204 Ì he Danger of Zeal, without Knowledge. Vol. i. quire them to be prefent attheir Publick Prayers, and to joynwith them in them, without letting them know the meaning of them ; to pretend to teach them, by reading Leffons to them in anunknown Tongue; and all this under pretence of increafing their Devotion ; as if the lets. Men understandof the Service of God, the more they would be affe&ed with it, and edified by it. And yet there is nothing in which the Church of Rome hath been more zea- loufdy concerned, than to keep the. People in Ignorance : Nothing they have op- pofed with moreObftinacy, againft the repeated application of Princes, and t'co- ple, at the beginning of the Reformation; than to allow the People the ufe of the Scriptures, in their publick Prayers, in an unknown Tongue. And their ob- ftinacy in this Point, was notwithout Reafon ; nothing being more certain; than that if the People were once brought to underftandthe Scriptures, they would foon quit.their Religion, which in fo many things is fo direftly contrary to the word of God. The III. And last thing remains to be fpoken to, viz. How far the doing of things, out of a Zealfor God, doth Mitigate and Extenuate the Evil of them.; For when the Apo lehere teftifies, concerning the yews, that they had a zeal of God, he fpeaks this in favour of them, and by way of mitigationof their Fault. I bear them record; I who was once a&ed by this ignorant and furious Zeal, which now pofï'effeth them, and perfecuted the Chriftians in the fame outragious manner, as they Rill continue to do, and all this with a very good Confcience, as I thought, and out of a zeal for God, and the true Religion. So he tells us, Ads 26. 9. Iverily thought withmy felt; that I ought to do many things contrary to the name ofyefusof Nazareth. So that his zeal was Sincere, and with areal Intention to do Service to God and Religion ; and yet for all that was very faulty and finful, and, if he had perfifted in it, Damnable ; fo that his confidence, that he was in the Right, and the Sincerity of his zeal in aaing according to the per fwafion of his Confcience, did not alter the Nature of the Actions he did out of this zeal, and make them lefs wicked in themfelves; tho' it was fotne mitigation of the fault of the Perfon, and render'd himmore capable of the Mercyof God, by Repentance, than if he had done contrary to his Confcience, and the clear con- vilions of his own Mind. And therefore the beft way to understand the great Evil and Wickednefsof this furious and blind Zeal, will be, to confider the account which St. Paul, after his Converfion, givesof his own doings, and what Loadhe lays upon himfelf, not- withftanding the Sincerityof his Zeal, and that he a&ed according to his Confci- ence. AF's viii, and ix. you have the Hiftory at large of his outragious doings, how he made havock of . the Church, entering into every houfe, and halingmenand women to'prifon; how be breathed out threatnings and (laughter again(l the dif- ciples of the Lord. . Ads 22. 4. I perfecuted, fays he, this way unto the death, binding and delivering into Prifons both men and women. And Ch. 26. 10, 1 r. Manyofthe Saints did I Phut up in Prifon, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice again/I them; and Ipunifhed them often in every Synagogue, and compelled them to blafpheme; and being exceedingly mad againfl them; 1perfecuted them even to strange Cities, Gal. I. 13, 54. Te have heard, Pays he, of my conver fition in timespall, in theyews Religion; how that beyond meafure Iperfecuted the Church of God, andwafted it, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. a Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blafpbemer, and aperfecutor, and in- jurious. So that he chargeth himfelf with the guilt of Blafphenìy and Murder, and a molt furious and outrageous Perfecution of GoodMen; for which elfewhere he pronounceth himfelf the chief ofSinners. From whence it evidently appears, that Men may do the moft Wicked and Damnable. Sins, out ofa zeal for God. And this was thecafeof many of the Jemr, as our Saviour foretold, that the time fhould come, when they fhould kill men, thinking they did God good Service. But yet for all this, the.Apoftles of our Lord make no fcruple, to charge them with downright Murder. Ads 2. 23. fpeaking of their putting our Saviour to Death, whom ye by wicked handi-have crucifiedand (lain. And Ads 7. 52. The Pill One; of whomye have been now the betrayers andmurderers. Yet
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