him and let Satan stand at his right hand It seemes he thought he could not wish a greater judgement against his adversaries but one viz. a delivery over into the Devills hands than to have some wicked man their tormentor and when there was no remedy but that himselfe must be scourged for his sinne of numbring the people 2. Sam. 24.14 and the Lord in mercy offered him his choice of three rods he chose rather to fall into the hands of that living God who is a consuming fire than into the hands of man Heb. 12.29 Which choice he would never have made had he not known that wheras the justice of God is a mercifull justice the mercies of the wicked are cruell Prov. 12.10 Moab had better a thousand times have had the people of God come armed against her than a people so godlesse so mercilesse as the Chaldaeans were to bee called upon to take sword against her So thou hadst better have any of the rest of the creatures against thee than a wicked man and more mercy mayest thou meete with at its hands An infected aire may be corrected an unbounded fire may be quenched overswelling waters may be asswaged devouring beasts may be restrayned yea by the prayer of a Moses by the zeale of a Phineas the destroying Angell may be appeased but the rage of the wicked is unreasonable unsatiable What mercy canst thou looke for from him at whose hands Christ himselfe doth still suffer many injuries much ignominy and reproach yea who is an adversary to himselfe as every wicked man is Thou mayest be sure that hee who is led about of so many lusts will not cease to lay upon thee what pride malice envie hatred covetousnesse such mercilesse masters and commanders shall command him if thou beest but once in Gods justice to avenge thy wickednesse left unto such an executioner Tremble therefore and sinne no more with so high an hand you proud presumptuous offenders for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of a wicked man whose justice is iniquity and whose very charity is cruelty it selfe â—se 3. Comfort Thirdly this may comfort us and strengthen our confidence in the certainty of their overthrow who are professed enemies to Gods people For rather than such shall escape ruine without repentance the Lord will arme their owne side against them and make men as wicked as themselves instruments of executing his judgements upon them It was for Israels comfort as Calvin Calv. in Ier. c. 48 v. 10. observeth upon the Text that Ieremy foretold Moabs overthrow by the Chaldaeans sword In like manner propound to your selves this point out of Ieremies words to your comfort and assure your selves that although the enemies of Sion bee many and malignant powerfull and politick yet deliverance shall come Hest 4.14 and rather than that Romish Whore shall alwaies continue to sucke the bloud of Gods Saints some Heathenish power some Pagan Idolater shall soake his blade in her bloud and her souldiers and followers shall one day finde how like a Prophet one of their side once spake when he said Oh you Romanists Lud Viv. de vit sub Turc pag. 17. who love your libertie and stand much upon your immunities thinke with your selves how base how poore how dishonourable how slavish a life you are like to lead under Paganish enemies who will use you like beasts rather than men which hard condition shall be Gods just vengeance upon you Id. Ibid. p. 21. for your cruelty against his Church of which you doe professe your selves members And so let us leave the first point of the the second part of our Text and come to the second which stands thus That the sword must not be stretched out to bloud Doct. 3. The sword must keep scabbard untill it be called forth and hath a good warrant to strike without a just cause and a good call The sword may not drink bloud without warrant The holy Ghost doth not say here Cursed be hee that putteth not out his sword to bloud before he be called but Cursed be he that holdeth backe his sword from bloud when hee is willed and warranted to dip it to dye it in the same David had neither call nor cause to besmeare his sword with Vriah's bloud and how great a sinne hee did commit who knowes not that knowes the story or hath but heard how God chastized him according as hee told him that the sword should never depart from his house how Nathan reproved him Thou art the man and himselfe cryed peccavi for it 2. Sam. 12.7.10.13 Doeg had no call from God to slay in one day fourescore and five of the Lords Priests and how hainous and unlawfull a fact that was both the refusall of Sauls servants to doe it 1. Sam. 22.17.18 Psal 52.1.2 1. King 22.37 though their master commanded them and Davids just complaint and crying out against him doe declare Had not Ahab ill successe when he went up to battell against Ramoth Gilead against Gods will Did it not cost that good king Iosiah his life 2. Chr. 35.22.23 Iohn 18.11 Matth. 26.52 Stel. in Luc. c. 22. when hee would needs draw out his sword against Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt without Gods warrant yea contrary to Gods word in Pharaohs mouth When Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the high Priests servants eare our Saviour bade him put up againe telling him plainely that he that did smite with the sword should perish by the sword By which speech he did not so much hinder Peter for the present from a good action which he might do as one thinks but he reproved him Aug. in Iohan. tract 11â— and tooke him up roundly for what hee had done Now wherefore did hee reprehend him What Euâ—hym in Mat. c. 56. fol. â—67 because it is never lawfull for any man to defend Gods cause with the sword as some have thought No. Why then because Peters fleshly and unregenerate part did rashly rush upon this action without any respect to his Masters will without any warrant from his Masters call which planely argues that the smiting with the sword without a call was not permitted by Christ to Peter nor any other I hope you doe not expect many arguments for this when one or two may serve for all Reason 1 1. Actions of this nature tend to the taking away of naturall life Now life is so precious to the bruit creature that it strives to preserve it how it can how much more precious is the life of man by which man himselfe enjoyes many excellent benefits and the God of heaven gets much honour Therefore we had need be sure that we have speciall cause before we venture upon a work that takes away the life of such a creature as man is lest we rashly entrench so farre upon Gods honour and so wrongfully cut off man from the possession of blessing
