this much extolled in a Poem by Stephanus And not to detract from Generall Norice it was the crown of his commendation wherein it is said that Henry the 4 did not disdaine to emulate him If a question here be put whether Christians may rejoyce in the victories over their enemies or no I answere all things concurring to make the victory lawfull without question they may rejoyce in their overthrow especially as they are Gods enemies Psal 58.11 12. The just shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance and he shall wash his feete in the bloud of the wicked and when the wicked perish there is shouting ioy Pro. 11.10 But this must be as they are the enemies of God therefore the heauen the earth and all therein are said to sing for ioy at the spoyling of easterne Babilon Ier. 51.48.49 because shee had caused the slaine of Israel to fall So at the fall of western Babilon beyond her in impietie and crueltie heauen and all the holy hoast shall reioyce over her Rev. 18.20 when God shall avenge them upon her The second branch of selfe-government consisteth in the temperate use of such effluence of things as in their conquests many times they meete with all as the beautie and bravery of their captive woemen the delicacie of their fare for this Scipio was much commended and it was great Alexander his greatest grace that he would not so much as look upon his captives the wife and daughter of Darius but with good deliberation But his last did not answer the first for after that he had overcome all he was overcome of cups which marred all and lost him more glory then ever he got Drunkenesse in a King is a capitall sin As the corruption of a fish beginneth at the head and so goeth through the body so the drunkenesse of a King maketh the land reele and therefore woe to the land whose King is a drunkard Philip after his victory falling foule on cups began in his drinke to insult ouer his Greeke captives but Demades a captive tooke him boldy up thus Art not thou King Philip ashamed whom the Grecians haue chosen Generall as another Agamemnon to shew thy selfe like a bibbing Thersites at which freedome of speech Philip taking up himself and not his captive cast his Crowns and Garlands from his head and his rich robes from his backe and for very shame and sence of disgrace done to himselfe by himselfe did set free Demades and all the rest of the Greeke captives Behold in this a looking-glasse for great ones how incident it is to them to err especially in puffing-up victories but it is more then Princely to correct themselves at the checke of their vassals Wee haue too many Philips forgetting themselues and their places in their carriage of successe but too too few Philips humbling themselues with shamefastnesse when by their inferiours they are rebuked The delights and delicacies of proud and luxorious Capua Hanibilem armis invictam voluptate vicit enervavit Capua wherewith Hanibal was taken when he had taken the towne did him more hurt then all the Romane forces To this effect there is a pretty saying of Hanibal that he being invincible by Armes was overcome with the pleasure and plenty of the place Asia undid Alexander and Iulius Caesar was slaine with good successe for as Authors observe he being capable of all things and fortunate in every thing grew so insolent of his victories that usurping the priest-hood Sueton. he would needs be Deified he spoyled the treasurie and growing sacrilegious perfidious and lustfull he ruled all by lust and not by law Now I proceed to the third maine thing namely their carriage toward the conquered First they must shew humanitie in humando corpora captivorum in giving the slaine to be buried or causing them to be buried To that end the Armies entered conditions as Authors mention Appion recordeth how Asdrubal at the request of Scipio did bury the bodyes of the Tribunes It was an evidence of yeelding amongst the Grecians if they demanded their bodies to be buried It was counted as Tacitus writeth in his Annalls great crueltie in Tiberius to forbid the buriall of the dead with whom the cruel brood of Rome deserveth to be ranked and that in the first place who not onely deny the buriall of the dead but with all inhumane abuses doe injurie the bodyes of the dead they come nothing short in this of the old typical Babel hindering as the Psalmist saith the buriall of the Saints bodyes Psal â—9 2.3 giuing them to be meat to the fowles of the heauen and their flesh unto the beasts of the earth but the Lord will one day as it is there render them seven-fold into their bosome Secondly they must not envie their captives but as they are Gods enemies and so they must hate them with a perfect hatred It is reputed as a foule fault in the Athenians and Lacedemonians otherwise the bravest souldiours in the world that they hated captives with an irreconciliable hatred Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4. pag. 2.3 which was in the end their onely overthrow Thirdly they must not like vulturs or Harpies reioycingly glut themselues in the sight of bloud-shed as the Dragon and the scarlet whore of Rome doth shee must be drunke with bloud ere shee bid hold or say it is enough Instances of this unquencheable bloud-thirst in them I could give you to-many take the carriage of Charles the 9 in the massacre of Paris for a scantling of the rest Beholding the bloudy bodies of the butchered professors and feeding his eye upon a woefull spectacle he breathed out this bloudy speech how good is the smell of the dead enemie Quam bonus est odor hostis mortui which speech it seemeth he had from that beastly and cruell Vitellius who having overcome Otho went into the field full of slaine bodyes notwithstanding as Tacitus saith of the fearfull spectacle filthy corrupt smell yet delighting in it he used the same saying Lib. 2. hist Hanibal Scotus that a slaine enemie smelled well but a slaine subiect better Tyrants must haue bloud though it be of their subiects Yet for all this crueltie unbeseening a man much more a King towards his subiects that furie of France wanted not a popish helhound to commend his crueltie in a set oration but as he lived a man of blouds so he made a bloudy end Another instance we haue in Queen mother of the house of Guise who was the contriver of the Parisian massacre shee confessed that shee delighted in nothing so much as in the slaughter of Professors of the Gospell although they were her owne subiects To these wee may joyne our owne Queene Mary who could never be satiated with the bloud of her subjects yea shee had preyed on the life of her owne sister if the Lord had not restreyned her and which is mounstrously unnaturall shee meant if
evil qualities of the wicked man this is reckoned as the chiefe Ps 140.1.2 that he is prone to war Release thou me Iehovah from the evill man from the man of wrong c. Every day they gather warres Yea in this the wicked man discovers the image of his father the devill Rev. 20.8.9 who being let loose after the thousand yeares expired goeth out to deceiue the people and to gather them together to battell Warre the wages of sin And for the second that it is the wages of sin and that the speciall it is as cleare as the first from plaine places of Scripture from Gods order in his proceeding and Davids avoyding of this when God gave him his choyce of the punishment For the first the Lord threatning to harden himselfe against his people in punishment as they had hardened themselves against him in sin Lev. 26.25 saith thus I will bring upon you a sword that shall avenge the quarrell or vengeance of my covenant It appeareth also in the order of Gods proceeding by comparing of places of Scripture together as the first and second Chap. of the prophesie of Ioel. The Lord having plagued his people with famine by the which they were not moved to repentance he coÌ„mandeth the Trumpet of war to be sounded telleth them that he would bring a fierce and cruell people against them whose mercilesse monstrons tyranny he compareth to the devouring of fire and for the fiercenesse of their consuming wrath he calleth that plague The day of the Lord a day of darkenes a day of blacknes Thirdly and lastly David delivereth thus much in choosing rather the plague Warre the cause of sin Rara fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur Lucan then the prevayling hand of the enemye 3. Warre is likewise the cause of much sin as pregnant testimonies and woefull experience teacheth The proverbe is as true as common That faith and pietie are rare in armes Wee may iustlie now with Erasm that great Maister in Arts take up the complaint made by him of his time Wee war continually Nation against Nation Kingdom against Kingdom Citie against Citie Prince against Prince People against People friend against friend kinsman against kinsmaÌ„ brother against brother yea son against the father which the very Heathen held impious and barbarous yea that which is most detestable of all Christian against Christian and yet there be saith he that commend and applaud this