home Deut. 20.7 And to that end hee caused the officers to make proclamation What man is there that is soft or tender that is faint-hearted let him goe and return unto his house The like proclamation did Gideon make at Gods command when he was to fight against the Midianits and of 32000 men that were with him Iudg. 7.3 1 Mach. 7. there returned 22000. Iudas Ma chabeus being to fight against Licias maketh the same proclamation The Law-giver himselfe giveth a reason of this Law that his brothers heart melt not or grow not faint as his heart a good reason indeed for as melting mettall cast upon other may make it also melt so a sort of fainting swoonding fellows may cast all the rest in a syncope As the faint-hearted spyes returning from the view of Canaan discouraged all the rest insomuch that they durst rather rebell against God then look their enemies in the face so a company of cowards may dash the courage of the best and as the Spyes brought a plague upon Israel for their faintnesse and incredulity so faithlesse and fearfull Cradons bringeth the rest to destruction And as this faintnesse is dangerous to their fellow souldiers so it bringeth themselues to further evils then they are aware of It bringeth sin shame and destruction for besides that with deserved ignominy they die often like doggs and swine they bring also as the Hebrews obserue the bloud of all the rest upon their heads Yea these white livered fellowes haue a double curse First this soft feeble and effeminate heart is a curse in it selfe the Lord speaking of the curses that he would bring upon his people if they would not obey threatneth this as a speciall one I will even bring softnesse into their heart in the land of their enemies Lev. 26.36 Secondly they are accursed in with-drawing their hand from Gods work or in doing the work of the Lord deceitfully Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from bloud The 300 valiant and couragious men that lapped water with their tongues Indg. 7.4.5 were worth all the 32000. Caleb and Iosua having another heart were of more esteem with God then all the rest of the people I would haue all Gods Warriours to take heed of softnesse of heart in this sense and at any hand not to trust such for commonly they haue hard and cruell hearts against any thing that good is The King of Britaines observation upon the Lords prayer maketh this good by the instance of the Deer which being the softest hearted and fearfullest of all other beasts yet is the cruellest of all to minde an injury and an opportunity to revenge it Hence a fearfull man is called A Man like a Hart. Ancients doe tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and examples doe testifie that there is no greater Tyrant then a cowardly King Witnesse Nero Caligula Tiberius yea according to Plutarch as feare and cowardize is the cause of their cruelties so the greatest coward of all is a faint hearted souldier The idolatrous Gentiles both Roman◠and Grecians Dii 〈…〉 made a Temple to Fear as to one of their 〈…〉 which they sacrificed a dog intimating thereby Alex. ab Alex. l. 1. cap. 13. p. 21 that they should haue no fellowship with feare It is better to haue a coward to thy foe then to thy counsellour or copartner for a man can look for no true good from the fearfull Benevolentiae vis est metus insbecillis 2. off Faint feare saith Tully is an enemy to good will The Camelion saith Pliny is the fearfullest creature of all other and therfore it turneth it selfe into all colours that it may shift for it selfe So fearfull men without respect of faith or friendship they turn themselues into all colours but the truth that they may saue themselues And whom they fear most they serue most though it be least to their credit or commodity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cowardize is well compared by the Grecians to a white livered disposition whence we take our proverbe white livered as that waterish duscrasie or distemper of the liver causeth dropsies and Lienteries and so hurteth the body more by corrupt humours then it helpeth it by sanguification and howsoever life for a time be protracted yet colour strength and appetite faileth exceedingly and breath at length forsaketh the body so a fearfull white livered friend may seem to keep life in a good cause for a time but it is but an hydropick or lienterick life which being both together are symptomes of inevitable death Some corrupt counsell luke-warme comfort and weake forces to no effect they may affoord but it is but a palliation it is no cure it is but to quench the Citie with a pottle pot when it is all on fire which indeed will make it burn the faster In a word the fearfull man is a foe to his friend and a sriend to his foe What made Saul eye David continually to doe him hurt but his conceived feare though other causes concurred yet this was the speciall 1 Sam. 18.8.9 What can he haue more but the Kingdom Whence arose the ruin of Achaz and all his but from the servile feare wherewith they were possessed as the the holy Ghost by the Prophet Esay witnesseth When hee heard that Syria was confederate with Ephraim hi◠heart was moved and the heart of his people 2. Tim. 1.17 as the trees of the wood Where this spirit of slavish feare is the spirit of God is not God saith Paul to Timothy hath not given the spirit of feare but of power of love and of a sound mind Where the Apostle opposeth the spirit of God or the graces of the spirit as power loue and soundnes of judgment to this slavish feare which for the prevayling power of it he calleth the spirit of feare which cannot consist with the power of the foresaid graces whether it be in ministers souldiers Captaines Generalls or Kings As it is spoken there directly to the Ministers so of all men they had most need to looke to it for the spirit of feare in a Minister is a most fearfull plague to himselfe and others especially in these fearfull times that requireth so much use of the Spirit of power A sound conclusiō But observe this as a main conclusion from the place touching all persons that where this spirit of feare resideth there is neither soundnes of judgment nor sinceritie of affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor power of action to be looked for What should men then doe with such Ministers friends souldiers or any other such these white livered men as the Grecian noteth well are good for nothing As I desire that all men might remember the fearfull punishment of this slavish feare namely the burning lake for the fearefull and unbeleeving Rev. 21.8 c. Where observe they
there is a Diapason which Art cannot transcend so there is a diaposon or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the highest-period of Kingdoms and Dominions aboue the which they cannot passe The place of it selfe is so obscure that Aristotle in his fifth book of the Politicks and 12 chapter passeth it over so doth Proclus who illustrateth the other seven bookes with notes but doth not touch that That opinion is much like to another saying of his Naturales sunt rerum publicarum conversiones That the conversions or translations of Common-wealths run by the course of nature It is true indeed as Kingdoms haue their beginnings increase and height so they haue their declinings and their ruins All that hath a beginning hath an ending and as Philo saith the greater height of outward bappinesse that a people attaineth to the lower is their fall As after an inundation the waters are dryed up so States are emptied of their flouds of prosperity to the very channell Experience maketh good that of the Poet. sic omnia verti cernimus atque alias assumere pondere gentes concidere has Thus all things chang'd we see some Kingdoms fall and some advanc't Yet for all this these Philosophers and Sects are a ground in giving the ground of this But Daniel a better Polititian then either Plaâ—o or Aristotle Dan. 2.20 giveth the true ground indeed Blessed saith he be the name of God for ever and ever for he changeth times and seasons he remeveth Kings and setteth up Kings That which Heathen Writers Military men and others doe attribute to fortune namely events of battles victories and foiles Daniel doth attribute to God Multum tum in omuibus rebus tum in re militari potest fortuna Lib. 6. belli Gallie Applicatiâ—Ì„ Caesar that great man at Armes and man of great successe was greatly deceived in the ground when he gaue so much to fortune Fortune saith he in many things but especially in military affaires may doe very much It is not onely their fault for they knew little better but it is more the fault of Professors who know indeed the true ground but in their carriage they doe not acknowledge the ground they confesse the ground but in their profession they follow not to the ground Obserue a courtly complement with us in England wherein great Ones bewray their faultinesse in this kind they denominate the evill or good that befalls a man or State from fortune He hath a good fortune say they his fortune is undone bee their meaning what it will I would haue them as Austine counsels them to change their words and as the Apostle wills them to use a sound forme of phrase 2 Tim. 1.13 beseeming Christian profession Mardonius said well It cannot be denyed but all these foiles and defeats and outrages and spoyles and desolations are of Gods own doing but men will not beleeue it applicatiuely or runne the right way though it be not onely beaten in their eares but they see it cleerly with their eyes Men in this are like the uncircumcised Philistims who though they knew and confessed that the hand of God was upon them for abusing the Arke yet they would try whether or not iâ— were by chance Men thus called by affliction to see the hand of God in it they are like unto Samuel when God called him they runne many other waies before they run to God they run to the bloudy cruelty of one to the innaturallity of another to the falshood under fellowship of the third to the pusillanimity of the fourth and lastly to the conspiracie or concurrence of all the Crue against them who haue vowed their destruction without a cause It is lawfull and expedient to haue an eye to all those and to view every one of them in their kind but first of all we must look to the sin-revenging eye of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to his all-disposing hand of the very least circumstance of our troubles Hence it is that they are called the waues of God and the arrowes of God yea God doth afflict his own that they should see his hand in it and seek to him for deliverance out of it The Lord doth threaten that he will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon and to the house of Iuda as a yong Lyon yea he will teare and take away and none shall rescue him The Lord here in effect doth threaten to send such enemies against them as like roaring cruell and devouring Lyons should tear them all in peeces but the Lord is said to doe it because without him neither foe nor friend can doe any thing But what is the end of this Is it not that they might seek the Lord Hos 5.14.15 I will goe and returne to my place saith he till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they wil seeke me early If a man be wounded will he rather look at the sword then at the man that gaue the blow If a stone be cast at a man will he like a dog run to the stone not looking to the hand that cast it Or if it fall from a height will he not look up to the place from whence it fell When Rebecca felt that strange unusuall struggling of the two twins in her wombe which prefigured the strife between the godlesse and the godly to know the cause of this she goeth unto the Lord Gen. 25.22 and she went to enquire of the Lord saith the Text. To him indeed in our troubles we should goe since it is his doing Heavie and dolefull was that message that Samuel had to Eli insomuch that he feared to shew him the vision yet Eli would haue it out of him that he might know the Lords mind which when Samuel had delivered hee runneth presently to the ground from whence it was and not to any by or secundary meanes by which it might be brought to passe for the Lord wants no means to accomplish that which once hee doth determine 1 Sam. 3 1â— It is the Lord saith he let him doe what seemeth him good He acquiesceth in the good will of God and embraceth the judgement though it were against himselfe and his he like a well nurtured child kisseth the rod though it were made for his own back Then in the name of the Lord both King and Queen and subjects take notice of this that the hand of God is upon you and upon us in you it is the Lord that hath done it and so let us all acknowledge And thus much for the first particular CHAP. XLIII The mooving cause of the defeate is to be observed A Second circumstance of the conquereds carriage consisteth in the inquiring and finding out of the moving cause of their overthrow for though God be the efficient cause yet there is a moving cause without him that provoketh him to give his owne people into the hands of his enemies Psal 94. It
is a question moved in the Psalmes by David why dealeth the Lord thus and thus with his people why dost thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoke against the sheepe of thy pasture why withdrawest thou thine hand and why hast thou broken downe her hedges so that all that they passe by the way doe plucke her grapes Psal 80.12 The Prophet answereth all these questions by quitting God and charging upon his people the cause of all this namely their inquitie When in the 79 Psalme he hath layd out the desolation of the holy temple the bloudy cruelties coÌ„mitted upon the bodies of his saints their inhumanitie against the dead bodyes the reproch they suffered and Gods wrath against them which was heavyer then all the rest he layeth downe their iniquitie to be the cause of all remember saith he not our former iniquities against us let they tender mercies speedily prevent us for wee are brought very low v. 8. In all the places quoted from the booke of Iudges wherein I haue shewed the overthrow of Gods people to be from God you shall still see their sin laid downe as the moving cause provoking God to deale so with them Iud 4.1 6.1 and the children of Israel againe did evill in the sight of the Lord so that this phrase of speech is made a preface to usher in the judgments of God This was the matter of Abiiahs message to Ieroboams wife the Lord shalt smite Israel as a reede is shaken in the water and he shall roote up Israel out of his good land and shall scatter them beyond the river he shalt give Israel up and what is the cause 1. King 14.15.16 because of the sins of Ieroboam who did sin and made Israel to sin Where observe the sin of the King and his people to be the cause of their ruine This was prophesied of by Samuel to the people if you shall doe wickedly you shal be consumed both you and your King Sam. 2.25 and so it came to passe indeed In a place of Ieremie the Lord setteth downe the reason why he would scatter his people with an east wind before the enemie why he would shew them the backe and not the face in the day of their calamitie because saith he my people hath forgotten me Ier. 18 1â— And to conclude the Prophet Esay in the places quoted layeth down the same cause Cap. 42.24 for they would not walke in his wayes neither were they obedient to his law therefore he hath powred upon them the fury of his anger and the strength of battel So in the other place thy first fathers hath sinned Cap. 43.27.28 thy teachers haue transgressed against me therefore c. I have prophaned the Princes and haue giuen Iacoh to curse and Israel to reproches The curse must alwayes accompany sinne he spared not the soule of his â—eloved when they sinned yea nor the sonne of his loue becomming surety for sinne no prerogatiue exempts from wrath but being in Christ witnesse Gods protestation concerning Ieconiah the last and the worst of the line of Iudah As I liue saith the Lord though Coniah Ier. 22.24 the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Iosephus deploring the unparalelled calamitie of his owne nation of Iudea layeth downe the cause of their utter desolation namely the abomniable impietie and iniquitie of the Princes and people which were growen to such a height that every one in their place did strive to out-strip another De bello Indaic lib. 7. cap. 28. in somuch that if one should haue gone about to haue devised some new sin there was no place for him they were all growne so cunning A fearfull and incorrigible case ApplicatioÌ„ and yet woe is us no worse in a manner then our owne is though wee will not know it the fearfull things giuen out of this nation both for sin and judgment may make our eares to tingle and our hearts to tremble yea as the same Author reporteth and that in grief of heart that if the Romanes had not come against them to execute the fierie wrath of the Lord upon them he thought a new deluge would haue swallowed them up with the old world Ibidem lib. 6. cap. 16. or fire from heanen would haue consumed them with Sodome for saith he they exceeded eyther of their sinnes The like is related by one of our owne Authors concerning the last loosing of Hierusaâ—em to the Saracens under Saladine their Commander When the Christians had kept it 80 yeares Gulielm Neabrigens rer Anglicar lib. 13. cap. 14. after the recovery of it by Godfrey Duke of Bullion the height of their iniquities wherto they were come did so ascend in Gods presence and made such a shrill cry in his eares that he cast them out againe making their civill dissention serve for the Saladines advantage So that you see the cause is within our selues wee neede not seeke it without Ne te quaefieris extra it is not in God for he delighteth to do good to his people nor is it in the wicked for he hateth them as they hate both him and his people it is not in the creature of what kind soever for he made it good and he loveth every thing as the workmanship of his hands It is then the sin in our bosome or our bosome sin that maketh him deale thus with us As sin doth separate the soule from God so it often separateth the whole person from Gods house from country from wife and familie from King from subject and from what not Therefore in this our separation wee should search our sin Lam 3 40 and every man know the plague of his owne heart which hath made the Lord to plague us Search your selue saith the Prophet and turne unto the Lord. But herein wee are all faultie men eyther search not at all or they search as though they desired not to find they search as meÌ„ doe for their bade mony they know they haue it but they would gladly haue it passe for currant amongst the good money Lastly they search not for that which especially they should find out It was a very pertinent question of the Israelits when 4000 were smitten by the Philistins wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistims 1. Sam. 4.3 But their answere was not answerable O say they let us fetch the Arke of the covenant that it may come among us saue us out of the hand of the enemie What were they smitten because the Arke of the covenant was not among them So they conceived and would conceive no better but the trueth was their sinnes had caused the God of the covenant to depart he went not out with them Samuel went not with them these were they that laid both the Arke and themselues in the mouth of the
