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
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
plain with him as a friend lest afterward he might be deceived that hee had another fault intollerable in any man much lesse in a King There was no truth in his words no sincerity in his heart he trusted no body neither was hee trusted by any At which Macduâ—â— brake forth in these speeches Away with thee saith he the dishonour of the name of Kings a monster rather to be abandoned society then to be called to rule a Kingdom With which speeches going away in a great rage the King got him by the hand and told him hee put the case but to try him for he was no such man indeed Hist rer Scoti lib. 7. yea there was not a more religious faithfull just and magnanimious King amongst them all then he was Davids lie to Achimelech did more hurt then if twenty others had lyed 1 Sam. 21.2 he said the King had commanded him some secret businesse which was not so indeed And though he coyned upon neer necessity yet cannot he be excused of infirmity although he made no trade of it This lye cost the Priests their liues as he ingenuously confessed 2 Sam. 22.22 I haue occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house Besides this fault in great Ones as Kings Generals and Councellours makes inferiours of all sorts to count lying a grace The Courteours of Meroe a Kingdom of India counted themselues highly graced with limping and halting because the King halted Exemplary sin in great Ones maketh sin common and vice once common is counted novice but vertue though a lyar as the Poet saith is to bee hated to hell Yet for all this that hell is so hugely inlarged upon earth that we are become like the Egiptians who had no punishment for lying Nullus modus mentiendi summa meÌ„tiendi impunitas Alex. lib. 6 cap. 10. nor no measure in lying Two sinnes of all other the Persians most abhorred lying and breaking these two of all others bear now no little sway Yet it were our best to break off this sin For though we may lye by authority and no man can call us to account yet God will call us to an account for every idle word much more for every lye And though there be no penalty on earth yet the Iudge of heaven and earth hath appointed hell hereafter for lyers if they leaue not of and repent Rev. 22.15 Without shall be dogs saith the Lord and whosoever loveth and maketh a â—ye But some may reply what would you haue a Spy to doe how shall he accomplish his businesse except he deliver some untruths To which I answer as his calling is lawfull so he must use it lawfully whatsoever he doth he must not sin God putteth sin as a necessity upon no man he may conceale the truth or some part of the truth change his habite make shew of what he meaneth not to doe In all which he must take heed that they be not in matter of Religion for that will endure no part of dissimulation But some may instance that stratagem of Hushai in subverting the counsell of Achitophel wherein it seemeth he delivereth sundry untruthes 2 Sam. 16.16 and that against his knowledge as first he saluteth Absolom by the name of King and that he would be his and serue him Vers 18. Fuit officiosum meÌ„dacium Ambigue sermone ludificatur Osiander answereth that it was an officious lye but Iunius better That he dallied with Absolom in a doubtfull speech Peter Martyr pleadeth for warrant Divine instinct because David so directed him ch 15. v. 34. But howsoever if there were either untruth or equivocation in it it is no warrant for us CHAP. XXX The Oppugnation of an Hold. NOW I come more particularly to the oppugning and defending of an Hould wherein I mean to be briefe because the particulars of the service dependeth much upon the circumstances of the subject First then to the Assaylants There be two kinds of waies as Writers well obserue and experience teach Obsidendi duas esse species Veg. lib. 4. cap. 7. to besieg any place either by continued assault or by cutting off all supply of means wherby they may be forced to yeeld The latter of these is first to be attempted Fame potius quam ferro as Caesar well observed The Assaylants having chosen the best advantage of ground for entrenching of themselnes and planting of their Ordinance they are in the first place to look well to themselues Cum negligentia intervenerit paribus insidiis suliacent obsidentes Veget. lib. 4 cap. 28. for if neglect or carelessenesse overtake them as one well observeth they are subject to as great danger as the besieged Claudian the Poet both expresseth the danger and directeth the remedy multis damnosa fuere gaudia dispersi pereunt somnoque soluti Too many often joy Secure doth hurt whom lazie sleep doth slay The Apollinates whom Phillip besieged served him such a trick in the night time through the besiegers neglect they took in the Roman supply their enemies not knowing All the day following they kept themselues very quiet giving occasion to the Assaylant of security but in the silence of the night they sallyed forth without any noyse and possest themselues of the enemies Camp where they slew some thousands Livi lib. 33. and took more then they slew the King himselfe without his cloaths very hardly escaped Frontine gaue the same caution upon the same ground For whether the Assaylant saith he be taken with sleep or surfet or idlenesse or with any