hellish practise for a holy course instigating the inflamed fury of Princes by adding oile to the flame as they say till all be consumed And what is come of this I may answer What evill is not come of it I may justly apply that of Aristophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Lypsius applyeth to the troubles of his time That God the heaven and earth hath set on fire In war renown honor wealth chastity life wiues and children yea and religion it selfe lyeth at the stake nothing so sacred no sex so tender no age so impotent which the barbarous souldier will not contaminate defloure and kill It is the souldiers sport as one saith truely to ruin houses to ravish Virgins to spoit Churches Iocus ludas in militia c. Ludo. vives in epist ad Henr. 8. Angl. reg Silent leges inter arma to consume Cities and Towns to ashes with sire yea these be the ornaments of war to profit none to hurt every one to respect neither sex nor age yea nor God himselfe for his in warr are neglected and the lawes of peace and war contemned All laws in Armes are silenc't by the sword The world for the proofe of this affoords a world of woefull experience both from sacred and profane Writ To omit the examples of ages past let us view with compassion the instances of our own times and as God usually doth commemorate his latest mercies to leade men to repentance and his latest judgements to terrifie men from their sinnes so let us look upon the latest warres in France Bohemia and the Palatinate Is it not with Gods people every where as it was with them in Asa his time There is no peace to him that goeth out or commeth in but great vexations are upon all the inhabitants of the Countries 2 Chron. 15.6 7. and Nation is destroyed of Nation And though my heart doth quake while I remember Et quanquaÌ„ animus meminisse horret Phil. 2.1 Yet to use the words of the Apostle If there be any confolation in Christ any comfort of loue any fellowship of the spirit any compassion and mercie behold all you that passe by your mournfull sisters Bohemia and the Palatinate with their torn hair about their eyes their vail taken away their crown fallen their sanctuaries defaced their people flain their land laid wast yong old Priest and people exposed to the immane and bloudy cruelty the beastly filthinesse and Ismaelitish mockerie of the cruell enemy In a word was there ever sorrows like to theirs Yea I may safely say the old Threns of Ieremy hath got a new subject And what is the immediate cause of all this evill of sin and punishment Tu bellum causa malorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even bloudy warre thou art the cause of all It is the part therfore of wise men saith one if they be not the more provoked to be quiet yea of good men if they be provoked to change peace into warre but so that they change war againe into peace with all possible conveniencie Men disposed to unnecessary warre are compared by some vnto two Gamsters whereof the one is undone and the other is never a whit the richer Plin. l. 8.2 for all the gain is in the box Compared also they may be fitly to the Elephant and the Dragon Plin. l. 8. c. 12. which in their cruel conflict are each killed by other The Dragon as it is written sucketh out the bloud of the Elephant and being drunke therewith the weight of the falling Elephant oppresseth the Dragon and crusheth out the bloud which some calleth but falsly sanguis Draconis but they both perish And so it often falleth out with the unadvised undertakers of warr Vpon this ensuing evill the wise and learned haue taken occasion to check the humors of Princes so disposed as Lodovic Vives to Pope Adrian and in his epistle to Henry the 8 King of England there his motiues and counsels against unnecessary warre are to be seen at large The proverbe is true indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sub melle venenunclâ—tet That warre is very sweet to those that never tasted it but those that taste it shall be forced to confesse that there is poyson under the honey This Hannibal the honour of Carthage knew very well when the Roman Embassadours came from Rome to treat of the continuance of peace one Gisco as great a coward as a vain-glorious bragger without either the practick or
pit against the Lord and his annoynted What warrant had they even by their pretended right to undertake warre Did ever Aaron under the Law or Peter under the Gospell levie Arms for the field But this their practise is agreeable to a rule of their own so it be for the good of the Church they never look for further authority then the Popes whom they pretend to haue authority Romish Clergie no persons authorized for war over heaven Hell and Putgatorie And what may they not then doe on earth But if they be prest to shew lawfull authority for the taking up of Arms I think the best evidence they can giue is some forged transcript from the back side of Constantines donation I may vvell resemble this Antichristian vvarfare for vvant of authority unto the vvar of that false Christ that arose in the raign of Traian the Emperour vvhose name vvas Barr Chochab that is sonne of the Star falsly alluding to that place of Numbers Numb 24.17 where Christ is truely so called but for his mocking of the people and blaspheming of God he was slain in the battell and called afterward Of him mention is made in the Talmud by the deluded people Bar Coziba that is the son of falshood And such indeed are the Iesuites the very Incendiaries of unlawfull warres or if you will you may compare them in this case with that rebellious rout of the Iews vvhich called themselus zelators under colour of fighting for religion and common-wealth they choosed for their Chiefetains the grand-captains of vvickednesse they committed cruelties outrages and impieties of all sorts Insomuch that Vespasian Ioseph de bell lud lib. 4 ch 5 lib. 7. Lieftenant generall to Nero vvas sent to suppresse them vvhose termes of peace by the mouth of Iosephus from him offered they scorned by their going on so that as Iosephus Vespasian vvas forced to proceed to vvar vvhich as it continued a long time so it discovered these goodly Zealators The Iesuiteslike the Zelators vvho in their extremity set the Temple on fire and brought utter ruin upon themselus vvith the death of a million of men Iust so these Babilonish brattes pretend Religion as appeareth especially in their new Psalter or seven-fold Psalmody The gunpowder psalter vvith the hymnes vvhereof they solaced themselues in the expectation of the Cunpoâ—â—der Iubilee but their aim indeed is the racing out of Religion the ruin of Kingdoms Psal 4. and the disposing of them at their pleasure In one of their hellish hymns they tell us that holy King Edward and gracious Queen Elizabeth were the curses of the land vvho indeed vvere great blessings they shew vvhat fire vve haue deserved and vvhat fire in effect they had provided for us praying heartily that the hearts of the labourers therein may be strengthned Another of their Hymnns is all full of triumph namely how after the year of visitation and Ioy of Iubilie Ierusalem should be built again and the second glory thereof should be greater then he first But vvhat authority had these fire-work-men in that tempestuous night as they call it to blow up a vvhole State and to dispose of our Kingdom at their pleasure A man vvould not think that they had any but from the Pope and such a devill whose name is Legion yet they point in their psalm at a Fabius and Marcellus both in one person whom they call a second Cyrus stirred up to confirm his Scepter for the good of his people Who this should be except it be the Popes eldest sonne whom the Iesuites hold to be the great Lord of the world I know not But this I am sure of that Tarquinius Furius hath more fire in his bosome and more snakes in his hands to devoure us and to set up their Cyrus then ever they had The heads of Hydra increase and such a number of Todes come out of the brains of the Pope and Serpents out of the raynes of the Iesuites that they cover the face of the earth especially of these Kingdoms But we had need to awake for if we come to the Popes disposing which the great God forbid vvithout doubt the Iesuites Cyrus should not vvant his double portion for the obtaining vvhereof Viriatus vvants not his ovvn stratagem CHAPT V. Of the Vertue of a Souldier THe second personall circumstance is vertue 2 Vertue by which I meane not barely those morall vertues wherewith the heathens were rarely gifted as Caesar Pompei c. who indeed by these make our age blush but also those cardinall or Theologicall vertues 1. Tim. 6.6 Exodus 10. 