delictum c. August de de verbâ— dom Noli exstimare nemineÌ„ Deo placere posse Fortitudo quae per bella tuetur a barbaris patriam plena justitiae est Offici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely this is to bring bloud upon their heads and to sin both against the Law and the Gospell It is not a sin as Austin saith to war but to abuse it Doe not thinke saith the same Father that a man cannot please God in warre for David was a warrior and God gave to him a great testimonie The force of war saith Ambrosius that maintaineth the country against bloudy and barbarous enemies defendeth the weake and such as are subiect to oppression delivereth the confederates that are in danger from the hand of the bloud-thirstie is full of righteousnes There be but two wayes saith Tully to decide matters eyther by dispute or armes and men must haue recourse to the latter when there is no place for the former Thucidides like a wise man pressing all meÌ„ to keepe the peace secludes not the lawfulnes of war if necessitic inforce it Good men saith he if necessitie inforce them change peace into war To conclude this point the Apostle willeth us to haue peace with all men but if it be possible where the Apostle implyeth that it is impossible to haue peace with some Rom. 12.1 Yea while the godly speake of peace their enemies prepare for war Lu. 22.36 Therefore wee must doe as the Apostles were commanded in another kind Sell our coates and by swords Or as Nehemiah Nehe. 4 14 17. in the same kind incouraged the people Fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses yea it standeth us upon it to doe the worke with the one hand and with the other hold the sword CHAP. III. Of the Guide of Warre THus hauing shewed the incommodities of war and the equitie of it I come to the third last point of the treatise namely the ordering of warre This is the main point for the clearing whereof I haue with as much brevitie as I could handled the former two Here againe to Apologize my want of skill and to deprecate censure were to be iealous of the readers good will and to detract from my highest patronage To come then to the point In every warre there be two things especially to be observed That it be Iustum Iuste just in it selfe that is iustly vndertaken and it must be iustly and duely followed For the first we must first know what a iust war is The description of a iust war wich may be thus defined That which is undertaken for a iust cause by a competent person in place of Magistracie in a lawfull maÌ„ner against an externall or internall enemie following it orderly by the law of nature and nations having for the end Gods glory and our owne peace to the same effect as divines tell vs to a iust and lavvfull war three thinges are required A good cause a well ordered affection and a lawfull authoritie Or if yow wil for the better ordering of war by its proper lawes let vs observe three sorts of polemick lawes some concerneth the preparation some the battle it selfe and some the sequele or the event Some parts of the description apperatine to the first lawes some to the second and some to third The iust cause of war To come in order to the first there must be a iust cause which may briefly be exprest under the maintenance of religion or civill right eyther for our selves or our Christian confederates 〈◊〉 Thus was the warre of the Israelits against the Amalekits Exod. 17 So against the Midianites Numb 25.17 18. For they had hurt them both in their bodyes and in their soules A like good ground had Abraham for his war against the four Kings namely the rescuing of his nephevv Lot out of the hands of merciles bloudy enemies It is true indeed that Lot had no good ground for being there neyther is it thought that the King of Elam wanted iust cause to come against Sodome to represse rebells but howsoever they had nothing to doe with Lot by whom they were not wronged and this gaue Abraham just cause without further expostulation of Lots oversight to adventure his owne life and the life of his for the delivery of his friend And indeed as the cause was just he did but what he should haue done yea if he had not done it it had been both sin and shame to him Wilt thou not saith the Wise man preserue those that are led to be slaine Prov. 24.11 In the war injoyned by God to his people against the nations and in other warrs permitted occasionally they were alwayes to looke to the equitie of the cause as the main ground whereupon they were to go For God himselfe injoyneth nothing without a good ground The Romanes who had onely the light of nature to guide them in their procedings had alwayes respect to the ground of their vvar before they vvould undertake it Amongst many instances observe these tvvo The Campani who vvere nieghbours to the Romanes being invaded by the Samnites a mightie people desired ayd against them pressing them vvith many forcible arguments as from the lavv of proximitie or neighbour-hood of affinitie of ensuyng commoditie and finally from the Romans generous disposition but all these allegations not affording a sufficient ground this vvas all the Romanes did for the present they sent Embassadors to the Samnites desiring them to cease from vvar against their neighbours vvhich the Campanian deputies knovving to be lost labor they yeild themselves up as the right of the Romans vvith this speech If you thinke much to defend vs from the unjust invasion of a Tyranons enemy yet defend that which is your owne Vpon this voluntarie dedition Tit. Liv li. 7. Decad. the Senat undertooke the defence of them having a just title for the ground of the vvarre Another instance offers it selfe in that dispute between the wisest man and the best man in Rome namely Cato and Scipio Nassica Because the Carthaginians began to rig ships contrary to the articles of peace it was the judgement of Cato and others that warre should be denounced out of hand but Scipio was of another mind because he thought it was no sufficient ground for warre for they had yet sustained no damage but the Carthaginians had rather indammaged themselues in violating their faith they should rather be summoned to lay down their Armes to untackle their Ships and so to keep the peace Scipio his judgment was approved but the Carthaginians contemned the summons Whereupon the Senate and that upon just ground agreed all in one to take up Armes against them Other memorable examples are extant to this purpose Charles the 8 of France a yong King being instigated to take Arms against Francis Duke of Brittaine and â—o lay hold upon the Dutchy as his right
like â—he diurnall course of the Sunne compassing the earth in one day which course is swift rapid awfull and violent but this is tempeâ—ed by the indirect opposition of the annual course in the oblique â—ircle of the Zodiacke which also distinguisheth the seasons mainâ—ayneth rerfresheth and nourisheth all the creatures which otherwise could not endure So the Counsell of Princes though endued with prudence yet through the moving intelligence of supreme authoritie becommeth so fierce redoubtable yea and often so devious that like Phaetons misguided chariot setting all on fire To be plaine it degenerateth from calme counsell to sterne will and from advised government to cruell tiranny but by the sweet and temperate mixture of choyce counsell from the religious wisâ— Senate it becomes pleasant and sweet full of grace to the Prince and goodnes to the people For indeed it is no grace to a Prince in peace or in warre howsoever Sycophants suggest when he and his counsell rideth all on one horse Where this mixture is waning there be ever mad doing for Princes for want of this involve themselves their staâ—â— in such an inextricable laborinth that when they would 〈◊〉 wind themselves they goe the further in their evills beconming like Hidraes heads more then they can deale with It iâ— an easie matter for a Prince especially neglecting counsell 〈◊〉 put all out of frame as a Master-of a ship may run her upon the rockes but the shipwracke of himselfe and all the reâ—â— followeth The aberrations of Princes saith Agiselaus 〈◊〉 the greatest evills of all because they undoe themselves and others Princes mounted upon their will are compared pretrily to one got up on a wilde horse who being Asked by one that met him whether he went even whether saith he this horse will carry me So some are carryed so far on their owne lusts or their owne wit and some on their owne feares that when they would it may be they cannot or dare not alight but over ride all in their way and runne themselves against a wall or over a rocke These are also wittily compared by a learned man to Eucrates in Lucian who lighting on Pancrates the Aegiptian learned many secrets of him amongst the rest they being by themselves and wanting one to attend them Pancrates taketh a peece of wood maketh it up with cloaths murmurred some words over it it began to walk like a man It went and drew water made ready their supper served in their meat and attended the table Of all things Eucrates longed most to learne this but his Master kept this to himselfe as his chiefe secret yet Eucrates got the word by heart And his Master being one day abroad he would fall to and make up a serving-man which by the words pronounced was done but being sent to draw water he could not make him leave off but he was like to drowne up all Eucrates falleth to him with an axe thinking to make a short cut and cleaveth him in two but he made himselfe more vvork and brought himselfe in greater danger For they both fell to draw vvater and had not his Master come he had beene undone The Morall is no more but this make worke and haue work There be a great many vvater dravvers vvorse then the Gibeonites that vvill not leaue vvhen they are bidden To conclude this point vvith Comineus such Princes of all men are the most miserable not onely in bringing ruine upon themselves others but also in making their cases void of pittie and their names lyable to an everlasting distaste And though saith the same Author their Soveraignty carry them through vvithout controulment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because there is nothing but teares sighes plaints of the vvronged against them yet let theÌ„ knovv the Almightie hath a tvvofold tribunall he maketh their ovvne doings plague them heere and and plagues them eternally heereafter Then as Princes would shun these plagues let them be content to entertaine counsell according to Menander Let Councell be thy guide in euery thing Nothing as Councell doth such saftie bring Or if you will that of Iovius in his Elogie of Sfortia Ergo insoâ—entem poâ—e superbiâ—m qui fidis alti viribus iâ—geniâ— Therefore lay downe they pride and insolence Who in thy wit puts all thy confidence CHAP. XXIII The Qualification of Councellours BVT as there is necessitie of counsell so there must be choyce of counsellours In the choyce of counsellours foure things must be observed 1 Number there must be number equalitie abilitie and honestie For the first it is a good rule of Comineus Lib. 1. cap 1 that a King should haue many Councellours and that he should never commit the helme of affaires unto one mans hand for as many eyes see more then one so one man may put out his Masters eyes and become Master in effect Among many instances take this one of Sejanus Coruel Tacit Annal. lib. 5. whom Tiberius advanced so highly with great offices and the mariage of his daughter He ruled all as he would he was honored of all and followed of all more then the Emperour to his image they offered sacrifice and they were in no small esteeme to whom he gaue any respect His brith day with Cesars was celebrated But like a monstrous paracide he went about to subvert his Master who how vile soever he was had deserved well of him But his great fall ignominious death together with the death of his did fully parallel the height of his rize The like may be seene in Dancres rize and fall As there must be a number 2 Equalitie of power so there should be an equalitie of power amongst them for to commit more to one then another or it may be then to all the rest that one wil goe neere to be Master the rest to be but bare voices to serve his desire One is no number and where many sit and one swayeth all there is a number in name but none in effect Thirdly for their abilitie 3 Abilitie they must be men of judgment experience The Romane Senate were pickt out as men of sufficiencie for counsell who for their wisdom and gravitie were called Senators and for their care of the common good Fathers whose names were written in letters of gold and so called Conscripti It is a question amongst Humanists and Statesmen Whether a weak Prince and a wise Councel or a weak Councel and a wise King be better Both reason and experience doe proue the former to be the better For many wise can guide one vveak one better then one wise many weak ones Secondly the wise King taketh no care of giving account and therfore passeth them at his pleasure But the wise Councel the weaker the King is looketh the better to giue account of their actions Severus had as many in Councel of War as the Senate had but what were they Ancient souldiers experienced in Armes
place rather then by main force because so on both sides bloudshed may be prevented It is not possible as I shewed to giue rules for all stratagems because of new occasions yet for taking in of places these be most usuall The Stratagem of corrupting Sometimes the Assaylant corrupteth some of the besieged who betrayeth the Town or Citie into the hand of the Assaylant and so it is taken with little or nothing a doe So Papyrius Cursor the Consul dealt with Milo who kept Tarentum a Town of the Epyrots Being taken with the great promises of the Generall both of reward and safety to him and his he perswadeth the Town to send him as a Legate to Papyrius of whom he received the reward promised returneth to the Town and by fair speeches casteth the people in a deep security and so delivereth up the neglected Town into the hand of the enemy So Marcellus used Sosistratus a Syracusan for betraying of the Citie On a day when Epicides did feast the people he gaue intelligence to Marcellus who while the secure inhabitants did revell it out in profuse hilarities scaleth the walls killeth the watch entreth the Town which was a glorious victory and a great booty to the Romanes So Hanibal took Tarentum by a corrupted Citizen who was taught by Hanibal to aske leaue of the Captain to goe out in the night a hunting which they durst not doe by day Hanibal had good store of Boores killed ready for him with which he often returned laden into the Citie wherof he gaue a share to the Captain But one night Hanibal put his souldiers in the habit of Hunters who being laden with prey and let in at the gates they killed the watch suspecting nothing set ope the gates and let Hanibal in who killed all the Romanes saue them that fled into the Castle Examples of this kind are so frequent that I will not trouble you with more Some to effect this haue sent the trustiest of their own to proffer their service to the enemies who under complaint of a fayned injury or at most feignedly offred maketh the enemy to beleeue that they will doe or suffer any thing for revenge when they intend nothing but deceit This kind likewise hath had good successe witnesse Sopyrus whom Cyrus so much esteemed who by a mangling of himselfe and fleeing to the enemy by some fayned service got Babylon into his hand and delivered it unto Cyrus When Tarquin the proud could by no meanes prevaile with the Gabians to surrender he taketh rodds and beateth his own son Tarquinius Sextus and sendeth him to the enemy to whom he accusing his fathers cruelty desireth in shew of revenge to be their Captain against his father to whom when they came to fight he delivered them up But here ariseth a case of conscience Ob. since one man to betray the rest is paricide or the highest kind of murther how can the perswader be free of the sin since a perswader ab ante or before is the chiefest principall Ars Inst Answ Hostes fallere vâ—stuÌ„ â—onâ—stâ— I answer he may very lawfully perswade them all to surrender Ergo he may lawfully perswade one to doe what he can Yea but the means used be naught I answer on the perswaders part they are good who may as lawfully by cunning as by force overcome Neyther can it be called treason in him because he is not in trust Si amicus fuissâ—t nunquam predidisset Againe the enemie is become his friend though he be an enemie to his owne If it be lawfull for a man in authoritie to cause one thiefe or traytor to betray an other being all enemies to the state it is no lesse lawfull for a commander in this kind to divide his enemies one from another to make one serve his turne against another But in this and passages of the like nature I refer my selfe to the iudicious divines Another stratagem of use is to fayne remisnes Feying of remisness or neglect of assaulting or to doe some other thing then the main thing they intend Alcibiades Generall of Athens besieging the citie Agrigentina which was almost impregnable He desireth the citie to send some of their counsell to him with whom he might consult of matters concerning the common good He causeth a Theater to be erected and in great pomp according to the Grecian manner he holdeth the eyes of the besieged with a shew of consultation who neglecting to stand upon their guard were supprized by the Athenians before they were aware Domicius Calvinus besieging Leucas a Towne both well fortified and well manned tooke often this course to compasse the wals with all his forces without the least shew of attempt so to lead them back againe into the campe The Towne being induced by this accustomed course to beleeve that the Roman did it onely for use of exercise began to slight it as a toy and to grow remisse in their attendance He turnes his obambulation into a sudden and unlooked for assault and taking the walls he forced them to render the Towne and themselves Neyther doth the like action of Iosua in compassing the walls of Iericho want the nature of a stratagem For though the Lord had giveÌ„ it into his hand yet he neglecteth no secundary meanes eyther of force or cunning to accomplish the Lords decree And no doubt the continued compassing of the citie without any further attempt made Iericho slight it off as a toy rather then a strategem As the custome of things doe dull and alter the sense so it bindeth up the mind from judging and disordereth the affections from fearing or affecting of things indeed according to the true nature Besides this generall hath likewise another tricke of slight to simulate the raysing of the siege and departure for a time that the besieged neglecting their watch they may returne upon them and take them at unawares This did Phormio of Athens against the Chalsidians Agiselaus of Lacedemon against the Phocenses Alcibiades against the Bizantines and Q. Metellus as you heard against Cantrebia The last that here I relate for all I cannot and with many I will not cloy is the drawing of the besieged to sallie out with laying ambushment to take the place Of many examples I will giue but a tast Of this stratagem God himselfe was the author to Iosua as I shewed you Iosu 8. Cato in the very eye of the Lacedemonians whom he besieged set the Suessens being the weakest of his forces to assault the Walls and layeth the strongest in ambush for the service indeed the Towne breaking out upon the assailants who fled for their lives and they followed as eagerly the towne was taken by them that lay in ambush Hannibal besieging Hymera caused not onely his souldiers to flee before those that sallied out but also to quit the Campe into the enemies hand for which the Hymerans were so ravished with Ioy that they runne all