enjoyed by life as we will never be able to answer For mans life is never to be extinguished but when it is an hinderance to Gods glory and altogether hurtfull to humane society and not then neither but by such as are appointed by God to that worke Reason 2 2. The stretching out the sword to bloud requires the putting on of a kinde of cruelty as we see in Samuell 1. Sam. 15.33 Ios 10.26 who hewed Agag in pieces without any shew of compassion as we see in Ioshuah who hanged up the five Heathenish kings without any commiseration Now wee know that the Scripture doth every where almost call upon us for the contrary to be mercifull to put upon our selves the bowels of tender compassion to cloath our selves with goodnesse with kindnesse to doe good to all to love our enemies And therefore we had need have a speciall care that we have a speciall call to put this habite upon us lest wee exercise a lawlesse cruelty when and where we should shew lawfull mercy and lest when wee should compassionately spare the effusion of bloud wee doe unadvisedly spill it and by that meanes bring upon our owne heads the guilt of bloud which is a very fearefull and heavie thing This is a doctrine I doe desire may bee remembred by our reverend Iudges Vse 1 when being set in their judgement seates the lives of men are brought in question before them Oh what good may it make them doe what evill may it keepe them from how may it make them rid the innocent out of the bloud-hunters clawes and set them free from the hands of those wretches whose false tongues a bloud-thirsty desire arising from malicious covetousnesse doe set on worke to give in evidence against them Would they but consider at that time that the sword of justice must not touch the bloud of any man without a just and important cause oh what prayers would they make to God to guide them what paines will they take in sifting of causes in sounding of witnesses in examining of evidences in boulting out all appendant circumstances that they will not pass sentence upon the party except he be worthy of death indeed or if they do the fault shall be more in the Iurors than in any negligence in themselves to search the truth or want of conscience to passe sentence as out of the seate and in the sight of God himselfe I touch but upon this string Isocr Epist 2. p. 803. A cont praefat affix stratag Satan I have more pertinent uses to apply my selfe unto The first whereof I feare mee will be harsh because as that Orator told Philip great Alexanders father men love rather to be praised than reproved But if I be harsh I must crave pardon a twofold evill too common in our times A grosse error in some a rash practise in others doe necessarily call for a just reproofe Vse 2. Reproofe twofold 1. The error is that to give the stabbe for a crosse word or to challenge the field upon every slender occasion is a signe of true fortitude and that hee is a base gull no rightly valorous nor magnanimous Gentleman that will pocket up the least injury and not prosecute it to the very drawing of bloud from him that offers it Of these erroneous spirits and furious sparkes I would gladly know what proofes they can give that true valour consisteth in such exploits what call men have to expresse their fortitude by such private quarrells Is the thwarting of their humour the stirring of their choler a call sufficient cause warrantable enough they want grace or wit if once they thinke it Now Duells without a call to them are lawlesse things and did ever any man Divine or Pagan teach and avouch that lawlesse things are truely praise-worthy There are some enemies I confesse whose bloud to shed is a very laudable action but in heate of bloud to shed Christian bloud is a condemnable vice in the eyes of God yea what is further from true fortitude than this is The magnitude of the minde is proved by this that it is capable of eternity as a Father speaketh Bern. in Cantic ser 80. not by this that it scorneth to put up the pettiest injury True valour consists in patience and humility not in anger or unbridled fury For men to dog one another to the field that they may wreake their wrath the one upon the other and take away life the one from the other is a manifest badge of a base minde an evident token of a villanous spirit and dare any applaude it for a marke and signe of a brave courage and valiant spirit Basil Seleu. orat 5 p. 38. Oh applause as one said once on occasion of Cains churlish answer to God Am I my brothers keeper Oh voice more execrable than the murther it selfe oh impious and irreligious sentence This is to justifie wickednesse it selfe this is to applaude the manifest breach of the sixth Commandement in a hainous kinde To stretch out the sword before God commands to strike with the sword when God forbids call you this true Valour Valour it is as Augustine Aug. in Psal 58. To 8. saies of confidence in mans owne merits a mad valour then a reproveable a damnable valour What A damnable valour Object when men irritate and provoke one another by reproaches by disgraces by other kinde of wrongs Yes even then a damnable valour Answ or rather Cowardize For he is conquered by his angry passions like a coward that falls to fighting for a few reproaches and it is a foolish thing to account a person a man of courage who like a vanquished slave lies prostrate at the feet of the lust of anger Tell me I pray did not David doe a more noble exploit by bearing with patience the cursings of Shimei than hee should have done if hee had drawne his sword and slaine him with it To lay snares for bloud for a few crosse words is a greater injury than those cross words can be a thousand times better it is injuriam ferre quà m inferre to suffer wrong Basil Seleu. orat ult p. 407. Aug. in psa 92. than offer it to beare the lesser than doe the greater At this bearance thine anger shall breake and split in pieces thy courage thy strength shall hold its owne For hee is a man of mettall indeede who can generously beare all adverse accidents Had but such challenges a good end were such single combates which are more grounded on malice than on the law of Armes usefull or gainefull in their issue there were some reason to commend them But their fruite and issue being for the most part so fearefull so woefull Bern in serm ad milit Templ cap. 2. fol. 83. Q. that the slayer committeth a deadly sinne the party slaine without Gods greater merey is sent to hell thou art to bee condemned if thou doest not condemne them It may be objected the
