a broken title This I was forced to cleer as briefly as I could that the right of King Frederick might be the clearer which being laid in the ballance of equity with the former pretended right shall shew it selfe of a just weight which the other vvants First the place was orderly quitted of all lavvfull challenge Secōdly he vvas called vvithout seeking or intruding Thirdly he had an orderly unanimous and plenarie election all vvhich as I haue shevved vvere vvanting in the former Neither did ever the said king infringe any of their liberties This being as you see his undoubted right stood it eyther vvith equitie or pietie not to maintaine it Compare his right and maintenance of the same vvith the examples quoted of the Campani the Romanes and out of them you shall see as from the minor to the maior that his cause action is as just as may be First the Campani vvere a free people to make choyse at their pleasure of their Head and Governor so vvere the Bohemians and ever haue been since their first being Witnes all the Histories of Bohemia Hungaria Polonia the Annalls of Cilecia and the examples monuments of the Bohemians Aeneas Silvius in hist Bohem. To the vvhich I may add for the better cleering of the point that Embassye of Charles the seventh of France to the Bohemians after the death of Ladislaus to vvhom he had contracted his daughter vvherein he requested them eyther to chuse one of his sons for their King or such a one on vvhom he might bestovv his daughter Secondly they vvere unjustly invaded by a mightie people the Samnites so did the Bohemians suffer much from the hovvse of Austria and no litle by the present Emperour Thirdly they sought aide from the Romanes vvho would not but on just ground undertake the vvarre and therefore they became their subiects and so they vndertooke it so the Bohemians made suit to the Prince Elector in their feare of cruell dealing that he vvould become their King and take the maintenance of their iust cause which he did and that lawfully not undertaking any thing for them directly or indirectly before he vvas their King Compare these together In Nevio licet quod in Gais non licet and except that we wil say that it is lavvful in Nevius which is not lawful in Gaius or a heathen Senate may doe for their subiects vvhat a Christian King may not doe for his I see not whye the one in him is not as lawful or more lawful then the other was in them But to conclude this point If his successe of possession had seconded his right of election a great many of our English Imperialists other drowsy Sybarits would never haue torne his title nor exclaimed on his practise as they now doe To them for the present I will say no more but to iudge actions by events right of titles by present possession is in these evill dangerous dayes rather to approve of tyrannous intruders both in church commō wealth then of the true owners As for the latter point of the ground namely truth of religion the defence whereof he undertooke It is the trueth and none but it against which the gates of hell the dragon beast and false Prophet the croaking frogges and all the drunken Princes of the earth with the cup of the whore doe what they can shall never be able to prevayle As hitherto then appeareth the equitie of the warre on the Kings part The iniquitie of our onemies war so likewise from the want of this ground is laid open to the view the iniquitie of all the warres vndertaken by the enemies of God against his people as the warres of Gog and Magog and of the heathen Emperours made vpon Gods inheritance What ground had the great red Dragon for making warre against the woman and to stand before her to devour the man child when it was brought forth Rev. 12.3.4 As for the greatnes of this persecution by the Roman Emperours and for the bloudy crueltie of it it may justly be called a wonder so not vnfitlie may it so be called because there was no cause given them by those whom they persecuted but rather by their quiet and holy behaviour they deserved to live in peace So the Psalmist speaketh of the rage of the wicked against Christ his Church Psal 2.2 Why doe the people tumulteously rage Where David marveileth at the tumulteous hurling together of the wicked as if they would devoure the godly as they would indeed What ground had the scarlet whore to bathe her leprous carkasse in the bloud of the Saints Where observe likewise Rev. 17.6 that it is called a great wonder What equitie was there that the Popes unholinesse under a pretence of the inlargement of Peters patrimony took armes against Kings and Emperours as Iulius the second against Lewes the tvvelfth of France Yea he gave battel on Easter day against the French at Ravenna Innocent the second against Roger king of Cicilie What ground of stirring up one Prince against another giving of Kingdoms from hand to hand the French against the English as Lewis against King Iohn by Innocent the third the English against the French as Rich of England an Vrbanist made war at the Popes command upon the King of France a Clementine Paul the third sent Cardinall Poole to forraigne Princes to stir them up against Henry the eight giving him his people as a prey to their enemies So how like is the Pope to the devill his father in being prodigal of Kingdomes which are none of his to deale Doe wee ever reade as a fryer Minorite said well that Peter did so Vpon what ground doe they incite subiects to take armes against their soveraigne Kings and Princes as Pius quintus Sixtus quintus the one by his Bull the other by his Declaration excited the subiects of England to take armes against their soveraigne Queene Elizabeth yea to lay hands on her and punish her What just cause had Philip the 2 of Spaine to undertake by force of Armes against law and covenant the establishing of the bloudy Inquisition in the Low countries The best ground I can find was Duke de Alva his hart-burne against the people and Cardinall Granvils spleene against the Gospell What account in conscience could the Duke and Red-cap giue to counsell the King to conquer England whereto he had no right at all and to suppresse religion in all other places For the effecting of this Chiapin Vitelli Duke de Alva his Chiefe Captaine was sent with some faigned message to the Queene but indeed his errand was to try the Papists for immediatly after his departure out of England the Earles rebelled in the North. And for fuell for this fire Duke de Alva had ready in Zealand 10 Regiments to be imbarkt for England but God quenched our fire quickly and found him enough to doe at home for all
against God God calleth not every man to this he gaue some to be Pastors and some to be Teachers not all Thirdly great are the enormites that doe accompany warre as I haue shewed both in Commanders and in ordinary souldiers Bello nulla salus and therefore they had neede to be hedged in by the Lords husbandmen with the pale of the word Fourthly from their excellency they are the greatest gift saue Christ that ever was giuen to man A Prophet will I rayse up from among their bretheren Dâ—ut 18.18 like unto thee In which words though Christ be especially meant as S. Luke applyeth them Acts 3.22.23 Yet they necessarily imply the giving of others though Christ be the chiefe God by the Prophet Ieremie speaking of the desolation of his people whereunto they were fallen by their owne sinnes and wickednes of their for-lorn Priests telleth them of a great blessing Jerem. 23.4 That he will set up sheepheards over them that shall feede them Such are called Gods in the booke of God I haue made thee a God to Pharao Exod. 7.1 saith the Lord of Moses namely in bringing judgements and removing of them They are said by God himselfe in Ieremie to stand in his counsell Ier. 23. And for their service with God pietie and holines towards him they are called Angells Fifthly for their industry fidelitie they are called Seers Watchmen Elisha kept Centinall against the King of Aram over the King of Israel when he slept So the men of God in the armies of God whether they sleep or wake they are alwayes at Centinall For though they sleepe as Salomon saith yet the heart is awake In this respect Ministers may well be called the foure beasts full of eyes before and behind Rev. 4. being round about the throne to watch and discover As for their industrie and watchfulnes they are the surest guard so for their fidelitie and plainnesse they are the safest counsell Kings with Antigonus and warriours with Severus may all in those dayes goe out of the Court out of the Counsell and out of the Camp to seeke truth because they cannot find it but they shall find it with the watchmen of Israel There were never indeed more vile and wicked flatterers both in Courts and Camps for as flesh-flies and other Vermin are bred out of the putrifaction of some humid matter by unnaturall heat so this kind of vile vermin is bred and fed out of the corruption of the times What a swarme of Munkies and Marmozets and Ianglers and Gnatoes are every whereâ—â— It is not my purpose to particularize their differences but this may be said of them all they are the corrupters and ruine of Kingâ— and Kingdoms To busie the reader with instances of this nature were but to prove that which no body denyeth for Dioclesian one of the worst men that ever was was so pestered with those flyes that from an Emperour he turned a Gardener hauing observed as Flavius Vopiscus observeth of him all their villainies he concludeth thus A good wise and vertuous Prince is bought and sold by this people 2. Sam. 15. Yea David a man after Gods owne heart holding out against the cursing of Shemei was overcome with the flattery of Zyba Yet this one thing is no lesse lamentable then remarkcable that though they be such ravenous vipers and haue eate out the bellies of so many great Ones yet still they creepe into their bosomes and are nourished by the selfe same heat which they doe extinguish Yea they cast King and Court and good counsell and State first in a Marasmos or deadly Hectick and then out at dores yet for all this who but they Comineus giveth one cause of this because such doe best please the humours of Princes Princes love better those that are of Placentia then those that are of Verona They love the things that please better then those that profit â—â—b 1. c. 21 Plutarch rendereth another cause namely they are often touching that string that Princes much affect namely their owne prayses in things many times not praiseable which flatterers can cunningly effect by palliating their vices