21. Non sunt verae virtutes sed umbrae called somtimes by the name of godlines and sometimes the feare of God and that because the feare of God or godlines is the fountaine and foundation of all other vertues Where this is not as one saith well the rest are not true vertues indeed but shadowes It is worth the observation that where God amongst the rest of his blessings doth promise that their war shall prosper Deut. 28.3 He first blesseth the person he must be a good man before he be a good and acceptable souldyer to God God will not accept or blesse the action at least to that partie before he blesse and accept the person but the person being accepted howsoever it fall out it is a blessing to him Such especially should be the commanders from the highest to the lowest yea as every one excelleth in eminency so he should labour to excel in true pietie and that for these reasons First 2. King 16. Reasons of vertues necesitie Tanto conspectius in se crimen habet quanto qui peccat major babeâ—ur a fault in the face is foule and the greater person the greater sin Secondly the sin of such is exemplarie and therefore a double sin Let Vitellius play the ryot Tiberius the drunkard will the souldiers be sober Let Sardanapalus sit down to the distaffe will his souldiers care for armes Let Nero play the Mad-man or rather the monster of men will not his souldiers be as mad and monstrons as he Let Ieroboam be an Idolator all his followers will be of that fashion Let Lewis 11 be an egregious dissembler his Courteours will be of that cut Thirdly as nothing corrupts more theÌ„ evil example so nothing is of more force to correct theÌ„ their good example When Lewis the 11 of France scorned learning all the Court Nobles thought it but foolery but Francis the 1 both being learned himself and affecting the learned every state fell to affect learning As the Romane Emperours and coÌ„manders were good or bad so were the souldiers better or worse As valour failed in King Iohn he began to submit to the Pope so his subjects were content to put their necks under forreigne Government but as Edward the third rose up to be the hammer of popish power to challenge maintaine his right
and quarrell and out-face heaven and earth by his sinnes he is fitter to be a souldier saith the Matchiavillist then he that will say surely and truely and so forth because such a one is a meer Puritan and so weak and faint-hearted that the enemy doth not fear him To come then to the answer of the point there is nothing more impious then the Position and nothing falser then the reason For the first is there any thing more impious then to prefer Paganism to Piety If this had been good in vain had Iohn perswaded the doubtfull Souldiers to take a holy course Likewise the reason that true Religion maketh men cowards it is against all reason against the nature of true magnanimity the power of Religion and the experience of time Standeth it with reason that hee that hath the strongest on his side should haue the least courage True magnanimity makes a man couragious to undertake the good and hate and abhor the evill as a base thing unworthy of such a spirit Who but the religious doe so The power of religiō Also the power of religion doth tie a man that hath it to his God assuring him if he loose this life he shall haue a better The souldier thus perswaded in his conscience and bearing Arms for a good cause as for the glory of God the defence of Religion the good of his Countrey and credit of his Prince will not loue his life unto death in the doing of his service Caesar tells us that the ancient Gaules were a generous and warlike people wherof he giues this ground that they resolutely beleeved the immortality of the soule Haue not all the true Worthies of the world bin religious ones Who more truly magnanimious Who more valorous victorious then David yet a man for zeal piety according to Gods own heart Who more couragious then holy Constantine who vanquished Licinius bringing peace to the Gospell and establishing the Gospel of peace What glorious victories had godly Theodosius who was Gods gift to the Church indeed against the Barbarians and other enemies of the Empire I could bring many other instances but these will suffice The wicked errant Cowards And as none more worthy then such so none more unworthy then irreligious Athiests the openly prophane or rotten hypocrite Was there ever a greater coward then Gajus Caligula Sueton. in Calig ca. 51 Dion in Calig who would hide his head at the Thunder And marching one time on foot through a streight with his Army was put in mind by one if the enemy should charge them what fear they might be in like a cowardly Atheist he mounts himselfe in an instant and fled with all his might though no man pursued him Let the word a witnesse beyond all exception determine this question The sinners in Syon are afraid fearfulnesse hath surprized the hypocrites Esa 33.14 For how can that man stand who is pursued by God and an ill conscience Other instances I might giue of great Tyrants yet starke Cowards but I can giue but a touch onely let me commend to you an instance of this kind worth your observation As the Kings of Iudah were holy and religious so they were valorous and victorious they were as God promised they should be the head and not the tayle but on the contrary as they were impious and idolatrous so they became degenerous and cowardly and so they became as God threatned the taile and not the head And as it is with Commanders so it is with souldiers The vertue of a souldier Xiphil apud Dion in Marc Anto. remarkeable and miraculous was that blessing that God gaue to Marcus Anthonius the Philosopher and his Army and that by means of the Christian companies that warred under him in his war against the Marcomans and Quadians He and his whole Army were inclosed in a dry country having no means to come by water but through a streight passage which the enemy kept and were like to be lost without one strok the Emperours Generall in this distresse told him that he had a Legion of Christians in his Army which could obtain any thing of their God that they prayed for the Emperour hereupon thought himselfe not too good to intreat them this office which they willingly and heartily performed in the name of Christ God as hee is ready to hear answered their desires with lightning upon their enemies and plenty of rain upon themselus which they kept in their Targets and Head-peeces and drunk Whereupon such fear fell upon their enemies that through terrour they were vanquished without stroke wherefore the Emperour called them The Thundering Legion and honoured them ever after and all Christians for their sakes But some will object object doe we not see and reade that men monstrously wicked haue behaved themselues to death so valorously in the field that their names haue no mean place in the book of valour I answer answ ambition may provoke a man to buy a bed of earthly honour vvith his dearest bloud or unadvisedly he may adventure not counting what it may cost him but if he should compare this life with eternall death attending after it upon all those that are not in Christ he durst not for a world be so prodigall of this life except he knew of a better yea he would quake and tremble at the verie thought of death Then to conclude this point as Ioshu◠had a resolution that he and his house would serue the Lord and as David would haue the faithfull to serue him so let those that will be Gods warriours be good warriours For as the evill carriage of Souldiers both Popish and Protestant haue laid Christian Kingdoms open to the Turkes tyrannie so we must confesse to our shame that our unworthy walking and walking after the flesh betrayes our good cause into the hand of the man of sin whose souldiours doe not prevaile because their carriage is better then their cause for both are starke naught but hee cannot endure that in his own Numb 2.31 which for a time he will in his enemies The Midianites that caused the Israelites to sin vvere vvorse then the Israelites but God first corrected his own people and then vexed the Midianites Last of all object 2 If any say that this my frame of a Souldier is like Sir Thomas Moore his Vtopia or Tully his Orator shewing rather what should be then what possible can be I answer it is true answ if we respect the perfection of the thing but it doth not follow that we should not labour for perfection No phisicall rules can be laid down nor receipts given to reduce the body to a perfect latitude of health yet still the Phisitians prescribe and study On all hands Valeat quātum valere potest Aut tales inveniant aut faciant Let bee done what can be done And first let one labour to be such and if they cannot finde such let them striue to make