VOXBELLI OR AN ALARVM TO VVARRE LONDON Printed by H.L. for Nathanael Newbery 1626. To the Right Honourable Sir Horatio Veere Knight Baron of Tilbury c. all blessings wished that concerne this life and that which is to come Right Honourable I Am not ignorant that great is the mischiefe and misery of warre than which as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius Dissert 14. p. 143. one saith nothing amongst humane occurrences is more sorrowfull lesse pleasant b Theat Mund p. 85. Beasts in their kinde having more rest pleasure than they whose life is led in warfare For whereas the beast sleeps the night in its cave den the Souldier takes his rest at the signe of the Moone c 2. Cor. 11.27 in watchings often in fastings often subject to the violence of all Martiall stormes uncertain what the event and successe will be whose office is upon the Trumpets sound eyther mortem ferre or inferre to slay or bee slaine and neyther of both without some prejudice If he fals his wife his children his kindred his countrey have the losse of him if he conquers his rising is the ruine of others his riches the spoyle of others his joy the mourning of others insomuch that hee may cry out as Marcus Aurelius did when after many victories hee received his Triumph in Rome When I saw the poore captives in iron chaines desolate Widowes bereaved of their husbands disconsolate Orphans deprived of their parents a great deale of treasure gotten by force thought upon the number of those that were dead albeit I outwardly triumphed yet inwardly lamented and wept teares of bloud In times of war Countryes are wasted Cities dispoyled Temples profaned Religion despised equity suppressed humanity defaced what cruelty what impiety not notoriously practised All this considered I may possibly be censured by criticall carpers for setting pen to paper on such a subject and especially for inciting to so bloudy a businesse But the call being not mine but the Lords I shall the more willingly beare the burthen of any undeserved blame if what I have written may prevaile to provoke them whom it concernes to a readinesse to succour the distressed Church in forreine parts If it be demanded what hath emboldened me to crave your Honours patronage for these few papers I can answer nothing but partly your love to Christ his cause as you are a Beleever and partly your place in Gods field as a warlike Commander If the Author be thought presumptuous notwithstanding these motives censure his boldnesse at your pleasure but I beseech you be pleased to shelter the Matter not needlesse for these times from the worlds displeasure so shall you engage him to be a suitor to the Throne of Grace for your Honours prosperity in warre and peace who is Your Hon ready to be commanded in the Lord THO BARNES VOX BELLI IT is a saying of one of the Fathers in a written discourse to one of his friends a Facito aliquid operis ut te semper diabolus inveniat occupatum Hieron ad Rust Monach. Be alwaies doing something that Satan may never finde thee doing nothing The slothfull person doth the wiseman send to the silly Pismyre to learne her wayes b Prov. 6.6 The Apostle charged the Thessalonian Church that hee that would not labour should not eate c 2. Thes 3.10 And our Saviour himselfe pronounceth that servant blessed whom when his Master commeth he shall find doing d Luke 12.43 All this to give us to understand that e Nider Fornic l. 1. c. 1. p. 9. idlenesse is permitted to none emploiment the f Hieron ad Rust Monach. Devills disquieter is required of * Nid supr all For the sluggard takes no care but to g Leo Ser. 5. in Epiph. pamper his belly makes his life odious h Sen. Epi. 19. and beastly i Bernard disableth nature to doe its duetie k Cassian l. 10. defileth his soule with a world of iniquities l Senec. Epist 19. diseaseth his body with abundance of maladies and exposeth m Prosp Aqui. de vit contempl both to eternall misery in an utter exclusion from Gods blessed presence in his Kingdome of glory Now because not to bee well exercised is to bee ill exercised n Chrysost de virt vitio and the doing of that which is naught is as bad if not worse as the doing of nothing Therefore the maine object of our exercise must be Gods businesse Now in as much as the Lord hath many and differing workes for man to doe workes of peace he being the God of Peace o 2. Thes 3.16 workes of bloud he being a man of Warre p Isa 42.13 neither of these must bee omitted when need requireth and occasion serves for the doing of them Which thing the Prophet Ieremy taking into due consideration being also a Propheticall Diviner of Moabs destruction could not but earnestly incite to this work of the Lord of not withholding the sword from bloud Hee was not ignorant that peace is a q Dion Chrys orat 40. p. 244. better yea a blesseder r Synes orat de regn p 14. thing than war and that ſ Basil Seleuc. orat 23. p. 207. for one armie of men to come bandied like enemies against another is as an Ancient once spake both grievous and cruell In which respect Blessed are the Peace-makers our Saviours text t Matth. 