with the seeming vicinity of some vertues As the despising of his people they wil term it a Princely inawing of them the imposing of what he pleaseth upon them an improuement of his prerogatiue Royall the doing of all out of his own devise the singularity of wit or quintessence of policy Secondly they vvill make them beleeue they are affected and praised of others and then it is as wel as can be when indeed there is nothing lesse But to leaue their shifts and the great Ones evils that accreweth upon them my purpose is to point out the remedy and the Physitian namely that plain-dealing Word from the mouth of the man of God against the venome of those Aspes and the poyson of all the sinnes which they loue to palliate I know no better Physitian then a good Minister That saying of Gordianus is most true and worthy the memory That miserably is that Prince from whom the truth is concealed And Lewis the 11 complained that this one thing wanted in his Court Yea sundry great Princes haue gone in private manner amongst their subjects to un-boult the truth But this is the way for Court and Camp to haue the Trumpet of truth in it that dare not nor will not lye or flatter This impartiall dealing and plain course is set forth at large in Deuteronomy where Moses by the spirit of prophesie declareth the excellency of the Tribes and the blessings that should be upon them upon Levi as he sheweth should be Vrim and Thummim yea he should say of his father and his mother I respect him not Ch. 33.1.9.10 and his brethren he acknowledgeth not and his sonnes he knoweth not Where as there is an allusion both to the commandement Lev. 21.11.12 and to the execution of the idolaters Exod. 32 so the morality of it is his that Gods Ministers gifted with light and perfection shall giue every one his portion from the Word without partiality yea neither Highnesse nor nighnesse shall make him play the Huckster with the word Papinian the Lawyer was never so plaine with Caracalla nor Ephestion so free with Alexander nor Mecenas so faithful to Augustus as Eliah was plaine with Ahab Iohn Eaptist free with Herod and Nathan faithfull to David One instance amongst many is worth the noting When the Gospel of God in the Northern parts of this Iland began to be set on foot the devill bestirred him exceedingly in the enemies of the Gospel Queen mother of the house of Guies with the Scottish Papists and her French Forces did so overtop the Lords and others of the Congregation that with griefe enough they were compelled to quit Edenburgh and to goe to Sterueling where a man of God made a worthy Sermon in his application much lamenting the confusion that was come upon them
people how they should loath them and account them as a menstruous clout and that they should hold them unworthy of presence should say unto them get you hence Let them plead for Baal that are of Baal Hold never that to be clean in Gods worship that the Pope or Pagan hath once polluted being mans invention No it is unpossible that it should be cleansed With â—he sound of the Trumpet awake the Kings Maiesty awake the Prince the Parliament the Councell the Nobles Gentry and Commons that we may meet our God in sackcloth and ashes for great is the controversie that he hath wâ—th us all You are the Physitians content not your selues with the bare theoricke or generall rules but apply your rules and pick out particular mediâ—ines for particular diseases in particular subjects for Chronical pandemical or Epidemical diseases Haue your specifick rules and receits discover the darke day and the devouring people wherewith wee are threatned Ioel 2 v. 2.3.11 the day of the Lord is great and very terrible who can abide it As for your Majestie on the knees of my soule with all humble duety I doe intreat you as you haue begun in the spirit you would not end in the flesh but that you would beat down that Altar of Damascus bray the golden Calfe to powder crush the brazen Serpent to peeces and break off those bonds of superstition Ease Sion of her burthen under which she groaneth help not those that hate God and hate not those that loue God Let not God be robbed of his Sabboath nor his name be torn in peeces by bloudy oathes for these and the like are like to make your Dominions mourn Yea if your Highnesse loue the Lord your soule your life your Crown your people look to it Aegipt is deceitfull Nilus is ranke Poyson mixture of his worship is a mockery and no worship and God hath said he He will not be mocked For the Lords sake down with Balaam Balaamites and all their pedlery ware giue the Lord all or nothing for he is a jealous God In a word Dread Soveraigne remember I beseech you by how many mercies God hath ingaged you to be zealous of his house and that of all sins he cannot endure back-sliding As for you Gracious Prince If you desire to present your selfe to God as a member of his unspotted Spouse in Christ be not unequally yoked away with that Lincie-wolsie Match with reverence be it spoken it is a beastly greasie and a lowsie-wearing unbefitting your Grace Scripture will apologie my termes which speaking of spirituall whoredome giveth it alwaies the vilest termes Then good Sir curtall Baals Messengers by the middle to their shame Cast out of Gods house all the garish attire of the Whore and bring not an Athaliah what soever she be into your bosome who will adorn Balaams house with the riches of your God Let it never enter into your Princely heart that Dagon and the Ark can stand together for Christ and Belial hath no communion Let no profane person nor Popishly affected like briars and brainbles pester your house nor choake both life and practise of holy disties in you Keep good and plain dealing Physitians for your soule chear the hearts of Gods people with the loue of your countenance and in so doing you may bee assured the Lord will make you a sure house And you right Honourable and most Worthy of the High Court of Parliament together with his Majesties Councell Vse the counsell of a great King to his councell He would alwaies haue them to leaue two things without Simulation and dissimulation be either first for God and the reforming of his house or otherwise you can bring no honour to your selues nor good to your Country You illustrious Princes Nobles and Favorites of the King serue not the times nor your own turnes Ezr. 3.5 with the neglect or opposition of Gods cause withdraw not your neckes from the work of the Lord with the Tekoites nor break not the yoke of Gods obedience by impiety profanenesse and superstition as those Princes did in whom Ieremiah sought some good but found none Ier. 3.5 be not like those Princes of Iuda that with their false flatteries fayned curtesies and fleshly reasons 2 Chro. 24.17 made Ioash cast down all with his heele that he had set up with his hand but let Nehemiah his care Daniels zeale the three Childrens resolution Gid on s valour and Obadiahs loue possesse your soules for the purity of Gods worship with a loathing hatred of all superstition And to you great Prelates or sprightfull Lords the very hearth that keeps in the fire of all this superstition and the Ensigne staffe that fixeth those strange colours in our Camp If I could perswade you let your train fall Away with the little beast with the two hornes Rob not the Nobility and Magistracie of their Titles and places no more then they should usurp the office of the Ministerie Lord it not over the Stewards of Gods house and let not him finde you beating his servants when hee cals you to a reckoning in a word lest Pashur his case proue yours if danger come Let Christ raign in his Ordinances and let that maxime once be made good in a good sense no ceremony no Bishop Lastly to you people which be of two sorts carnall and called of the Lord to the former Thinke not the rotten walls of your profanenesse or meer Civilisme shall still be daubed over with the stinking morter of Romish superstition the durt whereof you cast in the faces of Gods faithfull Ministers if they touch your galled sores away with those fig-leaues and leprous clouts and let the Word haue its course with you To you the latter sort that with some lazie wishes are content to haue it so as the Prophet speaketh giue me leav out of my very loue to tell you that Isâ—char his caraiage or bowing down like an Asse between two burthens will not serue but you must hate the garment spotted with the flesh and say to the Idols Get you hence what haue we to doe with you Lastly to conclude the point to you all I say again from the highest to the lowest with my duety to all in lawfull place reserved if admonition will not work let terrour of iudgement prevaeile Levit. 10. the strange fire in Gods worship was punished with the fire of Gods wrath from heaven God proportions iudgement to the sin we haue ever kept in and pleaded for the excommunicate thing for the which the Lord may plague us we haue like fooles reserved the seedricks of superstition therfore the Lord is like to giue us enough of it Hos 8.11 we haue made many Altars to sin and they may be unto us for sin let King and Prince and Nobles and Ministers 2 Chron. 25 14 c. and people look to it King Amasiah setting up the gods of Seir by the God of Israel
