548 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, torily he doth set down some among the number of the most wise and excellent men, for keeping him company in his mistakes ; and he boldly numbereth the best and wisest of ,his teachers with the transgressors, for being of a sounder understanding than himself, and doing those duties which he calleth sins. And hence it is that he is a person apt to be misled by appearances of zeal ; and the passions of his teachers prevail more with him than the evidence of truth. He that prayeth and preacheth most fervently is the man that carriethhim away, though none of his arguments should be truly cogent. If he hear any hard name against any opinion, or manner of worship, he receiveth that prejudice which turneih him more against it than reason could have done. So the bugbear names' of Heresy, Lutheranism, and Calvinism, frighteneth many a well-meaning Papist both from the truth, and almost from his wits. And the names of Popery, Arminianism, Prelacy, Presby- terianism, Independency, &c., do turn away the hearts of many from things which they never tried or understood. If a zeal- ous preacher do but call any opinion or practice antichristian or idolatrous, it is a more effectual terror than the clearest proof. Big and terrible words do move the passions, while the understand- ing is abused, or a stranger to the cause. And passion is much of their religion. And hence, alas ! is much Of the calamity of the church; Rom. xiv. 1-4, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 1-4. Acts xxi. 20. Gal. iv. 17, 18. 3. But the seeming Christian is only zealous finally for himself, . or zealous about the smaller matters. of religion, as the Pharisees were for their ceremonies and traditions, or for his own inventionsç or some opinions or ways, in which his honor seemeth to be infer- ested, and pride is thebellows of his zeal. But as for a holy zeal about the substance and practice of religion, and that for God as the final cause, he is a stranger to it. He may have a zeal of God, and ofand for the law and worship of God as the material cause, but not a true zeal for God, as the chief, final cause ; Rom. x. 2. 2 Sam. xxi. 2. 2 Kings x. 16. Acts xxii.'3. LI. 1. A Christian indeed can bear the infirmitiesof the weak : though he love not their weakness, yet he pitieth it, because he truly loveth their persons. Christ bath taught him not to break the bruised reed, and to "gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young ;" Isa. xl. 11. xlii..3. If they have diseases and distempers, he seeketh in tenderness to cure them, and not in wrath to hurt or vex them. He turneih not the infants or sick persons from the family, because they cry, or are unquiet, unclean, infirm and troublesome ; but he exerciseth his love and pity upon their weaknesses. If they mis- take their way, or are ignorant, and peevish, and froward in their
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