blood but against spiritual wickednesses and therefore put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill Secondly though it be true that faith and prayer are the chiefe weapons of Christians in this world yet other armes are not to bee cast away for we read that the Lord of hostes gaue victory to his Israel against Amalek Orante Mose et Iosua pugnante by the prayer of Moses and fighting of Iosua and S. Augustine giues this aduise to Bonifacius arripe manibus arma oratio pulset aures authoris and in another place some pray for you against inuisible foes and you fight for them against visible Barbarians Now there bee three conditions in an honest and honorable warre 1. Authoritas legitima 2. Causa Iusta 3. Intentio bona That it be vndertaken vpon lawfull authority for a iust cause with a good intent For the first it is determined by S. Augustine and other Diuines that Soueraigne Princes only haue power to proclaime was for the protection of their Realmes as the Kings of England France Spaine the common wealth of Venice the Dukes and Princes of Germanie which are of themselues absolute Lordes but Earles and Barons and other great Persons immediatly subiect to superiour command may not of their owne heads and authority make war and the reason hereof is very plaine for if one man sinne against another the Iudge shall Iudge it quoth old Elt If one subiect offend another appeale may bee made to superiour authority but if a King trespasse another they haue no common seat of Iustice where to complaine of iniuries and therefore they must reuenge publique quarrels and make the sword their Iudge But here diuines put a difference between offensiue wars defensiue we may not assault our forrein foes without the Princes expresse command but in a defensiue warre it is otherwise Because when any part of the land is inuaded and besieged vpon the sudden it may bee dangerous to stay for instructions from aboue as a priuate man assaulted on the high way by a thiefe hauing no meanes at that instant to complaine vnto the magistrate becomes himselfe a magistrate and may strike with his owne sword in his owne Iust and necessarie defence so good subiects oppressed by forreine force desperatly vnawares I speake rather as a School-man then a States-man hauing the Princes tacite consent need not expect his explicite direction I conclude therefore this poynt with Hostiensis and Peter Martyr bella sunt iniusta quae suscipiuntur aut non mandante aut non tacite approbante magistratu The second condition in honest and honorable warres is a iust cause Warre is full of inconueniences Plinie reports that a Dragon sucking the blood of an Elephant kils both it selfe and the beast Euen so saith one many times it falleth out in warre Pars vtraque perimit et perit Both parties receiue hurt for as he that sets a wood on fire knowes not how long it will burne and how farre the rage of the flame will reach euen so he that begins a warre knowes neither where nor when it will end A King therefore may not fight against another Prince for euery trifle but only to repell a notorious wrong done to his honour or state Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicable vulnus Ense recidendum There be many most abhominable sinnes and impieries in Rome Venice Florence the which are not to be reformed by the King of Spaine for that hee is not their competent and ordinary Iudge but euery King being the protectour of his liege people may correct such offences of other nations as damnifie his subiects It is a iust cause for a King saith Augustine to warre with any state that insolently refuseth to right a publique wrong as not to restore goods taken by Pyrats or not to punish a notorious libellouâ—… dishonouring the persons and disabling the titles of Soueraigne Princes in such a case saith Augustine both the Captaines and the souldiour are the Ministers of God and they fight with his sword to take vengeance on such as doe euill But here Princes ought to consider that they should not fight vpon any doubtfull or little cause but only for some great and certaine Againe wee must here distinguish betweene the King and the subiect It is a fault in a King to fight in a quarrell which is vncertaine because warre is an act of Iustice but it is iniustice to punish a man before hee suffer a sufficient tryall and his cause bee well examined But it is not a fault in a subiect to fight vnlesse the cause bee notoriously knowen vniust It is our duty rather to presume of the Kings Iustice then in any sort to question his authority tene certum et relinque incertum is a good precept in this case Howsoeuer the title bee most vncertaine yet that euery soule should obey higher power is certaine The King then in proclaiming warre may sinne but the subiect in executing his command offend not as a Iudge in a dubious case sinnes when he condemnes an innocent and yet the hang-man may not examine the Iudges sentence but is bound to doe his duty The third condition required in warre is a good intention for seeing publique tranquillity and peace is the end of warre neither Soueraigne nor subiect ought to fight for other designes as to shed blood or to enrich themselues or to try their vallour or the like Militia may not bee quoth Bernard Malitia so S. Augustine lib. 22. Contra Faustum Chap. 