challenge to all the Romish calumniators to tell me if they can what Protestants at any time contrary to their faith given hath put any surrendered upon termes to the sword The Devill I know hath been about to make where he wanteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instance an imposture of the French Papists who to cover their more then Turkish infidelity and bloudy cruelty like the Fox that lost her tayl did labour to bring the Protestants under the same aspersion Popilintere a French Historian recordeth but falsly how a Popish town in France being besieged by the Protestants was surrendred upon composition of life and liberty to the besieged which composition saith he was not kept by the Protestants But according to the truth indeed it was rendred at their discretion Oubigne Historian to Henry the 4 of France meeting with Popiliniere the penner of the said calumny charged upon him the wronging of the Protestants with his pen contrary to his knowledge Popiliniere with teares in his eyes confessed that his pen had been hired to it to the end that the Protestants might bee charged with falsifying their faith Oâ—bign Histor Fr. in one particular of that kind as well as the Papists Miniers that bloudy Tyrant having taken by treachery the Town of Cabriers entered the Church whether the people were fled for succour and caused man woman and child to be cruelly slaine So the Duke of Guise at Vaâ—iacum caused his souldiers to enter the Church and put all to the sword No murther so monstrous nor no act so unnaturall which against the firmest oath or strictest bond in nature they will not commit Amongst a million of instances none more remarkeable then that horrible act of Gaveret the French-man if he might be called a man and not rather a monster He being given to all manner of vice was cashierd by his father yet found entertainment by a Gentleman of great nore in whose house he swore himselfe brother to a yong Gentleman but comming to his patrimony he turned Papist of whose fidelity the Papists could hardly be assured He to put them out of doubt undertook the killing of Henry the 4 then King of Navarre and to that end he boughtan excellent horse But a little from Burdeaux he was discovered to the King where the King â—ryed his horse discharged his pistols that hung at his saddle â—nd so dismissed him Having fayled of this he plotteth â—he death of his deerest friends the Protestants whom he â—nvited to his house namely the Gentleman his father Monsieur Seamats his sworn brother and six other Gentlemen of good note All the dinner time he entertained them with protestation of obligements to his said father but this was the bloudy Catastrophe Sixteen men came up in Arms â—nd laid hold on all the guests himselfe layeth hold on his father and willing the rest to stay their hands till he had dispatched him he stabbed the old Gentleman crying for mercy to the Lord foure times to the heart After that he â—unniades all the rest with his own hands saue three that were dispatched at their first entrance The yong Gentleman his brother he reserved to further torment whom he â—rought to a window and caused him to sing as he could very sweetly though then no doubt he did it with a very â—eavy heart towards the end of the ditty that bloudy Traytor cryed out with many blasphemies that there was â—ut one Gaveret that could end that Tragedie and with that tabbed his brother first in the throat and then to the heart â—nd so flung the dead body of him and all the rest out of the window into the ditch The act being discovered it was known that he had promised to his Confessor to manifeâ—â— himselfe an undoubted Catholique Oubign by setting a sure seale tâ— his profession Iudge you if the devill himselfe would not bâ— of this profession that hath such a Seale As for their monstrous outrages and cruelty the bloâ— of the slain in the Massacre of Paris proclaimeth it wheâ— they neither spared age sex nor quality as Natalis Comes telleth us Hist. lib. 23 where were murthered 60000 persons or upward To this add the loud cry of the late and fresh bleeding State of Bohemia and the Palatinate wherein the Spanyard and Austrian haue renued an Indian cruelty no yeare nor sex haue they had any pitty of View but that immane and monstrous murther of an ancient Minister and maâ— of God Mounsieur Mileus by the Spanyard in the taking oâ— Heidelberg notwithstanding that such should be safe by thâ— very lawes and practise of the Heathens yet they took him having abused his daughter and tyed a small cord about hiâ— head which with trunchions they wreathed about till thâ— squeased out his braines To thinke on their cruelty me thinkes should make oâ— heart to bleed But when God maketh inquisition foâ— bloud woe to that soule of whom God shall require any of it As the comming of these Dragons from Babylon in red and their bloudy executions bewrayeth them to be of thâ— bloud of the Whore for she is the mother and Romulus the father so it shews the nature of the Religion or rather Arch-Heresie which they doe professe A bloudy disposition iâ— the very badge of heresie as Hierom telleth us for †Heretici quos non possunt verbo eos putant glabio feriendos cruentas leges ore dictant manu scribunt In Grat. Auxen de non trad Basil Tom. 3. Heretith when they cannot overcome with the Word they smite with thâ— sword they indite with their mouths and write with theâ— hands bloudy lawes Hence it appeareth that †Vnde apparet ubi scaevitia ibi sophistica haereticos in Ecclesia semper fuisse crudeles Hereticks evâ—â— haue been cruell because cruelty and falshood of Religion goueâ— alwaies together where the one is there the other is But iâ— this they are worse then heathen Rome fides hosti data servanda Off. lib. 1. who by the very light of nature and by the law of nations both protested and professed against this breaking covenant with the enemie Assurance made to the enemie saith Tully is at any hand to be kept Iosua kept with the Gibeonits If men will not be moved with all these let them observe the judgment of God on such as haue broken in this kind A remarkable example of this in Sauls posteritie who were hanged up for breaking of the covenant made by Iosua with the Gibeonits although it is said he slew them of zeale 2. Sam. 21.1 Was not Edward the first served in his owne son Edward the second as he served William Seton in his sonnes For by Mortimer his owne subiect against all loyalty his life was taken from him And what became of Charles of Borbon in the taking of Rome while too too adventurously he scaled the wal according to his imprecation he was shot quite through and so for breaking
people how they should loath them and account them as a menstruous clout and that they should hold them unworthy of presence should say unto them get you hence Let them plead for Baal that are of Baal Hold never that to be clean in Gods worship that the Pope or Pagan hath once polluted being mans invention No it is unpossible that it should be cleansed With â—he sound of the Trumpet awake the Kings Maiesty awake the Prince the Parliament the Councell the Nobles Gentry and Commons that we may meet our God in sackcloth and ashes for great is the controversie that he hath wâ—th us all You are the Physitians content not your selues with the bare theoricke or generall rules but apply your rules and pick out particular mediâ—ines for particular diseases in particular subjects for Chronical pandemical or Epidemical diseases Haue your specifick rules and receits discover the darke day and the devouring people wherewith wee are threatned Ioel 2 v. 2.3.11 the day of the Lord is great and very terrible who can abide it As for your Majestie on the knees of my soule with all humble duety I doe intreat you as you haue begun in the spirit you would not end in the flesh but that you would beat down that Altar of Damascus bray the golden Calfe to powder crush the brazen Serpent to peeces and break off those bonds of superstition Ease Sion of her burthen under which she groaneth help not those that hate God and hate not those that loue God Let not God be robbed of his Sabboath nor his name be torn in peeces by bloudy oathes for these and the like are like to make your Dominions mourn Yea if your Highnesse loue the Lord your soule your life your Crown your people look to it Aegipt is deceitfull Nilus is ranke Poyson mixture of his worship is a mockery and no worship and God hath said he He will not be mocked For the Lords sake down with Balaam Balaamites and all their pedlery ware giue the Lord all or nothing for he is a jealous God In a word Dread Soveraigne remember I beseech you by how many mercies God hath ingaged you to be zealous of his house and that of all sins he cannot endure back-sliding As for you Gracious Prince If you desire to present your selfe to God as a member of his unspotted Spouse in Christ be not unequally yoked away with that Lincie-wolsie Match with reverence be it spoken it is a beastly greasie and a lowsie-wearing unbefitting your Grace Scripture will apologie my termes which speaking of spirituall whoredome giveth it alwaies the vilest termes Then good Sir curtall Baals Messengers by the middle to their shame Cast out of Gods house all the garish attire of the Whore and bring not an Athaliah what soever she be into your bosome who will adorn Balaams house with the riches of your God Let it never enter into your Princely heart that Dagon and the Ark can stand together for Christ and Belial hath no communion Let no profane person nor Popishly affected like briars and brainbles pester your house nor choake both life and practise of holy disties in you Keep good and plain dealing Physitians for your soule chear the hearts of Gods people with the loue of your countenance and in so doing you may bee assured the Lord will make you a sure house And you right Honourable and most Worthy of the High Court of Parliament together with his Majesties Councell Vse the counsell of a great King to his councell He would alwaies haue them to leaue two things without Simulation and dissimulation be either first for God and the reforming of his house or otherwise you can bring no honour to your selues nor good to your Country You illustrious Princes Nobles and Favorites of the King serue not the times nor your own turnes Ezr. 3.5 with the neglect or opposition of Gods cause withdraw not your neckes from the work of the Lord with the Tekoites nor break not the yoke of Gods obedience by impiety profanenesse and superstition as those Princes did in whom Ieremiah sought some good but found none Ier. 3.5 be not like those Princes of Iuda that with their false flatteries fayned curtesies and fleshly reasons 2 Chro. 24.17 made Ioash cast down all with his heele that he had set up with his hand but let Nehemiah his care Daniels zeale the three Childrens resolution Gid on s valour and Obadiahs loue possesse your soules for the purity of Gods worship with a loathing hatred of all superstition And to you great Prelates or sprightfull Lords the very hearth that keeps in the fire of all this superstition and the Ensigne staffe that fixeth those strange colours in our Camp If I could perswade you let your train fall Away with the little beast with the two hornes Rob not the Nobility and Magistracie of their Titles and places no more then they should usurp the office of the Ministerie Lord it not over the Stewards of Gods house and let not him finde you beating his servants when hee cals you to a reckoning in a word lest Pashur his case proue yours if danger come Let Christ raign in his Ordinances and let that maxime once be made good in a good sense no ceremony no Bishop Lastly to you people which be of two sorts carnall and called of the Lord to the former Thinke not the rotten walls of your profanenesse or meer Civilisme shall still be daubed over with the stinking morter of Romish superstition the durt whereof you cast in the faces of Gods faithfull Ministers if they touch your galled sores away with those fig-leaues and leprous clouts and let the Word haue its course with you To you the latter sort that with some lazie wishes are content to haue it so as the Prophet speaketh giue me leav out of my very loue to tell you that Isâ—char his caraiage or bowing down like an Asse between two burthens will not serue but you must hate the garment spotted with the flesh and say to the Idols Get you hence what haue we to doe with you Lastly to conclude the point to you all I say again from the highest to the lowest with my duety to all in lawfull place reserved if admonition will not work let terrour of iudgement prevaeile Levit. 10. the strange fire in Gods worship was punished with the fire of Gods wrath from heaven God proportions iudgement to the sin we haue ever kept in and pleaded for the excommunicate thing for the which the Lord may plague us we haue like fooles reserved the seedricks of superstition therfore the Lord is like to giue us enough of it Hos 8.11 we haue made many Altars to sin and they may be unto us for sin let King and Prince and Nobles and Ministers 2 Chron. 25 14 c. and people look to it King Amasiah setting up the gods of Seir by the God of Israel
giue me leaue to speake the words of trueth whereat I would haue none offended but rather offended with their owne negligence that all that haue had their hand in Gods battels from the Kings Majestie himselfe to the meanest souldier haue bene and are yet exceeding faultie in this as their owne hearts I know upon examination will tell them which neglect indeed to them and us both doth minister matter of great humiliation If they doe reply Instance that prayer hath been made God hath been sought to by themselves and others for them To this I answere Answ why doth not God heare them is his eare deafe or his hand shortned or is his good will to his abridged that he will not or cannot heare or helpe No no the fault is in our selues and our prayers our sinnes haue made a separation betwixt us and God so that if wee cry and shout Lament 3.8 yet as the Prophet saith he shutteth out our prayers The lineaments of prayer Though it be not my purpose nor for the place to handle the common place of prayer yet for the better discovery of our neglect and the amendment of it let me briefly lay downe what things in prayer if wee would speed by it should be observed namely the matter of it the person that maketh it the manner of it the qualitie of it and the helpes to sharpen it First for the matter it must be such as the spirit approveth on the rule whereof is laid downe in the word For the person he must be good otherwise his prayer is not good nor can it do any good The prayer of the just maÌ„ prevayleth much If I regard iniquitie in my heart saith the Prophet the Lord will not heare me And as the blind man in S. Iohn Ios 9. God heareth not sinners Moses Iehoshaphat Ezechiah Ezra were all good men their prayers were of force against their enemies The Lord heard them gave them the victory Kings Commanders should be good themselves if they would haue any good by their prayers for God is no respecter of persons the greaterâ—he partie is if he be not good the worser is his prayer in the sight of God yea let them haue some good men of God to be their mouthes to God The people of Israel being to ioyne with the Philistins 1. Sam. 7.8 they say to Samuel Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us that he will saue us out of the hands of the Philistins Where no doubt the people ioyned with him but he led them in the duetie and was their mouth I shewed the necessitie of such before the Lord touch your hearts with a desire of such and stir up such for you Thirdly the manner of the prayer must be performed by going along with the spirit who helpeth our infirmites with sighes and sobs that cannot be expressed We must not be like to Iulius the second in our devotion who sate by the fire and said over his prayers in the time of the fight It is not the ringing nor chanting with the voyce nor the Barotonus lowing of a mightie lung that will prevaile with God Moses cryed hard to God Exod. 14. â—5 though he spake newer a word Which cry did so ring in Gods eare that he could not but answere why cryest thou Moses Egit vocis sileontio ut corde clamaret Aug Q. 52 in Ex yea as one saith well upon that place he held his peace that he might cry the louder not that the cry of the voyce is to be condemned but the cry of the spirit commendeth the matter to God Fourthly for the qualitie of it it must especially be fervent it prevayleth much if it be fervent This is the fire that doth burne the odors in the Censor Moses zeale in this particular was so fervent in that battle against Amaleke that to use the words of the Prophet David It did eate him up A key cold Leiturgie galopt over or cast through a sive with a many parat-like Tautologies or a luke-warme lip-labour can never bring downe a blessing from God Fifthly and lastly the helps of prayer are fasting and mourning wherein and whereby the soule is humbled with God and fitted to hear from God and to speake to God The necessity of these you may see by the practise of Gods people in all the former examples 1 Sam. 7. â— The people of Israel in Mizpeth are said to draw water and poure it out before the Lord and they fasted What is that but as the Chaldee well observeth they poured out their hearts before God and shed teares in such aboundance as if they had drawn water So Iehoshaphat proclaimed a fast So Ezra proclaimed a fast and he and the people afflicted themselues before God Witichindus It is recorded of Otho the great Emperour to his great commendation that being to joyn battell with the Hungarians he proclaimed a fast in his Camp and called on the name of God This afflicting of the soule and pouring out of the heart is not yet come home to you the Warriours of the Lord and giue me leaue a little in particular to intreat your Highnesses to lay home the neglect of these duties to your hearts with both your hands Affliction or nothing will driue men to God God threatning his people that hee will leaue them which is indeed the fearfullest punishment tels us Hos 5.15 that in their affliction they would seek him early Histories tell us that the dumb son of Croesus found his tongue in the danger of his father The Lord hath been sought for you both frequently and fervently but you must seek him earnestly your selues or all is lost labour Hezekiah in his trouble sent to Esay the Prophet desiring him to lift up his prayer for the remnant that were left ch 37. v. 4 but in his own person also he fasted mourned and prayed hard v. 1.15 You should not want some of Gods Maisters of requests to lift up their prayers for you but you must also in your own persons with Hezekiah cry mightily to God if you mean to be heard There be too many though your Graces are not of the mind of that popish Earle of Westmoorland who said He needed not to pray he had Tenants enough to pray for him Turn in for Gods cause upon the closets of your own hearts examine your selues and be still And that it may not be a lame nor a liuelesse prayer get matter from reading hearing and meditating on the Word Labour for holiness without the which it is impossible to see God Get the guidance of the Spirit for bare saying is not prayer be fervent frequent and for fitting you the better afflict your souler in fasting and mourning as your State is afflicted With Hester make your servants fast and pray Try but this course in truth and as sure as the Lord liveth hee shall heap glory and honour upon
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
