will purchase them hatred and envy, hee takes them into speciall
tuition; if any will hurt his zealous witnesses, there goeth out a fire
out of their mouthes, to devoure their enemies. A man were better anger
all the witches in the world then one of these. If God bring any common
judgements, he sets his seale and _Thau_ on their fore-heads, &
sprinkles their posts; snatcheth _Lot_ out of the fire (who burneth in
zeale, as _Sodome_ in lust) as men doe their plate whiles they let the
baser stuffe burne. In fine, hee taketh _Enoch_ and _Eliah_ in
triumphant Charriots up to heaven, and after their labours and toyles,
setteth them in speciall Thrones, to rest in glory; The Apostles in
their twelve, the rest in their order, according to their zeale. And
though hee may well reckon the best of these, unprofitable servants;
yet such congruity (not of merits, but of favour) it pleaseth him to
observe in crowning his graces, that the most zealous heere, are the
most glorious there.

Who would not now wonder, how ever this royall vertue should have lost
it grace with the world; how ever any should admit a low thought of it?
But what? Shall all the indignity which hell can cast upon it, make it
vile in our eyes? or rather, shall wee not reason from the opposition,
as _Tertullian_ did of _Nero:_ That religion which _Nero_ so persecutes,
must needs be excellent.

[Sidenote: 1 Object. Zeale is madd, and makes men mad.]

[Sidenote: Acts 26. 24 1 Cor.]

If zeale were not some admirable good, the Divell and World would not so
hate it; Yet lest silence should bee thought to baulke some unanswerable
reasons, let us see how they labour to be madd with reason: Let _Festus_