c. 74. meanes be used to move enemies voluntarily to do what is just and equall The advice which the Apostle giveth about going to law 1 Cor. 6. 1 c. may fitly be applied to going to warre We have good patternes herein not onely in the Israelites towards their brethren Ios 22. 13. Iudg. 20. 12 13. but also in Iephthah towards the Ammonites Iudg. 11. 12. Yea the directions given in the Law tend much to this purpose Deut. 20. 10 c. This caution observed in faith may men on the forenamed grounds wage warre But if nothing besides the motion of unreasonable passion and anger or ambition and vaine-glory or desire of any earthly possession whatsoever do provoke men to warre surely for these causes it is not safe to kill or to be killed Souldiers were of old gravely and justly reproved for undertaking combats in such cases §. 19. Of souldiers encouragement in just warre THat which hath beene delivered of the lawfulnesse of warre cannot but afford matter of much comfort and courage to such as are called to just warre They may on this ground go in faith with much confidence cheerfully and couragiously If there be peace betwixt God and their own soules if they have truly repented of all their sinnes if their persons be justified as well as their cause warranted they may not onely call upon God and that in faith for his assistance and blessing and depend on him for the same but also undauntedly meet death in the mid-way and comfortably commend their soules into Gods hands What need he in Quid vel vivens vel morieus metuat cui vivere Christus est mori lucrum Bern. ad Mil. Temp c. 1. Eisihosies nos perimant nullum tamen ad animas periculum migrat neque salutem illam sempiternam violare possunt Chrys Hom. 7. in 1 Tim. 2. life or death feare to whom to live is Christ and to die is gaine Phil. 1. 21. Though enemies destroy the body yet no danger comes thereby to the soule neither can they impeach eternall salvation There is much comfort in breathing out our last breath in Gods work It is a kind of Martyrdome For a souldier to die in the field in a good cause it is as for a Preacher to die in a pulpit Vpon the cautions before noted this assuredly wil be the issue If a souldier get the day or otherwise escape with his life they that set him on work are too too ungratefull if they do not abundantly reward him Herein if man faile assuredly the righteous Lord will not faile For whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Eph. 6. 8. In particular The Lord will certainly make them a sure house that fight the battels of the Lord 1 Sam. 25. 28. If Quà m gloriosi revertuntur victores de praelio quà m beati moriuntur Martyres in praelio Bern. loc citat in this worke of the Lord in his warre he be slaine his soule shal be more then a conquerour triumphing in heaven over all sorts of enemies They may therefore be secure O how gloriously do such with victory returne from war how blessedly do such as Martyrs die in battell §. 20. Of opposing violence to violence VI. * * * Sec § 9. VIolence may be resisted with violence If any course may be accounted violent surely war is one of those courses To omit the * * * §. 13. Lex talionis fore-mentioned proofes for the warrant of warre a a a Deut 19. 21. Exo. 21. 23 24 25. the law of requiting like for like maketh much to this purpose Thus dealt b b b 1 Sam. 15. 33. Samuel with Agag when he said to him As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among women So dealt c c c Iudg 1. 6 7. Iudah with Adonibezek whose thumbs and great toes they cut off for so had he dealt with 70 Kings Many like evidences are recorded and justified in holy writ Thus are violent cruell and hard-hearted men by a sensible demonstration brought to see their perverse and mischievous disposition As the fore-named Adonibezek confesseth saying As I have done so the Lord hath requited me Ob. How can this resisting of violence with violence stand with those Christian principles Resist not evill Recompence to no man evill for evill Avenge not your selves Quid est non reddere malum pro malo nist abhorrereab ulcisâ—eÌ„di libidine Quid est accepta iniuria ignoscere malle quam persequi c. Aug. Macellino Epist 5. Hoc fit ut vincatur bono malus immo in homine malo vincatur bogo malum Ibid. Vide Aug. contr Faust Manich l. 22. c. 76. Mat. 5. 39. Rom. 12. 