Zeal of God

"There is no quality of the mind by which men, even good men, are more apt to be misled than zeal; particularly zeal in religion, "zeal of God," as St. Paul terms it. Where the object is good, the quality is of high value; "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing" and, beyond controversy, no object can be better than the promotion of God's glory and the furtherance of His religion.

"But it ought not to carry us beyond the bounds of moderation. It ought to be regulated by a correct knowledge of the nature and character of the religion which we profess, and which we are desirous of furthering; and it ought to be brought into subjection to the dictates of that religion—a religion not furious, fiery, implacable, cruel but "peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

"They who act for the furtherance of that religion in a manner inconsistent with its dictates show that, however sincere be their "zeal of God," it is "not according to knowledge," or "that they know not what manner of spirit they are of." Every deviation from the rules of charity and brotherly love, of gentleness and forbearance, of meekness and patience, which our Lord prescribes to His disciples, however it may appear to be founded on an attachment to Him and zeal for His service, is in truth a departure from the religion of Him, "the Son of man," who 'came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.'"—Mant.