delictum c. August de de verbâ— dom Noli exstimare nemineÌ„ Deo placere posse Fortitudo quae per bella tuetur a barbaris patriam plena justitiae est Offici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely this is to bring bloud upon their heads and to sin both against the Law and the Gospell It is not a sin as Austin saith to war but to abuse it Doe not thinke saith the same Father that a man cannot please God in warre for David was a warrior and God gave to him a great testimonie The force of war saith Ambrosius that maintaineth the country against bloudy and barbarous enemies defendeth the weake and such as are subiect to oppression delivereth the confederates that are in danger from the hand of the bloud-thirstie is full of righteousnes There be but two wayes saith Tully to decide matters eyther by dispute or armes and men must haue recourse to the latter when there is no place for the former Thucidides like a wise man pressing all meÌ„ to keepe the peace secludes not the lawfulnes of war if necessitic inforce it Good men saith he if necessitie inforce them change peace into war To conclude this point the Apostle willeth us to haue peace with all men but if it be possible where the Apostle implyeth that it is impossible to haue peace with some Rom. 12.1 Yea while the godly speake of peace their enemies prepare for war Lu. 22.36 Therefore wee must doe as the Apostles were commanded in another kind Sell our coates and by swords Or as Nehemiah Nehe. 4 14 17. in the same kind incouraged the people Fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses yea it standeth us upon it to doe the worke with the one hand and with the other hold the sword CHAP. III. Of the Guide of Warre THus hauing shewed the incommodities of war and the equitie of it I come to the third last point of the treatise namely the ordering of warre This is the main point for the clearing whereof I haue with as much brevitie as I could handled the former two Here againe to Apologize my want of skill and to deprecate censure were to be iealous of the readers good will and to detract from my highest patronage To come then to the point In every warre there be two things especially to be observed That it be Iustum Iuste just in it selfe that is iustly vndertaken and it must be iustly and duely followed For the first we must first know what a iust war is The description of a iust war wich may be thus defined That which is undertaken for a iust cause by a competent person in place of Magistracie in a lawfull maÌ„ner against an externall or internall enemie following it orderly by the law of nature and nations having for the end Gods glory and our owne peace to the same effect as divines tell vs to a iust and lavvfull war three thinges are required A good cause a well ordered affection and a lawfull authoritie Or if yow wil for the better ordering of war by its proper lawes let vs observe three sorts of polemick lawes some concerneth the preparation some the battle it selfe and some the sequele or the event Some parts of the description apperatine to the first lawes some to the second and some to third The iust cause of war To come in order to the first there must be a iust cause which may briefly be exprest under the maintenance of religion or civill right eyther for our selves or our Christian confederates 〈◊〉 Thus was the warre of the Israelits against the Amalekits Exod. 17 So against the Midianites Numb 25.17 18. For they had hurt them both in their bodyes and in their soules A like good ground had Abraham for his war against the four Kings namely the rescuing of his nephevv Lot out of the hands of merciles bloudy enemies It is true indeed that Lot had no good ground for being there neyther is it thought that the King of Elam wanted iust cause to come against Sodome to represse rebells but howsoever they had nothing to doe with Lot by whom they were not wronged and this gaue Abraham just cause without further expostulation of Lots oversight to adventure his owne life and the life of his for the delivery of his friend And indeed as the cause was just he did but what he should haue done yea if he had not done it it had been both sin and shame to him Wilt thou not saith the Wise man preserue those that are led to be slaine Prov. 24.11 In the war injoyned by God to his people against the nations and in other warrs permitted occasionally they were alwayes to looke to the equitie of the cause as the main ground whereupon they were to go For God himselfe injoyneth nothing without a good ground The Romanes who had onely the light of nature to guide them in their procedings had alwayes respect to the ground of their vvar before they vvould undertake it Amongst many instances observe these tvvo The Campani who vvere nieghbours to the Romanes being invaded by the Samnites a mightie people desired ayd against them pressing them vvith many forcible arguments as from the lavv of proximitie or neighbour-hood of affinitie of ensuyng commoditie and finally from the Romans generous disposition but all these allegations not affording a sufficient ground this vvas all the Romanes did for the present they sent Embassadors to the Samnites desiring them to cease from vvar against their neighbours vvhich the Campanian deputies knovving to be lost labor they yeild themselves up as the right of the Romans vvith this speech If you thinke much to defend vs from the unjust invasion of a Tyranons enemy yet defend that which is your owne Vpon this voluntarie dedition Tit. Liv li. 7. Decad. the Senat undertooke the defence of them having a just title for the ground of the vvarre Another instance offers it selfe in that dispute between the wisest man and the best man in Rome namely Cato and Scipio Nassica Because the Carthaginians began to rig ships contrary to the articles of peace it was the judgement of Cato and others that warre should be denounced out of hand but Scipio was of another mind because he thought it was no sufficient ground for warre for they had yet sustained no damage but the Carthaginians had rather indammaged themselues in violating their faith they should rather be summoned to lay down their Armes to untackle their Ships and so to keep the peace Scipio his judgment was approved but the Carthaginians contemned the summons Whereupon the Senate and that upon just ground agreed all in one to take up Armes against them Other memorable examples are extant to this purpose Charles the 8 of France a yong King being instigated to take Arms against Francis Duke of Brittaine and â—o lay hold upon the Dutchy as his right
the Chancell our of Rochel told the King that the right pretended was not well deceided and that he should not doe well to attempt war but upon a good ground Vpon this Embassadours were sent to the Duke and on both sides it was referred to learned Counsell to search out the right In the mean while the Duke dyed the King had the heire to wife and so the controversie was ended Annal. in Ann. 1488 The like course the same King took for resolution of his right to Naples and Cicily before he would attempt any thing he convocated all the Presidents of his Parliamentary Courts his Chauncellors privy Councell and Princes of the bloud willing them to inform him truely Where upon due search of the Genealogies of the Kings of the aforesaid Kingdoms Annal. in An. 1493. they found the true title to be in him So that upon this ground he carryed his forces into Italie not that he meant to intrude upon Italie as Matchivel would foolishly charge upon him bringing this his attempt as an instance of a just vvar vvithout any truth of title at all but he meant nothing lesse for in suyng out a good ground for Cicilie and Naples he never pretended any right to Italie onely hee assured himselfe of some Towns for his safer passage which hee minded to giue up at his departure To come to a present instance Application The equitie of the cause is an undenyable good ground for the Bohemian war undertaken by his Highnesse Frederick King of Bohemia Hapily some scoffing Ismalites and the rayling crew may flout and make mouthes at the Title because hee is abandoned the possession of that and all other his right but howsoever truth is truth in despite of the devill and the Lord vvill up one day and restore him to his right The equity of the Bohemian warre on the Kings part As for the equity of the vvar it will appear to the view of every indifferent eye in these two particulars First on his part it was meerly Defensiue secondly it vvas undertaken for the maintenance of Civill right and true Religion If vvar be not just undertaken upon these grounds I know not any vvar at all to be just For the former of these two that the Crown and Kingdom of Bohemia is his Right it is as cleere to every impartiall minded man as the Sun-shine at noon day and that upon these grounds First it was freely offered unto him when he did not so much as think upon it Secondly it is cleer from the state and condition of their Kings and Dukes vvhich from the very first beginning of their state to this present time Dubrav Aeno Silv. Haiccius hath been meerly electiue witnesse their uninterrupted practise of free election recorded by the unanimous consent of all that ever undertook their Histories together with the testimonies of Kings and Emperours and lastly the reversall letters of all the Emperours even to this present Ferdinand will witnesse the same Lib. 30. Haic fol. 167. One pregnant instance for all recorded by Dubravius and Hajecius when Anno 1458 some seven or eight Competitors and that no small ones as the Emperour himselfe and the King of France put in for the Kingdom The States to manifest and to maintain their undoubted and indisputable free right of election made choice of Georgius Podiebrachius So that you see without any respect to treatie or intreatie or any motion of disposall upon pretence of hereditary right that State stood ever fast in their free liberty of election They that will be further satisfied may see this truth from point to point discovered and confirmed in the defence of the Bohemian right with a full answer to one that calleth himselfe the Informer who indeed is rather a misinformer and of lesse truth and honestie then the basest sharking Promooter For as I doe not think but he hath perused their Lawes and read their Histories so against the tenour of the one and the truth of the other hee hath laboured to his shame by shifting and shuffling to with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse but if the light in him and others be darknesse how great is the darknesse His onely overture is that foisted-in clause of Charles the 4 to procure and confirm to his posterity hereditary succession This is fully answered in the related answer Doth it stand vvith reason that a King Electiue shall of his own head infert a new clause to the subversion of the fundamentall Lavves of the State vvherein he is elected Besides this No man is a sufficient witnesse in his own cause Yea the same Charles in another priviledge bearing the date of the same day and year shevveth the approving of the free election of Wenceslaus by Frederick King of the Romans so if the clause be his he is contrary to himselfe As for the right of pre-election of Ferdinaend novv Emperour as the said ansvver sufficiently proveth it was none at all First he deprived himselfe of all right or title to that Kingdom by rejecting and contemning the right electiue and striving to possesse it by hereditary right as the adopted son of Matthias or by some other right of bloud And that this came not barely of himselfe but was the plot of the whole Imperial faction is as cleer as the light in the particular instruments of the pactions and conditions betwixt Phillip the 3 King of Spain and Ferdinand Archduke of Austria Mathew the Emperour procuring and confirming the same The summe of all which is this that upon certain conditions amongst themselues agreed upon the hereditarie right of Bohemia and Hungary should passe from one to another upon the fayling of issues Where obserue that all right of election and by consequence all right indeed is quitted by the Emperour but because great is the strength of truth when hereditary right would not hold water they pretended the right of election A bare pretence indeed if it be duely examined First it was done the King being aliue and still King and therfore of no validity for in every Election two things are required a vacant state and lawfull Electors the former must precede the latter both these in this pretended election was wanting for the full right was by reservation in Mathias with a joynt inhibition that Fordinand should not meddle with the government and that upon the challenge of intrusion which notwithstanding he laboured to infringe against law and promise and by vexation of Armes endevoured to turn an electiue power into an hereditary right yea and that before he was actually possessed which made his election voide if it had been lawfull for elections being conditionall the conditions broke the election is no election As for the Electors besides their want of power the place being full as they wronged themselues so they wrong all those that had any interest therein If the same grounds be well sifted his title to the Empire and Hungary will proue but