74. Nocendi Cupiditas Vlciscendi Crudelitas impacatus et implacabilis animus feritas rebellandi libido dominandi et si quae similia haec sunt quae in bello Iure culpantur To these 3 conditions other adde a fourth and that is modus debitus the commendable manner of fighting in an honorable warre that wee hurt not any person which is innocent according to the rules of S. Iohn the Baptist in his charge to souldiers Doe violence to no man accuse not any falsely be content with your wages Where hee forbiddeth all iniurie done by souldiours to parties innocent either by force or fraud in their persons or goods in saying doe no violence he forbiddeth open iniury done to poore peasants in beating them or robbing them in saying accuse not any man falsely He forbiddeth iniuries by fraud as when souldiours accuse a rich man for a traytour or secret intelligencer though they know the contrary In saying bee content with your wages he forbiddeth all vniust exactions and pillage which is contrary to the law Now there be three sorts of men exempted from the cruelties of warre which a souldiour ought not to damnifie The first are such as apperteine not to the common wealth of the enemy and therefore free-booters are too blame who rob their owne friends and spoyle their allies countrey thorow
man according to Gods owne heart The foolish Anabaptists obiect here that God indeed granted that license to the Iewes but hee denied it vnto Christians and answere is made that Iohn the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ allowed the calling of souldiers for when they did aske him Luke 3 4. What shall wee doe he did answere Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Where Diuines obserue generally that Iohn approued the vocation of souldiers and condemned only three foule abuses in war Violence Calumnie Couetousnesse as Bernard sweetly contentos fore suis stipendijs indixit non omnem militiam interdixit Hee sayd in his exhortation a little before bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Now then either he was a deceiuer or else souldiers continuing in their calling may bring foorth good fruits and escape the wrath to come According to this Commission the Saints of God haue warred and obteined prayse for the same being renowned because valiant in battell Heb. 11. 34. As Abraham Moses Iosua Gideon Samson Dauid and Naaman the Syrian is Chronicled for his fortune and fortitude in warre Fortune because he was the deliuerer of his countrey Fortitude because hee was a mightie man in valour 2. Kings 5. 1. And in the New Testament when the Centurion sayd vnto Christ I haue souldiers vnder mee Christ Highly commended his great faith but in no sort condemned his fashion of liuing and act 10. Wee read of Cornelius a Captaine who was a deuout man and one that feared God with all his houshold who gaue much almes and prayed vnto God continually neither did St. Peter who shewed him the way to saluation in Christ any way dislike his office but on the contrary protested that he was accepted of God It doth not follow which is obiected by some Polititians that because the religion of Christ teacheth peace therefore it is vnfit for warre and because it perswadeth patience therefore it makes men cowards for howsoeuer the first building of the Temple was without the noyse of any iron toole to signifie that it should bee the house of peace Yet in the second as it is reported Nehâ—…miah 4. 17. They built with one hand and held their swords in the other to shew that in a good cause it should not be vnlawfull for to fight and warre Nay the Lord of hostes vsually giues a blessing to Iust warres as when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the foure Kings Melchisedec King of Salem and a Priest of the most High God blessed him and sayd Blessed be the most High God possessour of heauen and earth which hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hands At the prayer of Moses Israel preuailed against Amalek when Duke Iosua fought at Beth-oren the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon his enemies and they were moe who dyed with the hailestones then they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword and when hee was about to sacke Iericho an Angel appeared vnto him as a Captaine with a drawen sword to fight for him Iosua 5. In Ecclesiasticall hystorie wee find that God by miracles euidently shewen in the heauens encouraged Constantine the great to fight and that the Angels fought for Theodosius the yonger against the Saâ—…acens and that Honorius army was so blessed by the Lord of hostes against Rhadagaisus King of the Gothes that not so much as one Romane was killed or wounded whereas one hundred thousand of the Gothes were discomfited To the Testimonies of holy Scripture wee might adde the sayings of the most ancient and learned Fathers Tertullian in his Apology told the Gentiles Nauigamus et nos vobisâ—…um et militatamus c. We Christians are Sea-men and souldiers and husbandmen and merchant as well as yee St. Ambrose numbreth among other vertues Warlike fortitude and in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius Hee câ—…mmends him exceedingly for his skill in exercising of armes Chrysostome in an Homily concerning their excuses who came not to the wedding dinner you pretend saith hee