5.9 would to our seeming a great deale more fitly have dropped from his pen. But it seemes he knew withall that a lawfull warre is to bee preferred before an unlawfull peace and that warre with Moab would be as well Israels peace as the Chaldees victory v 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist de Repub. l. 8. c. 15. Propter pacem bellum paratur Synes orat de Reg. p. 14. peace and x Est enim belli finis victoria Plutarch Scipio in vitis to 3. lat edit in 4. p. 465. victory being the ends of warre For which reason this good man Gods Pen-man must be borne with though he writes a Text in red letters having the sword for his pen bloud for his inke the curse for his stile Ier. 48.10 Cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from bloud A Text so terrible that at the first it made me fearfull to meddle with it especially when I contemplated with my selfe that it would compell me to speak of curses and woes in a land of grace of bloud and blowes in a land of peace But when I considered that there are Canaanites to be smitten at home Christians to bee succoured abroad I tooke heart to venture this field perswading my selfe it would not prove unprofitable albeit I am caused to doubt of the acceptablenesse of it by the consciousnesse of my weakenesse to weild my weapon as I should The words being a commination or threatning doe cut themselves into two peeces
a Quid and a Quis The parts a Subject and an Object A thing threatned a party threatned The Subject or thing threatned is malediction Cursed The Object or man threatned is hee that keepeth backe his sword from bloud From the first which must first be handled we may collect this point Doct. 1. Gods Prophets were wont to threaten That it was the practise of Gods Prophets in former ages to denounce the Curse in their Sermons at sometimes They did not alwayes come with peace peace and words of blessing in their mouthes Their songs like z Psal 101.1 Davids had a due mixture and were composed of judgement as well as mercie The word Cursed as here you see and else-where may see flowes from the mouth falls from the pen of old Ieremy * Ier. 11.3 17.5 for all he was so tender boweld so mercifull hearted a man The writings of Moses are full of Curses Twenty times at least in the booke of Deuteronomie hath hee this phrase up Cursed be he that doth this and Cursed bee be that doth that Reade a whole catalogue in the 27. chapter from the 15. verse to the end in the 28. chapter from the 16 verse to the 21. The Prophet Esay is in the same straine The CURSE hath devoured the earth a Isa 24.6 The sinner being an hundred yeeres old shall be ACCURSED b 65.20 So is Malachy Cursed bee the deceiver c Mal. 1.14 I will send a CURSE upon you and will CURSE your blessings yea I have CURSED them already d 2.2 Yee are CURSED with a CURSE e 3.9 And so were the rest of the holy Prophets Never a one amongst them all did alwayes abstaine from thundering from threatning as is very manifest in their writings Neither need wee marvaile any whit at it For they had both cause to doe it and a call unto it First they had cause to threaten In their times the Reason 1 Law of the Lord was transgressed vice abounded vertue decayed commanded dueties were either wholly omitted or but coldly performed forbidden courses were eagerly followed delightfully walked in Wh◠meane else the many and manifold complaints of the Lord against Israel for her sins against Iacob for her transgressions Now the righteous God hath so ordered that where the breach of the Law goes before the curse of the Law must follow after f Deut. 28.15.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. quaest 34. in Deut. p. 170. Which wise and just ordinance of the Lord his holy Prophets having weighed could not did not spare to spend the arrowes of the Lawes rigorous curses when they saw most to have swerved and all prone to swerve from the Lawes righteous courses Had not David who was a Prophet as well as a King just cause to declaime woes when the men of his time did rebelliously decline Gods waies Cursed be the proud which doe erre or because they erre from thy Commandements g Psal 119.21 Reason 2 Secondly they had a call to this service The same God that gave them a charge and charter to comfort some h Isa 40.1 sealed them a commission to curse others as knowing i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. quaest 36. in Deut. p. 172. wicked men to be sooner moved better wrought upon by menaces than promises Ieremie's commission wee may reade at large in the beginning of his Prophesie See I have set thee this day over the Nations and over the Kingdomes to roote out to pull downe to destroy I will utter my judgements against them touching all their wickednesse Thou therefore gird up thy loynes arise and speake unto them all that I command thee k Ier. 1.10.16.17 Goe and cry in the eares of Ierusalem l Ier. 2.2 Ezekiels call and commission to this we have in the second and third chapters of his Prophesie where wee may read that the Lord himselfe set him upon his feet m Exek 2.1 put courage into his heart n Ibid. ver 6. words into his mouth o cha 9.1.2.3 p cha 2.9.10 spread before him opened vnto him the Legall Roll writ on both sides with lamentation mourning and woe which he was to q Ezek. 3.4 preach and reade in the deafe eares of rebellious Israel Vpon the like warrant did the other Prophets doe the like worke It was their priviledge to denounce the Curse therefore it was their practise Which being so Vse who sees not how worthy of blame all those bee who take on and cry out against us that are Gods Messengers for speaking to them at some times in the terrible language of the Law Speake wee comfortably to all at all times they can well beare it Preach we curses against any at any time they cannot endure it So r Sim. Cassian de relig Christ l. 6 c. 1. fol. 132. col 1. grievous to mans eare is Gods Word when it convinceth him of sinne or goes about with an holy violence to plucke him from the world and save him from hell as the threatnings of it are for all these purposes Why may not wee doe as our Predecessors the Prophets did Is our Charter lesse nay is not our Commission larger than theirs was Iohn Baptist who was greater than the rest of the ſ Mat. 11.11 Prophets as well in respect