neglect of their place the besieged on a suddain sallyeth out they take kill consume and spoile with fire they undoe all their works take their munition In a word they marr all in an houre that the enemy hath been making and devising many daies moneths yea it may be years Therefore saith he they must look to guard themselues with all manner of defence and vigilancy as trenches towers Lib. 4. c. 28 or sconses against eruptions as well as with means to assault For men being blocked up where they must either fight starue or yeeld it may be to a cruell and faithlesse enemy they make a vertue of necessity the pinch putteth them to their wit and despaire strengthneth their resolution Foelices saepe sine ratione upon the wings whereof they are carryed to desperate attempts wherein they proue often happy beyond all reason Hereupon as the Assaylant must secure himselfe so in the next place he must keep the besieged doing Fiuethings necessary for the oppugnant To direct the Assaylant against the besieged these fiue things are requisite he must be wise cunning dilligent constant and upon occasion wisely adventurous By the first he is taught not to persist against that which must needs cost him more then it is worth The second includeth all lawfull stratagems whereby every wise Assaylant should labor to possesse himselfe of any
this much extolled in a Poem by Stephanus And not to detract from Generall Norice it was the crown of his commendation wherein it is said that Henry the 4 did not disdaine to emulate him If a question here be put whether Christians may rejoyce in the victories over their enemies or no I answere all things concurring to make the victory lawfull without question they may rejoyce in their overthrow especially as they are Gods enemies Psal 58.11 12. The just shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance and he shall wash his feete in the bloud of the wicked and when the wicked perish there is shouting ioy Pro. 11.10 But this must be as they are the enemies of God therefore the heauen the earth and all therein are said to sing for ioy at the spoyling of easterne Babilon Ier. 51.48.49 because shee had caused the slaine of Israel to fall So at the fall of western Babilon beyond her in impietie and crueltie heauen and all the holy hoast shall reioyce over her Rev. 18.20 when God shall avenge them upon her The second branch of selfe-government consisteth in the temperate use of such effluence of things as in their conquests many times they meete with all as the beautie and bravery of their captive woemen the delicacie of their fare for this Scipio was much commended and it was great Alexander his greatest grace that he would not so much as look upon his captives the wife and daughter of Darius but with good deliberation But his last did not answer the first for after that he had overcome all he was overcome of cups which marred all and lost him more glory then ever he got Drunkenesse in a King is a capitall sin As the corruption of a fish beginneth at the head and so goeth through the body so the drunkenesse of a King maketh the land reele and therefore woe to the land whose King is a drunkard Philip after his victory falling foule on cups began in his drinke to insult ouer his Greeke captives but Demades a captive tooke him boldy up thus Art not thou King Philip ashamed whom the Grecians haue chosen Generall as another Agamemnon to shew thy selfe like a bibbing Thersites at which freedome of speech Philip taking up himself and not his captive cast his Crowns and Garlands from his head and his rich robes from his backe and for very shame and sence of disgrace done to himselfe by himselfe did set free Demades and all the rest of the Greeke captives Behold in this a looking-glasse for great ones how incident it is to them to err especially in puffing-up victories but it is more then Princely to correct themselves at the checke of their vassals Wee haue too many Philips forgetting themselues and their places in their carriage of successe but too too few Philips humbling themselues with shamefastnesse when by their inferiours they are rebuked The delights and delicacies of proud and luxorious Capua Hanibilem armis invictam voluptate vicit enervavit Capua wherewith Hanibal was taken when he had taken the towne did him more hurt then all the Romane forces To this effect there is a pretty saying of Hanibal that he being invincible by Armes was overcome with the pleasure and plenty of the place Asia undid Alexander and Iulius Caesar was slaine with good successe for as Authors observe he being capable of all things and fortunate in every thing grew so insolent of his victories that usurping the priest-hood Sueton. he would needs be Deified he spoyled the treasurie and growing sacrilegious perfidious and lustfull he ruled all by lust and not by law Now I proceed to the third maine thing namely their carriage toward the conquered First they must shew humanitie in humando corpora captivorum in giving the slaine to be buried or causing them to be buried To that end the Armies entered conditions as Authors mention Appion recordeth how Asdrubal at the request of Scipio did bury the bodyes of the Tribunes It was an evidence of yeelding amongst the Grecians if they demanded their bodies to be buried It was counted as Tacitus writeth in his Annalls great