that you are a souldiour the Centurion in the Gospels history was a good souldidiour and yet a good Saint St. Augustine in diuerse places of his workes both alloweth and commendeth highly the calling of warriours Bernard in his ser ad militis Templi Chap. 3. Miles Christi saith he securus interimit securior interit A souldiour beares not the sword for nought but is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill and so when hee kils a malefactor Non homicida sed malecida Anabaptists obiect it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Answere is made that the vengeance which is exercised by publique persons is not priuat grudge but the vengeance of God because Magistrates are the lieutenants and Ministers of God And whereas they further vrge the word of Esay they shall breake their swordes into matroks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more S. Hierome answers that this Prophecie concerned only the very time when our blessed Sauiour the Prince of peace was borne For then as hystory reports there was an vniuersal peace throughout the whole world or as other it shewes that the Gospel of Christ sets not only God and man at peace but also man with man The summarie pith is briefly this that Christs people shall be meeke and hauing troden vnder their feet cruelty shall endeauour to liue peaceably but because part of Christs Kingdome is in this world that part hath here but a beginning the good being mingled with the bad and the good not absolutely good but imperfitly perfit therefore Christ inioyned Luke 22. 36. Hee that hath none let him sell his coate and buy a sword for albeit Christians may not offend other yet they may defend themselues in offending others so simple as doues in defending themselues so wise as serpents and therefore Caluin calles them braine-sicke Bedlams who by this place take from the Church the vse of the sword and condemne all manner of warre Yea but Christ himselfe sayd All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Diuines answere that a Prince takes not the sword of himselfe but hee receiueth it from God and hee giueth it to his Captaines and the Captaines to the souldiers and so by consequent all fighting in a lawfull warre put on Gods armour and are sayd expresly to fight the battailes of the Lord. Other obiect the weapons of the Church are the shield of faith sword of the spirit breast-plate of righteousnesse helmet of saluation as S. Paul armes a Christian. Ephes. 6 Answere is made that S. Paul in that place describes not any warre with men but a spirituall warfare which is against the deuill We wrestle quoth he not against flesh and
of Condoling woe and shall be free from Condemning though our spirituall enemies are stronger and our greiuous sinnes are greater then wee yet as God said to Rebecca the greater shall serue the lesser In Christ all thiâ—…gs are ours and all things quoth Paul euen Sin it selfe quoth Augustine euen the Deuill himselfe quoth Luther worke together for our good yea for the best if we loue God in his Christ. Heale vs thenô Lord and wee shall be healed saue vs and we shall be saued Deliuer vs from eternall woe that we may bee blessed with euerlasting happinesse in thy kingdome of glory where wee shall euer be sure to be free from sorrow because free from sin Ceasing to draw iniquity with cordes of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes ESAY 41. 14. Feare not worme Iacob c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega Reu. 1. 8. As Esay speakes in this Chap. at the 4. verse the first and the last and that vnto vs as well as in himselfe being yesterday and to day and the same for euer Heb. 13. 8. And therefore the Church allots a proper Scripture for euery Sunday throughout the whole yeare begins and ends her deuout seruice with the comming of Christ. For the first sentence declared in the Gospell appointed for the first Sunday is behold thy King commeth vnto thee And the conclusion of the last Gospell on the last Sunday this of a truth is the same Prophet that should come into the world which occasioned Petrus Machado to terme this order annulus Christianus as it were the Christians round or ring So the Church in obseruing this high and holy time makes the birth of our Lord and appurtenances of the same the first and the last obiect of all her solemne deuotions other holy dayes in deed come between the feasts of his Natiuity Circumcision and Epiphany but all of them are called Christmas dedicated onely to Christs honour and the reason as some coniecture why Saint Stephen and Saint Iohn and the blessed Innocents are mentioned aboue the rest of the Saints is to shew that Christ came into the world to saue men of all sorts of whatsoeuer degree the Chiualrie represented by Saint Stephen a resolute Knight and warriour in the Lords battaile The Clergie represented by S. Iohn stiled the Diuine The Commonaltie or Infantrie represented by the children Herod slew Or intimating that Christ was borne for men of euery seueral age for men of perfect strength as Saint Stephen For old men on their Crouches as Saint Iohn who liued after Christ was dead as Hierom reports in his life 68. yeeres being as Baronius avoweth at his dying houre 106. yeeres old Lastly for Infants in their Cradles as the blessed Innocents Or it may bee these Saints are honourably remembred at Christmas rather then other because Christ saith if any will follow me let him forsake himselfe take vp his Crosse Mat. 16. 