affected vvhen they heard these evill tydings They mourned and no man put on him his ornaments Where observe as by the force of the reason the threatning concerneth us so it standeth us upon to be affected and humbled by the threatning as they vvere Though the Lord had promised to send his Angell to cast out the nations before them to giue them the good land yet all this vvithout Gods familiar presence vvould not content them Oh that this mind vvere in us and that vvee could mourne as they did he vvould be intreated to goe vvith us as he went still vvith them at Moses entreatie If vvee vvill but looke upon the practise of the heathens in this particular Si dii voluerint Expeditio in Dei nomine Sacra fecere ante egressionem Herodian lib. 6. it may make us ashamed of our neglect Hauing prepared their forces their Edicts for setting forth vvere given out in the name of their gods to vvhom before they vvent forth they preformed all religious services yea they had such an esteeme of the tutelar gods of nations that they held them invincible except their gods should forsake them which made all the foolish nations exceeding carefull to keepe and please their foolish gods and their enemies as diligent to inveigle them As it is reported of Diomedes and Vlisses who inticed out the Troyan Palladium So the Talmudists and Cabalists fable of Moses that he should overcome Amonino the God or intelligence for so they call nationall gods of the Epgytiās Beatū esse hominem Deo fruentem sicut oeulus luce Lib 8. de Civit. Dei. The Platonists could say as Austin witnesseth that that man was happy who inioyed God as the eye doth the light If thus the blind heathens did toyle themselves to please their mouldy gods or rather devills heaping sorrow on their own soules and if Rome yet take so much paines with her Bellona for the successe of warre how should wee labor to haue his presence with us who is the God of all the world who needs not our keeping save onely by faith but he will keepe us and make the hearts of the Caneanits to melt yea the joints of every Balshazzer that is drunke with the whoores cup to tremble and shake Therefore let us never cease nor giue the Lord rest till wee haue his familiar presence with us CHAP. XII Of depriving the Enimy of all Means THVS an Army having got his presence may go on with Iosuah and be couragious yet vvithall no secondary mean must be neglected And first of all a people must look to maintayne what they haue already in possession Omnem alumoniam virtus intra muros debent studiosissime conlocare Veget. lib. 4. cap. 7. Qui frumētum nō habet vincitur sine ferre Caesar sexto bello gallice that especially by fortifying all places of strength vvhereunto they may bring all their victuals and other substance And that for tvvo causes as Vegetius vvel observes The first that if they be beseiged they may want no necessaries The second that the beseiger may eyther be forced to fight with disadvantage or to returne home with disgrace This the Romanes gaue in charge to their subjects and appointed officers to see it done Caesar gaue the like charge upon the same grounds to the Vbij G. Marius as Plutarch reporteth put this also in practise The Walles of Bisantium and Saguntum vvere very strong as vvee reade in Dio and Livi yet the Lacedomians held it a point of vvorth to haue no vvalls but the citticens valour and so they did inhabite unvvalled citties as Plutarch in Apotheg Divers are the judgements of Philosophers in this point Aristoile refuteth this opinion of the Lacedomians vvith Plato his defence of the same Lib. 7. de optima reip as very incommodious to a common-vvealth And so it is indeed for vvhy should men expose themselves and theirs to more danger then needs or presume so much upon their ovvne valour as to neglect so good meanes vvhich indeed saveth often a great deale of bloud that otherwise should be shed Yet this much I will say except valour maintayn the Walles and sin be cast ouer the Walles and God watch the cittie a wall of brasse is but a vaine thing To this effect speaketh the Comic Plaut Si incolae bene sint morati pulchre munitam arbitror at nisi invidia avaritia ambitio c. Exulent centuplex murus parum est Et quae opportari nequierint exurenda Veget. Yea whatsoever cannot be got or contayned within the strength is to be consumed with fire that it may not serue the enemy Such was Sampsons practise in burning of the corne Yea the townes themselves as warriours relate haue been by the defendents set on fire As for instance twenty of the Bituriges that they should not come into the enemies hands As for the raysing of the trenches with their dimensions of depth and bredth together with other workes for holding themselves and annoyance of the enemy I leaue them to their present occasions the particular Masters in that Art CHAP. XIII War must be as well Offensiue as Defensiue FVrther when they haue thus fitted themselues for defence they must alwayes know that the nature of war requireth that it be as well offensiue as defensiue and that diversion of forces doth often helpe where direct opposition prevayleth not A war meerly defensiue where they may offend is worse then yeelding at the first for it inureth the assailant to cunning and courage and it driveth the defendant from good opportunities to desperate conditions Neyther doth it a whit abate the crueltie of the enemy in whose heart is the roote of bitternesse and in whose eare the trumpet of destruction is ever sounding this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revenge thy selfe upon thine enemies Yea barely to defend without laying hold on every opportunitie of offence is against the rules of the Art militarie the nature of war and the practise of good souldiers It is a main rule in warre whatsoever doth advantage the enemy it hurteth thee Quod illū luvat tibi semper officit Veget. lib. 3. cap. 26 Therefore thou shouldest doe all that may advantage thy selfe and hurt him Againe the body of vvar requireth as much offence to accompany defence as the naturall body requireth for its actions a right hand and a left or as the right hand and the left require in sight a sword and buckler To the which Tully alludeth speaking of Marcus Coelius Bonā dextram inquit sed malam sinistram babet who could accuse well but defend meanly He hath a good right hand saith he but a naughty left hand So he that faileth in offending of his enemy and cleaveth close to his own defence hath a good left hand and a naughty right hand Yea the very words of Military Art doth joyn these two inseparably together with them the word defend
doth accompany the want of Counsell Because I haue many things to handle I would be as brief in every thing as I could God himselfe telleth us what an unhappy state that people is in whether in peace or warr that want counsell When Israell had provoked God so highly that he had resolved to make their remembrance cease Deut. 32.26 What was the cause of this wrath of God and fearfull desolation furely their sinnes as you may see in the Chapt which the Spirit of God reduceth to two heads waxing fat in the abuse of Gods blessings and foâ—saking of the living God to follow Idolls The ground of this their fearfull condition the Lord layeth downe in the 28. verse namly want of Counsell They are a nation saith he voide of Counsells in the plurall number that is there is never a whit at all amongst them there is no understanding in them Where you see what a vvoefull case that people is in that is void of counsell And if effects demonstrate causes Application and poysonable springs shew corruption of the fountaines head then let us behold our nation overgrowen with fatness in the abuse of Gods blessings our kicking with the heele against him and provoking him to jelousie with the abhominatioÌ„ of strange Gods and these shall cry aloud to the shame of our faces that wee are void of counsell let some talke what they will to the contrary Though this be by the way yet it is not beside the way For to our hearts griefe you may see what ground I goe upon But I proceed Tully though speaking lyke a heathen hath for the matter a divine position Lib 3. Rhetor that a man that runneth and rusheth upon attempts he cannot expect any helpe from God Belluae pueri non sunt participes consilij lib. 3. Eth. