[Footnote 2:  Nicholas Hart, born at Leyden, was at this time 22 years old, one of ten children of a learned mathematician who for two years had been a tutor to King William.  Nicholas was a sailor from the age of twelve, and no scholar, although he spoke French, Dutch, and English.  He was a patient at St. Bartholomew’s for stone and gravel some weeks before, and on the 3rd of August, 1711, set his mark to an account of himself, when he expected to fall asleep on the fifth of August, two days later.  His account was also signed by ’William Hill, Sen.  No.  I. Lincoln’s Inn,’ the ’Gentleman of ‘Lincoln’s Inn,’ presently alluded to.]

[Footnote 3:  that]

[Footnote 4:  That is, when Parliament is sitting.]

[Footnote 5:  that]

* * * * *

No. 185.  Tuesday, October 2, 1711.  Addison.

      ‘...  Tantaene Animis coelestibus Irae?’

      Virg.

There is nothing in which Men more deceive themselves than in what the World calls Zeal.  There are so many Passions which hide themselves under it, and so many Mischiefs arising from it, that some have gone so far as to say it would have been for the Benefit of Mankind if it had never been reckoned in the Catalogue of Virtues.  It is certain, where it is once Laudable and Prudential, it is an hundred times Criminal and Erroneous; nor can it be otherwise, if we consider that it operates with equal Violence in all Religions, however opposite they may be to one another, and in all the Subdivisions of each Religion in particular.

We are told by some of the Jewish Rabbins, that the first Murder was occasioned by a religious Controversy; and if we had the whole History of Zeal from the Days of Cain to our own Times, we should see it filled with so many Scenes of Slaughter and Bloodshed, as would make a wise Man very careful how he suffers himself to be actuated by such a Principle, when it only regards Matters of Opinion and Speculation.

I would have every Zealous Man examine his Heart thoroughly, and, I believe, he will often find, that what he calls a Zeal for his Religion, is either Pride, Interest, or Ill-nature. [A Man who [1]] differs from another in Opinion, sets himself above him in his own Judgment, and in several Particulars pretends to be the wiser Person.  This is a great Provocation to the proud Man, and gives a very keen Edge to what he calls his Zeal.  And that this is the Case very often, we may observe from the Behaviour of some of the most zealous for Orthodoxy, who have often great Friendships and Intimacies with vicious immoral Men, provided they do but agree with them in the same Scheme of Belief.  The Reason is, Because the vicious Believer gives the Precedency to the virtuous Man, and allows the good Christian to be the worthier Person, at the same time that he cannot come up to his Perfections.  This we find exemplified in that trite Passage which we see quoted in almost every System of Ethicks, tho’ upon another Occasion.