17 19. Answ 1. The resisting of violence here intended is a publique execution of justice but that which Christ forbiddeth is private revenge The latter phrase avenge not your selves is an exposition of the former 2. Christs words are to be taken comparatively thus A Christian must be so farre from revenge as rather suffer a double wrong 3. They imply a readinesse to forgive againe and againe 4. They import a Christian vertue of overcomming evill with goodnesse and patience Rom. 12. 21. Learne wisely to discerne betwixt persons and cases thorowly sift and examine your owne passions let your hearts be seasoned with a true feare of God and love of man let it be enflamed with a zeale of Gods glory set good ends before you and aime at them be well instructed in the meanes whereby you may attaine to those ends and then take courage and resolution to your selves Deale with wicked men as wicked men are to be dealt withall fight against them that fight against you with the froward shew your selves froward as the Lord himselfe doth despise them that despise you shew as much scorne of them as Psal 18. 26. 1 Sam. 2. 30. they can do of you This is to answer a foole according to his folly and to keep him from being proud in his own conceipt Pro. 26. 5. from insulting over you and from taking advantage against you There be times occasions when mischievous enemies are not to be yeelded unto no not an haires breadth By opposing undaunted courage against their stout boldnesse they may be beaten at their owne weapon §. 21. Of using meanes VII * * * Sec §. 9. APproved meanes are to be used for attaining our desired ends The parables which our Lord useth about providing that which may be sufficient for an intended building and about casting how to meet an enemy that is comming against him Luke 14. 28 c. give good evidence to the truth of this point Wherefore such Saints as have beene guided by the Spirit of God even in those wars whereabout God himselfe hath sent them and to which he hath given assurance of victory have been carefull
generall inference thereupon So that we we Christians that live so many yeares after Ioshuaes time we may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not feare c. Heb. 13. 5 6. Though we cannot therefore expect the same particular Quis est qui considerat opera Dei quibus regitur administratur totus hic mundus non obstupescit obruiturque miraculis Aug in Ioh. 2. Tract 8. Faciem quodam modo ponentes ad ea quae fecit dorsum ponimus ad artificem qui fecit Ibid. works of God to be done for us that of old were done for others yet the generals we may and ought to believe that that God which provided for and delivered of old such as trusted in him is still able and willing to provide for and deliver such as now trust in him These generals expect from God As for the means and manner of doing it referre them to his wisdome He ever remaineth the same God as in his power so in his will affection and compassion towards such as trust in him He can by sundry means bring things to the same issue If thorowly and advisedly the usuall works of God were considered even those whereby the whole world is ruled and governed who would not be astonished even as at miracles and by the miraculousnesse of them be strengthened in faith But many turning their faces to the works that are done turne their backes to him that did them Whence it comes to passe that neither God hath the glory which belongs to him nor man that profit which otherwise he might reape from the works of God Gather now ye that trust in the Lord gather what evidences Observe Gods former works ye can by Gods former works of his power and will Oft meditate thereon plead them in prayer before God In your catalogue of Gods former works be sure you leave not out such as are done in your daies and to your selves in particular whereof upon experimentall evidence you may say to God marvellous are thy works and that my soule knoweth Psal 139. 14. right well The works which were brought to Moses his mind by holding up this rod were such as were done in his daies before his eyes by his ministry Such works as are done in our daies and to our selves make the deepest impression and have the most effectuall and mighty operation Such were they whereby Iacob and David were strengthened Gen. 32. 10. 1 Sam. 17. 56. in their faith Though we have not such a visible signe of Gods former works as this rod was which Moses held up yet we have as good and sure staies for our faith to rest upon For we have Gods works recorded in Gods Word a Word of truth And we may say as the Psalmist doth We have heard with our eares O God our fathers have told us Psal 44. 