of t Bucer in Mat. 11. his office of preaching Christ after he was borne as of his act v Euthym. ca. 19. in Mat. 11. of acknowledging Christ by springing in the wombe before hee was borne was lesse than the least in the kingdome of Heaven that is not onely lesse than the blessed soules of glorified Saints in actuall happinesse x Lyr. in Mat. 11. or lesse in nature than y Stella in Luc. to 1. fol. 179 col 2. the Celestiall Angells which ever stand in Gods glorious presence but also lesse than the least of Christs holy Apostles lesse than the z Calv. in Mat. 11. Ministers of the Gospell who are the last in time of the Ministeriall function of the least esteeme in the worlds opinion Now that Iohn thundred may not wee then threat Did God bid Ieremie utter his judgements Moses curse and Malachie condemne and doth hee forbid us to doe the like I confesse we are Ministers of the Gospell Interpreters of the new Covenant and in that respect doe differ from the Prophets the a Legis Interpretes custodes Prophetae erant Scult in Isa ca. 1 pag. 9. Keepers the Interpreters of the old Must we for that cause never preach nor presse the Law Ah frivolous and groundlesse conclusion The Gospell it selfe is a law the law of Grace the law of Faith b 1. Cor. 9.21 It hath a c Chrysost Hom. 15. in Mat. Euthym. in Ma◠c 5. fol. 26. C.F. commanding a forbidding authority as well as the Law Doth the Law forbid the practise of sinne the Gospell
victor gets glory by his conquest and gaines a name to be the better champion Object Answ Eras Enchirid. mil Christ p. 136. 137. A sory glory God wot that being true which Erasmus writeth That to bee praised for sinnefull things of sinnefull men is false glory and true ignominy Reforme thine error therfore here worthily taxed whoever thou beest that thinkest those men the bravest sparkes whose wounding swords a petty injury can call forth to take revenge without a call from God lest if this error stickes to thee still thou fallest like Cain upon the least provocation to imbrue thy hands in thy brothers bloud and when thou hast done it be so farre from repenting as to contest with God as Cain did and out of thine envious malicious and hatefull heart rather to grieve that thy murthered brother hath not another life for thee to take away also Which passe shouldest thou ever come unto a remarkeable horror might take hold upon thee a guilty conscience ever vexe thee the gnawing whereof death it selfe though thou shouldest desire it would rather encrease by infinite degrees than ease in the least measure 2. Branch of reproofe Secondly there is a generation amongst us who in such troublesome times as these be steale from their Parents runne from their Masters tendering their service to take sword in hand when they have neither wit to weild it nor strength to fight with it the shop or the schoole being fitter for them than the field Their rashnesse also doth this doctrine reach at for they are old enough to heare a reproofe Silly yonguelings they doe inconsiderately venture on they know not what Where is their warrant to runne to warre The sword must not kill till it hath a call Dulce bellum inexpertis Warre is sweete untill they have tasted of it When they heare the Cannons roare the Armour clatter the Ayre thunder the Launces shiver the Heavens resound with hideous out-cries of parties slaine when they see the Swords glittering the Pikes piercing one with a leg off another without an arme one lye scrambling on the earth on this side another lye tumbling in bloud on that side the enemies looking fiercely striking furiously doubling blowes upon them threatning death unto them were there no more men in the world than themselves then peradventure wanting the fortitude which the field requireth they wil repent their rashnesse Campus fortem postulat Ennod Panegyr Theoderico Regi pag. 318. wishing they had waited for a better call not so theevishly stole away I taxe not Voluntaries who are fit for service I blame not them that have a call but I finde fault with such as in a discontented or new fangled humour will venture upon the pikes being altogether unable unfit to beare armes whose stay at home would bee a great deale more acceptable to God more profitable to man He that fightes without asound is no souldier Chrysol serm 14. p. 58. wrath carries him to valour his adventure is perillous not vertuous he seekes rather to perish than to vanquish as one speakes Did an * Dion Chrysost orat 38. heathen man once most justly complayne against the Nicomedians because for Pestilence and Earthquakes they did accuse their gods but for stirring up to warre they did applaude their men accounting the perswaders to battell the best Orators when to use such perswasions too there was neither need nor cause with better warrant may I blame such yongulings as account those men most worthy to be hearkned to who egg and entice them into the field when as having neither skill nor strength to use their weapons for lack of yeeres they are like to be more burthenous than helpfull to the armie If they perish by the sword they doe but reape the fruit of their owne rashnes And now enough of reproofe Thirdly lastly Vse 3 must not the sword be commanded to bloud without a call then use the meditation of this truth for thy defence when at any time thou art eyther provoked by gaine or malice to lay violent hands upon thy brother or tempted in discontent Saul-like to runne thy selfe upon thyne own sword To neither of these hast thou a call to doe either of these is a greivous sinne For the first of these what saies the Scipture Gen. 9.6 1. Ioh. 3.15 Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed The murderer hath not eternall life abiding in him He that takes away his brothers life may heare God tell him The voyce of thy brothers bloud cryeth from off the earth against thee Vitam sustulisti Basil Seleue. orat 5. pag. 38. 