of your hope is from the enemie with whom you haue to deale namely the beast the Dragon and the false Prophet whose ruine the Lord of hoasts hath vowed and determined It is a great advantage to know our enemies but a greater incouragment to know that our enemies are Gods enemies and God their enemie so that they cannot stand What your enemies are and what attempts they shall make and how certainely and suddenly they shall fall it is cleare in the Revelations It is true indeed you haue monstrous enemies unparaleld by any other Sagitta disbolt Hon. 3. in Psal 38. Imo peior Diabolo Hom. 8. in Esech namely the devill the Imperiall force giving the devill or Dragon for his Armes and the Pope or Anti-Christ whom Origen termeth truely the arrow of the devill yea and worse in a manner then the devill himselfe whose chiefe instruments be these hellsh furies the Iesuits these shall gather together all the waters of the whore on which shee sitteth but the Sun-shine of the Lords wrath shall dry them up her flesh shall be given to be eaten and shee shall be made naked her wound shall not be cured shee shall be burned with fire shee goeth to utter destruction And for the more certainty hereof it is set downe as though it were already done Rev. 16.17 18. cap. It is done it is fallen it is fallen Babilon that great cittie I might bring a world of proofes both from the ancient fathers from the Sybills from their owne Prophets and others that fearfull and finall shall be the fall of Rome That Roma as the Sybills say shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ruin indeed but the thing is so cleere to those that haue read any thing whose eyes God hath not blinded that to deny it is both to contradict God and man It hath beene often to me matter of wonder above all all other their oppositions of the truth how they could deny this but I am perswaded the learned of them withhold the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse Otto Frisingensis an ancient Author who lived 1161 speaking of the ruine of Rome as it hath been the head of all both for dominion and sin so in Gods just judgment it shal be measured to as it hath measured to others I could cite Hildegard Abbas Ioachimus Chrisostom Bernard and others but I rather reserve the larger handling of it to another treatise Beda hath a prettie verse to his purpose Regna ruent Romae ferro flammaque fameque Romes Kingdome falls by famine fire and sword Which to referre to the Gothes and Vandalls were impudencie since that was long before To apply it Applicatiin lovers of Rome and lookers toward Rome and all that loue to be peddling with it and under-propping it secretly looke to it for the day shall come that they shall cry alas for it and shall perish with it As for those that set their heart and hand against it by prayer or sword and hate all communion with it yea every patch of it or garment spotted with the flesh let them go on and prosper howsoever it may be nay it must be through fire and water yet the day shal be theirs There is a Spanishfied popish pamphleter endeavouring to maligne the State of the Vnited Provinces erected maintayned by the finger of God who disswadeth all men from the maintenance protection and partaking of and with the Hollanders and that by sundrie calumnious idlements rather then arguments He draweth one from the fatall end of all such as haue undertaken that businesse beginning with Monsieur de Lemmay and ending with the late Queene Elizabeth of happy memory aspersing like a blacke mouthed Cur as much he can the life and death of a famous nursing mother of vertue and religion giving up also his virulent gorge upon that rightlie renoumed Prince of Orange To which I answer First that as unnaturall and violent death doth not alwayes argue an evill life so it doth not prejudice the goodnes of the action in hand and therefore he is a greater calumniator then argumentator againe if this without further limitation be a good argument then all men haue reason to forsake the maintenance of Babel whereof he is a brat for who haue led such monstrous lives and made such prodigious ends as the maintayners thereof yea I shall be able to prove punctually that never a man that hath put his hand to the maintenance of that Babilonish altar carry it as cleanly as he could but the Lord set Ieroboams marke upon him in one kind or other but that I refer to another treatise To the partie himselfe I will say no more now but that by way of retortion which he putteth upon Sir Ralfe Winwod namely if he had been as good an Englishman as a Hollander the Cautionarie Townes had not been released so had he been as good an Englishman as he is an arrant traytor The affaires of Holland pag. 71. and a spaniolized sycophant he had never profaned with aspertion the ashes of his native Soveraigne nor presumed to suggest false matter of iealousie against the King of Bohemia The last ground of hope or rather the first though I put it in the last place is the love of God in Christ Iesus This is the procatartick cause of hope Spes bona praestat opē this is the ground wheron the Anchor is cast where this is there must be hope and where hope is there is both helpe and assured good successe Rom. 5.5 Hope maketh not ashamed saith the Apostle because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts This is a good ground indeed this will never let the Anchor come home all the other grounds are made good to your Majesties your faith and the spirit must make good this to your soules which is the ground of grounds Without this all the other are nothing as the Apostle saith neyther circumcision Gal. 5.6 nor uncircumcision prevayleth any thing but the new creature in Christ Iesus so neyther a good cause nor the nature of hope nor experience of helpe nor the wickednesse of their enemie will doe any good without this main good the assurance of Gods love So long as men walk saith the Prophet Ieremy after their own devices and doe the imagination of their evill hearts so long they say and can say no other that there is no hope Ier. 18.12 What hope can these men haue of good successe to their courses or to see the face of God with comfort that crosseth God and themselues and his people in all their courses God showes what came of Zedechiah his hopes Shall he scape saith the Lord that doth such things Ezech. 17 1◠Or shall he break the covenant and be delivered All Gods people this Summer haue refreshed themselues with the hope of the English Parliament but except they make sure Gods favour by the zeale of his glory the amendment of life
in patience For the patient wayting of the righteous shall not alwaies be forgotten Your Highnesses in all humble duty A. L. TO THE PRINCE HIS HIGHNES CHARLES The Hope of great Brittain Most gracious Prince WHILST with mournful eye I often viewed the deepe and long continued distresse of your dearest sister and of her royall Lord it gaue me occasion to inquire into the equitie of their cause which in all impartiall judgemeÌ„t shal be found so just that they and all that loue them may appeale to God for the pleading of it but perceiving the successe not to answer the cause and that some for want of love and some for want of judgement did judge the cause by the events I went with David into the sanctuary whence I discovered the causes of their calamitie notwithstanding of the goodnesse of the cause namely the all-wise God to be the chiefe workman who putteth every one into the refining pot that he appoints for his treasurye they and theirs and in them especially all the families of God to be the gold Aegipt or Babilon to be the sornace the Amalekits to be the fewell or fire-workemen the croaking frogges to be the bellowes and the purging and refining of his owne people to be the worke Vpon this discovery betweene love and feare yea out of more love then skill I must confesse I undertooke the framing of this modell of the sacred War wherein I handle at large the particulars of the said discovery as they doe occur in their proper places Heerin brieflie by way of application I haue laid the particuliar passages of both sides to the generall rules illustrated by the fittest examples that my reading would affoord me that the regularitie or obliquitie of euery passage may appeare I haue laid open according to my small skill the pandâ—micall diseases of warr together with the remedies by the way I haue touched vpon domestick affaires and in all this course I haue made the sacred word the loadstone the compasse and the lesbian rule whereby to square and direct all the rest This I presumed to dedicate to their Highnesses because they are the speciall parties as the Lord speaketh that haue seene affliction by the Rod of Gods wrath Lam. 3. but considering how they and theirs Gods cause in their hands and whatsoever is commended to them standeth need both of a protector and revenger I was emboldened on the knees of my bounden duetie and best affection to intreat your grace that according to your accustomed favour you would vouchsafe to looke into this looking-glasse and howsoever its vnpolished ruggednes may rather be discovered by your compleate skill Heroick experience in Armes then its abilitie to direct so Princely a Director yet that sure word wherewith this glasse is steeled will both be light to leade you and strength to make you victorious and as a Trumpet though a meane Officer serveth to rouse the courage of the greatest Commander so this shall rather give an Alarum to your Martiall spirit theÌ„ ad to your Highnes literature courage or skill Gird on your sword then Gracious Sir goe on in the Lord and for the Lord and prosper Our eies are fixed towards God and then upon you in te unuÌ„ oculi omniuÌ„ conversi you are the tree from whose shade the Saints doe looke for shelter refreshing and which shall kill by Antipathye the Snakes of Babel If your Grace would giue me leaue I could lay downe many motives as first Gods honor in the dust Religion at the stake the healing of the beasts wound and the setting of Dagon againe upon the stumps Secondly it was Iosuahs honor to deliver the craftie Gibionits once become his confederates from the fiue Kings whom he put to the sword what honor shall it be to you to vindicate from disgrace and wrong a paragon of Princes a tryed Iewel aboue the patience of her sex an onely loving and a lovely Sister a Prince persecuted by the wicked and deprived of all for the maintenance of the truth a Princely issue as deare and neare to you as Lot was to Abraham and lastlie the people of God in an Aegiptian thraldome Teares here are the best Orators I will say no more but as the wife of Intiphernes said to Darius concerning her brother you can never haue another Sister Thirdly that cruell and cursed crew that hunt for their soules would devoure you and yours if opportunitie should serve Fourthly it shal be your greatest honour to fight Gods battles and who knoweth but that you are the man for whom God hath reserved that honor Charles the great made Rome great And may not a greater Charles raze Romes greatnes Concerning the ruine of Rome which must be accomplished by your Princelie name I commend to your Grace this prophesie Imperium fâ—sâ—es C. fastus seeptra triumphus Quaefuerant penitus C. veniente cadent Fifthly your late admirable deliverance out of the paw of the lyon out of the Iaw of the Beare requireth by course that you should encounter with Goliah Non potuit perire taÌ„tarum lachrimaraÌ„ filius Aug conf Lib. 3. c. 12. Tu non inventa reperta es Sir God thought on you and on vs in you when you thought not on your selfe and blessed be God his name who hath made that principall good that the sonne of so many prayers could not perish Yea wee may truely say to our comfort that you are found againe Lastly your Princely resolution and irrevocable word hath ingaged you to the service of Sions deliverance if you should leaue Sion helplesse which God forbid it were in a manner hopelesse To inlarge these motives to your Grace were but to bring the gleanings of the grapes to the vintage of your literature and policie craving therefore pardon for my boldnesse of speech bluntnesse of phrase Play my selfe the subject and my humble suite at the soote of your Highnesse censure Your Highnesse his most humblie devoted A. L. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT Right Honourable and most Worthy AS many things fall in between the end and the putting of it in execution So whilst J was in hand with this Treatise by the providence of God and his Majesties call you were assembled in the Honourable and High Court of Parliament Which Assembly we pray may be like that assembly of David and his States in Hebron where first they made a covenant before the Lord and thereafter went to warre against the Iebusites and then against the Philistims and overcame them both 2 Sam. 3.15 Strike your Covenant then with the Lord and your warre shall surely prosper For the discoverie of your Adversaries which is a main principle of warre you need not a Vox populi you haue vivam vocem Principis Onely this little Work which I humbly commend unto your view I wish may be vox tubae to your martiall designes a perspectiue it is whose optic medium is the word
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
both by Counsel and Armes the land became a counsell of war and an army of valorous counsellors Fourthly the successe of the war doth often follow the vertue of the commander To omit other examples witnes the Kings of Iudah While they were good they pevayled against their enemies as David Ezekiah c. 2. King 16 but by the contrary against the bad Kings the enemies prevailed instance Achas branded by the Lord for a bad one this is that Achas 2. Chron 28 and he had as bad successe For evidence whereof reade the places quoted It is often noted of that King and great Commander Moses that he was the servant of God Deut. 34.5 Rev. 15.3 and that not onely for his authoritie and fidelitie in his place but also for his pietie And this indeed is the greatest honour that any Commander can attaine to to be Gods servant So did David esteeme it It is said of Cornelius the Centurion that he was a devout man fearing God Thus you see then that it is not enough for a man to haue a good cause authoritie in his hand but if he will thriue and haue the same to prosper Application he must be good himselfe It then condemneth to hell from whence it came that hellish principle of Matchiavell that a Prince or great One should endeavor rather to be esteemed religious 2. part mâ—x 1. then to be so indeed He hath to many apt Schollers in this especially but is not this to extinguish the light of nature to mocke God and to play the damnable hypocrite What gaines he by this First that which is not in graine cannot hold Secondly when once he commeth to dance in a nett and the colour is cast to the eyes of all men then he turnes from hypocrisie to open impietie he takes on the Lyons skin when the foxes will not serve which is a mayne instance of this Matchiavillian rule and he maintayneth that with open tyranny which he could not cover with hypocrisie Lastly when the Lord hath made him thus vile Pompon 〈◊〉 Lae. t in Iul he makes his grave in a field of shame All these may be instanced in Iulian a grand hypocrite while his uncle Constantine lived but as great in Aposiate and as cunning an Atheist after his death But his end was answereable to his courses Such ends made Gaius Caligula that errant Atheist and Herod Agrippa that truell murtherer yet the one dissembled paynim devotion and the other the profession of true religion as might appeare by his solliciting Tiberius for the Iewes when he was incenst against them Let Christian Princes then follow Abraham walke with God and be upright and in peace and warre God shall blesse them Now as the CommaÌ„der must be such such also should the souldiers be as Cornelius was a devout man himselfe so he called unto him with his two servants a devout souldier also God himselfe in Deuteromy Act. 10.7 giues lawes concerning the puritie of a Campe when the Campe goeth forth against thine enemies Deut. 23.9.10 Numb 5.23 then keepe thee from every evill thing which after he calls uncleannes because sin defileth He here forbiddeth all morall civill legall uncleannes the former two concerne all campes So in Numbers the leper and uncleane were put out of the Campe. Of all Iepers the sinner is the foulest and of all sinners the wicked souldier is the greatest One Achan made the whole army fare the worse Ios 7. Vnholy Armies although they be for a good cause and war under lawfull authoritie yet through their exorbitant courses they incourage the hearts and inarmes the hands of the enemies I will produce but one instance because I must labour to abridge my self The Turkes advantage by our sinnes having many things to goe through Aventinus relateth how they of Rhodes wrote to Frederick the third the Princes Electors how the great Turke being disswaded by his Nobles from making war against the Christians especially against the Germans his answere was as he feared no Christians so least of all the Germans and that for 4 reasons First their disagreement amongst themselves like the five fingers of a mans hand which seldome come together Secondly they are dissolute in their lives by whooring drinking and all manner of riot delighting more in great plumes of fethers then martiall armes Thirdly they are disorderly in their proceedings Fourthly they neglect all laws of government not punishing the bad or rewarding the good As the Turke putteth these imputations upon a natioÌ„ once second to none as they gaue good proofe to Caesar so I wish that they all Europes armies could quit themselves of these better then indeed they can for howsoever the envious Turke with Lamia his eyes seeth much abroad and nothing at home yet our home bred evils which he thus taxeth are more hurtful to us then all his forces De sacro foedere l. 5. as witnesseth Folieta in a speech to the same effect upon that victory obtained by the Christians in a Sea-fight against Assanus Bassa where he observerh that they stand not so much by their own forces as by our sloth negligence and discord Oh then that vvee vvould make a holy Warre indeed that is to be holy in our selues and then neither Gog nor Magog should prevaile against us To this end the Lord biddeth us sanctifie a war By which phrase hee vvills Jer. 6.4 that all that vvill vvar for him should be holy As this serveth to direct us what manner of souldiers in a just warre are required so it discovers the blasphemy of that Matchiavillian principle of Atheism wherein with open mouth Machiavils blasphemy he preferreth Paganism in souldiers to true Religion because Religion saith he makes men humble pusillanimious or weak-minded and more apt to receiue injurie then to repell it Before I come to the answer let me say thus much of him once for all if that Atheistly burn paper and blinde bayard had lived amongst the Heathens and had dealt with their feyned gods as he hath dealt with the true God they vvould haue made him an example to the world and would haue burned his blasphemous papers in the fire but as they humored exceedingly his lewd Countrimen so they flew over the Alpes yea and the Seas also infecting France and all the rest of Christendome Insomuch as the Sybillin oracles were the refuge of the Painims for their direction so most Princes and their affaires now are guided by Matchiavel Are not men now of divilish pates and deep reaches to the evill and such as are acquainted with the depth of Satans policie the onely men of service as they call them Yea say they be but very beetles and block-heads yet if their brains vvill serue to hatch toades they will serue the turn as well as can be if he can swear horribly and blaspheme fearfully vvith termes not to be named if he can roare
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
affected vvhen they heard these evill tydings They mourned and no man put on him his ornaments Where observe as by the force of the reason the threatning concerneth us so it standeth us upon to be affected and humbled by the threatning as they vvere Though the Lord had promised to send his Angell to cast out the nations before them to giue them the good land yet all this vvithout Gods familiar presence vvould not content them Oh that this mind vvere in us and that vvee could mourne as they did he vvould be intreated to goe vvith us as he went still vvith them at Moses entreatie If vvee vvill but looke upon the practise of the heathens in this particular Si dii voluerint Expeditio in Dei nomine Sacra fecere ante egressionem Herodian lib. 6. it may make us ashamed of our neglect Hauing prepared their forces their Edicts for setting forth vvere given out in the name of their gods to vvhom before they vvent forth they preformed all religious services yea they had such an esteeme of the tutelar gods of nations that they held them invincible except their gods should forsake them which made all the foolish nations exceeding carefull to keepe and please their foolish gods and their enemies as diligent to inveigle them As it is reported of Diomedes and Vlisses who inticed out the Troyan Palladium So the Talmudists and Cabalists fable of Moses that he should overcome Amonino the God or intelligence for so they call nationall gods of the Epgytiās Beatū esse hominem Deo fruentem sicut oeulus luce Lib 8. de Civit. Dei. The Platonists could say as Austin witnesseth that that man was happy who inioyed God as the eye doth the light If thus the blind heathens did toyle themselves to please their mouldy gods or rather devills heaping sorrow on their own soules and if Rome yet take so much paines with her Bellona for the successe of warre how should wee labor to haue his presence with us who is the God of all the world who needs not our keeping save onely by faith but he will keepe us and make the hearts of the Caneanits to melt yea the joints of every Balshazzer that is drunke with the whoores cup to tremble and shake Therefore let us never cease nor giue the Lord rest till wee haue his familiar presence with us CHAP. XII Of depriving the Enimy of all Means THVS an Army having got his presence may go on with Iosuah and be couragious yet vvithall no secondary mean must be neglected And first of all a people must look to maintayne what they haue already in possession Omnem alumoniam virtus intra muros debent studiosissime conlocare Veget. lib. 4. cap. 7. Qui frumētum nō habet vincitur sine ferre Caesar sexto bello gallice that especially by fortifying all places of strength vvhereunto they may bring all their victuals and other substance And that for tvvo causes as Vegetius vvel observes The first that if they be beseiged they may want no necessaries The second that the beseiger may eyther be forced to fight with disadvantage or to returne home with disgrace This the Romanes gaue in charge to their subjects and appointed officers to see it done Caesar gaue the like charge upon the same grounds to the Vbij G. Marius as Plutarch reporteth put this also in practise The Walles of Bisantium and Saguntum vvere very strong as vvee reade in Dio and Livi yet the Lacedomians held it a