1. what works thou diddest in their daies in the times of old And God hath in our dayes and before our eyes done such works as give us sufficient ground to trust in him We have memories to retaine them We have minds to meditate on them We may if we will register and record them What could Moses his rod do more then al these Though we want that externall signe yet we have the substance And by a right use of what we have our faith in God may be strengthened as Moses was by the use of this rod. Ruminate therfore on Gods bringing in the Gospell in King Henry the 8 daies On establishing it in King Edward the 6 daies On the courage comfort and constancy that he gave to Martyrs in Queene Maries daies On the restoring of the Gospell in blessed Queene Elizabeths daies On the many victories then given especially in 88. On the many deliverances from Papists treasons especially in 605. As occasion is offered seriously ponder and meditate on these and other like works of God and thereby shalt thou find much vigour infused into thy faith Withall well note the promises of God For this rod which Moses tooke up to the hill was a signe of Gods promise Take this rod in thine hand saith God wherewith Exo. 4. 17. thou shalt do signes Gods promises are the most proper ground-worke of faith as I have * * * The whole Armour of God on Eph. 6 16. Treat 2. Part. 6 § 71 c. elswhere shewed §. 34. Of the benefit of a perswasion of others prayers VIII * * * See §. 26. PErswasion of others prayers addeth much courage in dangerous imployments This was one reason why a a a Num. 10. 9. God in his Law ordred that his Priests should go with their silver trumpets into the armies of his people that by that signe his people might be assured of the Priests prayers and be thereby the more encouraged b b b 2 Chro. 13. 14 Thus were the people in Abijahs time much encouraged This questionlesse was the reason why c c c Iudg. 4. 8. Barak was so importunate to have Deborah go with him to the warre Her sex might make him thinke that she was not fit to lead an army or to fight But he knowing her to be a Prophetesse did also know that her prayers would be availeable with the Lord and withall he thought that the sight of the battell would extend her spirit the more earnestly to call upon the Lord for them Did not this perswasion encourage him who speaking of his troubles said d d d Phil. 1. 19. I know that this shall turne to my salvation thorow your prayer Gods people being acquainted with Gods Word thereby know that God is the fountaine of all blessing and that prayer is the means of receiving all needfull blessing from him and that the prayers of others are availeable with God Muliùm valent preces in communi multorum Hier. Commēt in Rom. 15. as well as their owne and that when others prayers are joyned with theirs they are so much the more powerfull How can they then but be the more incouraged by their perswasion of others prayers for them Of craving others prayers See The whole Armour of God on Eph. 6. 19. Treat 3 §. 137. Good cause there is for this very cause when any go about any weighty difficult or dangerous worke or when they are in any dangers or feares to crave the prayers of such as they count faithfull as e e e 2 King 19. 4. Hezekiah did of Isayah And for them of whom this duty is desired by solemne promise to bind themselves to do it as f f f 1 Sam. 12. 23. Samuel did that so they who desire it may have the more cause to believe that it shall be performed And if the worke enterprised be publique meet it is that a fast be proclaimed and publique prayers enjoyned for their good successe By these publique prayers more notice may be taken of the many prayers that by many persons are
a tush at a plague sleight it not too much Why a plague is not to be made light of If we account the lives of men women and children to be precious how precious a thing life is hath beene * § 63. Lege Flavij Iosephi Antiquit. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 13. Descriptionē peslis quae contigit sub Davide Terrorem istius morbi ad vivum exprimit before declared we may well thinke that that which taketh away the lives of many is to be accounted a terrible thing I deny not but that in some respects warre in other respects famine is more terrible then pestilence which made e 2 Sam. 24. 