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' Chap. 28.28 Yea without counsell what better is a man be he never so great then a child or a beast which as Aristotle saith doe not partake of counsell It is observed both by divines and humanists that it is a fearfull token of Gods indignation when a man looseth his counsell Yea it is the very finger of God taking counsell from him because he hath a purpose to bring some great mischiefe upon him or to destroy him God saith Appianus hurting his mind or taking counsell from him calamitiâ— is not far of The Lord doth threaten the same to the disobedient in Deuteronomy ' The Lord shall smite thee with madnes and with blindnesse with astonishment of heart and thou shalt be groping at noone day which as it is one of the heaviest punishments as Flaminius wel observeth that God layeth upon man So it is just that it should be so God sending them strong delusions that they may beleeve lyes because they would not beleeue the truth 2. Thes 2.11.12 Because they would not be ruled by counsell saith the same Author God giveth them up to their owne lusts and to follow their owne counsels which proveth their bane in the end even then when they least looke for it The man thus groping for counsell where there is none but destruction insteed of counsell is well compared by Plini unto the Polypus or manie-feet which thinking to catch the Oyster is often caught in the Trap so the Blindman is often caught in his owne snare CHAP. XXII That great Ones must use Counsell THVS having laid down the grounds why both in peace and warre vve must vvalk and vvork by counsell I come now to lay down what kinde of counsel this must be and of whom it must be taken All men will seeme to agree that all must be disposed by counsell but by what counsell and from what counsellors there they disagree The better sort loue not to doe all of their own head but be they never so great in peace and war they use the counsell of others Iulius Capitolinus delivereth this to the commendation of Authonius Pius That hee would never doe any thing in Civill or Military affaires which he had not first consulted of with graue and wise Counsellors Aequius est ut ego tot taliumque amicorum consilium sequar quaÌ„ ut tot talâ—sque am ci meam unius sequantur voluntatem Dâ—onis Hâ—lic lib. 2. giving this good reason allowed by all that loue counsell It is greater reason saith he that I alone should follow the counsell of so many of my faithfull friends then that they being so many should follow my will being but one Dionisius giveth a particular instance of this Emperours practise in a case controverted betwixt him and his Councell of which was Scoevola that great Lawyer and many others of good note To whose advice after much debating of the matter he yeelded willingly I see quoth he Masters it must be thus as you would haue it giving the same reason already alledged This course did not Salomon despise This course did Caesar Alexander Severus and all good Warriours and Magistrates follow both in peace and war Neither is this any disparagement to the Prince or Generall as though he had no wit or counsell but from others braines but it rather addeth to their dignity because a Prince is alwaies holden so much the wiser the lesse he is addicted to his own opinion Gostorum suorum theatrum sublatum esse dixit Plâ—tarch in Apoth When Zeno the great Philosopher dyed of whose judgement and advice Antigonus that wise King made use in all his actions he was not ashamed to say That the theatre of his actions was removed But there be another sort of great Ones vvith whom it is nothing so they like no counsell but of Matchiaviâ— his cutting out that a Prince must haue no counsell but of his own coyning What fair coulors he draweth upon this false principle I haue now no time to discover I referr you therefore to his first and second maxime of Counsell But to learn the lesson it selfe without further scanning of the truth Many haue been too apt to their own overthrow Princes are naturally addicted Natura laena suae SauctuÌ„ est quod volu mus to admire what is their own and to presume of an absolute perfection in themselues as though they vvere Gods and needed no more And so it vvas vvith Dioclesian Caligula and Nero vvho scorned to hearken to any thing but their own vvils and vvhat pleased their humour This vvas the fault and vvrought the overthrow of Lantrechius the Frenchman vvhom Guicciardine doubteth not to call the chiefe Chieftain of France but being of a lofty nature and high spirit through his experience in Arms and authority in the Army he vvas so ravished with the conceit of selfe sufficiency that he contemned every thing that came not from himselfe He thought it a disgrace not to be reputed a domine faâ—-totum neglecting many times better counsell then his own as for instance in the warres of Naples vvhich
them and the rest being emulous of their commendation Oratio saepe plus valet quam pecunia Comment did striue to deserue it as well as they Thus by experience Caesar made good the proofe of his own position That a good speech prevaileth sometimes more then money The motiues whereby Generals may perswade are these The motiues of an exhortatory oration and the like as first from the goodnesse of the cause for every one at least pretendeth a good cause as you may see in all the speeches of this nature From this Ioab did inforce valour upon his souldiers 2 Sam. 10.12 Be of good courage saith he and let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God Of which one saith very well Non potuiâ— vox duce dignior câ—gitari Pellic. That though he was no good man yet no speech could be worthier of a great Captain Secondly they perswade from the valour of the enemy and sometimes from the weaknesse of the enemy to overcome the former it is exceeding great glory Pro aris focis pugnatur and to haue the other to fight with assureth victory Thirdly from the preservation of them and theirs for goods liberty wiues and children life honour and religion it selfe lyeth upon it When the Romanes were to fight they brought all the prey the sallary and richest substance that the souldiers had Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4. c. 2. and laid it bound in fardells hard by the colours that thereby they might be whetted on to fight The Persians bring their wiues and preciousest things into the field and so doth the Spanyard the richest things he hath Fourthly they moue with hope of glory and promise of reward Feare and punishment are the bonds of Camp Discipline but the souldiers must be carryed on to the battle on the wings of hope and reward Fifthly it is no small motiue to obserue the impossibility to escape the enemie if they should flye through the nature of the place wherein they fight Myronides the Athenian Generall leading his souldiers against the Thebans brought them into a fair large field where they were to fight where he caused them all to lay down their Armes view the place all round about You see my souldiers said he what a large field is heer and our enemies are brauely mounted on swift horses therefore if we flee there is no possibility to escape but if we stand to it there is good hope of victory Vpon which speech they pur on resolution to stand it out to a man and did second the same with such courage Polyaen l. 1. that they carryed the day and had a great victory which they followed to Phocis and Locris The last motiue and that of no small force is taken from the cruelty and inhumane condition of the enemy with whom they are to fight If men fight against such as are worse then Beares and Lyons that are never satisfyed with bloud such as the brood of Gog and Magog Turkes and Papists whose very mercies are cruelties Were it not better to die upon the sharp with honour in the field then to be reserved for a while unto some cruell torment intollerable sorrow and disgracefull reproach Fpaminondas Generall of the Thebans being to fight with the Lacedemonians that he might not onely strengthen his souldiers but also sharpen their indignation against their enimies delivered in his Oration that it was the determination of the Lacedemonians if they overcame to kill all the Males of the Thebans man and mothers sonne and further to make slaues and captiues of their wiues and daughters and last of all to equall Thebes with the ground This did so inflame the Thebans against the Lacedemonians that at the very first shock they overcame them Doth not the belluin rage and cruelty Application executed upon the Germanes and Bohemians by woefull experience tell us what mercilesse and inhumane enemies we contend with namely the bratts of the bloudy whore The ripping up of women the shamefull abusing of them not to be named the torturing of men with new devised torments the bathing in the bloud of inoffensiue children the cruel murthering of Gods Ministers who by the lawes of God and Nations haue alwaies been sacred In aword their unparallâ—ld immanity aboue Turkes or Barbarians would put life in a man to fight to the last gaspe rather then to liue and see the least part of these horrible indignities To passe by the Spanyard outrage upon the Indian and Hollander whose resolution and valour ariseth out of the Spanish cruelty and perfidie cast but your eye upon the Spanish provision for 88 and you may see how like the base bramble Abimelech they were determined to burn up the inhabitants and as the scourges of Gods wrath to whip us to death with tormenting scorpions as if they would haue made the torments of the English a terrour to all nations But by you my Lords and people of the Vnited Provinces let this particular be observed in your encounter with the Spanyard I know the monuments of the more then Saracen cruelties remains with you you haue pictures in your houses and draughts drawn in the tables of your hearts Yet let this sharpen your resolution to fight it out to the death that if ever the black brood be masters you shall haue the blackest day that ever men had If Radamanthus and Minos were come out of hell to torment they could not exercise more cruelty then they would upon you and yours yea as they would make you a spectacle to all the world so they would send you bodies and soules to hell if they could As Hanibal therefore was a sworn enemy to the Romans in his childhood so teach your youth rather to die then to liue at the mercy of the Spaniard But withall fit your selues and yours for death better then you doe and then let fire or water haue the land and all that you haue yea if I may so say and make it good in dispute let the devill haue it as he had all Iobs substance rather then the Spanyard haue it who is a devill incarnate As the bloudy disposition of so devilish an enemy should put you on to fight it out to the very last pinch so should it likewise terrifie you from any terms of peace which if once you intertain you are caught in the trap The Spanyard is like the Irish who under a perfidious peace doth his adversary more mischiefe then in open war Your charge and paines in peace shall be never a whit lesser for I am sure you dare not trust them your damage and danger shall be greater For who ever gained by peace with the Spanyard England excepted who hath of late gained repentance I wish they be not too late in bringing forth the fruits of it But to speake of this though I cannot speak enough I shall be further occasioned onely I will shut it