39. sed non vocem abstulisti Thou hast spilt his life but thou canst not stop his mouth thou hast armed his bloud as an accuser against thee thou hast provoked the immortall God to be an adversary unto thee Some such noyse as this may sound in his eares which is most hideous horrid and fearefull to heare To the latter very aptly speakes an Ancient Aug. in Ioh. cap. 3. By how much the neerer to a man the murthered is by so much the crueller is the murtherer He therefore that murthereth himselfe is the worst murtherer because none is neerer to a man than himselfe Iob resolved to waite all the dayes of his appointed time untill his changing came Hee made not post-haste away before his time albeit one would thinke he had as great cause to have done it had it beene lawfull as ever any had whether we consider the tortures of his body or the terrors of his soule Senec. Ep. 24. The Heathen could tell us that a good man must not flye out of this life but depart out of it Hee must stay in this world till God bid him goe hee must not like a discontented Tenant warne himselfe out of this earthly tabernacle against his Landlords revealed will lest like the foolish fish he leape out of the pan into the fire and so finde by woefull experience the truth of our present point That the sword must not bee dipt in any bloud without a call Dâ—ct 4 For the sword to keepe scabbard when God calls it oâ—â— prâ—â—â—kes his displeasure as aâ— accuâ—â—ed thing And now I am descended to the last and largest point of all being the very upshot of the Text That to withhold the sword from bloud when there is just cause and a lawfull call is a dangerous thing displeasing to God exposing to the Curse A doctrine set downe so plainely by our Prophet here that * Habak 2.2 he that runnes may reade it Cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from bloud and backed so firmely by testimony by example and by the contrary that none but the incredulous can once doubt of it The testimony is Deborah's in her song Iudg. 5.23 Curse yee Merosh said the Angell of the Lord Curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the helpe of the
Isa 16.6 Ier. 48.29.32.33 his loftinesse and arrogancie Therefore the spoiler is fallen upon thy Summer fruites and joy and gladnesse is taken away from the land of Moab Secondly Insolence against God The horne of Moab is cut off and his arme is broken saith the Lord. Make ye him drunken Vers 25 26. for he magnified himselfe against the Lord. Moab shall be destroyed from being a people because hee magnified himselfe against the Lord. Vers 42. Thirdly Insulting over the Church is another cause of just destruction by the sword Moab shall wallow in his vomite and he shall also be in derision For was not Israel a derision unto thee since thou spakest of him thou skippedst for joy Vers 29.27 Goliah's vaunts against the host of Israel put the stone into Davids sling which pierced his temples put the sword into Davids hand which parted his head from his body and so discomfited his insolent Army of uncircumcised Philistims 1. Sam. 17. Fourthly for Tumultuousnesse and Rebellion evident is that which we finde towards the end of this chapter I will bring upon it even upon Moab the yeare of their visitation saith the Lord. A fire shall come forth out of Heshbon and a flame from the midst of Sion which shall devoure the corner of Moab Vers 44.45 and the crowne of the head of the TVMVLTVOVS ones And what was it else but the suppressing of Rebellion that moved the Israelites to make warre upon the Beniamites Iudg. 20.12 26. Fiftly for False-heartednesse pretences of unity and yet practises of enmity you may collect it out of the 30. verse where Moabs wrath and lyes are joyned together and noted as a cause of the Chaldaeans comming by Gods appointment against her to destroy her While I thought with my selfe how I might improve this point many particulars offered themselves amongst those many I made choice of three First Vse 1 to meete with that fantasticall conceit of the Anabaptisticall Sect That it is not lawfull for true Christians to make warre Are Christians prohibited to doe that same thing which if the Chaldaeans did not they were threatned to bee cursed What worke is there which may lawfully bee done for the Lord by any that are his enemies which may not in some cases for some causes with some cautions be done by his friends In this same question Whether a Christian Magistrate may lawfully make warre the state of it lies not in unnecessary warre When Kings and Princes through an ambitious and covetous desire to enlarge their owne territories and to encroach upon other mens rights without Gods warrant doe take sword in hand and bid battell with it wee detest it wee abhorre it and perswade our selves that the authors of such warres have an heavie account to give to God for the abundance of innocent bloud that is ordinarily shed for the rapines burnings whoredomes devastations c. which doe usually attend them But wee speake of a necessary defensive warre When a Christian Prince partly to preserve the lives liberties and religion of his owne subjects partly to relieve his Allies abroad which are neere unto him both in the flesh and in the Lord when they are oppressed by the common adversary shall make warre it is not onely lawfull but also so needefull that did hee not doe it he should highly displease God as being an unnaturall father to his country an unkind friend to them whom hee doth owe and should shew most kindenesse unto In these cases he doth not Rom. 13. he ought not to beare the sword in vaine what ever the Anabaptists say to the contrary If wee should tell that generation that Abraham made warre with the Sodomites Gen. 14. Gen. 17. Ioshuah passim Iudg. 6. Iudg. 13.14 15 chapters Moses with the Amalekites Iosuah with the Canaanites Gideon with the Midianites Sampson with the uncircumcised Philistims and Gods encouraging and prospering them in this worke is a notable argument of the lawfulnesse of it I know they will yeeld to us in that holding it lawfull in the time of the old Testament to make warre But where say they is it warranted in the New Where warrented Why where is it condemned Doth Iohn Baptist condemne it Souldiers military men came to him asked him what they should doe and what 's his answer to them Luke 3. not leave your station forsake your garrison give over your military kinde of life but bee content with your wages doe no man wrong Neither did Christ nor any of his Apostles disallow it The Capernaite Centurion remained a souldier after he became a Christian Christ did not bid him cease the field after hee had truely embraced the faith He commended his believing Matth. 