_Judas_ complained of superfluity, but greeved it fell besides his bag:
many hold temporalities tithes and glebes, unlawfull, because they are
loth to forgo them: If _Jezebel_ proclaime a Fast, let _Naboth_ looke to
his vine-yard; If the Usurer & Trades-man frequent Sermons, let the
buyer & borrower look to themselves. It is too common a thing to make
zeale a lure & stale, to draw customers; a bait of fraud, a net to
entrap; with malicious _Doegs_, to make it a stalking horse for revenge
against the Priest, thereby to discharge their gall at Ministers and
other Christians, for the omission and commission of such things, as
themselves care not for; with the _Strumpet_ in the Proverbs, to wipe
their mouthes, and frequent the Sacrifices, that they may be free from
suspicion.
All these evils, have I seene under the sunne-shine of the Gospell: but
by how much, zeale is more glorious then common profession, by so much
is dissembled fervency more detestable then usuall hypocrisie; yea, no
better then divellish villany & double iniquity: such painted walles and
whited sepulchers, the Lord will breake downe. Let all _Timothies_ &
_Nathanaels_ learne to descry them, and discard them: The cure of this
was deepely forelayd by Christ; _I counsell thee to buy gold tried in
the fire_: all is not gold that glistereth, an image of faith breeds but
a shew of zeale; many seemed to trust in Christ, but Christ would not
trust them: but such faith as will abide the fire, brings foorth zeale
that will abide the touch-stone.
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