The Fire of the Sanctuary Newly Uncovered, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Nature of Zeale.
This Chapter hath 3. Sections.THE firſt thing to bee knowne, is the Nature of Zeale. To attaine this, wee muſt, firſt, ſearch out the precize ſignification of the word: then, the ſeuerall acceptations of it, as by vſe of ſpeech it is applied: and thirdly, ariue at ſome Definition of it.
Sect. 1.Sect. 1. Of the ſignification of the word Zeale. The word it ſelfe is Greeke, which is therefore retained in the beſt later Languages, becauſe the moſt Learned could neuer finde another word fully to expreſſe it; as heaIoan. Driedo de R…gul. & dogm. S. Script. lib. 3. tract. 2. Cap. 1. Auguſtinus autem quibusdam in locu, & Suida…, & alij vtriusque linguae periti, qui non habentes latinum vocabulum quo vim verbi Zeli ſufficienter explicarent, &c. inquit ille. that hath done beſt in explication thereof hath obſerued. Zeale bforeign à foreign. ferueo, bullio. Euſtathius annotat vero per onomatopaeian eſſe factum hoc verbum à ſono literae.is a branch of that Roote, ſay Gramarians, which ſignifieth a hyſsing noiſe made by burning hot mettle caſt into water. Zeale then in ſtrict acception of the word, is a fiery hiſsing heat fighting with ſome contrary.
Hence is it tranſlated to expreſſe that fierie heate in the ſeuerall paſſions of the ſoule, vehemently extended to their ſeuerall obiects and proiects. Such was that burning fire cIer. 20.9. foreign.in the bones of Ieremie. Such that feruencie of ſpirit dRom. 12 11 foreign.which Saint Paul exhorted the Romanes vntounto. And ſuch thoſe coales that Timothie was to blow vp. e2 Tim. 1.6. foreign.Oppoſite hereto was that Luke-warme fReuel. 3.16.temper in diſtempered Laodicea, of which ſhe was zealouſly warned to repent, & to grow more hot.
Sect. 2.Sect. 2. Of the vſe, of the word in Scripture We ſee the nature of the word: behold how it is vſed. The Scripture attributes it to God, to man.
Firſt to God, to ſignifie ſometimes his iuſt indignation and direfull vengeance ſmoaking againſt ſinners, and burning gDeut. 32.23vntounto the loweſt hell. Sometimes the extreame heate of his louelove, expreſſed in protecting his Church afflicted. Thus himſelfe ſetteth it out by the Prophet Zacharie, hZach. 8.2.I was iealous for Sion with great iealouſie: and I was iealous for her with great furie: that is, with a zealous affection for her defence.
Secondly, the Scripture attributes zeale to man: and ſo either in a bad iAug. de Ciuit. dei. lib. 20. cap. 12.ſenſe to denote ſome euill in him; or in a good, to ſignifie ſome vertue.
Zeale taken in the bad part is vſed in a fourefold ſenſe.
Firſt, ſometimes for enuie and ſpleene at anothers welldoing, or being: the diſeaſe of thoſe pining and ſelfe-macerating Prieſts and Saduces at the Apoſtles of our Lord.kAct. 5.17. foreign. And in this ſence that cankred enuy of the Patriarckes, which moued them to that tyrannicall ſale of their naturall brother Ioſeph (in this only faulty, becauſe more loued) is ſtiled Zeale.
2.lAct 7 9. foreign. Sometimes for Iealouſy mPro. 6.34. foreign.of ſome perſon ſuſpected of doing wrong to a man in ſomething neere vntounto him, and intimately loued by him.
3. Sometimes for a quarrelous contentious diſpoſition, nIam. 3.16. foreign, &c.that vponupon eueryevery trifling occaſion breaks out againſt all that are neere.
4. Laſtly for counterfeit iealouſie, oGal. 4.17.which ſome ſeeme to hauehave of others, they pretend great louelove vntounto, and care of, for feare they ſhould doe amiſſe; whereas this faire ſhew is but a ſhew to hold the others the faſter in their nets, for the better compaſſing of their owne ſiniſter ends, and to make them more willing to ſtoop at their Lure.
Zeale taken in the good ſenſe as it is attributed to Man, importeth three things, viz.
Firſt, an emulation to ouertake & outgo others in goodneſſe, without enuying thoſe a man ſtriues to outſtrip. Such was the zeale of many in Macedoniap2. Cor. 9.2. vntounto liberalitie, prouoked thereto by thoſe of Achaya, and particularly of Corinth the Metropolitan Citie.