8. Act. 10. Verily I have not found such faith in Israel hee condemned not his calling his being a Centurion The like may bee said of Cornelius the Captaine of the Italian band whose Captaineship continued after his conversion neither was it condemned by Peter when hee preached unto him and bestowed Baptisme upon him Object Isa 2.4 Yea but Isaiah prophesied of the times of the Gospell in the new Testament when he said They shall beate their swords into plow-sheares and their speares into pruning-hookes Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learne warre any more Therefore Christians may not make warre now under the Gospell I answer Answ the scope of the Prophet there is not to forbid Magistrates a necessary warre against the enemies of their lives and Gods cause but to shew what peace should be betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospell which was accomplished when our Peace-maker Eph. 2.14 Christ Iesus brake down the partition wall betwixt them and us and when in a time of dearth the Church of the Gentiles in Graecia did send reliefe even above their power 2. Cor. 8.1 to the Church of the Iewes in Syria They have many other cavills scarce worth the spending of our inke and paper which of purpose I passe over lest in such an argument as this I prove tedious to the Reader Secondly Vse 2. Terror I may here take just occasion to preach terror unto all those whom God hath indued with strength of body so that they might bee fit in time of neede to stand their country in good stead by bearing the sword against her enemies and they waste this strength and ability of theirs some on wine some on women some by one kinde of riotous living some by another and so indispose themselves for all good offices at home in peace for all good service in the warres abroad The naturall gift which God hath given them they should perfect by art by commendable exercises eyther in military matters or some lawfull calling and they eyther by a sottish idlenesse or a bestiall licentiousnesse disable themselves to make such use of their bodies as they are given them for The
Cardinalls haughty Bishops and proud Prelates Secondly 2. Their insolence against God doth not Romish Moab magnifie himselfe against the Lord adding to his Word and taking from it what he pleaseth How sawcily doth hee make himselfe the Lords Competitor in title in supremacy in authority to devise Lawes and coine Articles of Faith to make a Purgatory Limbus Patrum and Limbus Infantum to Gods Heaven and Hell giving his Priests power as hee presumeth to make a man a god-man flesh bloud and bones of a peece of bread trampling Gods statutes under his feet to set up his owne blasphemous inventions and is not England wronged egregiously while the God of England is thus dishonoured Thirdly who have ever more injuriously opposed 3 Insulting over the Church more imperiously insulted over the Church than Papists have Do not they laugh in their sleeves that they have gulled us with sugred words and faire pretences Doe they not rejoyce in the ruines of the Palatinate of Rhine and are glad to see the Sunne of another Elizabeths glory in the eclipse How hath the Romish Emperour insulted over the person of noble Palatine Cancel Hisp pag. 65. calling him in base and contumelious termes a slave or vassaile and that to the face of the English Embassador They that have read the booke of Martyrs have often seen how those Romish wolves did crow over the lambes of Christ when once they had gotten them in their pawes In deriding Israel and reproaching Sion ancient Moab came never neer them Fourthly these Romish Moabites are a tumultuous broode confederate in Faction against the Church and Religion The croaking Frogs of this Fen the Priests and Iesuites call the Princes of the earth to battell against the Saints Iudg. 3.12.13 Moab once gathered Ammon and Amaleck to fight against Israel so doth the Pope his Princes and Vassailes at this day What a tumultuous compact was there betwixt them in buying and selling the Palsgraves possessions Cardinall Lodowick is the cardinall man in that businesse he sets downe this position That it is more just and profitable Cancel Hisp pag. 79. 81. that some Catholicke Prince possesse the Palatinate than that Count Fredericke a Calvinist an emulous Prince of the Imperiall dignity and a perpetuall enemy to the house of Austria be restored Vpon this position Cancel Hisp pag. 90. Ibid. p. 97 98. Bishop Caraffa the Popes Legate at Vienna concludes upon Bavaria to be the fittest man The Emperour next resolves upon it he shall be the man and this resolution forsooth hee cannot alter without the offence of Almighty God Having set downe this resolution with himselfe he dispatcheth a Capuchine Frier called Hyacinthus Ibid. p. 96. Ibid. p. 116. to negotiate the businesse with the King of Spaine because the determination of that translation depended upon Spaine To worke therefore the Spanish King the better to his will the Popes Legate with the Emperour Ib. 108 111. by letter after letter sollicites the Capuchine to slacke no diligence in the businesse In the meane time Ib. 96 98. 