24. The seruant is not greater then his Master if they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also Ioh. 15. 20. Now Bernard other Doctours say there bee 3. kinds of suffering or martyrdome in Christs cause The 1. In will in act as that of Saint Stephen the 2. In will but not in act as that of Saint Iohn the third in act but not in will as that of the Bethelemitish Innocents And so Christ as it is sayd Cant. 5. 10. Is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand as one featly but I censure not hovv featly Candidus in Iohanne rubicundus in Stephano electus ex millibus in Innocentibus This Scripture then is chosen aptly for a Christmas Sunday promising that in type which wee now see performed in truth namely that Christ our Lord is the deliuerer of Sion out of her Captiuity the Comforter abettor strength helper in a word the redeemer of his people from the hands of all their enemies from the bands of all her sinnes In this verse which is Capitulum Capitis as it were the Chapters abridgment two points are to be considered especially 1. The weaknesse of the Church in respect of her selfe as being a worme and as a dead man 2. The strength of the Church in respect of her Sauiour saying feare not I will helpe thee this I haue sayd and this I will haue done being powerfull and able because the Lord pittifull and willing because thy redeemer faithfull and true because the holy one of Israel The Lord calleth elsewhere Iacob his chosen Israel his possession Iuda his Sanctuary Israel his dominion an holy Nation a Kingdome of Priests an holy tree springing of an holy root a people peculiar to himselfe enclosed as it were from the Commons of the whole world But heere considering their present affection and miserable condition vnder Captiuity hee takes a better course with them in omitting these glorious titles and comparing them vnto wormes and men that are dead for this he shewes more That he greatly cares for them although they seeme most abiect in the worlds eye Feare not I am with thee be not affrayd I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice Howsoeuer now thou beest nothing yet I wil so succour thee that all the men of thy strife shall be confounded ashamed perish and come themselues to nothing Behold I will make thee a roller and a new threshing instrument hauing teeth and so thou shalt thresh the mountaines and grind them to powder and make the hills as chaffe A word spoken in his place saith Salomon is like aples of gold with pictures of siluer He therefore which is set apart for the gathering together of the Saints and the worke of the ministrie must as St. Paul exhorts diuide the word of truth aright He must as the Baptist in preparing way for his Lord exalt the vallyes and make the mountaines low Men are made mountaines two wayes either assuming too much vnto themselues out of their owne merit or else presuming too much vpon Gods mercy and on the contrarie men are vallyes in contemplating their great faults and little faith humbled in their sin and in their suffering for sin And therefore the man of God ought to digg downe Mountaines by denouncing Iudgments and to raise vallyes by pronouncing mercy He must as Ambrose sayd bee like a Bee applying the I awes sting to the proud in heart but the Gospells honie to the poore in Spirit It is written in the Law that if a man goeth vnto the wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand strikes with the axe to cut downe the tree If the head slip from the helme and hit his neighbour that he dye the same shall flie to one of the Cities appoynted for refuge and liue Such as handle the word indiscreetly without any distinction of times or places or persons or circumstances of sin makes the head
Dishonour he departed went away returned Despaire he dwelt at Nineue His fal is described to be very fearefull in respect of three circumstances The first is of the persons who slew him Adramalech and Sharezer his own sonnes The second is of the place where he was slaine in the temple of his god Nisroth The third is of the time when he was slaine when he was praying and worshipping In that the spirit doth expresse Sennacheribs recoyling backe with so many words it is vndoubtedly to cast disgrace vpon his cowardly flight For it is no superfluous and idle repetition when he saith hee departed he weâ—…t his waâ—… he returned The name of King is added also to his further shame as if he should say see this King this great King whom impudent Rabseketh extolled so highly by reason of his power and pompe He that came vp against all the cities in Iudah and challenged in his rage the Lord himselfe meant not to retire with infamie But God for his trueth and mercy sake droue him out thence euen as chaffe before the wind the Lord who cannot lie sayd by the mouth of Esay the Prophet I will send a blast vpon him and accordingly the Lords Angel in one night smote in the campe of Ashur one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand So when the remnant rose early in the morning behold they were all dead coarses And whereas it is sayd He returned and dwelt at Niniue It sheweth euidently that