point of vvorth to haue no vvalls but the citticens valour and so they did inhabite unvvalled citties as Plutarch in Apotheg Divers are the judgements of Philosophers in this point Aristoile refuteth this opinion of the Lacedomians vvith Plato his defence of the same Lib. 7. de optima reip as very incommodious to a common-vvealth And so it is indeed for vvhy should men expose themselves and theirs to more danger then needs or presume so much upon their ovvne valour as to neglect so good meanes vvhich indeed saveth often a great deale of bloud that otherwise should be shed Yet this much I will say except valour maintayn the Walles and sin be cast ouer the Walles and God watch the cittie a wall of brasse is but a vaine thing To this effect speaketh the Comic Plaut Si incolae bene sint morati pulchre munitam arbitror at nisi invidia avaritia ambitio c. Exulent centuplex murus parum est Et quae opportari nequierint exurenda Veget. Yea whatsoever cannot be got or contayned within the strength is to be consumed with fire that it may not serue the enemy Such was Sampsons practise in burning of the corne Yea the townes themselves as warriours relate haue been by the defendents set on fire As for instance twenty of the Bituriges that they should not come into the enemies hands As for the raysing of the trenches with their dimensions of depth and bredth together with other workes for holding themselves and annoyance of the enemy I leaue them to their present occasions the particular Masters in that Art CHAP. XIII War must be as well Offensiue as Defensiue FVrther when they haue thus fitted themselues for defence they must alwayes know that the nature of war requireth that it be as well offensiue as defensiue and that diversion of forces doth often helpe where direct opposition prevayleth not A war meerly defensiue where they may offend is worse then yeelding at the first for it inureth the assailant to cunning and courage and it driveth the defendant from good opportunities to desperate conditions Neyther doth it a whit abate the crueltie of the enemy in whose heart is the roote of bitternesse and in whose eare the trumpet of destruction is ever sounding this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revenge thy selfe upon thine enemies Yea barely to defend without laying hold on every opportunitie of offence is against the rules of the Art militarie the nature of war and the practise of good souldiers It is a main rule in warre whatsoever doth advantage the enemy it hurteth thee Quod illū luvat tibi semper officit Veget. lib. 3. cap. 26 Therefore thou shouldest doe all that may advantage thy selfe and hurt him Againe the body of vvar requireth as much offence to accompany defence as the naturall body requireth for its actions a right hand and a left or as the right hand and the left require in sight a sword and buckler To the which Tully alludeth speaking of Marcus Coelius Bonā dextram inquit sed malam sinistram babet who could accuse well but defend meanly He hath a good right hand saith he but a naughty left hand So he that faileth in offending of his enemy and cleaveth close to his own defence hath a good left hand and a naughty right hand Yea the very words of Military Art doth joyn these two inseparably together with them the word defend
Defendere pro arcere lâ—tinissime dicitur doth not barely signifie to resist but also to abandon the enemy by all meanes they can from further assayling So Vegetius Caesar Tully and others useth the word So from this signification the armed horse were called Cataphracti equites defensores not onely for defending of the rest but also for breaking of the enemies forces Virgil useth the vvord in the same sense Solsticium pecori defeÌ„dite id est depellite though in another case Yo driue away or to put farre off He that would defend well at home must learn to offend abroad A good Warriour in this kind must be like the Amphibena having a head on each side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for devising as well how to offend as defend and with every part of his body on the right hand and on the left he must lay about him to make good his designes Lastly that iâ— hath been the constant practise of the best and skilfull est souldiers it is undenyable Abraham did not onely reskue his Nephew and his neighbours vvith their goods and children but also pursued the Kings and smote them and took the spoyl vvhich the Lord did vvell approue on Gen. 14 1â— as appeareth by the vvords of Melchizedeck in the blessing of him I might cite the examples of Moses Ioshua and the rest of the Iudges and of the Israelites war against their enemies but this vvere to light a candle at noon-day to men of learning and experience For it is more then manifest that this hath been the design and practise of all the worlds great Generals As for the diverting of the enemies forces obserue that example of Scipio vvhose counsell prevailed vvith the Romanes against Cato to send forces into Aphrick vvhich proved exceedingly to the Romans good for hereby the Carthaginians vvere forced to call back Hannibal out of Italy and of an offensiue vvar to make a defensiue As this principle is vvell known ApplicatioÌ„ so I vvould our vvorthy Warriours in the beginning of these Christian vvarres had answered their knowledge vvith their practise For the Lord made the hearts of their enemies to melt and their soules to faint at the hearing of them but perceiving they kept their right hand in the bosom and held onely forth the left they took them time for mature deliberation in the vvhich they got up forces and courage regether knowing vvell that the bucklars in their enemies left hands might vvell receiue blowes for a time but they could giue none This vvas the very beginning of our evill Hinc origo mali our of vvhich much dishonour to God trouble to his Church and perill to his Saints hath risen Of vvhom this left-handed-counsell came I leaue to those that know it but this we all know it proved a left-handed-counsell God giue us grace hereby to proue Epimethei if vve could not proue Promethei CHAP. XIIII Of the safe leading of the Forces BVT to proceed vvith the rest of the warlike proceedings As Generals must leade on their forces at their appointed times for their service so they must look vvell to the safety of the vvaies by the vvhich they leade them The learned and experienced in Arms doe vvell obserue Plura in itineribus quaÌ„ in ipsa acie pericula that there be more dangers in the vvaies through vvhich they March then in the very front of the battle The same Author quoted giues a reason While they are in conflict they are fitly armed prepared and appointed to fight they see their enemies before them but in the way they are subiect to the con-contrary of all these Therefore the Romans besides their Geographicall tables Perlustratores they had their Viewers and Tryers of the waies which went before to cleare all the passages that by the enemies they might not at unawares be surprized Iulius Caesar would never lead his forces nor suffer them to be led through any dangerous waies Sueton. without exact discovery of the danger Livius Florus The neglect of this gaue Sp. Posthumius the Consul with all his forces an ignonimious foil by the Caudini CHAP. XV. The manner of safe Incamping AS the waies for safe passage are to be secured so a care must be had of incamping the forces The Camp is the Citie of the souldier be he never so great The Israelits being numbred had their charge to incamp about the Sanctuary that is to place themselues in a warlike order and government Numb 2.2 The sonnes of Israel shall incamp every man by his standard c. The Israelites had indeed two sorts of Camps one for the managing of their warres and another when they pitched about the Arke The forme of the former was â—ound as appeareth by the phrase of speech expressing Davids comming up to the Camp of the Israelites ready to joyn battell with the Philistims 1 Sam. 17.20 Mabagalah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word by divers is diversly taken yet amongst all it doth properly signifie the round compasse or circuit invironed with the carts and carriage And so the Septuaginta in another place doe well expresse it by a word that signifieth rotunditie called by some pilata acies Within the compasse wherof the King in the middle of his Host did lie for his better security The form of the latter was foure square as you may see by the description of it in the second of Numbers but in both they were placed in a military order And it is likewise cleer that both the Generall and the Souldiers kept the Camp Saul was alwaies in the Camp and so was Moses and Iosuah and the rest of Israels Generals Epaminondas that great Captain is much magnified by Aemilius Probus for that speech to the Ephori worthy of a noble Generall indeed If you will be Princes of Greece indeed Si principes Graecie esse vultis castris est vobis utenduÌ„ non palaestra you must be in your Camps and not seeing sports and recreation All should be of this mind that warre for the Lord of Hosts The Campe is the fittest place the safest place and the place of greatest honour Vriah rendreth this reason to David of his not going home to his own house That Ioab his Lord Generall was in the field with the Hoast of Israel 2 Sam. 11.11 and the Ark of God and shall I then goe to mine house to eat drink c. No as thou livest and as thy soule liveth I will not doe this thing All this he might haue done but in regard of the common danger it was more time to think on God and his service then to take his ease and liberty in things otherwise lawfull It had also been better for David himselfe to haue been there then upon the top of his house for thereby hee might haue been preserved from a multitude of sinnes saved a multitude of soules from death and Gods name from a
you see I haue gone a long in these circumstances of â—â—uncell making a mixed application of them as occasion was given both to civill and martiall affaires CHAPT XXIIII Of the particularities of the Counsell of War NOW I come more close to my proper subject of war Of the obiect of war wherein I brieflie meane to shew what is the object of this counsell what is the ground of it and how 〈◊〉 should be carryed The object of the counsell of war is whatsoever maâ— accommodate themselves and incommodate the enemie Yea they are to be acquainted as much as may be with thâ— enemies affaires forces and counsell As what number they be what kind of forces they be vvhether horse or foote vvhat disposition they are of vvhat be their Armes defenfive and offensive Difficile vincitur qui vere potest de suis de adversarii copiis judicare Lib. 3. cap. 26. Stratag lib. 1. cap. 2. and vvhat Armes they are best at Vegetiâ— giveth a good reason for this he is hardly overcome that 〈◊〉 truely judge or discerne of his owne and his adversaries forceâ— For the discovery of the adversaries counsell as it is of greause so some Generals haue not onely been carefull in thâ— discovery but haue made great attempts for the effecting of it As Cato in the Spanish war being very defirous to discover the enemies counsell and seeing no ordinary meanes to effect it caused 300 souldiers breake in upon the enemies campe who brought one of the saide campe safe avvay to the Generall out of vvhom he extorted the secrets of the enemie The discovery of the King of Arams councell by the Prophet Elisha was great advantage to the King of Israel Beware saith the Prophet thou passe not suth a place King 6.29 for thither the Sirians are come dovvne Euen in this respect as for others the Lord is called an excellent man of war because he knovveth the forces the counsell and Armes of the adversary In this the diligence of the common enemie doth both blame us and shame us The devill is a busie Bishop They vvant no spies they spare no paines nor charges vvhereby they may discover and frustrate all the attempts of Gods forceâ— for his ovvne cause That serpentine brood of the devill oâ— rather devills themselves as one calleth them affoordeth alâ— kinds of counsellours some dormient some couchant some rampant some vvalking yea creeping flying abroad for discoveryes The Duke of Bavariaes letter to Richard Blond Vice-Provincial in England vvherein he thanks him for his paines and diligence for the Romish See and Catholique Cause doth directly discover what weekly intercourse is between the said Blond and the Pope notwithstanding of Romes distance from England As for Blonds interest in some of the Bedchamber mentioned in that letter I will not meddle with it It were good then they were encountred with the â—ike diligence and industry Paulus Aemilius discovered the ambushment of the Boians by the flying of Birds in the Truscan war For the fowles being affrighted from the wood the councell sent out a scout-watch and discovered ten thousand in ambushment So by the flying of these black-birds of Rome their subtilties in war and infidelity in peace vvith carefulneffe might be discovered The Doctors of Doway obserue from Nubrigensis Lib. 2. cap. 21. rer Anglic. 2 King 6.17 upon the opening of Elishaes servants eyes that a husbandman in Yorkâ—hire named Ketle had the gift to see evill spirits whereby he often detected and hindred their bad purposes As by this lye they vvould make footing for their feigned miracles so indeed the Lords Armies had need of scaled eyes wherewith to discern those Legionary spirits who are digging through the vvall to raze down the foundation But some vvith Gallio care not for these things ApplicatioÌ„ some see them but wil not see some underhand doe countenance them and some with the faint-hearted spies dare say little or nothing to them But it is to be feared that these evill spirits will proue like a Hecticke once openly discovered neâ—ver cured but by a miracle CHAP. XXV Gods word the ground of Counsell IT followeth in the next proper place to shew whenâ—â— this councell should come the ground whereof should bâ— the word of God For although the Scripture be not an Encyclopedia of all the particulars of every Science yet in it theâ—â— may be found a Systeme of all sciences it being the Mistressâ— to whom all Sciences are handmaids Yea this directs theâ— ordering of all true principles and conclusions No better Philosophy Logick or Metaphysick then in the book oâ— God No better counsel or direction for war or peace theâ— there is to be found Hence the Word is called by the namâ— of Councel Act. 20.27 I haue not shunned to declare unto you all the counsell of God Thy Testimonies are my delight saith the Propheâ— David my councellours Psa 119.24 or the men of my councell Thaâ— charge given to the King of Israel concerneth all Kingâ— in the world and they that will thriue in peace or war musâ— obey it namely that they haue Gods Law-book continually with them that they should reade it that they may learn to fear God to avoid sin yea by this rule all their doings should be so ordred that they should not decline from iâ— to the left hand Deu. 17.18 or to the right So the like direction was given to Ioshua who was to fight the battels of the Lords Thâ— book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth Ios 1.8 but thou shaâ—â— meditate therin day and night Both reason and experience confirmeth this position aâ— what work can teach a man so well to war as the book 〈◊〉 God who is the excellent man of War Again hath eveâ— any Warriours paralelled those who haue had their rules and directions from God Witnesse Moses Iosua David and the rest Haue all the Worthies come nigh one of these Adde to these reasons the nature of the Word vvhose proper encomy it is to make a man perfect to every good work Since lawfull war is a good vvork and that of a high nature the vvord must not onely fit men for the undertaking of it but also for the happy managing of it to Gods glory and the and ertakers good It is a sure Canon in Theologie That the word of God is not onely the Canon of our faith and life but also of our Calling whatsoever it be from the King to the Porter Would to God we would all obserue it This may very well be said to be that Tower of David built for an Armory vvherein a thousand shields doe hang Cant. 4.4 even all the Targets of the mighty men for whether vve understand thereby the Tropies of Christs triumph hung upon the neckes of the â—aithfull or that Panopli or compleat armour spoken of in â—he Ephesians yet all this we attain unto by the Word Alexander
heaven Tripartit hist lib. 12. cap. 1. help thou me to root 〈◊〉 them and I shall help thee to overcome thine enemies For thâ—â— hee was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fling-fire in French Bon te feu Iust so the frogges of the bottomlesse pâ— doe croak and call together the Kings of the eariâ— to the battle of Armageddon with this incouragement Root out those pestilent Heretickes quit your Dominions of them and besides the peace and prosperity with plenty and obedience from your loyall Catholike subjects you shall haue heaven hereafter as sure as the Pope himselfe who hath the disposing of it But how they haue sped and prospered that haue followed their counsell I shall haue occasion to shew hereafter And as they are of their father the Devill and with lying words deceiue men so 〈◊〉 will assure you upon the word of God who cannot lie that if you will procure such Ministers as are of God warranting their Call by their life and doctrine and hearken to such and obey them as from the Lord the Lord hath said it Deut. 28.7 He shall curse thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face they shall come against thee one way Esa 1.19 and flee seven waies before thee If you will be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land Where obserue especially that there must be a willing obedience otherwise both the Minister and the meanes can doe no good It is a vain thing and the grossest point of Popery to presume upon the ordinances Obadiah 1. or the work done This is to make the Nest in the Clift of the rock out of which the Lord will bring every one down that so doth for God thereby is robbed of his glory and the soule cozened when it commeth to reckon The Trojans trusted foolishly to their Paâ—â—adium the Asiatickes to their Pessimuntius the Romanes to their Ancilia the Papists to the Crosse and holy-water and the Israel of God to the Arke of God As the idolatrous Papist in any common calamity cals for the pax and the host so the Israelites caused bring the Arke and putting carnall confidence in that without any counsell asked of Samuel or commandment from the Lord it must be carryed out to battell They were no better here then the uncircumcised Philistim or rather worse for they feared the Arke more then God and his people trusted to the Arke more then to God but the Arke was so far from saving them that God gaue both them and it into the hands of the enemies Yea for their wickednesse and vain confidence the Lord so abhorred his own Ordinances that he suffered them to be polluted with the foule hand of the uncircumcised Philistim who had nothing to doe with them In the very same predicament be our carnall Gospellers who being confident upon the profession of the outward badges of Christian profession as the Word and Sacraments thinke all shall be well enough they are baptized they haue the Word and receiue the Sacraments and they haue an excellent Teacher and they frequent the house of God and sit before the preacher and commend both him and the Sermon the Word is as a louely song and they shew much loue to him with their mouthes Ezech. 33.31 c. but there is one thing wanting which marreth all They heare the words saith God but they will not doe them If the distressed people in the Palatinate Bohemia and Switzerland examine the cause of their captivity in their own land I beleeue they shall finde their presuming on the meanes with unanswerable walking to haue deprived them of the means and made Ashur to lie heavy upon them their exemplary punishment giues an alarum from the Lord to England and Holland who presuming on some Watchmen upon the walls and some manna about their tents thinkes the Lord will never come against them nor remoue the Candlestick but let them know that except the deadnesse of Sardis and the lukewarmnesse of Laodicea be really repented of the Lord will pull them out of the 〈◊〉 of that rock Yea and rather pollute his own Ordinances then indure their mockerie The Provinces may happiâ—â— presume upon some purer reformation and expulsion 〈◊〉 the Antichristian Hierarchie but I protest upon my knowledge from the griefe of my soule that they carry a name that they liue but they are dead both to the power of the the Word and Discipline for besides the infection of all plaguie heresies that they keep warm amongâ— them where is the power of the Word in Saboath keeping family duties gracious words and holy walking Where is the Pastor that can say here am I and they whoâ— God hath given me Where is the power of the Ministery in shaking of the hearts of great Ones Who will not like the Nobles of the Tekoits Nâ—b 3.5 put their neckes to the work of the Lord Yea their great ones in a manner overtop both Word and Ministery and as their enemies speak like 〈◊〉 many petty Popes they make the power of both swords serue onely humane policy which as it is a justling out of Gods honour in putting the Cart before the Horse so it is a thing that God cannot bear for hee is very jealous of his glory and of the Scepter of his Kingdom If the calamity of the aforesaid people cannot work let them and us take a veiw of Scotland the very paragon of true reformation where there was not so much as one hoofe of the beast left yea where their tallest Cedars were made to stoup at the foot of Gods Ordinances yet for want of fruits worthy of so great a mercie the Lord cast them in the furnace of affliction as famine sicknesse dearth and death yea which is worst of all he hath suffered the stinking carkasse of the interred whore to be raked out of the graue and the froggs of Aegipt to swarm in Goshen which is a great and fearfull wonder What think you Is Israel a servant Is he a home-born slaue Why is he spoyled Ier. 2.14 c. Hast not thou procured or deserved the like unto thy selfe v. 17. My counsell is that Princes States and people both with us and them might be humbled for this particular for God doth threaten us if we doe not Ier. 2.37 that wee shall goe forth from him with our hands upon our head yea he will reject our confidences and we shall not prosper in them The injoying of the meanes without the holy use of them maketh men but the more lyable to the wrath of God The word and works that were taught and wrought in Bethsaida made their case more woefull then the case of Tyrus and Sydon By how much higher Capernaaum was lifted up to heaven in the plenty of the meanes by so much lower was it prest down to hell in the abuse of the meanes Take notice then it is not the Temple of the Lord