crueltie in Tiberius to forbid the buriall of the dead with whom the cruel brood of Rome deserveth to be ranked and that in the first place who not onely deny the buriall of the dead but with all inhumane abuses doe injurie the bodyes of the dead they come nothing short in this of the old typical Babel hindering as the Psalmist saith the buriall of the Saints bodyes Psal â—9 2.3 giuing them to be meat to the fowles of the heauen and their flesh unto the beasts of the earth but the Lord will one day as it is there render them seven-fold into their bosome Secondly they must not envie their captives but as they are Gods enemies and so they must hate them with a perfect hatred It is reputed as a foule fault in the Athenians and Lacedemonians otherwise the bravest souldiours in the world that they hated captives with an irreconciliable hatred Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4. pag. 2.3 which was in the end their onely overthrow Thirdly they must not like vulturs or Harpies reioycingly glut themselues in the sight of bloud-shed as the Dragon and the scarlet whore of Rome doth shee must be drunke with bloud ere shee bid hold or say it is enough Instances of this unquencheable bloud-thirst in them I could give you to-many take the carriage of Charles the 9 in the massacre of Paris for a scantling of the rest Beholding the bloudy bodies of the butchered professors and feeding his eye upon a woefull spectacle he breathed out this bloudy speech how good is the smell of the dead enemie Quam bonus est odor hostis mortui which speech it seemeth he had from that beastly and cruell Vitellius who having overcome Otho went into the field full of slaine bodyes notwithstanding as Tacitus saith of the fearfull spectacle filthy corrupt smell yet delighting in it he used the same saying Lib. 2. hist Hanibal Scotus that a slaine enemie smelled well but a slaine subiect better Tyrants must haue bloud though it be of their subiects Yet for all this crueltie unbeseening a man much more a King towards his subiects that furie of France wanted not a popish helhound to commend his crueltie in a set oration but as he lived a man of blouds so he made a bloudy end Another instance we haue in Queen mother of the house of Guise who was the contriver of the Parisian massacre shee confessed that shee delighted in nothing so much as in the slaughter of Professors of the Gospell although they were her owne subiects To these wee may joyne our owne Queene Mary who could never be satiated with the bloud of her subjects yea shee had preyed on the life of her owne sister if the Lord had not restreyned her and which is mounstrously unnaturall shee meant if
rather perish then unity Pereat unuâ— potius quâ— unitas â—especially where it is deserved They must know how â—ardly souldiers are kept in order and vvhat a dangerous â—ing disorder is in warre To conclude this point I wish from my heart that our souldiers now may deserue the commendation that Iosephus gaue to the Romane souldiers They so obsequiously obeyed their Commanders that in peace the were an ornament and in warre the whole Army was as on body so that with ready eares and quick eies to receiuâ— signes and precepts they performed their service couragiously and strennuously How could they then saith he not conquer CHAP. VIII Of the lawfull undertaking of War THVS having shewed the personall circumstances 1 Causes to be made known 2 Reparation demanded 3 And lastly warr to be denounced 〈◊〉 come to the third main circumstance of the description namely the lawfull undertaking of it A war may be lawfull in it selfe and yet unlawfully undertaken As for noâ— making the causes known not requiring reparation of the wrong and finally for not denouncing of the warre All these were observed by the Israelites in repairing the wrong done to the Levite and his Concubine For first the Tribeâ— sent to Gibeah to expostulate the wickednesse vvith Beâ—jamin Ludg. 20. they demanded those children of Belial that were the malefactors that by putting them to death evill might be done away To the which when the children of Benjamit would not hearken Israel makes war against them which doubtlesse was denounced upon the denyall as appeareth by the Benjamits taking notice of it and preparing themselues to intertain the vvar Iudg. 20.11.12 c. In which passage it is not amisse to obserue that Marginall note of rebeâ—ion Scripture abuse by thâ— Doct. of Doway of the Doctors of Doway made upon the place That omission or contempt to punish haynous crimes is a just cause to make warre against any people Their bloudy conclusioÌ„ falsly observed from the premisse I shall after haue occasioÌ„ to hanâ—â—e for the preseÌ„t let this suffice They force the Text against the minde of the holy Ghost For howsoever the people â—â—ere devided in tribes yet it vvas one intire politique body 〈◊〉 heads vvhereof might call any offenders to an account â—hich they might not haue done if they had been under â—stinct dominions and policies But of this more hereafter 〈◊〉 To the present matter that this proceeding is requisite Reasons it 〈◊〉 not onely cleere from the law of nature and nations but also from the law of God the continued practise both of Gods people of the heathen In the booke of the law the â—ord commandeth his people when they come to fight against a Cittie they