14. David choose it rather then either of them Yet is a plague if once it grow to any strength a fearefull and terrible judgement By it parents that have had many children like Olive plants round about their table have beene soone made childlesse By it parents children husbands wives masters servants whole housholds have beene in a very short time swept away Yea streets and villages and cities have thereby beene made desolate On some it commeth more mildly and taketh them away without any paine or extraordinary fervour on others it falleth more violently casting them into extreme burning fits troubling the braine disturbing the understanding making them that are affected therewith rage and rave and seeke all wayes to make away themselves Lamentable experience hath given too evident proofes hereof Besides by reason of the contagion and infection of this disease deare friends are kept one from another and they that are visited therewith deprived of many outward helpes and inward comforts that otherwise they might have Finally they that die of this disease are for the most part deprived of the honour of that decent and solemne funerall which otherwise they might have a matter i Eccl. 63. Ier. 22. 18. 19. which God himselfe hath threatned as a judgement but k 1 King 14. 13 Ier. 34. 5. promised an honourable and comely buriall as a blessing In these and many other respects a plague is justly to be accounted a fearefull judgement which should make us more fearefull of provoking his wrath that hath the power over plagues to send them when he will to continue them as long as he will and to make them as fierce and violent as he will See more of this point § 48 50. §. 72. Of the many meanes that God hath to destroy men II. * See § 69. GOD can many wayes destroy men Many many are the wayes that are recorded in Scripture and yet many many other wayes hath experience in all ages given evidence of We read that from heaven a Gen 7. 11. water fell and drowned the whole world and b 19. 24. fire and brimstone and destroyed foure cities at once and c Ios 10. 11. great stones that flew armies of men and d 1 Sam 7. 10. great thunders and e Psal 18. 14. lightnings whereby hosts of enemies have beene discomfited yea and f 78. 48. hot thunderbolts g Iud. 5. 20. the starres in their courses and h Psal 35. 5 6. 2 Sam. 24. 16. 2 King 19. 35. Per culices ac mures integros Barbarorum exercitus sugabat Deus Chrys in 2 Cor. 5. Hum. 8 the Angels of God have destroyed many All these and many other meanes of destruction hath the Lord sent from heaven On earth he can raise up men against men to destroy one another which is most usuall He can stirre up m Ezek. 14 15. beasts and n Ier. 8. 17. serpents yea o Numb 21. 6. extraordinary fiery serpents and p Exo 8. 6. frogs q 17. lice r 24. flies ſ 10. 13. grashoppers and innumerable other kinds of creatures How many kinds of diseases hath God in all ages raised up to afflict and destroy men What Physitian can reckon them all up He can make all the elements his instruments to consume men and all manner of creatures yea he can make new creatures to be his scourges Read in particular the t Lev. 26. 16 c Deu. 28. 16 c severall curses recited by Moses and we shall find just cause to say God can many wayes destroy men God is a supreme and absolute Lord over all and can both dispose them to what worke and service it pleaseth him and also enable them to effect whatsoever he putteth them unto So as what he will have to destroy shall destroy as he will have it Yea his Divine power is then especially manifested when by vile things he effecteth great matters Tunc maximè manifestatur Dei potentia quando per viles operatur magna Chrys in 2 Cor. 5. Hom. 8. Is not this Lord now to be feared Is it safe to provoke his wrath Doth he not sinne against his owne soule that provoketh him What if he have inflicted sore judgements on others and thou hast escaped Doest thou thinke that God hath no more judgments in store if thou continuest to provoke him Were they that were not swallowed up with Dathan Abiram or not consumed with Korahs complices were they exempted from all other judgments Were not 14700 consumed with a plague Remember this aggravation BESIDES those that died c. Remember it and tremble Thou maist escape this plague and yet perish by another judgement Rejoyce not because the rod of him that smote thee is broken for out of the serpents root shall come Isa 14. 29. 24. 17 18. Pro qualitate peccati ignem sibi unusquisque succendit Hier. Comment l. 14. in Isa 50 acockatrice and his fruit shal be a fiery flying serpent Feare and the pit and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the earth And it shall come to passe that he who fleeth from the noise of the feare shall fall into the pit and he that commeth out of the midst of the pit shal be taken in the snare c. Every one kindleth a fire for himself according to the quality of his sin §. 