It shall then be the part of euery wise warriour to looke well to his counsell and whom he maketh his counsellours Counsell concealed can doe no hurt buâ— once revealed it cannot be called backe againe I haue reaâ— of a man that was in the mouthes of many and of excellent parts if he could haue used them He had cunned by heart the lesson of Q. Metellus and had it often in his mouth That if his shirt were privy to his counsell and could speake he would burne it But like a bad hearer he said and did not for had his practice answered his theorick he might happily as yet haue knowen where to haue found his head all the cunning of the proiecting Spaniard had not served to picke the Elixir out of it It shall not be amisse for Gods people to learne this of their enemies Simeon and Levi diggs deeply and closely through the wall into whose secrets the soule of Israel doth not enter To these secret and deepe diggers that Hierogliph of counsell set out by the learned doth very well agree They picture Pluto with an helmet on his head and Proscerpiâ—na ravishing By which they would signifie the subterraneaâ— secrecie of counsel so their deep counsels are hellish indeed closely covered hauing Pluto and Proserpina for their President Yea the Cabala is kept no closer by the Iewes nor the Sibills by the Romans nor the Druides verses by the ancient Gaules then they keepe their secrets It is good to cast a counter-Mine against this counsell and though you worke not on the like subiect but rather on the contrarie yet labour to keepe as close as they doe When God will giue his people into the hands of their enemies he either taketh away the spirit of councell as he did from Israel when they grieved him or he discovereth it to the enemie as he did the counsell of the King of Siria Therefore as I haue shewed let his people consult with God and let him be president over all their counsels against whom there is no counsell and let them looke likewise to the sealing of their counsell that their enemies might not reade it Take heed of the Babylonish Spyes that convey themselues into your Courts Camps and Chambers in strange habits under the colour of travell traffique profession of Sciences or any such like These be the Hyenaes that lye by the walles with mens voyces but wolues hearts ready to discover every one that looketh out at dores These be like to that dissembling Romish hypocrite Aenobarbus with a brazen face indeed and a leaden heart These are trayned up and taught the Art of discovery so that all Cyphers and Hyerogliphs are familiar to them but if they be caught it is good to make them pay for their learning But to come neerer home into the inward society of secrets Kings and Generals in these daies especially had need not with Osiris King of Egipt to haue an eye onely in the top of the Scepter or Sword but they must haue their eyes in their own heads yea in their hearts ad discernenda regia pericula opus est oculo animi To discover the danger of great ones they had need of the eye of the minde As Achitophel is without giving counsell against David so Doeg is standing before the Lord when David asketh counsel of Achimelech whereof Saul being by him informed it costs the Priests their liues You see this hel-bound came to the place of Gods service as some it may be with us come to the Church to blow up the Church and made likewise a shew of Gods service 1 Sam. 21.7 an Edomite by Nation and Condition yet an Israelite by outward profession This shew without doubt made the Priests not mistrust him but like a bloudie Edomite or Esauite he seeks their bloud and hath it His heart was dyed in bloud for there he conceiveth the murther his tongue dipped in bloud he maketh the matter worse by relating his hand bathed in bloud with that he executeth the malice of his heart Secrecie if God had so so ordained might haue saved all this Such be the kanker wormes and fretting moaths that cat out the heart of good counsell ere ever it come to light Such be the picklocks of the Cabinat of counsell Yea such and so many close deceivers now there be of all sorts Quos fugiamus sei mus quibus credemus nesctmus Cic. ad Atti. Micah 7.5.6.7 that it may be too truely said as Tully said in another case Whom to shun wee know but whom to beleeue we know not Yea the book of God maketh it good of these evill daies Trust yee not in a friend put no confidence in a guide c. He sheweth a reason The son dishonoureth the father c. In a word a mans enemies are thâ— of his own house If Sampson be deceived by his own Heifer and Noah dishonoured by his own son Isaak mocked by his own brother and David finde no place to rest in for his own father-in-law Psal 12. what shall a man say then Surely this is his best refuge Help Iehovah for the gracious Saint is ended and the faithfull diminished from the sonnes of Adam And for the present till the world mend it shall not be amisse to follow the counsell of Epicharmus Sis prudeÌ„s memento diffidere Be wise remember to distrust But since counsell must be used quest and some must be trusted with counsell here a question may be moved what should be done in this I answer answ doe as Constantine did with his servants first try and then trust Yea here ariseth another question how should they be tryed To which I answer First just as he tryed his servants as I shewed in the qualification of a good Counsellour For he that consulteth with God can both giue counsell and keep counsell He that keepeth with God will keep with man but because these are very rare birds as I haue shewed you and one of these is as a Lilie amongst thorns For the tryall of meer civill men let the practise of some great Warriours be insteed of a rule Rules of tryall They would first try their fidelity with things of seeming importance but in themselues of no moment Dionysius going by Sea to besiege a Citie gaue a sealed commission in shew to every ship-master but never a word written in it Withall he commanded so soon as ever a signe was given from a ship thereunto appointed they should open their Commissions and make their course whether they should direct them Withall he ships himselfe presently in one of the best Saylors and comming about before the sign was given he demandeth of every man his Commission those that had opened their Commission against the charge he executed as Traytors to the rest who had obeyed he gaue commission indeed whether to direct their course By which means he both discovered the perfidious from the faithfull Polyaen li. 5 and by
amends That Apothegme of Lamachus to a Captaine of a Company is worth the remembrance The Captaine being rebuked for an errour in fight told Lamachus the Generall that he would doe so no more to whom he answered prettily that for a second errour there is no place in fight Vegetius giveth another reason from the preciousnes of â—ife that lyeth at the stake There is no pardon saith he for an errour in fight because all the good of life and life it selfe is that which is contended for This as the same Author saith is the â—atall day wherein the fulnesse of victory doth laureate the temples of the conquering with a wreath of glory but it layeth â—he honour of the conquered in the dust And be he never â—o great he is at the pleasure and service of his triumphing â—nemy How wise and carefull then should Generalls be in committing fight and how couragious and resolute in the fight it selfe There be many remarkable cautions that should accompany the good advice of fight The disposition of the souldier First the very day of fight the disposition or indisposition of the souldier to fight is much to be regarded which may be gathered by their words countenance and cariage A second thing to be looked to is the avoyding of temeritie a litle of this like a Coloquintiâ—â— marreth all the rest Fresh men at Armes may out of their hot bloud haue a great mind to fight because they know not what it is to fight nor what lyeth upon it Aman that never sayled thinketh it a sport to be at sea because he never feâ—â— a storme Pericles being pressed by his souldiers to fight and that with vile reprochfull termes replyed thus that if he could repayre losse and recover life he would as gladly adventure as they but you see saith he Trees being cut the grow againe but men once slaine revive no more The disposition therefore of the souldier is not enough except other things concurre Avoyding of temeritie It is here as it is in Physicke eâ—sie to erre but the least errour bringeth great damage Anâ— therefore it is a good axiome Temeritas in bello ante omnia vitands Nihil in bello oportet contemni that nothing in fight is so much 〈◊〉 be avoided as temeritie The rashnes of Vladislaus that yong King of Hungarie lost him his crowne and his life It is aâ— good precept the least disadvantage in war is not to be contemned Contempt of the enemie and confidence in forces maketh many reckon twice and sit downe by the losse Instance this in King Iohn of France who presuming of his multitude would admit no conditions from Edward the blacke Prince but fight who with a few wearyed forces driven to a strayt gathered courage from dispaire and gane the French such a foyle both in their honour and forces that they blame themselves much in this that they had no moâ—â— wit Agiselaus that worthy Captaine was wiser in not adventuring on Chabrias the Athenian Captaine against advantage of the ground giuing this reason that courage opportunity of place and necessitie are the wings of victory A wise feare of such is no cowardize but rather a good temper of resolution Aristotle calleth this discreet feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right hand of counsell Incogitancie saith one begetteth temeritie but consideration breedeth a wise or cunctatorie fear It is a pretty Adagie the mother of the fearfull seldome cryeth Augustus compareth them well that cast themselves upon disadvantages unnecessarie dangers to those that angle with golden hookes Poliaen lib. 8 G. Iulius Cesar dictator who had no fewer then fiftie times bin in fight with the enemie in this unparalleld by any of the RomaÌ„s learned this in the end as his master-peece to be very wary with whom how and on what termes to fight In this particular as in many other wee may worthily admire his Excellencie indeed the Prince of Orange who by age industrie and experience hath learned to play the Fabius as well as the Marcellus he hath got much honour to himselfe Festinae lente and good and glory to the State by the use of that Motto that Augustus gaue to his Captaines make hast deliberatly There was never man more desirous of fight then that wise politick Emperour Dion Niceph Xiphilin in eius vita great Commander Trajan yet in this he did so temper himselfe that he would rather breake his enemies with delay then unadvisadly or unnecessarily adventure his owne Thirdly Not to fight at the adversaries pleasure a considerate Generall must not fight at the pleasure of the enemie but at his owne best opportunitie none will draw our their enemie to fight but upon some assured advantage That vexed Hanibal that he had more a doe to get Fabius to fight then to overcome other Romane Generalls in fight and therefore he sayd he feared Fabius more detracting fight then he did Marcellus though a great warriour in fight To this point that speech of Gaius Marius fitteth very well who being importuned by his adversary Theutonus to fight Front lib. 4 cap. 7. answered him thus if he were weary of his life there were wayes enough to rid him of it Fourthly Omit not opportumtie as he must avoide temeritie and not serve the enemies desire so he must not omit opportunity by this I haue formerly shewed how great things haue been done and how the greatest Commanders haue attributed much to this No more I say of it ApplicatioÌ„ but the neglect or losse of this giveth us all just cause to Iament for had battle been given to Spinola approaching the Palatinate when opportunity was affoorded it may be the Sanctuary of the Lord had not been possessed by the enimie yea by all likelyhood all the outrage committed might haue been prevented all the bloud saved and all the country preserved but where the fault lay there I leaue it I come to the fifth thing very necessary in fight The necessity of exhortation that is an exhortatory oration from the mouth of the Generall that they quit themselues like men It is fit that the Generall haue the faculty of incouragement as well as of commandment Câ—sar was excellent at this Et manu lingua promptus for he was a man both with tongue and hand amongst many Of other instances none sheweth more cunning then this that being to fight against Ariovistus and the Germanes the hearts of his souldiers through the forces and fiercenesse of the enemy began to fayle them and amongst them all the tenth legion especially which Caesar very cunningly fell to commend in his oration and told the rest that he would use none but that legion Which speech so affected them that being partly ashamed of their former fear Froâ—tin li. 1. cap. 11. numb 3. and partly ambitious to make good his seeming conceit that no service seemed too hard for
up for the present with shewing what I thinke of that distressed people of Bohemia and the Palatinate under the yoke of the enemy If they had expected such barbarous cruelties they would all haue dyed upon the point of the pike or edge of the sword rather then to haue trusted themselues in the hands of such men of blouds But to conclude this point all and every one of these meanes hath often prevailed in so much that Generals had need to be well versed in this faculty to which Vegetius doth not unworthily attribute very much If exercised souldiers saith he doe fear to fight the exhortatiue power of the Generals oration will rouze up their strength and kindle their courage But here ariseth a doubt not unworthy the answering A doubt What if the heart of the souldier be so sunck De fuga maius quaÌ„ de conflictu eogitat Veget. lib. 3 cap. 10. and his courage so quailed that words are but wind with him his fear hath made him deafe and he minds nothing but taking of himselfe to his heeles I answer as the Noble Generall in this case is in a great strayt so some haue forced their souldiers to fight For this we haue many examples of note both in the most expert Grecian and Roman Generals whereof I will observ but two or three Themistocles and the Grecians having their Navie at Salamis they fearing the enemy would needs flye with their ships for all that Themistocles could doe or say to the contrary he seeing this sendeth Sicinus his sonns Tutor to the King and telleth him in shew of good will that the Grecians were about to flye therefore it should be his best with his whole Navie to come and charge them To this the King did hearken willingly and bringeth all his sea forces into the narrow sea where he cooped up the Athenians ere they were aware where they were forced to fight Polyaeâ— l. 1. yet with great advantage and so nil they would they by the dexterous policy of a witty Captaine they had the victory Where obserue by the way that to fight at the enemies instigation or counsell is no sure nor safe course Another instance in Fabius Maximus arriving at the same place Front lib. 1 cap. 9. Polyaen l. 5. and being to fight with the enemy setteth all the ships on fire that no place of refuge should remaine for flyers The like did Generall Vere at the battle of Newport in sending away the ships that attended them Timarchus Aetolus did the like Clitarchus choosing rather to fight the enemy then to be blocked up in the Citie draweth out his forces and lest they should recoyle back again from the fight he caused the gates to be shut and the keyes to be laid up on the top of the walles which he shewed to the Souldiers admonishing them thereby that there was no refuge left but for fight who making a vertue of necessity fell resolutely upon the enemy and carryed away the victory The like of this did Charles Martil against Abdiramus the Saracen knowing that the valour of his souldiers would countervaile the multitude of the enemy he preventeth all refuge for flight by setting of the Camp on fire Aegnat l. 2. cap. 2. and shutting of the gates of Turon so that there was no way but even to fight it out Yet for all these examples in my simple opinion this will not alwaies be safe but onely where there is fortitude and experience in the souldier yet overdaunted and quashed wiâ—h the feare of the enemy being overmatched in multitude or some other oddes But where insufficiency concurreth with feare to force such to fight were but to stop a ditch with Cowards to flesh the enemy and to spoile a good Commander The sixth main thing to be observed for the ioyning of battle is this not to be daunted with inequalitie of number Incouragement against inequality of number if necessitie inforce the fight I say if necessitie inforce it for otherwise to adventure upon great inequalitie without some odds to countervaile the number were not the part of a wise Commander but if he be put to it upon this odds I may boldly use that speech to him being such as he should be Iosu 1. that God often useth to his Generalls Feare not be strong and couragious c. The reason of this particular may be taken from that speech of Ionathan there is no restraint with God to overcome with many or with few 1. Sam. 14.6 Which speech as it is an infallible truth so it is full of incouragement for though God prescribe meanes Saepe numerâ— pauciores sub bonis ducibus reportaverunt victoriam lib. 3. cap. 9 yet he is not tyed to meanes for he worketh aboue meanes without meanes and against meanes Besides the instances of proofe for this point from the word which some may thinke to be extraordinary there is plentie of examples in militarie treatises humane histories Vegetius hath the position it selfe that often the fewer in number under good CommaÌ„ders doe carry the victory The Commenter giveth instances in Datames who never fought but with the fewer number Aemilius Probus Plutarch Florus yet by his wise carriage using of his best opportunitie had ever the better Sertorius with a handfull got admirable victories over Marcellus other Romans with great armies Admirable was that victory that Charles Martill great Master of France father to King Pippin had ouer the Saracens in the battel of Tours where Abdiramas encountred him with 400000 Saracens but with a number for inferriour yea with a handfull in respect of them he did not onely foyle the Saracens but made the hugest slaughter of any that wee read of to wit he slew 370000. One instance more of no lesse wonder if wee marke all the passages of it in the battle of Poictuiers where Edward the Blacke Prince with a handfull of weareyd souldiers not passing 8000 ouercame King Iohn with an army of 40000 of which besides the nobles 10000 where slaine King Iohn Philip his sonne taken prisoners with 70 Earles 50 Barons 12000 Gentlemen so that they both slew more and tooke more then themselves were in number likewise at the battel of Cresy the English where but 1180 yet they overcame the FreÌ„ch being in number 70000 of which besides Iohn King of Bohemia 11 Princes 80 Barons 120 Knights there were slaine 30000 common souldiers So that you see it is not the multitude of our foes that haue prevayled against us ApplicatioÌ„ For if they had covered the face of the earth like grashoppers the Lord could haue swept them away But as wee shall heare hereafter wee haue provoked him to strengthen their hands against us he goeth not forth with us because we goe not out in with him the Lord is not with us but hath left us and forsaken us because wee haue left forsaken him Why doe