rather perish then unity Pereat unuâ— potius quâ— unitas â—especially where it is deserved They must know how â—ardly souldiers are kept in order and vvhat a dangerous â—ing disorder is in warre To conclude this point I wish from my heart that our souldiers now may deserue the commendation that Iosephus gaue to the Romane souldiers They so obsequiously obeyed their Commanders that in peace the were an ornament and in warre the whole Army was as on body so that with ready eares and quick eies to receiuâ— signes and precepts they performed their service couragiously and strennuously How could they then saith he not conquer CHAP. VIII Of the lawfull undertaking of War THVS having shewed the personall circumstances 1 Causes to be made known 2 Reparation demanded 3 And lastly warr to be denounced 〈◊〉 come to the third main circumstance of the description namely the lawfull undertaking of it A war may be lawfull in it selfe and yet unlawfully undertaken As for noâ— making the causes known not requiring reparation of the wrong and finally for not denouncing of the warre All these were observed by the Israelites in repairing the wrong done to the Levite and his Concubine For first the Tribeâ— sent to Gibeah to expostulate the wickednesse vvith Beâ—jamin Ludg. 20. they demanded those children of Belial that were the malefactors that by putting them to death evill might be done away To the which when the children of Benjamit would not hearken Israel makes war against them which doubtlesse was denounced upon the denyall as appeareth by the Benjamits taking notice of it and preparing themselues to intertain the vvar Iudg. 20.11.12 c. In which passage it is not amisse to obserue that Marginall note of rebeâ—ion Scripture abuse by thâ— Doct. of Doway of the Doctors of Doway made upon the place That omission or contempt to punish haynous crimes is a just cause to make warre against any people Their bloudy conclusioÌ„ falsly observed from the premisse I shall after haue occasioÌ„ to hanâ—â—e for the preseÌ„t let this suffice They force the Text against the minde of the holy Ghost For howsoever the people â—â—ere devided in tribes yet it vvas one intire politique body 〈◊〉 heads vvhereof might call any offenders to an account â—hich they might not haue done if they had been under â—stinct dominions and policies But of this more hereafter 〈◊〉 To the present matter that this proceeding is requisite Reasons it 〈◊〉 not onely cleere from the law of nature and nations but also from the law of God the continued practise both of Gods people of the heathen In the booke of the law the â—ord commandeth his people when they come to fight against a Cittie they should proclaime peace which if they entertayned then were they to saue them make them tributaries But if they should reject the condition theÌ„ were they to beâ—eige the Cittie to smite the people to take the spoile to themselves Deut. 20.10.11.12 So the tribes by Embassadors examined the Reubenites erecting of the Altar before they would war against them Iosh 22.12 Yea God himself who for his dominion and power both in heaven and earth is â—alled the Lord of hosts keepeth this selfe same course in his proceeding against the rebellious sonnes of men For proofe here of the Scripture is copious I will therefore point out one place in the prophesie of Hosea Blow ye the cornet in Giheah the trumpet in Ramah cry aloud Ch. 5.8 or beat up the drum at 〈◊〉 thaveÌ„ after thee O Beniamin As here the Prophet describeth the treacherie and rebellion of the people against God so he beingeth in God as it were comming in armes or marching in battle-ray against the people But withall he willeth the priests and watchmen upon the wall to giue them warning 〈◊〉 by sound of trumpet and beating of the drumme to proâ—aime the Lords comming that they might prepare themselves to meet the Lord by repentance And this God doth 〈◊〉 shew the equitie of his wayes that as he giveth lawes to â—thers he will be a law to himselfe The heathens that know not God were strict in this course Belli aequitas sanctissime feciali populi Romani jure praescripts est nam nullum bellum justuÌ„ nisi quod denunciatuÌ„ sit indictum lib. 1. de off as appeareth by an in violable rule of war mentioned by Tullie The equitie of war doth religiouily require that by an herauld of armes from the Romane Senate war should be proclaimed For no war saith he can be just which is not before denounced and proclaymed This forme of denouncing war was first taken up amongst the heathens by one Rhesis as witnesseth the ‘ Author de viris illustribus cap. 5. Author of worthy men brought into Rome as Livi witnesseth by Ancus Marcius their King the forme whereof wee finde in sundry Authors of note ê° Livi lib. 1. Gell. lib. 10. A herauld of Armes with two sufficient witnesses was tâ— fling a speare into the Territories of the enemie Vpon the inlargment of their dominions they had a Pillar which they called the Pillar of war from which they flung a bloudy speare that was kept in the Temple of Mars toward the enemy on whom they vvere to vvar â— Columna bellica This was likewise the custome of the Persians c Ammians Marcellinus lib. 16. CHAPT IX Against whom to War THe fourth circumstance following in the description An enemie must be the obiect of war concerneth the object of war or the partie against whom we are to war namely an internall or externall enemie So did rhe Israelites in their warres commanded against the seven nations or in their warres permitted upon occasion against their enemies So the Israelits against the Beniamits for they were become Gods enemies and the enemies of the common-wealth The Lord will not suffer his people to meddle vvith the Moabites because they vvere friends in the flesh though untovvard ones permitting yet by Gods mercy his people to passe by them paying for the necessaries they tooke of them So neither with the Ammonites not theirs did they meddle Deut. 2.9.19 Iacobus Ruardus Comment de divers Reg. jur It was a Law amongst the Romanes that upon controversies arising friendship should be given up and deadly enmity openly profest beâ—ore they made warre upon them Hence it appeareth how unwarrantably against the Law of Nature and Nations the Duke of Bavaria hath taken up Armes against his deer and faithfull friend without just cause or good occasion given him by him or his Croesus was demanded by Socrates vvhat vvas the preciousest thing he had gained by his greatnesse Max. Serm. 6. He answered revenge upon his foes and advancement of his friends What a vile thing is it then to take vengeance on the friend and to advance the foe A hurtfull friend is worser then a foe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
plain with him as a friend lest afterward he might be deceived that hee had another fault intollerable in any man much lesse in a King There was no truth in his words no sincerity in his heart he trusted no body neither was hee trusted by any At which Macduâ—â— brake forth in these speeches Away with thee saith he the dishonour of the name of Kings a monster rather to be abandoned society then to be called to rule a Kingdom With which speeches going away in a great rage the King got him by the hand and told him hee put the case but to try him for he was no such man indeed Hist rer Scoti lib. 7. yea there was not a more religious faithfull just and magnanimious King amongst them all then he was Davids lie to Achimelech did more hurt then if twenty others had lyed 1 Sam. 21.2 he said the King had commanded him some secret businesse which was not so indeed And though he coyned upon neer necessity yet cannot he be excused of infirmity although he made no trade of it This lye cost the Priests their liues as he ingenuously confessed 2 Sam. 22.22 I haue occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house Besides this fault in great Ones as Kings Generals and Councellours makes inferiours of all sorts to count lying a grace The Courteours of Meroe a Kingdom of India counted themselues highly graced with limping and halting because the King halted Exemplary sin in great Ones maketh sin common and vice once common is counted novice but vertue though a lyar as the Poet saith is to bee hated to hell Yet for all this that hell is so hugely inlarged upon earth that we are become like the Egiptians who had no punishment for lying Nullus modus mentiendi summa meÌ„tiendi impunitas Alex. lib. 6 cap. 10. nor no measure in lying Two sinnes of all other the Persians most abhorred lying and breaking these two of all others bear now no little sway Yet it were our best to break off this sin For though we may lye by authority and no man can call us to account yet God will call us to an account for every idle word much more for every lye And though there be no penalty on earth yet the Iudge of heaven and earth hath appointed hell hereafter for lyers if they leaue not of and repent Rev. 22.15 Without shall be dogs saith the Lord and whosoever loveth and maketh a â—ye But some may reply what would you haue a Spy to doe how shall he accomplish his businesse except he deliver some untruths To which I answer as his calling is lawfull so he must use it lawfully whatsoever he doth he must not sin God putteth sin as a necessity upon no man he may conceale the truth or some part of the truth change his habite make shew of what he meaneth not to doe In all which he must take heed that they be not in matter of Religion for that will endure no part of dissimulation But some may instance that stratagem of Hushai in subverting the counsell of Achitophel wherein it seemeth he delivereth sundry untruthes 2 Sam. 16.16 and that against his knowledge as first he saluteth Absolom by the name of King and that he would be his