6i6 Mattergreen/Jams Readings late foramomentanypleafure, The zeale of herdic maketh men trauasleand compare ka and land for themaintaining and inereafngoftheir opinion. ThuswefeeeueryMatt is eatenwithfoamkind of zeale. The drunkard is confumed withdrunkennes,the whore- mongeris fpent withhiswhoredome,the Hcretike is eatenwithhis herefies oli howought this to makevs afhamed,who are fo little eaten,fpent andconfumed with the zeale ofthe &dryBeale. word I andfo much the rather, beeaufe godly wale kaneth in vs an aduantage anda rc- compence,which the worldly and carnally zealous men have not. For when theybage fpcnt all theftrength of theirbodies, and powersof their minde,theyliane no gaine, riot comfortleft, buttormentof confcicnce ;andwhen they are outwardly fpent, theyare in- wardly neuer the better : whereas the godly being confumedfor a good thing,and eaten vpwith the zealeofGods glorie,have this notable priuiledgeand profit, that howfoeuer their outward man perifheth and decaieth, yettheir inward man is Rill refrefhed, and nourifhed to euerlaltmg kfe>Oh what abenefitis it to be eaten with the loueand zeale ofagood thing ?' Leaningnow the carnal"andworldly zealc,we know howzealous Idolaterswere,that they would even offer their children inthefire. We know the zeale ofthe Icwes,Mat. s 3 who wouldcompall'efeaand land tomakea man a Profclyte.Heretikes,as wefee,fpare no labour, and let not for anycoil to maintaine their herehes: but thefe arenotgood. The true zeale is that wheroftheApoftle Ipeaketh i.Cor, i n.Iam iealous osieryou with anho- ly iealoufre.Rotn.ro.TheApoftle faith,the kwes had thezealeofGod,butnot according toknowledge. Wherefore to(hewfome propertiesof true zaale,wherebywemay trie our felues,letvs ibefi-f! pro- firft know that our zealemutt begrounded on knowledge : for otherwife it will carrievs perrieol trfurther todeftruetion, as itdid them who oppreffed the trueth,and perfecuted the deare wale, feruants ofGodjand yet thought that they didwell.Wherefore in true zealeit is requiut, tobane knowledge going before. Weefee the zealeofthe Prophet here didarifeof the contempt of the lawofGod. For feting it tobe foexquifir, perfit,euerlafting, powerful" and comfortable,itis a manifeff argument that he was well grounded on the word. This zeale then(that wemay the letiebe deceivedwith the contrarie)hath theftfew rules:firft, 7befirfirate as we hatealreadiefaid,it muit beagreeable wholy with theword ofGod,tobegin where efrraeteale. beginneth, toend whereitendeth. Therefore weemay thmastrie ourtrue zeak :11 Srl andefpecially weemake confcienceof theprincipal)mattersof the word, asof prayer,of the Sacraments,ofdifcipline, ofciiaritie ; and then for thelele things that arecornman- 7o(erarionof ded, ifweewilldoethem;ifanybeforbidden, weealfoauoidethem,yetruertolerating mány [brags through louelittle tiings,as they that would nottroubletheChurchof God.Wherefore fòrrhepeaceof the Apoftlefaith, s.Cor. r s.s o. Ifany man lull tobee contentious, wee haveno fuchcu- rbetbsrsb. itome,neither the ChurchesofGod : as ifhe fhould fay,lfanymanwill !trine aboutMat. tern of lelle importance,we, according to the order of the Church, will not ftriuewith them,but ratherwillbrace many things in loue: and yet fo,asRill wevie this caueat,That weaccount nothing final( or littlewhich is Gods word. Thisdoffrine may bemanifeffed by familiar examples. Ifaman shall Reale things of great weight, or foam great fummeofmoney, which deferueth- hanging,and the cutting offoflife,we willabhorrehim: but whenit cornmeal out that theymay !teak Ieife things, as wood,and corne,and that notof necef itie,but eucnofgreedinesof minde,thinking not cube fubieét tofohigh a puniihment,theywill snakenoconfcirnce of it.But ifAdams wascall out ofParadile for the bitingof an apple,wee muff notthinke any thing that the word commaundech or forbiddeth to be little; or that the doingornot doingis but a tri- lling f nne,leaft that through thesuit judgement ofGodwee falling by little and little by degrees, fall into great and monllrousfinnes. And as this is in Hefei isit much snore in "'the worfhip of God. It is agreat faultthat wewill make a fcruple in matters of finall im- portance, and will not fkcke tobe diffoluteiu risings of greater weight.Indeede it mutt necdes heconfifled,that ourgrand zeale mutt be in great things, and yetwee mutt not Thefeeonelrale lightlyel ceme ofany thing in elseglorious wordof God. eftrueBeale. The fecund rule oftruezealeis,that weemutt looketo the thingswhich are within, as well
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