he not only lost his courage but that his forces also quailed For if despaire had not bene as a chaine to keepe him in who was ambitious and insatiable hee would not willingly haue stayed at home and content himselfe with his owne kingdome This history may comfort vs in the perill of warre God which is the Lord of hostes and King of glory can and as shall make most for his honour and our good will protect his Church as with a shield And here wee may sing with Dauid As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the city of the Lord of hostes in the city of our God God vpholdeth it for euer For in the yeare 88. did there not a Spanish Senacherth come vp against our English Iudah as himselfe fondly conceited with an inuincible Armado did not the Iesuites as foule-mouthed as euer Rabseketh defie God and his Gospel openly triumphing in pulpit and â—…e before the victory Did they not cry with a loud voice from Rhemes and Rome from Flanders and France that our blessed Queene Elizabeth was a miserable woman vnable to protect her subiects and that her Kingdome was deliuered ouer into the hands of the great king of Ashur But albeit the Pope such was his holinesse did blesse them in their endeauours yet the Lord did curse them in their ends He sent a blast among them a tempest in the mids of them on the sudden which in a trice so disordered their Nauy that few returned as Sennacherib into Niniue the same way they came Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him like as the smoke vanisheth euen so let them be driuen away and like as waxe melteth at the fire so let the vngodly perish at thy presence O God Hitherto concerning the flight of Sennacherib I am now to proceed in his fall amplified First by circumstance of persons as being slaine by his owne sonnes Adramelech and Sharezer Dauid complaining of Achitophel and Christ in the person of Dauid complaining of Iudas cryed out it is not an open enemie that hath done me this dishonour for then I could better haue borne it neither was it mine aduersary that did magnifie himselfe against me for then peraduenture I could haue hid my selfe from him But it was euen thou my companion my guide and my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together and walked in the house of God as friends It is base trechery to betray a friend but it is the serpents head and height of impiety to butcher a Father A sonne is the fathers liuing chronicle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone an expresse character of his person and walking Image neerer and deerer then any friend What greater indignitie then or iniury could fall vpon Sennacherib then thus vnfortunatly to perish by the hands of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sons What greater vnhappines then thus ignonimiously to lose his life by those who should haue preserued him aliue being of all other most oblieged vnto him as receiuing from him their being The Lords Angel smote in his camp one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand of his souldiers buâ—… God determined to reserue him for an heauier iudgment I wil send a blast vpon him and hee shall fall by the sword in his owne land verse 7. God which is the righteous Iudge doth often passe by the wicked in small dangers that he may bring vpon them a greater condemnation as when Sauls life was in Dauids hand he might haue cut off his head but hee cuts off only the lap of his garment and so lets him go God here suffered Saul to bee deliuered from the sword of Dauid that afterward he might fal vpon his owne sword Ham Noahs sonne escaped the great flood yet for discouering his fathers shame the flood of Gods wrath ouerwhelmed him The cities of Sodom and Gomorra had escaped doubtlesse many grieuous deserued punishments but at the length God rained out of heauen fire brimstone to consume them and so they were turned into ashes and made an ensample to those that afterward should liue vngodly 2. Pet. 2. 6. So many notorious malefactours who draw iniquitie with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart rope contriuing mischiefe on their beds and committing all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse often escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages and yet in fine they come to some fearefull and exâ—…mplarie Iudgement as here Sennacherib a great tyrant and a great blasphemer escaped the stroake of a glorious Angel that hee might more dishonorably perish in his owne land and in his owne house not by forreine foes or by popular sedition or by traytors or by seruants but by the sword of Adramelech and Sharezer his owne sonnes And as it was in God great Iustice that hee who did intend to slay so many children of God should himselfe bee slayne by his owne children There were secondarie causes vndoubtedly moouing these thus vnnaturally to butcher their father For first it is thought that Sennacherib had assigned ouer his kingdome to Esaradon his third sonne whom he most affected and so meant to disinherit Adramelech and Sharezer Hereupon these two brethren in iniquity conspired against Sennacherib their cruell father as he was their King and their naturall father as he was their parent The Rabbins haue coyned another deuise saying that Sennacherib asked his idol why hee could not vanquish the