and serue him Vers 18. Fuit officiosum meÌ„dacium Ambigue sermone ludificatur Osiander answereth that it was an officious lye but Iunius better That he dallied with Absolom in a doubtfull speech Peter Martyr pleadeth for warrant Divine instinct because David so directed him ch 15. v. 34. But howsoever if there were either untruth or equivocation in it it is no warrant for us CHAP. XXX The Oppugnation of an Hold. NOW I come more particularly to the oppugning and defending of an Hould wherein I mean to be briefe because the particulars of the service dependeth much upon the circumstances of the subject First then to the Assaylants There be two kinds of waies as Writers well obserue and experience teach Obsidendi duas esse species Veg. lib. 4. cap. 7. to besieg any place either by continued assault or by cutting off all supply of means wherby they may be forced to yeeld The latter of these is first to be attempted Fame potius quam ferro as Caesar well observed The Assaylants having chosen the best advantage of ground for entrenching of themselnes and planting of their Ordinance they are in the first place to look well to themselues Cum negligentia intervenerit paribus insidiis suliacent obsidentes Veget. lib. 4 cap. 28. for if neglect or carelessenesse overtake them as one well observeth they are subject to as great danger as the besieged Claudian the Poet both expresseth the danger and directeth the remedy multis damnosa fuere gaudia dispersi pereunt somnoque soluti Too many often joy Secure doth hurt whom lazie sleep doth slay The Apollinates whom Phillip besieged served him such a trick in the night time through the besiegers neglect they took in the Roman supply their enemies not knowing All the day following they kept themselues very quiet giving occasion to the Assaylant of security but in the silence of the night they sallyed forth without any noyse and possest themselues of the enemies Camp where they slew some thousands Livi lib. 33. and took more then they slew the King himselfe without his cloaths very hardly escaped Frontine gaue the same caution upon the same ground For whether the Assaylant saith he be taken with sleep or surfet or idlenesse or with any neglect of their place the besieged on a suddain sallyeth out they take kill consume and spoile with fire they undoe all their works take their munition In a word they marr all in an houre that the enemy hath been making and devising many daies moneths yea it may be years Therefore saith he they must look to guard themselues with all manner of defence and vigilancy as trenches towers Lib. 4. c. 28 or sconses against eruptions as well as with means to assault For men being blocked up where they must either fight starue or yeeld it may be to a cruell and faithlesse enemy they make a vertue of necessity the pinch putteth them to their wit and despaire strengthneth their resolution Foelices saepe sine ratione upon the wings whereof they are carryed to desperate attempts wherein they proue often happy beyond all reason Hereupon as the Assaylant must secure himselfe so in the next place he must keep the besieged doing Fiuethings necessary for the oppugnant To direct the Assaylant against the besieged these fiue things are requisite he must be wise cunning dilligent constant and upon occasion wisely adventurous By the first he is taught not to persist against that which must needs cost him more then it is worth The second includeth all lawfull stratagems whereby every wise Assaylant should labor to possesse himselfe of any
wee not prosper in any thing whither soever wee goe as Iosuah did euen because wee doe not as Iosuah did Wee walke not according to all the law of God which he hath commanded and yet for all this if we would turne to the Lord wee need not to feare the increase of their forces It is true that they doe increase and must once make a head that in great number for as the great Whore sitteth upon many waters that is as the spirit expoundeth to be the inhabitants Kings of the earth so the three uncleane spirits come out of the mouth of the DragoÌ„ of the beast of the false Prophet to gather the Kings of the earth of the whole world to the battle of Harmagiddon that they may the more prevayle they come with lying miracles in iudgment to those whom they doe deceive You see their number must be great for they must be many Kings yea of the whole world in account theÌ„ there must needs be many people to maintayne the tottring Kingdom of the devill wheÌ„ it is euen at the downefull Yet for all these hands they shall haue enough to doe The Angell that powreth out the seventh violl saith it is done Rev. 16. yea the cup of the wine of the fiercenes of Gods wrath shal be giueÌ„ her by the hand of Gods litle flocke The multitude shal neyther maintayne her nor themselves but all shall perish together Avoide superstition The seventh thing to be looked to is that superstition be avoyded whereunto as corrupt nature is very subject In Moral so most of all in extremitie A superstitious man as Plutarch well observeth feareth every thing except that which he should feare Foure especiall wayes doe men in this particular commit superstition by consulting with sorcerers or southsayers How many waies superstition is coÌ„mitted by taking some casualties as ominous by observing of dayes and by seeking to Idols To the first Gaius Marius had a Witch out of Scythia with whom he alwaies consulted of the event of warr Front lib. 1 Cap. 11. before he undertooke it Did not Saul in the like case seeke to the Witch at Endor They who forsake God and whom God hath forsaken may run to the devil for counsell for that is all their refuge yea when men take that course it is a shrewd evidence that they are forsaken of God As he would not answere God with any kindly obedience so God would not answere him by any manner of manifestation not by a dreame for he had no temper of the spirit not by the Vrim or Priest for he had killed the faithfull ones and so in his greatest necessitie he wanted the comfort of them not by a Prophet for he despised the spirit he runneth therefore to the devills dame for so the word doth signifie or the mother of a familiar â—al alah obâ— 1. Sam. 28. and she must tell him what shall be the event of the battel When God leaveth men to themselues they know not what to doe all his wit and policie and all the cunning of his courtiers could not helpe him out with this lurch This amongst the rest made way for Pompeys overthrow for he consulted with a woeman of Thessaly who brought him a souldier as he thought from the dead Luc. lib. 6. declaring to him the bad successe of the Pharsalian battel Iulian after his apostacie betooke him wholy to Sorcerers and Conjurers Richard the third made this a speciall part of his counsel Iames the third of Scotland was much corrupted with this kind of vermin and so much was the more pittie for he was a Prince of excellent parts but he plagued himselfe with two sorts of euill beasts namely superstitious figure-flingers and cater-piller favorits whereby he brought desolation upon the land and himselfe to an untimely end Considering Gods hatred against the sin and the euill end of all such as haue taken this course it is a wonder especially that men illuminated should looke this way but whom God will destroy he giueth them up to corruption of judgement and madnesse of mind as Austin well observeth of Saul being become a reprobate he could not haue a good understanding Mox reprâ—bus factus non potuit habere bonuÌ„ intellectum As for the Papists conjuring and consultation it is a main part of their Leiturgie Yea they haue one tricke more of this kind namely to giue Amulets to souldiers going to fight whereby they assure them of securitie from all hurt A worthy Historiam giueth an instance of this The French under the conduct of Charles Alobroge going against Geneva in the yeare of our Lord 1502 had Amulets from their charming fathers to hang about their necks wherein were ingraven crosses with the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell the name of Mary Iesus of the Trinitie with many odd Characters inscriptioÌ„s promising to all those that should wear them that they should not perish that day by earth water nor the sword But the devill was cunning enough to cozen theÌ„ Salustius Pharamumdus de adventu Alobrogum in Genevam for though they scaped those particulars yet they perished another way In the night their Characters were taken from them they were strangled and blowne in the ayre Iesuits know it is foule play to wear amulets in fight and against the lawes of Armes and yet they will be doing Let such as loue soule or life beware of these for such things haue neyther hid force nor elementary qualitie to saue or preserve Austin of such hath a very good speech with a counsell subioyned Many saith he being driven to a strayt seeke helpe of the devill in the persons of Charmers or Enchaunters and in the supposed force of Amulets what is this but to goe to our invisible enemies who kill the soule perswading us that there is no helpe with God The eares of such saith he are shut at the voice of God saying In Psalm 34. the Lord is my salvation but let us saith the father inquire of God and not of any other for our deliverance is of God howsoever he worke it by lawfull secundary meanes which wee may use but all the meanes of charming wee must hate as the devill from whence they are The second thing to be avoided is an ominous construction of casualties When Scipio transported his souldiers out of Italie unto Africa as he went a shore his foot slip and he fell on his face whereat his souldiers being astonished conconceiving it as a token of evill successe Scipio with a braue courage making a better construction Goe sport your selues said he my souldiers for I haue already taken possession of Affrica It is fit for avoyding this that a wise Generall be seen in some measure in the causes of naturall things which seeming to the ignorant prodigious they may therin giue them satisfaction Lucius Sulpicius Gallus foretold to his souldiers the Eclips of the