a fast through all Iudah vers 3. I shew the scantling of the place the rather 2. Chron. 32 20.21.22 because I know no place in all the booke of God fitter for this purpose Other instances there be as that prayer of Hezekiah against the Asstrians The like course tooke the Israelits being to ioyne battle with the Philistins So Iacob looking for nothing but for battle from his brother he prepareth himselfe by prayer So did Ezra I urge the more places the rather because I would inforce the necessitie of the duetie and manifest the good effect of the same being performed and justly to tax our selues to our humiliation for the neglect or uniound performance of this duetie To the first you may see by this cloud of witnesses how strict Gods people haue beene in this duetie To the second it is likewise cleare that good successe hath followed the duetie in all the quoted testimonies Ezra relating how he had commended the cause to God wheÌ„ they stood in feare of their enemies sheweth us what was the issue of this their holy practize Ezra 8.23 So wee fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us And for the last namely our neglect would to God our mourning for the sin were as manifest as the sin it selfe looke but on the successe of our battles that argueth our neglect God is one the same God the cause is likewise Gods but God is not sought unto he is not importuned Wee are like to the Israelits going against Beniamin who inquired of the Lord whether they should goe up against them or no and what tribe should lead them and hauing their direction in both these they set themselues in order Heare they make the cause sure and for avoyding contention about the leading they haue the bravest Leaders allotted them Iudges 20. and for their forces they were eyther enough or too many yea of the choyce souldiers and very well ordered but how sped they But very meanly as you may see in the text they were twice foyled and lost to the number of 40000 men But what was wanting heare I answere even the selfe same things that are wanting in us Search of sin and seeking to God Wee doe not read in all the text that they did eyther of these till they were beaten to it And what needed they in their owne conceit They had a just cause and the Lord his owne warrant and braue Commanders and for multitude they might haue eaten them up and why should they goe to God for the victory they doubted not of that but as they looked least to the matter of greatest waight so they were plagued in that which they least feared to teach them and others to take their whole errand with them God gaue them twice into the hand of their enemies and then they saw their ouersight and went up to the Lord and wept and fasted Vers 26. and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord then by the Lords direction they went up and prospered So wee may lay our hands upon our mouthes in this case and proclaim our selues to be faulty for wee haue presumued much upon a good cause and secundary meanes but wee haue not wrastled with God for the victory The Pagans and Papists doe condemne us in this who toyle themselues with their idols babling out many blasphemons prayers and that for the most part for the prosperous successe of wicked designes Lib. de bello punico Appianus telleth us that before the Romans ioyned battel they sacrificed to Audaciâ—ie and Feare Plutarch Satim ante acient immolato equâ— concepere votum Florus telleth us that the Lacedemonians before the fight sacrificed to the Muses The MysiaÌ„s before they fought did sacrifice a horse To what a number of Saints doe the Papists sacrifice when they goe to fight how doe they ply the idoll of the Masse in which they put their considence The Iesuits indeed the Popes bloud-hounds trust more to the prey then to their prayers They much resemble as one saith well the Vultures whose nests as Aristotle saith cannot be found yet they will leave all games to follow an Army because they delight to feed upon carryon neyther will they be wanting with their prayers such as they are for the successe of the great Cracke and blacke day as they call it wherin these harpies thought to haue made but a breakfast of us all they erected a new Psalter for the good successe of a wicked counter parliament the depth of whose consultation was fiery meteors the proiect whereof was the rending of mountaines and tearing of rockes with an earthquake of firie exhalations to consume and swallow up both hils and valleys and to increase the iniquitie with wicked Iesabel they would colour it with a fast and with blasphemous and lying Rabshakah they would beare the world in hand by this their Psalter that they came not up against us without the Lord 1. Reg. 25. and the Lord had bidden them doe it Their develish dittie consisteth of a seven-fold psalmody which secretly they passed from hand to hand set with tunes to be sung for the cheering up of their wicked hearts with an expectation as they called it of their day of Iubilie The matter consisteth of rayling upon King Edward and Elizabeth and our Soveraigne that now is of perition imprecation prophesie and prayse for successe I will set downe some of these because the Psalter it selfe is rare or not to be had For they are taken up by the Papists as other books be that discover their shame Prayer Psalme 1. Confirme say they the heart of those thy laborours endue them with strength from aboue and giue successe unto their endeavours Embolden our hearts with courage to concur with them freely in the furthering of thy service Confirme your hearts with hope Prophesie Psal 2. for your redemption is not far off The yeare of visitation draweth to an end and jubilation is at hand The memorie of novelties shall perish with a cracke as a ruinous house falling to the ground he will come as a flame that bursteth out beyond the fornace His fury shall fly forth as thunder and pich on their tops that maligne him Howsoever God in mercie disappointed them yet by these you may see as by so many ignivomus eruptions of the helfiry-zeale of Aetna what their diligent endevour was for they would be wanting in nothing The necessitie therfore of the duetie the good successe of it the sinister zeale of idolatrie in this point according to their kind and the danger of the neglect of it may provoke us if wee be not void of sense to set upon the duetie If idolaters who by their prayers and sacrifice bringing nothing but sorrow upon themselues doe so bestir themselves what fooles are wee in slighting off so excellent a duetie wherein the Lord hath promised to be with us yea
giue me leaue to speake the words of trueth whereat I would haue none offended but rather offended with their owne negligence that all that haue had their hand in Gods battels from the Kings Majestie himselfe to the meanest souldier haue bene and are yet exceeding faultie in this as their owne hearts I know upon examination will tell them which neglect indeed to them and us both doth minister matter of great humiliation If they doe reply Instance that prayer hath been made God hath been sought to by themselves and others for them To this I answere Answ why doth not God heare them is his eare deafe or his hand shortned or is his good will to his abridged that he will not or cannot heare or helpe No no the fault is in our selues and our prayers our sinnes haue made a separation betwixt us and God so that if wee cry and shout Lament 3.8 yet as the Prophet saith he shutteth out our prayers The lineaments of prayer Though it be not my purpose nor for the place to handle the common place of prayer yet for the better discovery of our neglect and the amendment of it let me briefly lay downe what things in prayer if wee would speed by it should be observed namely the matter of it the person that maketh it the manner of it the qualitie of it and the helpes to sharpen it First for the matter it must be such as the spirit approveth on the rule whereof is laid downe in the word For the person he must be good otherwise his prayer is not good nor can it do any good The prayer of the just maÌ„ prevayleth much If I regard iniquitie in my heart saith the Prophet the Lord will not heare me And as the blind man in S. Iohn Ios 9. God heareth not sinners Moses Iehoshaphat Ezechiah Ezra were all good men their prayers were of force against their enemies The Lord heard them gave them the victory Kings Commanders should be good themselves if they would haue any good by their prayers for God is no respecter of persons the greaterâ—he partie is if he be not good the worser is his prayer in the sight of God yea let them haue some good men of God to be their mouthes to God The people of Israel being to ioyne with the Philistins 1. Sam. 7.8 they say to Samuel Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us that he will saue us out of the hands of the Philistins Where no doubt the people ioyned with him but he led them in the duetie and was their mouth I shewed the necessitie of such before the Lord touch your hearts with a desire of such and stir up such for you Thirdly the manner of the prayer must be performed by going along with the spirit who helpeth our infirmites with sighes and sobs that cannot be expressed We must not be like to Iulius the second in our devotion who sate by the fire and said over his prayers in the time of the fight It is not the ringing nor chanting with the voyce nor the Barotonus lowing of a mightie lung that will prevaile with God Moses cryed hard to God Exod. 14. â—5 though he spake newer a word Which cry did so ring in Gods eare that he could not but answere why cryest thou Moses Egit vocis sileontio ut corde clamaret Aug Q. 52 in Ex yea as one saith well upon that place he held his peace that he might cry the louder not that the cry of the voyce is to be condemned but the cry of the spirit commendeth the matter to God Fourthly for the qualitie of it it must especially be fervent it prevayleth much if it be fervent This is the fire that doth burne the odors in the Censor Moses zeale in this particular was so fervent in that battle against Amaleke that to use the words of the Prophet David It did eate him up A key cold Leiturgie galopt over or cast through a sive with a many parat-like Tautologies or a luke-warme lip-labour can never bring downe a blessing from God Fifthly and lastly the helps of prayer are fasting and mourning wherein and