LXXXII.

SER M. that it were better men should be let alone in them, than provoked to quarrel and contend about them. Thus that great heat that was in the christian church, about the time of observing Easter, was, in my opinion, "a zeal not according to knowledge.". They were on both fides agreed in the main, which was to celebrate the memory of our SAVIOUR's refurrection: but there were different customs about the time, which was a matter of no fuch confideration, as to deferve so much heat and zeal about it, especially confidering the uncharitable, and mischie-> vous confequences of that difference.

2. That our zeal may be according to knowledge. The measure and degree of it must be proportioned. to the good or evil of things, about which it is conversant. That is an ignorant zeal, which is converfant about leffer things, and unconcerned for greater, Such was the zeal of the scribes and pharifees, who were mightily concerned about external and leffer matters; but took little or no care of inward purity, and real and substantial goodness; they were very careful, not to eat with unwashed hands, and to "make clean the outside of the cup and platter;" but then they were full of extortion, and all un"righteousness: they paid tythe of mint, and anise, " and cummin; but omitted the weightier things, " judgment, mercy, and fidelity; or, as St. Luke expresseth it, "they past over judgment and the "love of GOD."

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A zealous strictness about external rites and matters of difference, where there is a visible neglect of the substantial duties of religion, and the great virtues of a good life, is either a gross ignorance of the true nature of religion, or a fulsom hypocrify. And fo likewife is a loud and zealous outcry against

LXXXII.

rites and ceremonies, and the imposition of indiffe-SERM. rent things in religion, when men can release themselves from the obligation of natural and moral duties, and pass over mercy, and justice, and charity.

3. A zeal that is "according to knowledge," must be pursued and profecuted by lawful and warrantable means. No zeal for God and his glory, for his true church and religion, will justify the doing of that which is morally and in itself evil. "Will

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ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully " for him?" We do not know what belongs to the honour of God and religion, if we think to promote his glory, by means so dishonourable and offensive to him. The apostle pronounceth it a damnable fin, for any to charge this doctrine upon chriftianity, that evil may be done for a good end, and to promote the glory of GOD, Rom. iii. 8. "As we be

slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we " say, let us do evil that good may come; whose " damnation is just."...

And yet nothing is more frequent, than for men, out of a zeal for God and religion, to overlook the evil and unlawfulness of the means they use, for the advancing so good an end. This is that which hath fanctified those refined arts of lying and perjury, by equivocation, and mental reservation; those seditious ways of disturbing the peace of kingdoms, by treason and rebellion, by the excommunicating, and depofing of princes, upon pretence of heresy; of extirpating those, whom they please to call hereticks, by inquifitions, and croisado's, and massacres; and this, not only in the opinion of private persons, but in the judgment of popes, and of general councils. I proceed in the

II. Place

SERM.

LXXXII.

1

II. Place to shew by what marks and characters we may know the contrary zeal, that which is not according to knowledge, which is condemned here in the text, and very frequently in other places of scripture: and though this may be sufficiently known by the contrary marks and properties (which I shall but briefly mention) yet to discover it more fully, I shall add one or two more very gross and sensible signs and instances of it.

1. It is " a zeal without knowledge," that is mistaken in the proper object of it, that calls good evil, and evil good; a zeal for gross errors and superstitions plainly contrary either to the revelation of God's word, or the light of reason, or to common sense; any or all of these cannot be "a zeal accord

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ing to knowledge." A zeal for the worship of images, for praying to faints and angels, contrary to the plain law and word of God; a zeal for the facrilegious depriving of the people of half the facrament, contrary to our SAVIOUR's plain institution, and the acknowledged practice of the catholick church, for a thousand years; a zeal for that most absurd of all doctrines that ever was taught in any religion, I mean the doctrine of transubstantiation, not only without any fufficient authority from fcripture (as is acknowledged by several of the most learned of the Roman church) but contrary to reason, and in defiance of the fense of all mankind; a zeal for these, and many more like gross errors and practices, cannot possibly be"

a zeal according to knowledge"

2. That is " a zeal without knowledge," the degree whereof is manifeftly disproportioned to the good or evil of things about which it is conversant; when there is in men a greater and fiercer zeal for

the

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the externals of religion; than for the vital and essen- SERMtial parts of it: for the traditions of men; than for LXXXII. the commandments of GOD: for bodily severities; than for the mortification of our lufts: for the means of religion; than for the end of it: a greater zeal against the omission and neglect of some senseless and -superstitious practices; than against the practice of the grossest immoralities: and against the deniers of the doctrines of transubstantiation, and of the pope's infallibility, an equal, if not a greater zeal (I am sure a more severe profecution) than against those who deny our SAVIOUR to be the Meffias, and the Son of GOD: this certainly is not " a zeal according to knowledge." Nor,

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3. That which is profecuted by unlawful and unwarrantable means. That cannot be "a zeal of God "according to knowledge," which warrants "the

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doing of evil, that good may come;" the violating of truth and faith, and of the peace of human fociety, for the cause of the catholick church; and breaking the eternal and immutable laws of God, for the advancing of his glory. Nor,

4. An uncharitable zeal, which is an enemy to peace and order, and thinks itself sufficiently warranted to feparate from the communion of Christians, and to break the peace of the church, upon every fcruple, and upon every fancy and conceit of unlawful impositions, though in the most indifferent things; nay, upon this single point, because a thing which they acknowledge lawful, and indifferent in itself, is in the worship of God enjoined by authority; the most unreasonable principle that I think ever was avowed among Christians; not to do a thing, which otherwise they might do, only because it is enjoined; and to fancy, that an indifferent thing becomes presently

SERM. sently unlawful, because it is commanded by lawful LXXXII. authority; and that it is a fin to do any thing, in

the worship of GOD. which is not left to their liberty, whether they will do it or not. This is not only a zeal without knowledge; but contrary to common fenfe. Nor,

5. A furious and cruel zeal, which St. James calls a bitter, or a wrathful zeal, and which tends to confufion and every evil work, which is blind with its own rage, and makes men, as St. Paul says of himself, when he persecuted the Christians, exceedingly mad against all that differ from them, and stand in the way of their fierce and outrageous zeal.

6. And lastly, a zeal for ignorance, is most certainly not " a zeal according to knowledge;" and this is a zeal peculiar to the church of Rome, by fuch strict laws to forbid people the use of the holy fcriptures in a known tongue; nay, not fo much as to allow them to understand what they do in the fervice of God; to require them to be present at their publick prayers, and to join with them in them, without letting them know the meaning of them; to pretend to teach them, by reading leffons to them in an unknown tongue, and all this under pretence of increasing their devotion; as if the less men understand of the service of God, the more they would be affected with it, and edified by it.

And yet there is nothing in which the church of Rome hath been more zealoufly concerned, than to keep the people in ignorance: nothing they have opposed with more obstinacy, against the repeated application of princes, and people, at the beginning of the reformation; than to allow the people the use of the fcriptures, and their publick prayers, in a known tongue. And their obstinacy in this