should proclaime peace which if they entertayned then were they to saue them make them tributaries But if they should reject the condition theÌ„ were they to beâ—eige the Cittie to smite the people to take the spoile to themselves Deut. 20.10.11.12 So the tribes by Embassadors examined the Reubenites erecting of the Altar before they would war against them Iosh 22.12 Yea God himself who for his dominion and power both in heaven and earth is â—alled the Lord of hosts keepeth this selfe same course in his proceeding against the rebellious sonnes of men For proofe here of the Scripture is copious I will therefore point out one place in the prophesie of Hosea Blow ye the cornet in Giheah the trumpet in Ramah cry aloud Ch. 5.8 or beat up the drum at 〈◊〉 thaveÌ„ after thee O Beniamin As here the Prophet describeth the treacherie and rebellion of the people against God so he beingeth in God as it were comming in armes or marching in battle-ray against the people But withall he willeth the priests and watchmen upon the wall to giue them warning 〈◊〉 by sound of trumpet and beating of the drumme to proâ—aime the Lords comming that they might prepare themselves to meet the Lord by repentance And this God doth 〈◊〉 shew the equitie of his wayes that as he giveth lawes to â—thers he will be a law to himselfe The heathens that know not God were strict in this course Belli aequitas sanctissime feciali populi Romani jure praescripts est nam nullum bellum justuÌ„ nisi quod denunciatuÌ„ sit indictum lib. 1. de off as appeareth by an in violable rule of war mentioned by Tullie The equitie of war doth religiouily require that by an herauld of armes from the Romane Senate war should be proclaimed For no war saith he can be just which is not before denounced and proclaymed This forme of denouncing war was first taken up amongst the heathens by one Rhesis as witnesseth the ‘ Author de viris illustribus cap. 5. Author of worthy men brought into Rome as Livi witnesseth by Ancus Marcius their King the forme whereof wee finde in sundry Authors of note ê° Livi lib. 1. Gell. lib. 10. A herauld of Armes with two sufficient witnesses was tâ— fling a speare into the Territories of the enemie Vpon the inlargment of their dominions they had a Pillar which they called the Pillar of war from which they flung a bloudy speare that was kept in the Temple of Mars toward the enemy on whom they vvere to vvar â— Columna bellica This was likewise the custome of the Persians c Ammians Marcellinus lib. 16. CHAPT IX Against whom to War THe fourth circumstance following in the description An enemie must be the obiect of war concerneth the object of war or the partie against whom we are to war namely an internall or externall enemie So did rhe Israelites in their warres commanded against the seven nations or in their warres permitted upon occasion against their enemies So the Israelits against the Beniamits for they were become Gods enemies and the enemies of the common-wealth The Lord will not suffer his people to meddle vvith the Moabites because they vvere friends in the flesh though untovvard ones permitting yet by Gods mercy his people to passe by them paying for the necessaries they tooke of them So neither with the Ammonites not theirs did they meddle Deut. 2.9.19 Iacobus Ruardus Comment de divers Reg. jur It was a Law amongst the Romanes that upon controversies arising friendship should be given up and deadly enmity openly profest beâ—ore they made warre upon them Hence it appeareth how unwarrantably against the Law of Nature and Nations the Duke of Bavaria hath taken up Armes against his deer and faithfull friend without just cause or good occasion given him by him or his Croesus was demanded by Socrates vvhat vvas the preciousest thing he had gained by his greatnesse Max. Serm. 6. He answered revenge upon his foes and advancement of his friends What a vile thing is it then to take vengeance on the friend and to advance the foe A hurtfull friend is worser then a foe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Moon and the causes of the said Eclipse that they might not be dismayed at it through the ignorance of the cause Pericles going to war as he went aboord of his ship the Sun was eclipsed at the darknesse of which eclipse the Master of the ship was exceedingly astonished taking it for some ominous or prodigious thing but the General cast his cloake over the Masters face and asked him if there were any matter of terrour in that who answered noâ— No more in the other said the General but that the cause is not so well known If Heathens were thus wise is it not a shame for Christians to startle at the signes of heaven or at the casuall occurrences of accidents below Let Gods command medcine this shie disposition which is worse then heathenish in the Lords account Ier. 10.2 Be not dismayed at the signes of heaven for the Heathens are dismayed at them The third thing is seeking to idols or false Gods so did all the Heathen and new Rome is not one whit short of old Rome in this Maior coelitum populus quaÌ„ hominum lib. 2. cap. 7. Yea as Plinie saith of the one so I may say of the other that the number of their gods exceedeth the number of the Papists And as another saith well they are Lapideus populus a people made of stocks and stones to Saint George and to such they goe for successe in battell