caused the wrath of the Lord to be kindled against him which never slaked till it consumed him for he ran from one evill to another while his own conspired against him and slew him Shebnah that great rich Treasurer who was hewing out his Sepulcher and scorned the Lords call to humiliation for idolatry and other sinns Esa 22.15 he is tossed by the Lord like a ball in a strange Countrey where he dyeth so that the chariot of his glory becoÌ„meth the shame of his Lords house If Diotrephes will not leaue his Lording it over Gods house and beating his servants till he cast them out of their own houses and Gods house forbidding others to receiv them 3 Ioh. 9. Wil not the Lord remember their deeds If the luke-warme Angell with people of this loathsome quality will not grow zealous and mend Will not the Lord spue them both out of his mouth In a word Rev. 3 16. if we doe not as one man humble our selues for partaking with Idols and suffering of Idols and every man in his place put to his hand to bring Iezabel from the window we may justly feare that neither peace nor warre nor Parliament nor Plantation nor Traffique shall prosper with us Yea to shut up the point if we will neither hearken to counsell nor threatning we may feare that be made good upon us which the Prophet threatned against Amaziah that God hath determined to destroy us 2 Chr. 25 1â— because we haue done evill and will not hearken to the counsell of God I hope I am no enemy because I tell you the truth the Lord in mercy make us hear the sound of the Trumpet that we may stand up in the breach and liue As all these things aforesaid are duely to be considered so in the eight place followeth a thing not immateriall to be thought on and very often helpfull to the victory being thought on namely that souldiers wearyed with a long March Multum virium labore itineris pugnaturus amittit lib. 3. cap. 11. Livi. lib. 2. should not imediatly or if they can that day ioyne battel Vegetius giveth a reason by a great March the souldier weakeneth his spirits and looseth his strength Instance of this may begiuen in the Volscians fighting against the RomaÌ„s after too great a March much crying they ioyned in fight and at the very first encounter were defeated and abandoned their Campes Sergius Galba with his wearyed souldiers set upon the Portugalls and routed them at the first and pursuing them unadvisedly with his over wearyed souldiers the Barbarians with their recollected forces returned upon them and slew 7000 Romans very able souldiers The neglect of this observation did the Aâ—ch-Duke no good at the battle of Newport Appianus de bello Hispan who after a long March as I am informed gaue battle to his adversary and that upon a sandy ground Had Spinola with an easie march brought his forces fresh before Bergan-up-Soom presently giuen an assault he had hazarded the taking of the Towne but with over marching they were so wearyed and weakened that fiue dayes past before they were able to assault by this they lost their best opportunitie He laid the blame on Velasco but it was well howsoever The ninth and the last thing to be remembred but not the least The necessitie of fervent prayer yea the chiefest thing of all is devout and servent prayer unto God for the victory If an eloquent and pithy speech from the mouth of a natural man prevail much as I shewed in provoking them to courage how much more couragioâ— shall these men be whose hearts God doth touch and whose hands God doth strengthen for the day of battel Now â—hese by prayer are obâ—ayned of God witnesse that instance of Moses praying and the people of God fighting when Moses held up his hand that is was strong in prayer then Israel prevayled and when he let downe his hand that is when his spirit failed 〈◊〉 17.1 Amalec prevayled A man may thinke that Moses should rather haue gone into the field being the Lords Generall then got him up to the mountaine to pray but Moses knew well enough what he had to doe he appoints a man sufficient for the place he knew wherein the strength of Israel lay namely in their God and what would most prevaile with God namely fervent proyer One good man praying is worth an Army of men fighting and therefore Moses the man of God guided by the spirit tooke this as the best course for obtayning of the victory The prayer of the righteous saith S. Iames avayleth much if it be fervent Iam. 5.16 This is the key that openeth heauen and the steps of the ladder whereby we ascend This maketh the Lord to bow the heavenâ— and come downe By this wee wrastle with God that he may giue us strength to wrastle with the enemie This strengthneth the feeble knees and hanging downe hands of those that fight Gods battels Finally this blunteth the forces of the enemie and overturneth the horse and the rider Origen on that practize of Moses maketh this application lift thou up thy hands to heaven Eleva tu manus in coelum c. Homil. 11. in Fxod as Moses did and obey the Apostle his precept pray without intermisssion for Gods people did not so much fight with hand and weapon as they did with voyce and prayer This time of battle is the very pinch of extremitie and therefore the best opportunitie for prayer Deut. 33.7 Moses ioyneth these two together in the blessing of Iuda heare oh Lord the voice of Iudah or as the Chaldee well traÌ„slateth the prayer of Iuda when he goeth forth to war If wee be commanded to call on the Lord in the day of our trouble what greater trouble then this when the enemy is ready to devour us and to reproch the name of our God This you may see to be the ordinary practize of Gods people in the fighting of his battels Iudah cryed unto the Lord. 2. Chron. 13 14. Chap. 14.12 Notable is that prayer of Asa going against the Ethiopians he cryed unto the Lord. Heâ—pe us oh Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name wee goe against this multitude So that of Iehosaphat going against the Ammonites is a president at large for all Gods people how to behaue themselues in this particular First 2. Chron. 20 that good King discovereth the strayt wherein they were wee know not what to doe vers 12. Secondly his refuge but our eyes are up towards the ibidem Thirdly his pressing God with petition oh our God wilt thou not judge them ibidem Fourthly the arguments whereby he would moue God to heare his petition from the 6 vers to the 13. Fifâ—ly there is the preparation to this duetie that it may be the more effectuall and Iehosaphat feared the Lord and set himselfe to seeke the Lord proclaymed
a fast through all Iudah vers 3. I shew the scantling of the place the rather 2. Chron. 32 20.21.22 because I know no place in all the booke of God fitter for this purpose Other instances there be as that prayer of Hezekiah against the Asstrians The like course tooke the Israelits being to ioyne battle with the Philistins So Iacob looking for nothing but for battle from his brother he prepareth himselfe by prayer So did Ezra I urge the more places the rather because I would inforce the necessitie of the duetie and manifest the good effect of the same being performed and justly to tax our selues to our humiliation for the neglect or uniound performance of this duetie To the first you may see by this cloud of witnesses how strict Gods people haue beene in this duetie To the second it is likewise cleare that good successe hath followed the duetie in all the quoted testimonies Ezra relating how he had commended the cause to God wheÌ„ they stood in feare of their enemies sheweth us what was the issue of this their holy practize Ezra 8.23 So wee fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us And for the last namely our neglect would to God our mourning for the sin were as manifest as the sin it selfe looke but on the successe of our battles that argueth our neglect God is one the same God the cause is likewise Gods but God is not sought unto he is not importuned Wee are like to the Israelits going against Beniamin who inquired of the Lord whether they should goe up against them or no and what tribe should lead them and hauing their direction in both these they set themselues in order Heare they make the cause sure and for avoyding contention about the leading they haue the bravest Leaders allotted them Iudges 20. and for their forces they were eyther enough or too many yea of the choyce souldiers and very well ordered but how sped they But very meanly as you may see in the text they were twice foyled and lost to the number of 40000 men But what was wanting heare I answere even the selfe same things that are wanting in us Search of sin and seeking to God Wee doe not read in all the text that they did eyther of these till they were beaten to it And what needed they in their owne conceit They had a just cause and the Lord his owne warrant and braue Commanders and for multitude they might haue eaten them up and why should they goe to God for the victory they doubted not of that but as they looked least to the matter of greatest waight so they were plagued in that which they least feared to teach them and others to take their whole errand with them God gaue them twice into the hand of their enemies and then they saw their ouersight and went up to the Lord and wept and fasted Vers 26. and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord then by the Lords direction they went up and prospered So wee may lay our hands upon our mouthes in this case and proclaim our selues to be faulty for wee haue presumued much upon a good cause and secundary meanes but wee haue not wrastled with God for the victory The Pagans and Papists doe condemne us in this who toyle themselues with their idols babling out many blasphemons prayers and that for the most part for the prosperous successe of wicked designes Lib. de bello punico Appianus telleth us that before the Romans ioyned battel they sacrificed to Audaciâ—ie and Feare Plutarch Satim ante acient immolato equâ— concepere votum Florus telleth us that the Lacedemonians before the fight sacrificed to the Muses The MysiaÌ„s before they fought did sacrifice a horse To what a number of Saints doe the Papists sacrifice when they goe to fight how doe they ply the idoll of the Masse in which they put their considence The Iesuits indeed the Popes bloud-hounds trust more to the prey then to their prayers They much resemble as one saith well the Vultures whose nests as Aristotle saith cannot be found yet they will leave all games to follow an Army because they delight to feed upon carryon neyther will they be wanting with their prayers such as they are for the successe of the great Cracke and blacke day as they call it wherin these harpies thought to haue made but a breakfast of us all they erected a new Psalter for the good successe of a wicked counter parliament the depth of whose consultation was fiery meteors the proiect whereof was the rending of mountaines and tearing of rockes with an earthquake of firie exhalations to consume and swallow up both hils and valleys and to increase the iniquitie with wicked Iesabel they would colour it with a fast and with blasphemous and lying Rabshakah they would beare the world in hand by this their Psalter that they came not up against us without the Lord 1. Reg. 25. and the Lord had bidden them doe it Their develish dittie consisteth of a seven-fold psalmody which secretly they passed from hand to hand set with tunes to be sung for the cheering up of their wicked hearts with an expectation as they called it of their day of Iubilie The matter consisteth of rayling upon King Edward and Elizabeth and our Soveraigne that now is of perition imprecation prophesie and prayse for successe I will set downe some of these because the Psalter it selfe is rare or not to be had For they are taken up by the Papists as other books be that discover their shame Prayer Psalme 1. Confirme say they the heart of those thy laborours endue them with strength from aboue and giue successe unto their endeavours Embolden our hearts with courage to concur with them freely in the furthering of thy service Confirme your hearts with hope Prophesie Psal 2. for your redemption is not far off The yeare of visitation draweth to an end and jubilation is at hand The memorie of novelties shall perish with a cracke as a ruinous house falling to the ground he will come as a flame that bursteth out beyond the fornace His fury shall fly forth as thunder and pich on their tops that maligne him Howsoever God in mercie disappointed them yet by these you may see as by so many ignivomus eruptions of the helfiry-zeale of Aetna what their diligent endevour was for they would be wanting in nothing The necessitie therfore of the duetie the good successe of it the sinister zeale of idolatrie in this point according to their kind and the danger of the neglect of it may provoke us if wee be not void of sense to set upon the duetie If idolaters who by their prayers and sacrifice bringing nothing but sorrow upon themselues doe so bestir themselves what fooles are wee in slighting off so excellent a duetie wherein the Lord hath promised to be with us yea
your heads and shame upon your enemies This course will break the heads of the Dragons of your sinns this will offer violence to heaven and as it were inforce God to answer this will be like an earthquake to your enemies it will sinke them it will swallow them up A pretty instance of this I remember from the confession of an arch-enemy of the Gospell namely Queen mother of Scotland who fighting against God and the erecting of his Kingdom confessed openly That she feared more the fasting and prayer of the man of God Iohn Knox and his Disciples then an Army of 20000 armed men As your neglect hath been great in this particular so the blemish of out Nation in neglecting and opposing this office is indeleble No Nation professing the Gospell but they haue publiquely been humbled in some measure we excepted we onely haue not set forth to help thus against the mighty which I thinke verily hath accursed all the rest of our helps that they are as Water spilt upon the ground It is true that the soules of Gods people haue been exceedingly humbled in secret for the afflictions of Ioseph and haue poured out their hearts in aboundance of sighes and teares for their miseries But what is this to the publique discharge Since I am fallen upon the point I cannot but with griefe obserue that this Nation hath been at such opposition and enemity with this duety that it is thought as dangerous a thing to undertake it as it was in Athens to make mention of the recovery of Salamis or as it was amongst the Iewes to speake in the name of Iesus What should be the cause of this I haue often wondred I am sure of this It is an evill sign of an evill cause yea a fearfull fore-runner and provoker of Gods long protracted wrath to fall upon us Not any finne of omission or commission hath a more fearfull threatning against it then this Witnesse the Prophet Esay Ch. 22.12.13.14 When God saith he called to weeping and mourning and to humiliation in the highest degree as the word importeth then behold saith he ioy and gladnesse slaying of Oxen and all the contraries by which they braved out God to his face But what followed A fearfull threatning Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts Whose eares should not tingle to heare this And whose heart should not tremble to thinke upon it And yet the best in this is too secure But since the duety is so called for and since it setteth such an edge on invocation it hath so prevailed against the enemies of Sion and the neglect of it is so severely threatned what may be the cause may some say that in a Christian Common wealth it should be thus neglected and withstood If you will haue my opinion in my judgement I conceiue these to be the Remoraes or break-necks of this duty First the universall plenty except the wants of the meaner for so long as there be Oxen and Sheep to kill and sweet wine enough so long no humiliation Ioel 1.13 When the meat offering and the drink-offering fayleth them then will the Priests saith the Lord by Ioel gird themselues in sackcloth and lament and houle A second let is the conceited glory of the Church the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord say they and that imgreat pompe and glory and what need we mourn It is an outside glury indeed but there is but a little glory within A third let is this men are so inslaved to sin and Satan and so vassalled to their own corruptions that they dare not incounter with their Maisters for whose service they haue bored their eares The fourth Remora is this the plants that are not of Gods planting know well that the use of humiliation would find out the causes of our evill amongst which themselues would be found to be the chief So that it is no wonder that they cannot endure to hear of humiliation But if men be thus fearfull to awake sleeping dogs and will hazard themselues and the Nation upon the point of Gods Pike what a fearfull plight shall they be in in that gloomy day that is like to come upon us wherein the Lord shall giue the Alarum May not Ahab condemne us in this Obliviscitur se Regem esse ubi Deum omniū Regem pertimescit purpuram abjicit c. And where shall we appeare when Ninivie sheweth it selfe Of whose King Ambrose giveth this pretty observation that he forgot himselfe to be a King when once his heart was smitten with the fear of the King of Kings hee casteth away his robes and beginneth by his repentance to be a King indeed for he lost not his command but changed it from the worse the better But to conclude the point oh that my counsell could please all those that I haue spoken to both Kings Ministers and people that we might be humbled as one man together and every man apart by himselfe and renting our hearts before the Lord never leaue importuning him nor let him goe till he were intreated If we would humble our selus the Lord would humble our enemies It is his Covenant Psal 81.13.14 Oh that my people had hearkened to me and walked in my waies I should soon haue subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their Adversaries Oh that wee were like Israel in the Iudges Chap. 20. who went to God the second time humbling themselues and offering burnt-offerings and peace offerings whereupon the Lord gaue their enemies into their hands So if we would humble our selues and kill our sinnes our enemies should quickly loose what they haue got and pay full deerly for all costs and damages But before I conclude the point take one caveat with the duty that it be performed with sincerity and singlenesse of heart for if it be done in hypocrisie or perfunctorily slighted over in the performance it provokes God and plagues the performer The Hollanders and French fast but without exprobation be it spoken they had need to send as God speaks for mourning women Ier. 19.17 that by their cunning they may be taught to mourn A soft heart sets well to a mournfull ditty where this is wanting there is no musick Humiliarion without reformation is a mockery of God and the undoing of a good cause The Lord tels us in the 58 chapter of Esay and the 7 of Zacharie how he abhorred the fasting of his people without reformation he giues a good reason in the fift and sixth verses They fasted not to the Lord but to themselues that is for their own ends as if men would serue their own turns with God and care not a whit how hee be served of them it were just with God to mock both them and us with shews of favours because we mock him with shews of service and amendment And surely if we look not to it in the humbling of