Secondly, Godly iealouſie ouer ſome we louelove, for feare they ſhould ſinne againſt Chriſt their husband. The affection of Saint Paul for his beloued Corinthians, and termed by himſelfe (in oppoſition to the bad)q2. Cor. 11.2 foreign. godly iealouſie.
Thirdly, an extreame heate of all the affections, for and towards one we eſteeme, burning in our louelove to him; our deſire of him; our ioy in him; our indignation againſt all that ſpeake, or do any thing againſt the honour and good liking of him: thinking nothing too good, too deare, too much to beſtow vponupon him: whether we make man,r2. Cor. 7.7. Gal. 4.15. Num. 11.28.29. or GodſPſal. 69 9. Ioh. 2.17. himſelfe the obiect hereof.
Sect. 3.Sect. 3. Of the acceptation of zeale in this Treatiſe. Theſe being the chiefe acceptations of zeale that the Scriptures mention, among them all, I pitch on the laſt, and the definition thereof I thus expreſſe. Zeale Zeale defined.is a ſpirituall fire inflaming all the affections of a Chriſtian, for preſeruation and aduancement of the glorie of God.
Zeale conſidered according to the rules of Art, is a Qualitie; and ſuch a qualitie as Logicians call an Habite, which muſt be defined by the generall nature, Obiect and Endes of it.
All theſe are expreſſed in this definition. Spirituall fire is in roome of the Genus, and declares the generall nature of it, (to which I adde by the way for plainneſſe ſake, the ſubiect and ſtate in which it is; viz. all the affections of a Chriſtian.) Gods glorie is the principall Obiect *Obiectum cui.it lookes at: the aduancement and preſeruation whereof, is the higheſt End it tends vntounto.
Firſt for the Genus or generall nature of it,1. The generall nature of it. I tearme it a fire, a ſpirituall fire. A fire, not a heate onelyonly, which is in ſome degrees found euen in Luke-warmeneſſe, wherein yet coldneſſe is the predominant qualitie, and this makes it faulty. Zeale hath heate as hot as fire, therefore ſo is it called by Ieremie, in Analogie to Elementarie or materiall fire.
And in this reſpect is it ſpirituall, which in this definition is put in, not as intending a ſpecificall difference betweene this and culinarie fires, but to ſhew the ſubalternate generall nature of it, as the word ſpirituall comprehends all analogicall fires in mans paſſions, which are diuers; ſome lawfull; others irregular and vnlawfull; ſome holy; others impure. There is the fire of luſt, tRom. 1.27.and the fire of the tongue, uIam. 3.6.as well the fire of zeale.
Adde hereunto that zeale is kindled by the Spirit, and therefore is it ſpirituall alſo. Howbeit the ſpiritualitie of it can be no ſpecificall note to diſtinguiſh it from other graces, they being all in this reſpect ſpirituall.
This ſpirituall fire hath for it hearth to burne in,Subiectum in quo. all the affections and paſſions of a Chriſtian as they ſerue, or may be of vſe for aduancement of the glorie of God. Nor doth zeale onelyonly inhabite the affections, and worke in them, but vponupon them too: they are not onelyonly the hearth to burne in, but fewell to kindle on.
Thus zeale ſet all Dauids affections on fire, which in his holy poeticall raptures we may ſee blazing. In his louelove, *Pſal. 119.97we may find him tranſported beyond expreſſion. In his deſire, extreamely thirſting and panting:xPſal. 42.1. and this heate, by an Antiperiſtaſis, droping downe teares in ſuch plentie as if he were to make them his meate.zPſal. 42.3. Yea his griefe proues a Moſes rod to ſmite the rocke of his heart, that riuers of water guſh out at his eyes. aPſal. 119.136.And as for his anger, that ſo burned that it conſumed him vp.bIbid. ver. 139. Nay his zeale did not omit to inflame his very hatred, making him hate the enemies of God with a perfect cPſal. 139.22hatred. Thus where euer zeale commeth, it ſetteth the whole heart on fire, making men ſay with thoſe two Diſciples; Did not our hearts dLuke 14.32burne within vsus?
Obiectum. 2 Secondly, the Obiect of zeale, to wit, the principall and the chiefeſt White it leuels at, is the glorie of God. There be, I confeſſe, diuerſe particulars which zeale ſhoots at: but Gods glorie is the higheſt, & comprehends all thoſe vnderunder it as meanes to aduance it.
