that is, that Method which God hath pre, fcribed, for the attaining of Righteousness by the Faith of Jefus Chrift; and fetting up a Righteoufneẞ of their own, which confifted chiefly in obferving the Ceremonials of Mofes his Law, and the Traditions of their Fathers, as it follows in the next Verse after my Text: Yet he thinks them the more pitiable, and the more excufable, in that this their Oppofition proceeded from their Zeal of God, though it was mis-informed irregular Zeal.

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The Practice and Carriage of the Apostle towards these ignorant Zealots, ought to be a Rule for us to walk by in the like Cafes. If Men be of a different way from us, as to Religion; if they hold other Opinions, or though they be of another Communion from us; and though too we are fure they are mistaken nay, and dangerously mistaken too; yet if they have a Zeal of God, if they be serious and fincere in their Way; if their Errors in Religion be the pure Results of a misinformed Conscience; let us, as the Apoftle here did, take occafion from hence to pity them, and to put up hearty Prayers to God for them; and to endeavour all we can, by gentle Methods, to reduce them to the right Way: But by no Means to exprefs Contempt or Hatred of them, or to treat them with Violence and Outrage. So far as their Zeal is for God, let us fo far fhew Tenderness and Compaffion to them; and if their Zeal be in fuch Inftances, as are really commendable, let us in fuch Inftances, not only bear with them, but propofe them for

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our Examples. This, I fay, was the Apostle's Practice, and I think it is fo agreeable to the Spirit and Temper of our great Lord and Master Christ, that it will become us, in like Cases, to act accordingly.

But then after I have faid this, Thefe Two Things are always to be remembred:

First, That our Tendernefs to mistaken Zealots, muft always be fo managed, as that the true Religion, or the Publick Peace fuffer no Damage thereby. And, therefore, how kindly and compaffionately foever we, as private Chriftians, are to treat those that dif fer from us, and purfue a wrong way out of Confcience; yet this doth not hinder, but that both wholfome Laws may be made for the reftraining the Exorbitancies of mistaken Zeal, and when thofe Laws are made, that they may be put in Execution.

The Confideration of Law-givers and Magiftrates, is different from that of private Chriftians. Their Business is to fee, Necquid detrimenti Refpublica capiat, that the Government be fecured, that the common Peace be kept, that the Laws of God be obferved, that God's Religion, as it is delivered by Jefus Chrift, be preferved fincere and undefiled, and that the folemn Worship of God, be purely and decently performed. And, therefore, there is no doubt, but that in all these Matters the Government may make Fences and Securities against the Infults of intemperate Zealots, and when these Fences are made, it fhould be at their Peril if they tranfgreffed them, fuppofing Magiftrates

did their Duty. And all this, we fay, is very confiftent with that Tenderness and Charity, that all Chriftians, and even Magiftrates themfelves, in their private Capacity, do owe to mif-perfuaded erroneous Confciences.

And then, Secondly, it is to be remembred, that that Kindness and Tenderness to mistaken Zealots, which we are fpeaking of from the Text, is not to be expreffed to all alike; but to fome more, to fome lefs, to fome, perhaps, in no Degree at all; according as the nature and quality of their Errors are, and according as the Men that are guilty of them, may more or lefs, or not at all, be thought to have a real Zeal of God, and to act out of Principles of Confcience. Thus for Inftance;

In the First Place, Thofe that fet up for Patrons of Atheism or Epicurifm; that make it their Business in their Converfation to expofe all Religion, and to bring it into Contempt; that ridicule the Profeffors of it as a Company of eafie, credulous Men; that make no Confcience of Blafpheming God, and all Things Sacred, as occafion is given them; Why, thefe Men may have Zeal enough for their Opinions, and we find that they often have a great deal too much; but are fuch to be treated with that fort of Tenderness and Compaffion, that we are now speaking of? No, by no Means; for they are quite out of the Bounds of my Text, they have a Zeal, indeed, but it is not a Zeal for God, but for the Devil, and the Interefts of his Kingdom. And if one were to measure the Greatness of Crimes, by the Mischief

Mischief they do to Humane Society, I fhould think, that this fort of People, were not to expect so much Favour and Respect from Mankind, as fome other Malefactors, that yet by our Laws are to pay for their Offences, at no less a rate than their Lives.

Again, Secondly, If there be any Men that under a Pretence of Religion do teach or encourage, or promote any Sort of Vice or Im. morality; or whofe Principles do neceffarily lead to Debauch Mens Manners, in the plain Matters of Sobriety, Chastity, Truth, or Justice, and the like; fuch kind of People are by no means Objects of that Tendernefs and Compaffion that we are now fpeaking of: For the Laws of Nature, as to moral Vertue and Vice, are so plainly writ in every Man's Heart, that he must be supposed to be an Ill Man, that can eafily entertain any Principle (let it come never fo much recommended, under the Name of Religion) that contradicts them. And whatever Allowance may in Charity be made for a Man's Miftakes, there is no Reafon that much fhould be made for his Wickedness.

Again, Thirdly, If there be any Men, that whilft they exprefs a great Zeal for the Purity of Religion, and exclaim against the Corrup tions of it (as they term them) which are introduced into the Publick Establishment, and turn every Stone to have all Things fettled in another Method; yet all this while, God and their own Hearts know, that all this Concernment and Zeal of theirs for Religion, though it make a great show, is only pretended; and

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that there is another Thing that lies at the bottom, that is to fay, Worldly Intereft, and Dominion, and Power, which they hope to compass by fuch a Regulation of Matters as they defire; I fay, if there be any fuch Men, they are likewife no way concerned in that Compaffion my Text fpeaks of: For though they may be very Zealous, yet it is a Zeal for their own fecular Advantages that acts them, and not a Zeal of God. If fuch Men could be known; instead of being kindly and charitably thought of for their Zeal in Religion; the. Vertuous Part of Mankind, would look upon them as the worst of Hypocrites. But fince God only knows the Hearts of Men; all fuch Pretenders to Zeal for Religion, muft, till we know them alfo, be treated according to the Merits of the Cause they pretend to be Zealous for.

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But then, Fourthly and Laftly, All that I have now faid, is with refpect to thofe that are out of the Limits of my Text, fuch as have no Zeal of God, though fome of them may pretend it: But then, as for those that really act out of Principles of Confcience, and have a real Zeal of God, though in a wrong way; these are true Objects of our Tenderness and Compaffion, though yet in different Degrees. For according as their Principles and Practices do more or less injure our common Chriftianity, or are more or lefs dangerous to our Government and Conftitution; in the fame Proportion, the greater or lefs Tenderness and Indulgence is to be expreffed towards them.

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