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
to bee wished that none might goe forth but under good Governours and religious Commanders Warre in it selfe is a punishment for sinne c Levit. 26.24.25 As it comes from our lusts d Iam. 4.1 so it comes for our lusts Culpam sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello It is well observed by one commenting upon the two first verses of the third chapter of Iudges that e Fer. in Iud. p. 391. so long as the Israelites kept covenant with God they had no neede of armes but after they had once broken covenant with him and sinned against him they are faine to learne the art and try the fortune of warre And some have supposed that Mars was feigned by the Poets to be the God of warre because he did first invent weapons set men in battell aray and execute other warre-like exploites just at such times as hee was intended to punish the wicked Now if warre bee a punishment for sinne who fitter to taste it than the lewdest men that most deserve it Againe warre may prove a meanes to make men better I confesse we ordinarily see the conâ—rary true that followers of the field are no followers of the faith and amongst common souldiers you shall easily finde the corruptest men to f Lud. viv in Epist ad Henr. 8. Angl. Reg. whom it is a sport to destroy houses to rob Churches to ravish virgins to ruinate cities yea whose principall glory is to doe good to no man to hurt all men without all regard of God the Iudge of the whole world who carry such blinde soules in filthy bodies as that they can neither feare the indignation of God nor heare with patience the admonitions of men bidding the Almighty to depart from them saying Wee desire not the knowledge of thy Wayes as though they were to be ordered by no rule to bee conformable to no right but had license to carry all lawes with their swords in their sheaths and to doe what ever their wicked hearts led them to I confesse I say all this to be true yet notwithstanding through Gods blessing g Providentia divina solet corruptos hominum mores bellis emendare Aug. de civ Dei l. 1. c. 1. tom 5. warre may be and indeed is a meanes to amend some h Arist de Rep. l. 8. c. 15. to make them just sober chast good whereas peace makes them wanton wicked intemperate growne over with the rust of idlenesse and so slaves to all kinde of naughtinesse And is it not pity that one soule should bee lost for lacke of any meanes which may doe it good If the daily feare and danger of death which is stirred up in a wicked man if he be not desperately secure when hee is amongst the Pikes may stir him up to lay about him for a better life and so availe to save his soule it were a thousand pities he should not see the Pikes nor bee sent to field I speake this the rather that I may incite such as have the office of pressing in these needfull times committed unto them to be carefull to cleanse the City and rid the Country as much as may bee of those stragling vagrants loytering fellowes and lewd livers so they be fit for service which doe so swarme amongst us It is a great deale fitter for themselves and better for our Kingdome that they be watching in garrison exercising armes and fighting in field for our friends against our enemies than ranging our streetes haunting our tavernes tipling in our tap-houses fidling in faires jetting on stages and lying like burthens upon the shoulders of our State yea which is worse daring the Almighty to his very face and pulling downe with both hands as fast as they can his heavie judgements upon the whole Nation If it be demanded how can a blessing bee expected upon the service of such souldiers how can wee looke that the worke of the Lord should prosper in such sinnefull hands You have an answer in the point we are upon The Lord smiteth one wicked man by the hand of another It cannot bee denyed that wee have cause to bee grieved that some of them who are gone already have carried along with them the guilt of such outrages as they committed in some countries of our owne which they passed through and I know wee have just reason to feare that some of them at least shall soundly pay for that their wickednesse yet wee have as good ground to hope that their violence at home shall bee no hinderance to Gods cause abroad from prospering from prevailing especially considering that we have Ioshuah's and Gideons in our Armies and a legion of prayers like an armed band daily striving with the Lord of Hosts that hee would bee pleased not to remember their sinnes to our judgement but rather to be mindefull of his owne covenant and mercifull to his owne inheritance Let this serve for the first use Vse 2. Terror to the wicked Secondly let terror to the wicked bee another use Had passionate Ieremy uttered this Text in Moabs hearing I doe imagine it would have made her eares tingle and her heart tremble to consider that the Chaldaeans are summoned by so terrible so forcible an argument to take sword against her Why should not our present doctrine worke the like effect of horror and trembling in all those amongst us who are like to Moab godlesse gracelesse and malicious men when it doth so plainely tell them that God can plague them by wicked men as bad as yea perhaps many degrees worse than themselves Should the Lord arme the Elements against them which are so needfull so usefull to man Should hee bid the aire infect them with a noisome pestilence the water drowne them by overflowing her bankes the fire burne them by transgressing its bounds the heavens to deny them their influence the earth her foyzen it were a terrible thing To command wilde beasts to devoure them the Bear to teare them the Lyon to rent them the Loapard to prey upon them were more terrible Should he command his Angells Basil Seleuc. orat 5. p. 42. who hating sinne with an intenstine hatred are ready to smite the hairy scalpe of any one Cae sarii dial 1 inter opera Naz. p. 1104. that goes on with an impenitent heart in impious courses Should the Lord I say command them to be as a * Ibid. Surgeons knife or an Husbandmans tooles to cut them off to root them out like infectious members from the body of mankinde like superfluous branches from his Vine like noysome weedes from the Garden of his Church were more terrible more unendurable But to make wicked men the instruments of executing his wrath upon the children of wrath I am not able to expresse how exceedingly more fearefull this is When the Prophet David did pray against his slanderous enemies under the person of Iudas he begins his imprecations thus Psal 109.6 Set thou a WICKED man over