whereby the soule is humbled with God and fitted to hear from God and to speake to God The necessity of these you may see by the practise of Gods people in all the former examples 1 Sam. 7. â— The people of Israel in Mizpeth are said to draw water and poure it out before the Lord and they fasted What is that but as the Chaldee well observeth they poured out their hearts before God and shed teares in such aboundance as if they had drawn water So Iehoshaphat proclaimed a fast So Ezra proclaimed a fast and he and the people afflicted themselues before God Witichindus It is recorded of Otho the great Emperour to his great commendation that being to joyn battell with the Hungarians he proclaimed a fast in his Camp and called on the name of God This afflicting of the soule and pouring out of the heart is not yet come home to you the Warriours of the Lord and giue me leaue a little in particular to intreat your Highnesses to lay home the neglect of these duties to your hearts with both your hands Affliction or nothing will driue men to God God threatning his people that hee will leaue them which is indeed the fearfullest punishment tels us Hos 5.15 that in their affliction they would seek him early Histories tell us that the dumb son of Croesus found his tongue in the danger of his father The Lord hath been sought for you both frequently and fervently but you must seek him earnestly your selues or all is lost labour Hezekiah in his trouble sent to Esay the Prophet desiring him to lift up his prayer for the remnant that were left ch 37. v. 4 but in his own person also he fasted mourned and prayed hard v. 1.15 You should not want some of Gods Maisters of requests to lift up their prayers for you but you must also in your own persons with Hezekiah cry mightily to God if you mean to be heard There be too many though your Graces are not of the mind of that popish Earle of Westmoorland who said He needed not to pray he had Tenants enough to pray for him Turn in for Gods cause upon the closets of your own hearts examine your selues and be still And that it may not be a lame nor a liuelesse prayer get matter from reading hearing and meditating on the Word Labour for holiness without the which it is impossible to see God Get the guidance of the Spirit for bare saying is not prayer be fervent frequent and for fitting you the better afflict your souler in fasting and mourning as your State is afflicted With Hester make your servants fast and pray Try but this course in truth and as sure as the Lord liveth hee shall heap glory and honour upon
home Deut. 20.7 And to that end hee caused the officers to make proclamation What man is there that is soft or tender that is faint-hearted let him goe and return unto his house The like proclamation did Gideon make at Gods command when he was to fight against the Midianits and of 32000 men that were with him Iudg. 7.3 1 Mach. 7. there returned 22000. Iudas Ma chabeus being to fight against Licias maketh the same proclamation The Law-giver himselfe giveth a reason of this Law that his brothers heart melt not or grow not faint as his heart a good reason indeed for as melting mettall cast upon other may make it also melt so a sort of fainting swoonding fellows may cast all the rest in a syncope As the faint-hearted spyes returning from the view of Canaan discouraged all the rest insomuch that they durst rather rebell against God then look their enemies in the face so a company of cowards may dash the courage of the best and as the Spyes brought a plague upon Israel for their faintnesse and incredulity so faithlesse and fearfull Cradons bringeth the rest to destruction And as this faintnesse is dangerous to their fellow souldiers so it bringeth themselues to further evils then they are aware of It bringeth sin shame and destruction for besides that with deserved ignominy they die often like doggs and swine they bring also as the Hebrews obserue the bloud of all the rest upon their heads Yea these white livered fellowes haue a double curse First this soft feeble and effeminate heart is a curse in it selfe the Lord speaking of the curses that he would bring upon his people if they would not obey threatneth this as a speciall one I will even bring softnesse into their heart in the land of their enemies Lev. 26.36 Secondly they are accursed in with-drawing their hand from Gods work or in doing the work of the Lord deceitfully Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from bloud The 300 valiant and couragious men that lapped water with their tongues Indg. 7.4.5 were worth all the 32000. Caleb and Iosua having another heart were of more esteem with God then all the rest of the people I would haue all Gods Warriours to take heed of softnesse of heart in this sense and at any hand not to trust such for commonly they haue hard and cruell hearts against any thing that good is The King of Britaines observation upon the Lords prayer maketh this good by the instance of the Deer which being the softest hearted and fearfullest of all other beasts yet is the cruellest of all to minde an injury and an opportunity to revenge it Hence a fearfull man is called A Man like a Hart. Ancients doe tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and examples doe testifie that there is no greater Tyrant then a cowardly King Witnesse Nero Caligula Tiberius yea according to Plutarch as feare and cowardize is the cause of their cruelties so the greatest coward of all is a faint hearted souldier The idolatrous Gentiles both Roman◠and Grecians Dii 〈…〉 made a Temple to Fear as to one of their 〈…〉 which they sacrificed a dog intimating thereby Alex. ab Alex. l. 1. cap. 13. p. 21 that they should haue no fellowship with feare It is better to haue a coward to thy foe then to thy counsellour or copartner for a man can look for no true good from the fearfull Benevolentiae vis est metus insbecillis 2. off Faint feare saith Tully is an enemy to good will The Camelion saith Pliny is the fearfullest creature of all other and therfore it turneth it selfe into all colours that it may shift for it selfe So fearfull men without respect of faith or friendship they turn themselues into all colours but the truth that they may saue themselues And whom they fear most they serue most though it be least to their credit or commodity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cowardize is well compared by the Grecians to a white livered disposition whence we take our proverbe white livered as that waterish duscrasie or distemper of the liver causeth dropsies and Lienteries and so hurteth the body more by corrupt humours then it helpeth it by sanguification and howsoever life for a time be protracted yet colour strength and appetite faileth exceedingly and breath at length forsaketh the body so a fearfull white livered friend may seem to keep life in a good cause for a time but it is but an hydropick or lienterick life which being both together are symptomes of inevitable death Some corrupt counsell luke-warme comfort and weake forces to no effect they may affoord but it is but a palliation it is no cure it is but to quench the Citie with a pottle pot when it is all on fire which indeed will make it burn the faster In a word the fearfull man is a foe to his friend and a sriend to his foe What made Saul eye David continually to doe him hurt but his conceived feare though other causes concurred yet this was the speciall 1 Sam. 18.8.9 What can he haue more but the Kingdom Whence arose the ruin of Achaz and all his but from the servile feare wherewith they were possessed as the the holy Ghost by the Prophet Esay witnesseth When hee heard that Syria was confederate with Ephraim hi◠heart was moved and the heart of his people 2. Tim. 1.17 as the trees of the wood Where this spirit of slavish feare is the spirit of God is not God saith Paul to Timothy hath not given the spirit of feare but of power of love and of a sound mind Where the Apostle opposeth the spirit of God or the graces of the spirit as power loue and soundnes of judgment to this slavish feare which for the prevayling power of it he calleth the spirit of feare which cannot consist with the power of the foresaid graces whether it be in ministers souldiers Captaines Generalls or Kings As it is spoken there directly to the Ministers so of all men they had most need to looke to it for the spirit of feare in a Minister is a most fearfull plague to himselfe and others especially in these fearfull times that requireth so much use of the Spirit of power A sound conclusiō But observe this as a main conclusion from the place touching all persons that where this spirit of feare resideth there is neither soundnes of judgment nor sinceritie of affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor power of action to be looked for What should men then doe with such Ministers friends souldiers or any other such these white livered men as the Grecian noteth well are good for nothing As I desire that all men might remember the fearfull punishment of this slavish feare namely the burning lake for the fearefull and unbeleeving Rev. 21.8 c. Where observe they