73. Of the bloud of others which principalls bring upon themselves III. * See §. 69. THe bloud of accessaries lieth upon the principalls The Devill is the chiefest principall of all sinners He first sinned himselfe he first tempted and drew man into sinne In this respect he is stiled a Ioh. 8. 44 A murtherer from the beginning Now a murtherer pulleth upon his owne pate the bloud of those that are murthered The woman who tempted Adam to sinne is said to be b 1 Tim. 2. 14. In the transgression whereby among other things is implied that her owne and her husbands bloud lieth on her c 2 King 10. 31 This stile given to Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne sheweth that he was the principall in the defection of the ten Tribes d 1 King 15. 29 answerable therefore was his punishment and e 30. his causing others to sin
them in points of common equity and policy malice like a thick cloud ariseth before that light and so obscureth and hideth it as no direction can from thence be taken Herein then men offend against the light of nature For the Heathen Philosophers who had no other light accounted that Summa quidem authoritate Philosophi quicquid justum sit id utile etiam esse censent Cic Offic. l. 2. Complex est honestatis semper utilitas utilitatis honestas Amb. Offic l. 3. c. 14. which was just and honest to be profitable and nothing but that Profit is alwaies a companion of honesty and honesty of profit Ob. Were the two sonnes of Iacob who first set upon the Shechemites and slow all the males among them Gen. 34. 25. and Ioshua who went and fought against the Canaanites and utterly destroyed them Ios 12. 7 c. and David who went and smote the Philistines Moabites Edomites Syrians and other nations 2 Sam. 8. were these and others of the people of God-blinded with hatred and whetted on with malice in that they first set upon their enemies Answ 1. All particular actions of such as are otherwise good men are not every way justifiable and imitable Instance that of q q q Gen. 49. 7. Simeon and Levi which their old good father by divine instinct cursed 2. That which those sonnes of Iacob did they did not altogether without cause They did it in r r r Gen. 34. 31. revenge of the dishonour done to their sister But this is not altogether to excuse them For their anger was fierce and their wrath was cruell 3. As for Ioshuaes rooting out of the Canaanites he was How warre justly begun not moved thereto by malice because he did it not of his owne motion but by expresse s s s Ios 1. 1. charge from God himselfe For the Canaanites by their extreme wickednesse had deserved utterly to be rooted out of their land God therefore the supreme Lord over all nations made Ioshua his Minister to execute his just judgement upon them 4. The enemies whom David subdued had before his time done exceeding great wrong to Israel that therefore which he did was partly as a just punishment of their unjust wrongs for lawfull warre is a publique execution of publique justice and partly as a means to secure Israel for the time to come from further wrong These premises duly considered it may truly be said that David never began Nunquam David nisi lacessitus bellum intulit Amb. Offic. lib. 1 cap 35. Deus hoc providit ne David prior illis inferret bellum ne videretur ingratus P. Martyr Comment in 2 Sam. 5. 17. Fories magnanimi sunt habendi non qui faciunt sed qui propulsant injuriam Cic Offic. l. 1. waâ—re but provoked thereto Of the Philistines it is in speciall said that when they heard that David was annointed King over Israel all the Philistines came up to seeke David 2 Sam. 5. 17. that is to prevent David by giving the first on-set and beginning warre For God so ordered it that David should not begin warre against them least he might seeme ungratefull By these answers the difference betwixt warres begun lawfully on just causes and unlawfully and maliciously upon no just ground may be discerned The application of this point especially concerneth Kings Princes States Generalls Captains Souldiers and all such as wage warre to take heed that inward passion hatred malice undue desire of undeserved revenge or any such like unjust and unwarrantable provocation whet them not on to begin warre They are to be accounted truly valorous The issue of unjust war begun and magnanimous not who offer but who protect from wrong I shall afterwards § 18. have occasion to treat of the just causes of lawfull warre In the meane let notice be taken of the ill successe that such warres have Not to insist on this of Amalek or of other malicious enemies of the Church let the wofull issue of Iosiah his going to fight 2 Chro. 35. 