The last is difference of daies as some daies they hold good to fight on and some bad as though the Lord had made one day good and another bad This superstitious differencing of daies the other Rome held both in position and practise They were called Fighting-daies saith one wherein it was lawfull to fight with the enemy Proeliares dies appellantur quibus fas est hostem bello lacescere erant enim quaedam feriae publicae quibus nefas fuit id facere for there were some feriall daies wherein it was not lawfull to fight Of these irreligious daies and of their strictnesse in this point Cato maketh †Festus mention in his commentary upon the Civill Law In those daies saith he they did not levy men nor ioyne battell nor sit in iudgement The Macedonians abstayned from fight all the moneth ‘ Tacit. Dio. in Pompo of Iune The Germans held it unfortunate to fight in the beginning of the new Moon or in the full of the Moone It is observed of the Iewes that they neglecting to defend themselvs on the Saboth Pompey took Ierusalem Lucullus the Roman Captain considered better of the matter who being to fight upon the eighth day of October against Tigranes was by some of the company disswaded from it because Scipio as on that day had had a great defeat Plut. Rom. Apoth Let us said he therefore fight the more stoutly that we may make to the Romanes a good day of an evill Ioshua and Israel compassed Iericho seven daies and on the last day took it which was the Saboath of the Lord. Ios 6. One perswading a Generall not to fight upon some ominous conceit taken of the day Optimum augurium est pro patria fortiter pugnare ' I hold it saith he the best kind of divination to fight stoutly for my Country To obserue daies or months and times standeth not with Christian liberty It is charged upon the King of Bohemia when Prague was taken that he would not fight on the Lords day but it is one of the lightest aspersions put upon him by his calumnious enemies If he had fought and carryed the day they would haue put his fighting as an imputation upon his profession for fighting upon the Saboath As fighting hereon and all other works should be avoyded as much as may be though the Papist as one saith pestereth the week with idoll-holydaies and heathenishly maketh lesse reckoning of this then of the least of his devised holydaies yet if necessity command either to assault or defend the day is made for man and not the man for the day That restriction which the Heathens held concerning their daies agreeth very well to the Lords day Si ultima necessitas suadeat administretur Cato in coÌ„ment de jure civili that is if necessitie inforce to fight we may Let Gods people therefore both in peace and warre beware of Romes superstition It is said that old Rome had their superstition from the Hetruscians whether they sent every year Valer. Max. lib. 1. cap. 1. six of the Patricians sonns to learn the rites of religion but all Nations now haue their superstition from new Rome which is become the Mistresse of Whorish inventions and whether our Romanists send their yong Cobbes to learn their postures and motions Of her whosoever borroweth for garnishing or rather for gaudifying of the worship of God may justly feare to the woe of their soules that they pay as deer for it as Israel did for the golden Calf The Altar of Damascus provoked the Lord to forsake his own Altar wherein Achaz presumed of safety oh Cimmâ—rian blindnesse and fearfull apostasie but it proved contrary for it was the ruin of him 2 Chron. 28.23 and of all Israel according to the word it was the break-neck of them or as some translate not unfitly it plagued him and all Israel Was the Apostle in fear of the Galatians Ga. l. 4.10 because they kept daies and monethsâ— And may not we feare and tremble who haue not onely their dismall hollow daies mince them as you will but 〈◊〉 great deale more of the devils dirt wherwith as with a garment spotted with the flesh the garment of Christ is fearfully defiled The strange Armes or colours of the enemy in the field or Cittie are ominous indeed for by them the wallâ— haue been scaled and the forces slain and routed without so much as a blow given in defence even so doe not the Armes of the Beast and the colours of the Whore set up cheek by joull with Gods colours in his House and amongst his Armies in the field presage some fearfull plague approching especially to those that are a sleep our Laodicean conceit shall be so far from sheltering us that thereby we provoke God that he can beare no longer but that he must needs spâ—â— us out of his mouth which if he doe it is to be feared we are such a loathsome thing that he will never take us up againe but make a new people to himselfe Wherefore in the first place Awake you Angels and Watchmen indeed upon the Walls whom I charge as you will answer before God your Master that you will cast away the inverse Trumpets of Furius Fulvus which sounded a retrait when they should haue sounded an Alarum With the Prophet Psay proclaime the iniquity of those things which pestereth Gods worship Isa 30.22 and run so many upon the rocks of separation Are they not the coverings of Idols or Idols themselues Shew the
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
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
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