Lord against the mightie that is to say Fer. in Iud. c. 5. pag. 407. because they kept their swordes in their sheaths when they should have fought in his cause for his Church The example is Saul's who was accurst in his affaires and had his kingdome rent from him for sparing the life of the King of Amalek when God had given him a charge to cut him off 1. Sam. 15.8.23 The contrary is set downe by the Prophet Ezekiel Ezech. 29.20 who tells us that Nebuchadnezzar though a wicked King had the land of Egypt given him as his pay for his paines in punishing the people of Egypt with his sword according to the command which God gave him to doe it The rewarding of such a worke when it was done with a temporall blessing doth intimate that to leave such a worke undone when the Lord calls to it procureth the Curse temporall at least Is not the stretching out the sword to bloud sometimes Gods worke Is it not a worke as from him Reason so for him Is not his command the ground of it Is not the bringing of his owne counsells to passe in the destroying of some to the glory of his justice in the relieving of others to the praise of his mercy the end of it But to omit the worke of the Lord is a cursed thing For if remissenesse in such a worke as appeares in the former part of the verse then much more the totall omission of it exposeth to the Curse Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord NEGLIGENTLY therefore to withhold the sword from bloud when God requires it must needes be an accursed thing It proves impiety to shew pitty at such a time Mercy then is a foolish mercy and hee that shewes it verifies that saying of an heathen man It is an hard thing to bee mercifull and wise at the same instant Agesilaus apud Plut. Apopth Moral in tom 2. pag. 191. Graecol edit To bee mercifull to him whom God would have destroyed by the sword and to bee wise enough to provide for himselfe an escape from the curse is very difficult I would now apply my selfe to apply the point but that I must first explaine it by the object and the motive cause I meane by answering two questions first against whom secondly for what the sword is commanded forth by God that so wee may know when wee have a good call to the battell Both which I entend to dispatch with as much brevity as I can Quest 1. Against whom God calleth forth the sword For the first Our Text tells us that it was Moabitish bloud which the Chaldaeans swordes were to bee sheathed in the Moabites their enemies were they to wage battell with not with their owne countrimen allies and friends The Lord gave charge to Reheboam King of Iudah not to make warre with Ieroboam King of Israel 1. King 12.24 and why because Israel and Iudah were sisters and friends The Lord was angry with the Ephraimites so that hee slew two and forty thousand of them for quarrelling and contending with Iephtah their brother Iudg. 12.6 Those valiant Kings and Captaines which wee read of in Scripture have still fought with their owne and Gods enemies as David with the Philistims Iosuah with the Canaanites Iehosaphat with the Moabites Nehemiah with the Ammonites c. The Lord never taught their hands to warre nor their fingers to fight with any but such as they were Object Mat. 5.44 Luke 6.27.28 But how stands this with that counsell of our Saviour Love your enemies blesse them that curse you pray for them that persecute you Is to warre with them to love them Is to joine battell with them to blesse them Answ 1 I answer First of all what hindereth but that a man may love his enemies while hee combates with them when his fighting with them proceedes rather from hatred to their sinne than from want of love to their person Answ 2 Secondly I give no just occasion to move this objection For I doe not say that God doth alwaies call a man to wage warre with his enemies but when the sword is called forth it must know our foes not our friends for the object of its stroakes Bernard Bern. serm ad Milit. Templ c. 3. f. 83. col 4. liâ— R. said well Our very enemies are not to bee killed if they can by any meanes else bee curbed from infesting from oppressing the Church but when that cannot be it is a great deale better that the rod be cut with the sword than still rest upon the backe of the Righteous and cause them to put forth their hands to iniquity Our Lords counsell to love our enemies doth no whit prejudice the just causes of warre If the cause be good neither the effect Bern. ad Milit. Templ ca p. 1. fol. 83. col 4 P nor issue can bee naught though the bloud of thousands bee spilt by it Our next taske therefore must be to give in our answer to the second demand viz. Quest. 2. What be the causes of a just warre For what causes the Lord gives warrant to wage warre with our foes What is it to give satisfaction to the unreasonable motion of rash anger to compasse that honour that applause amongst men which wee ambitiously aspire to to get our enemies possessions which we unlawfully covet meerly to be made Lords of Sea and of Land or to rule by our selves without Competitor I know carnall men both amongst a Plut. de Consol ad Apol. to 2. Graecol edit 108. A. Salust in Catil Dion Chrys orat 38. fol. 317. 318. Tul. Epist Fam. l. 8. Epist antepenult Infidells and b Bern. ad Mil. Templ c. 2. fol. 83. col 4. Q. Christians have in former times made warre for these causes And at c Tacit. hist 4. this day these vices are to such persons the chiefest bellowes to blow this fire For what but these makes Rome Spaine and Austria stirre up such combustions as have of late been kindled and doe yeerely flame more and more in the Christian world But are these just causes No no there is neither equity nor d Bern. ad Mil. Templ c. 2. fol. 83. safety in them They are rather Robbers than Souldiers who are led to field onely by these motives What then are just causes Such as for which Moab was to be wasted by the Chaldaean sword What were they These five sinnes as you may see if you consult but with some verses in this present chapter 1. Monstrous pride 2. Insolence against God 3. Insulting over the Church 4. Tumultuousnesse and rebellion 5. False-heartednesse Which vices in other enemies as well as Moab have been Gods warrant to his owne Worthies to fight his battells in the old Testament First I say monstrous Pride We have heard of the pride of Moab He is exceeding proud even of his haughtinesse and his pride