20 c. against Necho King of Egypt without any just cause on Nechoes part be noted If God punished this fault so severely in such a worthy such a beloved one as Iosiah was who not in hatred or malice but upon rash suspicion and unadvised policy went out and fought against Necho how can they whom malice sets on worke in like cases looke to escape the revenging hand of a just God Behold the righteous shal be recompenced in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner Pro. 11. 31. §. 5. Of the title Israel Cum Dco invaleseens est in terpretatio Israelis Tertul advers Marcion l. 4. III. THe party assaulted was Israel Israel was a name given to Abrahams grand-child who was first called Iacob But in memory of his stedfast faith whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b compâ—nituo ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principatum obtinuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Est igitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princeps Dei nut qui principalem potentiam obtinuit à Deo he is said to prevaile with God who wrestled with him hee was called Israel Genesis 32. 28. The word is compounded of two words the one signifieth to obtaine principality or to prevaile the other is the name of God so as it signifieth as the Holy Ghost himselfe expoundeth it a Prince that hath power with God So doth the Prophet c c c Hos 12. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principent se gessit cum Deo Hosea also expound the meaning of this word for in relation to this name Israel he saith of him that was so called He had power with God or he behaved himselfe princely with God This being a title of much honour and a name which gave evidence of Gods great favour to him and of his strong faith in God It was first given to d d d Gen. 32. 28. Iacob himselfe 2. To an e e e 33 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Deus Israelis Vel ut Trem. Iun. sic Altare Dei sortis Dei Israelis altar that Iacob built to God which was called God the God of Israel or as some by inserting the word altar expound it thus The altar of the strong God the God of Israel 3. To all the Posterity of IacoÌ„b who as they are called f f f Gen 32. 32. The children of Israel so also are they called g g g 47. 27. 48. 20. Israel And this name was in common given to all the twelve Tribes that descended from the twelve sonnes of Iacob till the Tribe of Iudah together with the Tribe of Benjamin that bordered next to Iudah and lay part within him grew so populous and so potent as it got a peculiar name to it selfe which was h h h 1 Sam. 18. 16. 2 Sam. 5. 5. Iudah and the other ten Tribes retained this name Israel This
and not of the Lord. i i i 2 Chro. 36. 13. Ezek. 17. 18. Zedekiah perfidiously and perjuriously maintained war against Nebuchadnezar was overthrown If a view be taken of all those wars wherin Gods people have bin foiled by their enemies Quos arma equi milites machinamenta capere non potuerunt hos peccati natura vinctos hostibus tradidit Chrys Hom. 7. in 1 Tim. 2. Why warres prosperous at any time by diligent search it may be found that som fault or other in Gods people hath beene the cause that they have beene given over into the power of their enemies Such as armes and horses and souldiers and engines could not overcome sinne hath delivered as bound to the enemy But whensoever they well ordered just warres they alwaies prospered In such warres Gods honour is engaged so as his people if they should be foiled might justly say unto him What wilt thou do unto thy great name Ios 7. 9. They who in their war expect good successe and who Iust wars to be undertaken goeth to war that expecteth not good successe let them first be sure that their war be just and warrantable and then very circumspect in the maner of waging it that that which is lawfull may be lawfully prosecuted Thus may they confidently promise unto themselves victory True it is that when Heathen with Heathen Idolaters with Idolaters wicked men with wicked men make warre the issue of warre is Incerti casus pugnarum Marsque communis Cicer. in Orat pro Mil. uncertaine For God engageth himselfe on neither side but now useth one side then another as seemeth good to his secret and unsearchable counsell to be his scourge to punish the other side But in his peoples wars the case is otherwise in case they go along with him and fight not without good warrant from him nor swerve from the directions which he prescribeth to them Such warres are Gods warres l l l 1 Sam. 17. 