the evils for we haue not one golden Calfe but many so would to God every one of Gods people would reforme one and that Moses and Aaron the Magistrate and Minister would both reforme themselues and others by the due and holy imployment of their severall powers in their places and every one in the so doing must cast out his beloved sinne Samuel shewing the Israelites the way how to return layeth down a good and perfect rule in this case 1 Sam. 7.4 which will never deceiue us If you will return to the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange gods and Ashteroth from among you What was not Ashteroth a strange god Yes and the greatest Idoll Why is it singled out then Because it was their beloved Idol So every one hath his Ashteroth his beloved sin which though it seem a little one to himselfe like Zohar yet it is the greatest of all Ashterah it may seem an Ashterah a sheep but it is indeed a wolfe in sheeps clothing At this then must we strike and neither at great nor small so much as at this He that conquereth this overcommeth 〈◊〉 but where this beareth sway no sin is truely overcome And so much Samuel intimateth by the speech as if he should explane himselfe further You say well you will return to God you will amend what is amisse if you will doe it indeed this is the right way to work put away Ashteroth and so must we doe if we mean that God shall heare us and help us The cause of Nehemiahs diligence in reforming of the Sabboth after the return from the captivity was not onely conscience of obedience or because the sincere keeping of the rest of the commandements dependeth much upon the keeping of this but also as it is plainly in the Text expressed because it was Israels speciall sinne and the ground of other sinnes for the which especially the Lord had plagued them Did not your fathers thus saith he and did not our God bring all this evill upon us and upon the Citie Nebem 13.18 yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabboth I wish to God that the Vnited Provinces and all other that professe the Gospell would looke to this The Pharisaicall Papist being zealous of his Idoll-daies making the Lords day being his own commandement of none effect doth much insult over us that we hold it a morall commandement and yet do yeeld so little obedience to it together with this that we retain some of their devised holydaies The like amendment I might presse of many other sinnes though I cannot touch all in particular The Lord touch our hearts with the sense of every particular That Cardiack life of swilling sweating and swearing Bibere sudare est vita Cardiaci must be done away David and all his must not onely turn away his eyes from beholding the vanity of Stage-plaies and other idlements but he must whip out with Augustus that counterfeiting rabble that God never made The abhorring or liking of Stage-plaies was holden amongst the Romans for a note of a bade or a good Emperour I will not trouble this Treatise with the discovery of these hypocrites onely hear a little of that which one once much affected with them soundeth out against them in a retreat for so the Treatise is called he professeth on his knowledge that he found Theaters to be the very hatchers of all wickednesse as brothels of baudry the black blasphemy of the Gospell the Sabboths contempt the seat of scorning yea even of God himselfe the danger of the soule the disorder and cankar of the Common-wealth He instanceth in his own knowledg Citizens wiues confessing on their death-beds that they were so impoysoned at Stage-plaies that they brought much dishonour to God Pag. 43. wrong to their husbands and marriage bed weakenesse to their wretched bodies and woe to their undone soules Bodin the Civilian calleth them the schooles of filthinesse Turpitudinis scholae vitioraÌ„â—eâ—tinae and sinks of sinne insomuch that they are not worthy of a chaste eare nor of an honest mans presence But I hope in a Treatise onely of that subject more fully to discover the sin and to set them forth in their colours wherein I shall be able to proue that the Stage-player and Stagehunter breaketh all the ten commandements in an eminent manner The Stage is one of the Iesuits schooles from which these vile Varlets haue cast so much dirt upon the face of the King of Brittain and of his children with their Issue that I think they should be as hatefull to them in a manner as calumnious devils for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or devils indeed As for the counter-railing of that prostituted Crue it stands neither with grace nor wit to make devils on our side Antagonists to other Devils it is also a bad requitall by the States of all Gods mercies to grieue his spirit by those plaguie plaies yea it is fearfull on the Lords day to make them a part of princely intertainment It was the observation of an ancient Hollander in Leyden upon the insurrection of the Armenians that hee feared God would being some great evill upon them for the Stage-plaies that did so abound for he remembred that before that firebrand Duke de Alva was flung amongst them that this plague was begun amongst them The Lord giue them and others to rid the land of them The Lord threatneth to be gone and hee will be gone indeed both from Camp and Cittie except we put away these evils from before his eyes But to conclude this point up and doe as you haue heard and the Lord no doubt will be with you and delight to doe you good in your deliverance I will not as some doe pawn my soule for assurance because it is not mine to pawn but I will assure you on a better pawn namely the promise and practise of God whose promises are all Yea and Amen and his practise like himselfe unchangeable for ever The booke of God is so large in this that I need not be any thing large in the proofe of it take but that one place of Samuel mentioned where after that Israel had humbled themselues and got their peace made with God and Samuel to cry mightily to God for them the Lord taketh the work of their hands he incountreth with the enemy by thundering from heaven upon them 1 Sam. 7. the earth trembled under them the lightning blasted them all wrought for his people against them Our God is the very selfe same God and they our enemies be the Philistims Would we become such as this people all the creatures of God should be inarmed in zeale to take vengeance on our enemies Yea I am perswaded that if the enemy should see us take such courses it would daunt 〈◊〉 more then thefeare of any forces that we can make if they should see us taking up the controversie
themselues As the conquered is thus to respect their owne honour Touch nâ— idolatrie so especially they are to respect the honour of God in matter or manner of religion that neither for feare of death nor desire of deliverance they admit any point of false worship The three children are a good patterne herein that preferred obedience to their God before place preferment before the Kings favour yea to life it selfe Amongst many other instaÌ„ces of this nature I reade of some in the Scottish historie pertinent to the matter in hand When the castle of Saint Andrewes was takeÌ„ by the French there were may of good fashion put into the French Gallies but the chiefe men of birth place as the two Liflyes the Laird of Grange others were committed to strong holds in France wherein were Captains by whom they were much pressed to heare masse but they replyed that though they had their bodies in keeping yet they had no command over their consciences neither would they do any thing against their consciences if the King himselfe would command them Those that were in the Gallies were no lesse resolute for being arrived at Nanses and the great Salve being sung a gaudie picture of the Lady was offered to them to kisse amongst the rest a Scottishman being urged he meekly desired them not to trouble him for he knew it was one of the devils iewels and a cursed idoll and therefore said he I will not touch it But the Patron and the