If you should so mistake, these mischiefs would ensue: 1. Sinful zeal doth make men doubly sinful: as holy zeal is the fervency of our grace, so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin. 2. It is an honouring of sin and Satan: as if sin were a work, and Satan a master, worthy to be fervently and diligently followed. 3. It is the most effectual violent way of sinning, making men do much evil in a little time; and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others, than other sinners are. 4. It blindeth the judgment, and maketh men take truth for falsehood, and good for evil, and disableth reason to do its office. 5. It is the violent resister of all God's means; and teacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them: it stops men's ears, and turns away their hearts from the counsel which would do them good. 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of the saints, and church of Jesus Christ:[584] it made Paul once exceeding mad against them, Acts xxvi. 10, 11, and "shut them up in prison, and punish them in the synagogues, and compel them to blaspheme, and persecute them even unto strange cities, and vote for their death." Thus "concerning zeal he persecuted the church," Phil. iv. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all societies; a destroyer of love; a breeder and fomenter of contention; and an enemy to order, peace, and quietness. 8. It highly dishonoureth God, by presuming to put his name to sin and error, and to entitle him to all the wickedness it doth. Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the name of God, and fight against him ignorantly by his own (pretended or abused) authority.[585] 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning: the zealous sinner justifieth his sin, and pleadeth reason or Scripture for it, and thinking that he doth well, yea, that he is serving God when he is murdering his servants, John xvi. 2. 10. It is a multiplying sin, and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others of the sinner's mind: the zealous sinner doth make as many sin with him as he can.
Yea, if it be but a zeal for small and useless things, or about small controversies or opinions in religion; 1. It showeth a mind that is lamentably strange to the tenor of the gospel, and the mind of Christ, and the practice of the great substantial things. 2. It destroyeth charity and peace, and breedeth censuring and abusing others. 3. It dishonoureth holy zeal by accident, making the profane think that all zeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men. 4. And it disableth the persons that have it to do good; even when they are zealous for holy truth and duty, the people will think it is but of the same nature with their erroneous zeal, and so will disregard them.
[Sidenote: The signs of holy zeal.]