47 25. 28. the battels of the Lord which he can and will prosper m m m Ios 5. 14. That which was once visibly represented to Ioshua is alwayes really performed in all such warres The Lord is the chiefe Captaine and Generall in them In faith therefore may such warres be waged and with confidence may good successe in them be expected §. 58. Of the overthrow of such as begin warre III. * * * See §. 55. THey that first begin warre may have the worst in warre I say may have because there may be just cause of beginning warre and answerably God gives good successe thereto so as it cannot be generally said that all in all cases that first begin warre go by the losse Experience of all times gives evidence against this But yet that this may so fall out like experience giveth demonstration Instance a a a Num. 21. 23 33. Sihon Og b b b Ios 10. 5. the five Kings of the Amorites c c c 11. 5. Iabin with all that tooke part with him d d d Iudg. 11. 12. the Ammonites in Iephtahs time e e e 1 King 20. 21 the Aramites in Ahabs time f f f 2 Chro. 20. 23 the Moabites Ammonites and Edomites in Iehosaphats time and many other of the Churches enemies at other times Yea also the g g g Num. 14 44. Israelites when they first went out to set upon the Amalakites and Canaanites and upon the h h h Iudg. 20. 21. Benjamites and againe upon the i i i 1 Sam 4. 1. Philistines and upon the k k k 1 King 22. 4. Aramites and others Many do oft most unjustly either for no cause or for sleight causes or for wrong causes in the pride of their What makes offensive war unprosperous heart puffed up with ambition or inflamed with undue revenge or fraughted with malice or set on worke by some other corrupt humour undertake warre which being a publique execution of justice is for the most part very fierce and fearefull and therefore not to be undertaken without just weighty and necessary cause even such as by no other lawfull meanes can be accomplished No marvell then that they who unjustly or unadvisedly and rashly thrust themselves into warre be made sensibly to feele the smart of their folly Well therefore may that proverbiall speech which Ahab used to Benhadad be applied to such as are over-forward to warre Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe 1 King 20. 11. as he that putteth it off Let men be slow to warre and not enter thereinto without urgent necessity §. 59. Of the punishment of accessaries IIII. * * * See §. 55. ACcessaries make themselves liable to the judgement which falleth on the principall In this case 22000 of the Aramites were slaine by David for comming to succour Hadadezer Dauids enemy And at another 2 Sam. 8. 5. time 700 chariots 40000 horsemen and their Captaine beside 10. 18. many other soldiers for taking part with the Ammonites 2 Chro. 22 7 c. against David This was the occasion of Ahaziahs ruine he went out with Ioram against Iehu Such as are Accessaries animate the Principall to do what Vidisti cos lenonis agere officium in regis gratiam c. Quapropter non ipse sâ—lâ—u sed omnes qui adhaerebant poenae suerunt participes Chrys Hom. 32. in Gen. 12. 2 Sam. 10 19. 2 Chro. 18 31. 19 2. he doth who if he were not backed and strengthened by Accessaries might be restrained from attempting such acts of hostility as by the assistance of Accessaries he attempteth Iust therefore it is that they who take part in others sinnes should also have a part in their punishment Feare therefore to aid the wicked Had the fore-wit of the Aramites beene as good as their after-wit many thousands of them had saved their lives for after two overthrowes it is said the Aramites feared to helpe the children of Ammon any more This had almost cost Iehosaphat his life Sharply therefore was he reproved by the Prophet §. 60. Of the lawfulnesse of shedding bloud in warre V. * * * See §. 55. Secure dissipentur gentes quae bella volunt abscindantur qui nos conturbant Bern. ad Mil. Temp c 3. ENemies in warre may lawfully be slaine If Gods command Saints practice Gods approbation and remuneration yea and his vengeance on them that spared such enemies as should have beene slaine be sufficient warrant sufficient warrant is not wanting for this point 1. For precept Moses from God saith to the Israelites a a a Num. 31. 3. Avenge the Lord of Midian b b b 17. kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman that hath knowne man And Samuel to Saul c c c 1 Sam. 15. 3. Smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them