Arguisier with two officers having the chiefe charge of all such business thrust the idoll on his face and put it betweene his hands whereof when he saw he could not be rid he tooke it verie orderly in his hands and looking advisedly upon it he flung it into the river and said let our lady now save herselfe sure shee is light enough let her learne to swim After which they urged no Scottishman with their idolls Let men keepe themselues from idolls and God will keepe them if it were in the middest of a firie furnace I cite these the rather because a great many of our Mirmaid-Professors thinke outward presence at Mass very lawfull though it be not inforced and for such vaine toyes they esteeme them as they are if a man be compelled who will hazard his life or libertie for such a small matter but let me tell such that he that will save his life so shall loose it and he that will loose his life rather then dishonour God in the least thing shall saue it The Israelits in their captivitie are straitly enioyned to quit themselues of the customes of the nations that is not to defile themselvs with any of their Idols though they were to obey in all things lawfull Yea when they should see the heathens dote upon their idolls they should boldly say unto them the gods that haue not made the heavens and the earth they shall perish from the earth Ier. 10.11 and from under the heavens I wish that the afflicted in the Palatinat and Bohemia may so quit themselues for they be in great danger and so much for this particular CHAP. XLVII Of the patience of the conquered THe conquered in the next place with his generous behavior must ioyne continued patience which is able to beat into powder the hardest adamant of affliction yea here indeed is the proper place of patience and in this it hath the perfect worke ‘ NunquaÌ„ est patientiae virtus in prosperis nota lib. 11 Moral Rom. 5.3 The vertue of pacience saith Gregory is not knowen in prosperitie Therefore the Apostle setteth downe patience as a fruite of tribulation in the godly Tribulation worketh patience Lactantius hence giveth a reason why good men come under the power of ill men namely that they may learne patience and have occasion to exercise †Necesse est iustum viruÌ„ in potestate esse hominis in justi ut patientiam capiat patientia enim malorum perlatio est de Divin instit lib. 5. patience for patience hath his proper vvork in evill not as Seneca saith very diuine-like ‘ Incommoda non sunt optabâ—lia sed virtus qua perferuntur Epist 68. that wee should desire evill for the manifestation of our patience as to be overcome by the enemie to be forsaken of our friends but if those evills fall upon us wee should desire herein to manifest our patience For the better pressing of you in your present condition to the practize of this dutie giue me leave to unfold briefly these foure heads wherein the summe of this duetie both for knowledge and practize doth consist namely The sum of paâ—ience câ—nsisteth in 4 things Ignotinuilâ— Cupido the excellencie of it the necessitie of it the motives to it and the meanes to come by it For the first we must first of all know what true patience is wee cannot otherwise desire it yea wee may cozen our selues as many doe with a shew or shadow of patience without any true substance therefore I doe not meane by patience an apatheticall sâ—upiditie or sencelesnes whether stoicall or naturall whereby men become like blockes under the burthen by setting a presse upon their hearts neyther that seeming patience from the teeth outward which some in their troubles proclaime to men yet with an inward grudge as it were or dislike of Gods hand which Gregorie termeth well VelamentuÌ„ furoris non virtus mansuâ—tudinis Homil 35. in Luc. 21. a vaile of furie not a vertue of patience nor last of all that meere morall vertue of the heathens wherewith they were so highly gifted and did so manifest the same in their lives and deaths that they may make us ashamed but by patience I understand that fruit of the spirit or that grace of God whereby his children doe beare and out-beare every thing willingly and constantly that the Lord doth lay upon them and that in obedience to his will so that it differenceth the godly under the crosse not onely from the openly wicked raging and reviling but also from the best meerly morall or civill men of the world whose outside of patience maketh so glorious a shew to the world What saith Melancthon is the patience of Socrates or Marius or as Austin of Fabricius Scipio or Regulus in comparison of the patience of the Saints even as the chaffe to the wheate or base metall to the purest gold It is true they endured and that to the death but as Melancthon it was a bare outside their was no life in it it wanted faith for the ground Gods honour for the end consolation for the friut and effect There be none of those three in philosophicall patience and therefore Austin saith well of this subiect that a man can haue no true vertue except he be justified in by Christ Contra â— lâ—g lib. 4 neyther can any be iustified but he that liveth by faith such were neither Scipio nor any of the rest
Super Psal â—â— the godly are the gold with a great deale of drosse in them and God himselfe is the skilfullest Artist then let him purge and try while he will let him make the fire of what height he will let me as gold lye still in the hand of the Workman till hee take me forth The drosse shall be purged but thou art in no danger to be consumed The wicked are but hewers of wood and bringers in of fewell and plaies the scullions to cleanse and scoure things but the great Artist of heaven looketh to the fire himselfe that it shall not be one degree higher then it should be Yea the crosse being sanctified makes the vanity of all earthly things so manifest that they see no help in any thing saue onely in the Lord of heaven and earth There is more good under affliction then wee are aware of to judge it by the taste or to censure it by the outside will never bring patience but consider it in the effects as it is namely a bitter medicine out of the sweetning hand of a good father as it is sanctified by the power of Christ to all that are in Christ both by power and participation and we shall not onely be patient in it but also blesse God for it It openeth the eare it cleareth the eie it maketh great with God as sicknesse it cleareth the body it quickneth the spirit as blowing doth the fire although these seem at first to suppresse them In a word as many good medicines are picked out of ranke poyson so out of the rock of affliction groweth a soveraigne Panacea Yea as one poyson is antidotary to another so the poyson of affliction expelleth the poyson of sinne Sub medicamento positus ureris secaris tlamas non audit ad voluntatem sed ad sanitatem Super Psal 21. Let man know saith Austen that God is a Phisitian and tribulation is the medicine and that for our soules health Thou art under cure thou art seared thou art cut thou cryest God heareth but how according to thy weale not according to thy will Out of the experience of all this David concludeth that it was good for him that hee had been afflicted That good that David found in the crosse made him him be patient under the Crosse Fourthly consider what the God of patience hath born of us and how long he hath born with us yea what heavie things hee hath suffered for us if so be we be in Christ Should we thinke much to suffer a little for him or rather for our selues for we haue the good of it To the sufferings of Christ I may adde the sufferings of the Saints fulfilling the latter sufferings of Christ in the flesh Iam. 5.10 11. Take the Prophets saith the Apostle for an ensample of suffering and of â—ong patience You haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue known what end the Lord made who left us an example that we should follow his steps Fifthly the excellency of patience may make us in Ioue with it like an expert Chymist there is no matter so bad but it will bring good out of it It is the sostest and most soveraign ligature to all the fractures of the soules-qualities as understanding will and memory it marshals all the forces of these faculties in the due order it leadeth them into the field it disciplinateth them at hand in the end it maketh them too hard for any adverse forces to deal withall and this I take it is to possesse the soule with patience it scorneth fortune it weakeneth crosses it increaseth fortitude it sweetneth all bitternesse it maketh good the promises In a word it maketh a man as the Apostle saith perfect and intire lacking nothing Iam. 3.4 The sixth and last motiue may be taken from the contrary vice namely impatiency The evilâ— of impatiencie which is worse then adversity it selfe for this is the evill of punishment at the worst the other is an evill of sin at the best and a remedy worse then the disease when this meeteth with a crosse there is a crosse indeed It maketh a man misconsture Gods meaning mistake his own estate neglect the best courses and take the