101. the Emperour writes to Don Balthazar Zuniga Councellor of State in the Spanish Court Cardinall Lodowick importuneth the Popes Legate at Bruxells Ibid. to worke the Infanta to this Faction also Now lest the King of great Brittanne by his Legate the Earle of Bristow mediating with Spaine about the restitution of the Palatinate to his sonne againe should hinder the proceedings Ibid. p. 106. the Pope forsooth must devise a way to satisfie him after the Palatinate should be settled upon Bavaria Ibid. p. 117 Well the conclusion is Spaine conjoines in this cursed confederacy and concludes the businesse in foure Articles First That Bavaria shall restore the upper Austria Secondly That Bavaria shall content himselfe with the Electorall voice and upper Palatinate onely Thirdly That Spaine should have the lower Palatinate and Bavaria disclaime all title thereto Fourthly That the Emperour and Spanish King shall make a league together to make an offensive and defensive warre against whomsoever should resist their proceedings Were not here Moabs tumultuous ones Was not here Geball and Ammon and Amalak Philistia and those of Tyre joyned together against Gods Israel In which confederacy how falsly they dealt under faire pretences appeares by this that while Spaine spoiled the daughter of her dominions he glozed with the father and pretended a marriage with the brother And while the Emperour promised our King to stay the execution of the proscription against the Palatinate Cancel Hisp p. 67. Ibid. 75. Ibid. 77. Ibid 78. Bavaria proceeded in the same and the Emperour thanked him for it encouraged him in it The doctrine of equivocation is so well studied of these Romish Moabites that in most of their waightiest affayres with Protestant Princes lyes and falsehoods strike the greatest stroke pretences of unity and practises of enmity are found no where more than amongst them These things considered never had Chaldaea greater cause to fight with Moab than wee with Rome Vti olim de Philippo Macedonico dixit Demostheues Atheniensibus orat Olynt 1. and if ever with her then now while the bloud of the Saints shed by her doe call for vengeance and while the snares which she layeth for the bloud royall of the Brittish race besides other manifest wrongs doe call us Brittaines to goe forth against her Now a necessity to this worke lyeth upon us Fit purses for contribution must now stand open fit persons for execution are now called upon neyther as I conceive can any good reason bee given why eyther of both should now bee spared Gird your swords therefore upon your thighes O you valiant ones and ride on with courage and renowne Our Iehosaphat summons against this Moab what ranke what degree amongst the Gentry amongst the Commonalty of his dominions may not account it their glory to have an hand in this enterprise For the Gentry the golden bubble upon the brest Vid. Alexand. ab Alexand. l. 5. c. 16. Draud in Sched Reg. pag. 315. 316. little moones upon the shoes gold rings upon the hands golden chaines about the necke garments of purple given by Princes the ancient Ensignes of nobility were but ioyes to grace nobility with in comparison to heroicke exploites in Gods cause for the Church her right Oh that Gentlemen fit for this service would delight more to weare their armes in field than to paint them in their houses grave them in their seales place them in their portalls and weave them in their Sumpter-cloathes Then to be sure their holding of Armes would not bee so much for worldlings to behold them as for the Church to be beholding to them for the same For the Commonalty If the generous sort must take sword against Moab and it be their glory so to do then let not the meaner and vulgar sort think it any disparagement to goe forth under them When Presses come if their places and charge will permit it as Officers that presse ought to have a speciall regard to that and to doe nothing for sinister respects let not them frame worthlesse pretences to shift their Princes call If they hide their heads when they should encourage their owne hearts in Gods cause that calls on them if they chuse rather as the manner of some is to starve in woodes than to stirre to warres or coine lies and falsehoodes to delude the Officers I doe not see how they can escape the Curse which the Text â—oth speake of and bring a blessing upon their heads Be bold therefore in the Lord and be strong in the power of his might you could never stirre in a more needefull time your sword now may doe more acceptable service for the Lord than it could have done for many yeeres When Moab is curbed Iudg. 3.30 Isa 16. ult chap. 25.10 Israel shall have rest when Moabs glory is abated and troden downe as straw for the dunghill then distressed Sion shall have glory and her scattered stones in our neighbour-nations shall bee gathered together againe If you say we could be content to bee forward were we sure of successe I answer doubt not of that Ios 7. Iudg. 5.15 if Chemesh if Achan if the divisions of Ruben if secret well-wishers to the Romish cause and slightnes in seeking to the God of all Armies doe not crosse us Let the abomination of Moab bee kept under amongst us at home and the mighty of Moab shall not conquer us abroad Let such men as hide the Babylonish garment in the rotten tents of their Popish hearts who having a face for the Prince and an heart for the Pope would be glad of an opportunity to betray their country for a wedge of gold have nothing to doe in our Campes Let not the Nobles of Iudah send letters to Tobiah nor reveale the matters of Nehemiah to him Neh. 6.17 19. Let Popish Ladies have no acquaintance with State-secrets for then Balaam and Balak shall bee sure to know them Let the loyall subjects with an unanimous consent adde sinewes to the warre and let not corrupt Officers make those sinewes to shrinke In a word let the Lord bee sought carefully in all our proceedings and then the God of Iacob will be with us the Lord of Hosts will fight for us and prosper our handy-worke Bern. ad Milit. Templ c. 2. Securi igitur procedite milites intrepido animo inimicos crucis Christi propellite In the bowels of Christ Iesus put forth your hands to the worke of the Lord let not your spirits fayle in your bodies let not your swords rust in their sheaths let not your coyne fret in your chests And you that can do nothing this way with your purses or with your persons fight with your prayers to the God of heaven bee morning and evening in his presence Chamber with your suites tell him that for Sions sake you cannot bee silent nor yet will be untill hee hath made bare his arme in his owne cause cloathed his foes with the robes of shame and compassed his Saints with songs of deliverance FINIS