Some make the worſhip of God to be the principall Obiect of zeale, which they nominate in their Definitions: but this is too low, and too narrow. Too low, becauſe the glorie of God is aboue it, as much as the End is aboue the Meanes. Too narrow, becauſe there be other things wherein Gods glorie is as deepely intereſſed as in his worſhip. Therefore beſides that which is in this place ſpoken by way of explication of the Definition, I hauehave purpoſely intended the next Chapter to declare more particularly and largely, the ſeuerall leſſe principall Obiects of zeale, which could not be conueniently and artificially couched in the Definition it ſelfe.
3. Finis.Thirdly, the End of zeale is the end of all our Actions,e1. Cor. 10.31. the preſeruation and aduancement of the glorie of God. To proue this at large were but to ouerlade the Treatiſe needleſly, and to preuent my ſelfe of ſpeaking of it more copiouſly in that place,fViz in Chap. 5. to which (according to my method & proiect) it more properly pertaines.
Confutation of two errorsBut before I can go further, I muſt tumble aſide two errors laid iuſt in my way. Error. 1 The one by ſome Neotericks, who for haſt diſcerned not a ſimple from a compound, ſuppoſing vponupon their firſt view of zeale, that it was a compounded or mixt affection or Anger and LoueLove: And ſo without more fixed inſpection commended for ſuch vntounto others.
Error. 2 The other, by more antique Schoolemen, who prying more curiouſly into the nature of this burning heate, found it (indeed) a ſimple: but withall ſimply confined it to one affection of LoueLove, gAquin. 1. 2. q. 28. ar. 4. Bonau. in Prol. ſent. dub. 3. Greg. de val. ſuper Aqui. Diſp. gener. 3. q. 2. p. 3. alij que .as if zeale had no hearth or tunnell, but this. Both which blockes I ſhall endeauour to remooue with one lift.
Zeale is neither any one Simple or Compounded paſſion, or in any one onelyonly: but a fierie temper and diſpoſition in all, differing from them as fire from mettell in a fornace. And as courage in a valiant man is no compounded thing of his paſſions and ſpirits, but a braue temper & intention of both; ſo alſo is zeale.
This truth the Rule of contraries will yet better cleare, if we ſet zeale by the oppoſite to it, luke-warmneſſe. To be luke-warme, is not want of ſufficient heate in one affection onelyonly, but all. Zeale therefore muſt needs put fire into ſo many of the affections and paſſions as luke-warmeneſſe depriueth thereof. Hereupon it is that zealous men feele a burning in all their affections as well as in any, as obiects preſent themſelues.
It is a wonder to ſee thoſe elder exact Profeſſors, pin Zeale to one Paſſion; whereas it cannot bee denied that Zeale, in one zealous action, ſhewes it ſelfe equally in diuerſe paſſions together. Moſes declared as much heate of indignation againſt thoſe Calueiſh Idolaters, Exod. 32. as he did LoueLove, for God. The like did Phineas in the ſlaughter of Zimri and Cosbi. As onehDriedo. l. …. de Reg. ſcript. tract. 2. cap. 1. Jn zelo Phinees bis zelus ponitur. Semel pro vehementia amoru erga deum, zelum autem irae habuit contra peccantes. Eodem modo & Hugo. de S. vict. in Ioel. 2. zelus est feruor animi ad compaſſionem naturae, ad vltionem paenae, ad deuotionem gratiae proni, &c. Ita August. Tract. 10 in Ioan. Quis comeditur zelo domus? qui omnia que ibi videt peruerſa ſatagit emendare, cupit corrigere; non quieſcis: ſi emendare non potest, tollerat, gemit &c. of the faction of Schoolemen hath (to his praiſe) long ſince confeſſed. And in godly Iealouſie (all one with Zeale,) doe not LoueLove, and Feare, and Anger, equally preſent and beſtirre themſelues with like feruor?
Breefly: I will no more denie LoueLove to bee the Maſter Paſſion, in ſetting Zeale firſt on worke, then I will grant Zeale to be an effect of LoueLove; it being rather a Conſequent then an effect thereof. A true Zealot Sacrificing all his Affections to the honour of his God, hath this fire of Zeale to kindle them all, like that celeſtiall fire, conſuming the Sacrifices of Eliah. Which Fier was no effect, flowing f…om the Sacrifice it ſelfe, but onelyonly a meanes, by fiering it, to make it accepted.
To conclude, Zeale cannot be without LoueLove, LoueLove cannot liue without Zeale: yet is not Zeale any more participant of the nature of LoueLove, though ioyned with it and all the the reſt of the Paſſions to inflame them, then that thin water which runnes along with the bloud in the body of man, to temper it, is of the nature of bloud.