21 2 `lhe bell 114en liable to the ivoifl l reairnent, Vol. j, that Church, that in future Ages they might be warned againft fo Pernicious a Prin- ciple, and all wicked Practices that are confequent upon it. And we find that St. Paul, after his Converfion, did think it no fuffrcient Plea and Excufe for himfelf, and his Perfecutionof the Chriftian Profeffion, that what he did was out of Zeal for God, and his true Religion, as he was verily perfora- ded ; but, notwithftanding that, acknowledgeth himfelf a Murderer, andone of thegreateff Sinners ; for which, without the great Mercy of God, he had perilht. everlaftingly. 6. And la/fly, I obferve that the Corruption of the belt things is the worft. Religion is certainly the higheft Accomplifhment and Perfection of Humane Na- ture ; and Zeal for God and his Truth an excellent Qualityy, and highly accepta- ble to God : and yet nothing is more barbarous, and fpurs Men on to more horrid Impieties, than a blind zeal for God, and falfe and miftaken Principles in the matter of Religion. Our Saviour compares the Chriftian Religion, and the Minifters and Profeffors ofit, to Salt and Light, the moft ufeful .and delightful things in the World. Religion enlightens the Minds of Men, and dire&s them in the way, wherein we fhould go ; it feafons the Spirits and Manners of Men, and preferves them from being Putrifiedand Corrupted : but if the Salt lofe itsfavour, if that which fhould feafon other things, be tainted it felf ; it is thenceforth the moft infipid and offenfive thing in the World, goodfor nothing, but to be calf upon the Dunghil : ifthe light that is in us be darknefs ; howgreat is that darknefr ? . Miftakes and falfe Principles are no where fo pernicious; and of fuch mifchievóus Confeduence, as in Religion. A blind and mifguided Zeal in Religion is enough to fpoil.the belt Nature and Difpofition in the World. St. Paul (for ought ap- pears) was of himfelf ofa very kind and compafhonateNature; and yet whataFùry did his miftaken Zeal make him i It is hardly credible how madly he laid about him, but that he himfelf gives us the account of it, Alts 26. g, z o, r I verily thought withmy fell, (fays he) that I ought to do many things, contrary to the name of Jefus of Nazareth ; which thing I alfo did in Jerufalem, andmany ofthe Saints IPhut up in Prifon, having received authority' from the Chief Priefis. And when they were put to death, Igave my voice againfl them; and Ipunifhed them oft in every Synagogue, and compel'dthem to blafpheme, and being exceedingly mad againfl them, Iperfecuted them, even to __range Cities. I might defcend lower, and give Inftances both offormer and latter times, of Em- perours andPrinces, bothHeathen and Chriftian, that ofthemfelves were mild and gentle ; and yet through a miftaken Zeal, and the inftigationof their ChiefPriefts, have been carried to Cruel and Bloody things. And indeed nothing gives fo keen an edge, even to the mildeft Tempers, as an erronious and wild Zeal for God and. Religion, it is like Quick .Silver in the back of a Sword, that is not very (harp of it fell, which gives a mighty force and weight to its blow, and makes it to cut ter- ribly. And it is very fad to confider, that the zealous Profecution of Miftakes in Reli- gion, hath produced fadder and more barbarous Effefs in the World, and more frequently, than the ordinary Corruptions and Degeneracy of Natural light is apt to do ; as the decay of the richeft and molt generous Wines makes the fowereft Vinegar ; fo that the Pafquil or Libel againft Pope Urban the VIII. upon occafrott of his taking off the Brazen Roof of the Old Capitol ( whichhad held out fo ma- ny Ages, and that notwithftanding Rome had been fo often fackt by BarbarousNa- tions ) and his felling it to inrich his Family [quad non fecerant Barbari, fete- runt Barberini ] may, with changing the Name and Occafion, be applyed to a great many others; that they have been guilty of thofe Cruelties againft Chrifti- ans, upon account of difference in Religion, which the molt Barbarous Nations never exercìfed upon one another. I have.done with the Obfervationsand the Text ; and (hall I now need to make anyApplication ofwhat hath been faid, to the Occafion of this day ? The thing ap- plys it felf; fine the horridDefign of this Day was undertaken and carried on up- on the fame Pretences and Principles, upon which thePews perfecuted the Difcí- ples
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