B5787; ESTC R20821	24,063	40

and the Moralitie of the Lords day almost destroyed us Now as there is no difference at all remaining about the one Divines agreeing as much to press the observation of it as the greater part of the Nation does in profaning it so in the other the mysteriousness of those points being so very much enquired into there have been such moderate methods used in handling them of both sides that there are now no more heats concerning them But alas though some things fall off I do not know how it comes that this Monster shoots out always new heads and there grow up new Subjects for debate and anger and though at present there are no considerable Contests among us about any Doctrinal points yet we are not a whit the nearer an agreement the reason is the alienation of our minds stands or rather grows still and this is of late blown up to such a degree by some venemous Libels and Pamphlets that in the midst of Peace and plenty we seem to be in a posture of War And what will the end of these things be if this fermentation goes on it will burst out at last and upon the first unlucky Crisis it must produce dismal effects It is not so much to be considered what are the grounds of contests in matters of Religion as what is the temper with which they are managed Things of great moment may be managed by men of prudent and calm tempers in so soft a manner that none of their differences shall be able to divide them and the inconsiderablest things possible may by the ill natured sophistry of angry men be raised up to seem matters of the greatest moment For it is but the fastning an ill name or an ill consequence to any opinion that will do it and then since a consequence if rightly inferred is really involved in that upon which it follows it is given out as the sense of a whole party which detests the consequence and would forsake the opinion if they could but be perswaded that it really belonged to it It is in strife as in the letting out of waters a vent to the least measure does dilute and spread Therefore the Wise man advises us to leave off contention before it be medled with It may seem a contradiction to leave it off before it is medled with but we are so early to retire from all contention that as soon as it appears and before we have engaged in it we must break it off For if we are once ingaged humour honour and other peevish or designing men will hold us to it it is best to break it off in time otherwise we shall have reason to cry out often with St. James Behold how great a matter a little fire hath kindled 3. I now go on to the Third particular which is to shew how vain and unreasonable all those pretences are that are made use of to support this hot and bitter temper I shall reduce them to these Four First Zeal for truth Secondly A care to preserve our selves Thirdly Authorities from the Old Testament Fourthly Authorities from the New For the first It is true we ought to be zealously affected in a good thing we ought indeed to be much concerned in every thing that relates to our eternal happiness hereafter and to those means that dispose and lead us to it here But there is also a bitter zeal which is reckoned among the works of the flesh and a zeal without knowledge That zeal which is acceptable to God must be suitable to his nature full of goodness mercy and compassion If it makes us hate defame or persecute our brother we are sure this is not that zeal which will commend us to God In a word true zeal is when out of an inward sense of the goodness of God and of the excellency of Religion we have an earnest concern in our minds that other men may honour and serve him and participate in those joyes which we feel in Religion A little reflection on our selves and our secret thoughts will soon resolve the point whether it is malice and revenge for some injury supposed or real whether it is some secret design and private end that we disguise with the name of zeal or a sincere affection to Religion and the souls of our brethren that governs us We ought also to be well assured both of the truth and importance of those things on which we imploy our zeal and not let it run out impetuously on every trifle and we are still to watch over our tempers lest our heat carry us too far And we must never forget that we ought to be zealous for peace as well as truth Can it be supposed that those who live in all sorts of debaucheries and impieties are either zealous for the Church on the one hand or for the Protestant Religion as they pretend on the other If these things will scarce pass with wise men much less will they pass with that God who sees the heart It is certain Zeal must never exclude Charity for the love of God and our Neighbour is the foundation of it Whatever has not this at bottom is but the dreg of Education the sowrness of a party and a thin disguise for black designs The second pretence is Safety I am not to meddle with the publick security of government that is a subject above me I speak with relation to private persons and their deportment All Zealots apprehend themselves in some danger from those against whom they are set if their numbers are small they fear that they will become greater and if they are great they fear they will master them and so they indeavour to conquer them first in point of reputation in the battels of the tongue and pen by defaming them either discovering real faults or forging calumnies to disgrace them and then in point of interest insinuating themselves into such as they can have access to and indeavouring to work the ruine of those who differ from them If there were no other measures to be taken in matters of Religion but the Maximes of humane Policy this might pass for tolerably prudent But St. James tells us the Wisdom of that bitter zeal is not from above it is earthly sensual and devilish The Bonds of a man and the cords of love are those by which God uses to draw us and in imitation of that the methods of reason and the wayes of meekness are both more suitable to the Divine Nature and more likely to work on the greater part of men In following these which God has appointed we may with confidence depend upon his protection and blessing and if the petulancies and follies of some make it at any time necessary to punish them it should appear that what they suffer is the correction of a Father or Brother and not the wound of an enemy or the lash of a Jaylor Extream heats if not repressed will carry to extream severities And perhaps no