our selues indeed all our hopes may be on a sandy ground and then that of the Lord by Ieremy be verified of us Ah Lord God Ier. 4.10 surely thou hast greatly deceeived this people and Ierusalem saying Peace shall be unto you whereas the sword reacheth unto the soule the word doth signifie in our Language to put a trick upon them and so he may doe indeed for the many we haue put upon him But God giue these words to work upon our hearts I haue been the longer in this point because in it lyeth the strength of all our forces for pray well and repent well and you cannot chuse but fight well Prevaile once with God and it must needs follow that you shall prevaile with men CHAP. XXXV The Fight it selfe I Come now to the very point at length which doth determine all and that is the fight it selfe Men must not onely pray but they must also fight against the enemy they must not onely speak but they must also strike Strokes and words will doe well together Moses and Aaron prayed against Amalecke Ioshua and Israel fought against them Amalecke is a smiter and he must be smitten It is a generall fault amongst us that professe Christ that wee can discharge a few prayers against Antichrist but a heart to abhor him and a hand to smite him even so far as our places reach we haue not wee are too too like that white livered Roman in Tully who under excuse to keep the Camp stayed back from the battle to whom Africanus said well hee could not endure officious seeming Souldiers Non amâ—nimium diligentes in quit Africanus whom indeed doe starke nothing When Moses cryed hard to God Israel being in a great strait the Lord answered Wherefore cryest thou unto me speak unto the children of Israel that they may goe forward He doth not check Moses because hee prayed Exod. 14. but because he went not on with the people as he was commanded and therefore God reneweth the charge The Ancients commend the Lacedemonians that with their prayers their hands were prompt to fight To this effect was the speech of that ancient Roman that by bare wishes and woemanish cryes we must not look from God to overcome but by counsell â—â—lâ—stianus 〈◊〉 watchfulnesse and doing which are the secundary means whereby God hath appointed us to help our selues we must looke to overcome In comming to the very shock what part of the enemies battalion and with what forces it is first to be charged is at the Generals discretion As for that Military cry used and commended by many in the joyning bartell yet holden as a base and barbarous thing of others I will not much contend onely this as it is a thing most used by Turkes Barbarians and Savages in their fight so it rather spendeth spirit then she weth spirit The Barbarians haue this observation against this crying that dogs that barke much doe not bite much True fortitude consisteth in a stout heart and in an able hand Of this mind was Regulus Mauritanus and others As for the Israelites using of it Ios 6 it was the Lords command and they had little opposition in the fight As for Cato his commendation and Casars approbation of the use of the voyce in his Commentaries I take them not to mean hollowing and hooping but rather a couragious stirring up of one another and daunting of the enemy with high words and austerity of looks Howsoever let the souldier remember not to be daunted at the encounter of such as come on with a cry CHAP. XXXVI The Generals and Souldiers part in Fight NOW the Battell being joyned The duety of General souldiers in fight as the Generall and the souldiers as head and body are to perform the charge so to each of those in particular somewhat belongeth as to the Generall with the spirit of wisedom and magnanimity to command and incourage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that as Xenophon said of Clearchus with a pleasant and cheerefull countenance which will refresh and incourage his Souldiers in their greatest dangers Boni duces publico certamine nuÌ„quam nisi occasione aut nimia necessitate conf ligunt lib. 3. c. 25. Front li. 4. cap. 7. but hee must not fight at all except necessity driue him to it Vegetius setteth it down as the property of a good Generall not to fight except necessity compell him When it was objected against Scipio Africanus that hee was no great fighter he was not ashamed to answer That his mother bare him not to be a Fighter but a Commander The Romanes were so carefull of their Commanders that Q. Petilius the Consull being slain in the fight against the Ligures the Senate decreed that that Legion in whose front he was slaine Ibi. l. 4. c. 1 should be neglected they should haue no annuary stipend and their Armes should be broken In Pelopida Rashnesse in a Generall deserveth rather blame then commendation Marcellus and Pelopidas two great Captains and very famous for their exploits yet as Plutarch telleth us by adventurous rashnesse they lost both their repute and their liues As this rule of warinesse is given by Vegetius to a General that he should not onely haue a care of the whole Army that he may bring them off as he leadeth them on but also of himselfe so Iphicrates giveth a good reason from a similitude taken from the head which is the fountaine of life and motion if it be cut off the body is but a trunck so the losse of the Generall Caeso duce facile vincuntur milites 2 Sam. 18.3 is the losse of the Army Agreeable to this is that speech of that loyall people of Israel to David their King disswading him from going forth to battell Thou art worth ten thousand of us Yet for all this upon necessity when honour life and victory lyeth upon it the Generall must as many Noble ones haue done put his life in his hand and sometimes with Pompey take the lot of a common Souldier M. Furius Camillus a man of Consular dignity perceiving his Army to slack the charging of the enemy he layeth hold on the Ensigne and carryeth him upon the enemy whereat the Souldiers being ashamed they went on Lucius Sylla seeing the Legions giue way to Mithridates forces under the leading of Archelaus drawing his sword he made toward the body of the battle telling his souldiers that if any asked for their Leader they should say they left him fighting in Boesia at which the souldiers being ashamed they went on to their service I could instance the like attemps in a number of our own nation as the renoumed Norice the redoubted Vere and the never dying Sidney but let these suffice Now as the Generall from whom the life and motion of the service dependeth must be carefull of his souldiers of himselfe that he expose not them to any desperate service nor himselfe to danger beyond his
themselues against the disordered pursuers doth alter the case and killeth them right downe as conquered that ere while were the conquerors This change of fight by way of a proverbiall speech is called osculana pugna or a battle wherein they which before had the victory are now overcome as though victory with a kisse had saluted them and so forsaken them So it fell out with Pirrhus who having in a manner overcome Valerius Laevinus the Roman Commander was by him in the same battle by the recollection of forces overcome A notable instance of this Historians give in Q. Fulvius that noble Roman Commander who being overcome by Carus Generall of the Segadans and hauing lost six thowsand he observed the disordered pursute of the enemy out of his too too much pride and confidence as though there had bene no danger of re-encounter whereupon he commanded some troupes of Horse being laid to keepe the strayts to charge the disorderly purfuying enemie who presently-unhorsed killed the Generall Carus Appienus de bello Hispanie being in the front of the followers besides him they slew 6000 and pursued the victory till night Yet with this caution another extreme is to be avoided namely the slacking so of the pursuite that they loose more which they might haue then that which they obtayne is worth This neglect of Hanibal at the battle of Cannas lost Rome which would haue been the crowne indeed of the Charthaginian war had he according to the counsell of his friends flowne to the marke that is pursued the defeated and routed Romanes into the cittie he might haue taken the prey of which againe he had never so faire an offer neither doe I thinke though otherwise a great Commander that he could giue any good account of his neglect oâ—â—ely this generall might excuse him no man is wise at all times Nemâ— omnâ—â—â—s boris sapit Vincere scis Hâ—mbâ—l victorâ—a utinesâ—â— For this Barchab the Carthaginian gaue him this Motto to his ever lasting blemish thou canst overcome Haniball but thou canst not use the victory to thy best advantage The second observation is that they abstayne from spoyle till â—hey haue fully secured themselues Aviâ—itate praeâ—ae saepe exercuus victoriam camiserunt Hantbal Scotus Placentinus from any further re-attempt of the enemie some snatching at the prey before the victory insured haue often lost both prey victory Tacitus giveth an instance in the Germanes who onely out of their greedines of the prey were overthrowne by the Romanes at the battle of ‘ Lib. 1. Aunal Horminius Therefore Saxo Gramaticus giveth a good rule for this with †Auro spreto anrâ— dâ—mâ—nos in sequiminâ— contempt of gold it self pursue the pâ—ssessors of the gold Many examples there be of this kind let this one more suffice The Germans at the battle of Erlam in Hungarie Anno 1596 having thrice defeated the Turkes yet through untimely falling on the spoile were themselues defeated And so much for the insuring of the victory CHAP. XXXIX Of the true Vsofe Victory THus having shewed you as well as I can Fiue things to be observed in the true used of victory Acknowledge victory to be of God be thankfull for the sâ—me how to secure the victory I come now â—o the true use of the victory being thus secured The true use or good carriage of the victory consisteth in these fiue particulers Thankfulnesse to God moderation of themselues Câ—emencie toward the conquered Lawfull usage of the creatures and due respect to their owne souldiers Now to the first wherein there be two things to be noted First an acknowledgment of the victory to come of God and next to be thankfull to God for it For both those there be plentie of testimonies both in Goods booke and other writers the former of these two all men will easily acknowledge in word except they be Atheists but the neglect of the latter sheweth the former in the most to be but verbal for if men would acknowledge that victory were from God indeed they would never carry themselues so insolently in their victories against God as they doe But to come to some proofs First that all victories are of God Samuel speaking of the victories that David and his worthies obtayned 2. Sam. 23.10 Gen. 14.20 Iosuab 11.6 Exod. 15. Iudg. 5. and the Lord wrought a great victory that day God is said to giue AbrahaÌ„ the victory ouer his enemies So to giue Iosua his enemies into his hands So you may see in that song of Moses and in the song of Deborah As victory is of God so all the Saints of God haue attributed their victories to God thanked God for them as may appeare at large in the aforesaid songs Blessed be the most high God saith Melchizedeck to Ahraham which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand Moses after the victory obtayned over the Amalekits in token of his thankfullnes erecteth an Altar to the Lord which he calleth by the name of Iehovah is my banner Iâ—hovab Nissi Exo. 17.5 The Prophet David at Gods commandement having smitten the Philistins attributed all the power unto God for the victory giveth him all the prayse The Lord hath broken forth saith he upon mine enemies as the breach of many waters therefore he called the name of the place Baal Perazin where observe how he asâ—ribeth the victory wholly to the power of God and in token of his thankfulnes for the same obtayned he leaveth a monument thereof in the name of the place calling it Baal Perazin or the plain of division or broken assunder because he brake in upon them by the power of God like the inundation of waters To this purpose the 22 of the second of Sam is worth your reading The very heathens who were ignorant of the true God yet did acknowledge their victories to be of God and therefore laboured to intice from their enemies their tutelar gods to get them on their side that they might the easier ouercome them Of that mind were the Philistims in that battle against the Israelites when they perceived that the Ark of God was come into the Campe though he were not there himselfe yet were they exceedingly afraid and said God is come into the Camp and they said woe unto us 1 Sam. 4.6.7 who shall deliver us out of the hand of those mighty Gods c. They spake not this out of any true fear or yet out of any true knowledge that they had of God but onely they feared that the Gods of Israel for so they called the Ordinances would plague them as the Aegiptians were plagued by them but God in just wrath gaue his people into their hands which victory they attributed to their god Dagon and in token of their thankfulnesse they sacrificed the best of their spoiles to him namely the Arke of God which they had taken from the Israelites The Thracians though a warlike people yet
with him who should surviue whatsoever it be or by whomsoever it must bee born so that as the Comick saith it is the part of a man Istuc viri officium not that a man should be taken in this case with a Stoicall insensibility and quaffe away all care and wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with drinke and Tobacco or cast himselfe fast a sleep with the opium of delights or suffer himselfe to be charmed with the inchantments of solatious company as though hee cared not what God had done to him nor what he would doe with him this is to be under a double conquest the latter whereof is the worser A man therefore vnder the yoke must not onely suffer but also doe and devise how to redeem himselfe To doe and not to suffer is with the Lyon in the snare to struggle or with the fish to wrastle in the net but to suffer and not doe is with the sea-calfe to play and sport themselues when all the waues of God are going over them God often by the hand of the enemy as by a Pursivant at Armes fetcheth in bankrupt Tenants that is his own untoward or backsliding people and leaveth them in the pursivants hand till they take some course to satisfie for the arrerages If a man in that case take thought of nothing but strong drunke and Tobacco a punke and ribauldrie as sundrie in the fleet and Marshalsey doe is he not like to ly long enough by it yea it may be while all his delights leaue him and he haue neither inward nor outward comfort and the more unsensible one is of such a case it addeth the more to the miserie of his case So when Gods people are in the hands of their enemies they must consider where they are and cast about what to doe It is the lot of Gods people that are left alive in the Palatinate and Bohemia to be under an Aegyptian captivitie The Inheritance of God is laid wast and possessed by Gebal Amon and Amalecke they haue consulted together against God and his anoynted that his name and the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance A great part of this woefull calamitie lyeth on their Princely cedars who with their braÌ„ches are rooted up like a partridge they are hunted to and fro so if it were not that God out of the waters hath raysed a litle hill for them to rest upon I know not whether Kielah and Ziph would haue affoorded them any safe rest or no. Now since all this is come upon your royall Majesties you and yours yet lying under are the subject of the enemies insolencie to you yours giue me leaue to direct my speech in the application of this passage not but that I hope the rule of the word the long experimentall knowledge of heavie affliction the great misery of your poore distressed subjects hath caused you both to lay to heart the affliction But this is further to intreat you to observe whence it is looke about for deliverance get you a habite of patience how to beare it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be directed in some measure what use to make of it Out of an earnest desire of deliverance to you yours all Gods distressed people I am bound to offer some rules to yours Majesties consideratioÌ„ which no doubt being followed wil work out your deliverance and therefore I presume they shall neither be grievous nor unprofitable to your Majesties CHAP. XLII Of acknowledging the defeat to be from God TO begin then with leaue the conquered in the first place are to look by whom they are conquered or defeated not I mean onely the secundary means for to that every one will look every one will be sensible of that but they must looke to God as the first mover of it the orderer of the means and the accomplisher of it As the Lord disposeâ—h the victory to the one so the foyle to the other Amos 3.6 There is no evill in the Cittie which the Lord hath not done Actions saith Hanna are not directed without the Lord 1 Sam. 2.3 hee killeth and he maketh aliue hee maketh poore and rich hâ—e bringeth low and lifteth up Yea many times hee giveth his own inheritance and his holy places with the bodies of his servanâ—s to be abused at the pleasure of their enemies Psal 98.6 99.12 Places are so plentifull for this that I could be infinite The Lord is said to sell his people into the hand of Iabin Iudg 4.2 he delivered them into the hand of Midian he sold them into the hand of the Philistims when the Israelites were smitten they acknowledged that the Lord had smiâ—ten them 1 Sam. 4.3 Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistims That place of Ieremy is very remarkeable to this purpose I will sâ—atter them saith the Lord of his people with an East wind before the enemy Chap. 18.17 I will shew them the back and not the face in the day of calamity The lamentations of Ieremy are a whole field of such matter The Lord hath troden under foot all the mighty men Ch. 2.3 hee hath swallowed up the habitations of Iacob hee hath cut off the horn of Israel The Prophet Esay to this purpose is most pregnant Esa 42.24 Who gaue Iacob for a spoyle and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord hee against whom we haue sinned Again Cha. 43.28 therefore I haue profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and haue given Iacob to the curse and Israel to repreches I haue given the deerly beloved of my soule into the hand of her enemies Ier. 12.7 The Heathens men without God in regard of power or Scripturall knowledge haue been forced upon their foyles to confesse so much Mardonius the Persian Generall who stayed in Greece behind Xerxes either to redeem his reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to rid himselfe of his life by some desperate attempt having lost all was demanded by a certain Greek how it came to passe that such a huge Army of Persians were consumed and brought to nothing by a handfull of Greeks he answered very modestly and pertinently That that which God would haue done none was able to avert although men will not beleeue those that tell them such things Fond and confused indeed are the opinions of the Heathens of divers Sects concerning the ruin of Kingdoms and the overthrow of Princes The Stoicks ascribe it to Destiny the Epicure to Fortune Methodius and Cardanus to Planets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle to an asymetrie or disproportion but Plaâ—â— and Pithagoras to whom Bodin assenteth doe lay the blame on Numbers And because some may wonder what should be the meaning of this last opinion I will unfold it so far as Plato the chiefe maintayner of it doth unfold himselfe As in numerall notes in the strain of Musicke Lib. 8. de reip
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