worst it weakens soule and body it maketh the burthen unsupportable it giveth great advantage to his enemy for a man cannot desire a weaker enemy then an impatient man because he is overcome of himselfe In a word it maketh his estate desperate and his case hopelesse of recovery Hence I come to shew the meanes how to obtaine patience First The means of obtaining patience in the time of prosperity thinke upon the crosse and provide for it Vnexpected calamity maketh men beside their wit David by misreckoning of a point mist the haven Psal 30.8.9 and ran upon the rockes I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved thou hast made my Hill so strong but thou didst hide thy face and I was suddenly moved In unexpected evils a man cannot ply himselfe to patience he is so much distracted and therfore it is an onely mean for patience in prosperity to be thinking what to doe if adversity should come Things heere are subject to change no day but it hath the own night the cleerest Sun-shine is often over-clouded on a sudden and the hottest season hath lightning and thunder As a Sea-faring man in the fairest weather looketh for a storm so in the height of worldly happinesse let men looke for some disaster that they may the better bear it when it commeth Iobs affliction was heavie yet the lighter by this that the evill was come that he feared Our Saviour endeavouring to in-arm his Disciples with this patience of proofe fore-warneth them of the great persecutions and close tryals that were to come upon them namely that not onely their professed enemies should cast them in prison and bring them before Rulers but they should be betrayed even by their own parents brethren and kinsfolkes and they should cause them to be put to death But what remedy against all this Christs promise and their patience Luk. 21.19 in your patience possesse ye your soules He forewarneth them of the persecution that their patience may not be to seek hee discovereth the evill that they might haue the remedy at hand A second mean to obtain patience is the fitting and framing of our selues to the burthen There is cunning in portercraft as well as in King-craft As there is cunning as well as strength to the bearing of a burthen so there must be patience Cedamus levâ— fit quod bene fertur onus Ovid. 2. Amor. as well as fortitude for under-going of the crosse To this the Poet speaketh prettily and pertinently The cunning carriage makes the burthen light If I mistake the termes of the mistery I hope the company will excuse me For it is not for want of practise but of theoricke for the better carriage of the burthen as it
ride when windes blow and waues rage if heaven and earth be shaken this will hold But because groundlesse hope is no better then an Anchor without ground groundlesse hope saith the Poet for the most part deceiveth I wil point out the grounds of your hope in this great bufinesse and but briefly point at them because I may haue occasion to handle them more at large First consider the goodnesse of your cause of which I neede not much dispute for it will maintayne it selfe in the end A better cause there can not be then Gods right and mans right All Gods people that have scanned it are perswaded of the equitie of it which shall one day manifest it selfe as cleere as the Sunne shine at noon day This was it that maintayned Davids hope for as he often commends the goodness of his cause to God so he bringeth in his hope much depending on the goodnesse thereof Iudge me o God and plead my cause against an ungodly nation and unmercifull Psal 43.1 In consideration whereof he checkes his drouping soule and awaketh it up to waite upon God waite hopefully for God for yet I shall confesse him vers 5. Where observe as he maketh hope his Anchor so the goodnesse of his cause is the cable that he rideth by Bernard hath a pretty saying to this effect if the cause of the warre be good saith he the end of the warre can never be evill Si boun fuerit causa pugnae exitus malus esse non poterit neo bonus iudicabitur finis ubi causa non est bona Serm. ad milites Templi cap. 1. howsoever for many causes it may be long first and may be much at under in the meane time neither can a good end saith he come of an evill cause A second ground may be taken from the nature of hope it selfe which is to maintayne a man when all other things faile this sweeteneth and replenisheth the labour of the husbandman it conforteth the marriner when he seeth no land releeveth the patient when the phisition hath giuen him over and inlargeth the heart of the captive in the darkest prison This sustained David in all his troubles David acknowledged that he had fainted if this had not beene Psil 27. â—3 I had fainted except I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living Where by the land of the living he meant even this world wherein men liue and in particular that land of Canaan the seate of Gods Church This so supported Iob that he would trust in God though he would kill him This was all that Alexander reserved to himselfe This is pictured like a beautifull virgin for the continuall beautie and vigor that is in it It is compared to brasse by the learned for the durable and impenetrable nature of it This is it that caryeth us aboue hope namely of carnall reason This is both staffe lanthorne when all sight and sence of all secondary means faile yea this is never higher elevated De divinia mâ—seratione tum ampltus spâ—raÌ„dum cum â—â—esidâ— humana â—â—fecerint Hexam then when our State in all mens eyes is at the lowest yea so low that the blasphemous wicked will not sticke to say God cannot restore him or at least God will not restore him Ambrose giveth a good direction from the nature of hope manifesting it selfe in greatest extremitie wee should most of all hope saith he in divine helpe wheÌ„ humane and secundary meanes fayle us so long as there is life there is ‘ DuÌ„ spâ—â—es sâ—â—â—a hope yea if it goe so hard with us that as Seneca saith Wee can hope †Qui nuÌ„â—il poâ—est sâ—e râ—ed dâ—speret nâ—bil nothing yet let us despayre nothing The third ground is from the succefle of hope in most desperate cases therefore it is said of hope that hope maketh not a shamed Which phrase is a Hebraisme denoting unto us the certainty or things hoped for to be accomplished Where first hee putteth a difference between hope in God and hope in man or humane things the latter proveth no better then a broken reed by which when a man is deceived he blusheth at the folly of his confidence but it is not so with that hope that is in God It likewise meeteth with the worlds misconstruction of Gods cause in distresse and the miserable case of his people when they see them deprived of their state their liues hunted like a Partridg how they are forsaken of their friends and made the object of the enemies wrath then the world flouts them Gods enemies whet their teeth on them drunkards sing songs of them vile Varlets bring them upon the Stage exposing their names and persons to all manner of contumelies and open mockery Is not this shame enough No saith the Apostle all this is nothing where hope is all the devils in hell cannot make a man ashamed for the things hoped for shall not deceiue him It is true that in temporall deliverances and vindicating his cause from the calumny of the enemy he hath not promised by this or that particular man yet it is enough to every particular man set a work that hee will doe it by him or another and why not by him as well as by another Let him waite on therefore it is enough that the Lord will doe his work Gen. 48.21 Israel said to Ioseph Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you againe to the land of your fathers Was not Davids case desperate in all mens eyes and in his own his hope almost forlorne his heart sunck in his belly Yet the object of his hope was made good Israels hope was very low for comming into the promised land and yet the Lord did not fayle them in any good thing they hoped for I might instance this in Ioseph Iob Mordecai and others But to bee short Let us come to our own times How haue many worthy men out of the sparkes of hope raked up in the ashes made a braue fire how haue they been lifted up out of the dust and their horn exalted on a suddain I will instance but in two or three Antonius Grimanius by noble prowesse and vertue rising from one degree to another till hee came to be Procurator for S. Marke in Venice but being defeated by the Turke in that Sea-fight at the Sporades through the fault of the Gally-masters that came not up to the fight hee was falsly accused to the Senate brought in chaines to his answer condemned to banishment and his greatest enemy Melchior Trivisan set up in his place but having lived in banishment till envy was extinct by the Senate hee was called back with a publique decree Integritatis virtutis ergo intimating his integrity and vertue to be the cause of his restitution and being made one of the Senate and Procurator as he was before he went in a great Embassie to Francis of France and