shee had lived to haue taken up her fathers bones and burned them In this popish Rome is worse then heathen Rome who had written in their Capitol for moderation of victory parce victis frange superbos spare the conquered and bring under the proud Epaminondus may be a patterne to all in this who hauing reioyced for his victory at Luctris came forth the next day amongst his souldiers all evill put on and with a sad countenance the cause whereof being demanded by his friends I did please my selfe too much said he yesterday with conceit of the victory but thinking on the bloud that is shed I chastise my selfe to day Agiselaus after his great victory at Corinth seeing a great number of Corinthians and Athenians lying slaine was so far from reioycing or growing proud of the victory that in sorrow he cryed out woe is me for Greece Plutarch in Lacon Malo unū civem servare quam mille hostes occidere who in civill combustions hath lost so many brave souldiers as might haue conquered all the barbarians for so they termed other nations It was a frequent and a worthy saying of Antonius Pius for the which Capitolinus commendeth him much that he had rather save the life of one subiect then kill 1000 enemies Fourthly they must not abuse the conquered captive detracting from him and taking arrogantly to themselues that which doth not become them This did cruell Adonibezeck who cut off the Thumbes of 70 Kings and made them gather their meate under his table like Doggs So Tigranes King of Armenia caused four Kings to waite on his table Sesostris had his chariot drawen with Kings and Tamarlan carried Bajazet about with him in an iron cage That dishonorable hatefull contempt done upon the supposed body of Iames the fourth found dead as they said in the field of Floudon was both voide of generositie humanitie but because he tooke Armes against Iulius the second his usage could not be bad enough Yea Thomas Howard Earle of Surry Commander of the field being puft up with the glory of the day forgot his distance excedingly in the adding to his Armes for where before he gaue the white Lyon he gaue it then upon the red Lyon tearing him as it were with his clawes Rer. Scoticar lih 13. pag. 422. But this his insolencie is thought to haue been plagued in his posteritie whose ends for the most part and that in both sexes were stigmatized with some note of disgrace Borbon and Lanoy carried themselues more noblie toward Francis King of France being taken at the battle of Pavia for supper being prepared Lanoy and Alphonsus Vastius did serve the King with Bason and Ewer both they and Borbon could hardly be intreated to sit downe Bartholomeus Chasaneus in Catalog gloriae mūdi Pars 9.19 Consid in fine but still they desired to attend him at supper The like or greater generositie was showen by Prince Edward the mirror of man-hood towards King Iohn his captive before whom he stood uncovered and would hardly be intreated to sit down at supper Fiftly and lastly they are to keepe quarters with captives being taken For to cast off prisoners and put them to the sword is against the lawes of Armes though Turkes and Papists make no bones of this amongst the rest of their cruelties yet far be it from any so to doe that professeth Christ truely And thus much for the conquerors carriage towards the conquered Amongst many motives that I might giue for this moderation take onely this that the conquerour sometimes may come to stand in neede of the conquered who as they will remember moderate usage and repay it with good so they will requite tyranny with evill Historians tell us how the Lacedemonians the great Masters of Armes through all the world having so great an overthrouw at the battle of Luctris that they were forsaken of all their confederates and had no refuge but to betake themselues to the Athenians against whom they had warred and whose Walls they had raysed yet for all this they received them very lovingly The fourth main thing followeth how to demeane themselues in the use of the goods or possessions of the conquered It is true that the spoyle is theirs but the good creatures of God they must not spoile The Lord giveth a strait charge against this in Deut when thou shalt lay siedge to a cittie and take it thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof and thou shalt not cut them down onely that which is not for meate thou mayest cut downe By this prohibition God restrayneth the waste and spoyl which souldiers usually make in warre and teacheth them thereby that there is a kind of mercy to be manifested toward the creatures specially those that serve for the maintenance of mans life This respect had Christ to the creatures when he caused his disciples to take up the broken meate after the people had eaten and were filled that nothing should be lost It is reported of the Danes Io. 6.12 that with such crueltie and outrage they made havocke of all where they came that they seemed not so much to conquer the land as to consume it not so much to possesse it as to race out the remembrance of it Now I come to the last main thing required in the conqueror namely his carriage towards his own That Generall will never deale well with his enemies nor get glory to himselfe that dealeth evill with his owne As they haue bought the victory with their bloud and the hazard of their lives Salustais Tacitus Livius Amain Polyb. their is no reason but they should be both commended and rewarded It was the custome of the chiefe Commander as all our ancient writers do record after the victorie to go up to some pulpit and there with a solemne oration to commend the souldiers according to every mans place worth and present service neither was that enough barely to commend or giue thē thanks but with their prayse they distributed divers gifts Is it equitie or conscience that all should fight and one or a few carry a way the spoyle David was of a more equall mind who did not onely willingly divide the spoile of the Amalekits to those that were in the fight but also gaue the 200 weake and wearyed ones a share that stayed by the stuffe and that was made a statute and an ordinance for Israell as his part is that goeth to the battle 1. Sam. 30.24 so shall his part be that tarryeth by the stuffe neither was there any wrong done to those wicked men who grudged at it for first they wanted not will but power to goe to the battle Secondly they stayed by the stuffe to keep it as necessary a peece of service as to fight and that with as great danger as those that fought if they had been overcome And lastly they had but a Geometricall share not an Arithmeticall or equall with the other The like
there is a Diapason which Art cannot transcend so there is a diaposon or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the highest-period of Kingdoms and Dominions aboue the which they cannot passe The place of it selfe is so obscure that Aristotle in his fifth book of the Politicks and 12 chapter passeth it over so doth Proclus who illustrateth the other seven bookes with notes but doth not touch that That opinion is much like to another saying of his Naturales sunt rerum publicarum conversiones That the conversions or translations of Common-wealths run by the course of nature It is true indeed as Kingdoms haue their beginnings increase and height so they haue their declinings and their ruins All that hath a beginning hath an ending and as Philo saith the greater height of outward bappinesse that a people attaineth to the lower is their fall As after an inundation the waters are dryed up so States are emptied of their flouds of prosperity to the very channell Experience maketh good that of the Poet. sic omnia verti cernimus atque alias assumere pondere gentes concidere has Thus all things chang'd we see some Kingdoms fall and some advanc't Yet for all this these Philosophers and Sects are a ground in giving the ground of this But Daniel a better Polititian then either Plaâ—o or Aristotle Dan. 2.20 giveth the true ground indeed Blessed saith he be the name of God for ever and ever for he changeth times and seasons he remeveth Kings and setteth up Kings That which Heathen Writers Military men and others doe attribute to fortune namely events of battles victories and foiles Daniel doth attribute to God Multum tum in omuibus rebus tum in re militari potest fortuna Lib. 6. belli Gallie Applicatiâ—Ì„ Caesar that great man at Armes and man of great successe was greatly deceived in the ground when he gaue so much to fortune Fortune saith he in many things but especially in military affaires may doe very much It is not onely their fault for they knew little better but it is more the fault of Professors who know indeed the true ground but in their carriage they doe not acknowledge the ground they confesse the ground but in their profession they follow not to the ground Obserue a courtly complement with us in England wherein great Ones bewray their faultinesse in this kind they denominate the evill or good that befalls a man or State from fortune He hath a good fortune say they his fortune is undone bee their meaning what it will I would haue them as Austine counsels them to change their words and as the Apostle wills them to use a sound forme of phrase 2 Tim. 1.13 beseeming Christian profession Mardonius said well It cannot be denyed but all these foiles and defeats and outrages and spoyles and desolations are of Gods own doing but men will not beleeue it applicatiuely or runne the right way though it be not onely beaten in their eares but they see it cleerly with their eyes Men in this are like the uncircumcised Philistims who though they knew and confessed that the hand of God was upon them for abusing the Arke yet they would try whether or not iâ— were by chance Men thus called by affliction to see the hand of God in it they are like unto Samuel when God called him they runne many other waies before they run to God they run to the bloudy cruelty of one to the innaturallity of another to the falshood under fellowship of the third to the pusillanimity of the fourth and lastly to the conspiracie or concurrence of all the Crue against them who haue vowed their destruction without a cause It is lawfull and expedient to haue an eye to all those and to view every one of them in their kind but first of all we must look to the sin-revenging eye of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to his all-disposing hand of the very least circumstance of our troubles Hence it is that they are called the waues of God and the arrowes of God yea God doth afflict his own that they should see his hand in it and seek to him for deliverance out of it The Lord doth threaten that he will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon and to the house of Iuda as a yong Lyon yea he will teare and take away and none shall rescue him The Lord here in effect doth threaten to send such enemies against them as like roaring cruell and devouring Lyons should tear them all in peeces but the Lord is said to doe it because without him neither foe nor friend can doe any thing But what is the end of this Is it not that they might seek the Lord Hos 5.14.15 I will goe and returne to my place saith he till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they wil seeke me early If a man be wounded will he rather look at the sword then at the man that gaue the blow If a stone be cast at a man will he like a dog run to the stone not looking to the hand that cast it Or if it fall from a height will he not look up to the place from whence it fell When Rebecca felt that strange unusuall struggling of the two twins in her wombe which prefigured the strife between the godlesse and the godly to know the cause of this she goeth unto the Lord Gen. 25.22 and she went to enquire of the Lord saith the Text. To him indeed in our troubles we should goe since it is his doing Heavie and dolefull was that message that Samuel had to Eli insomuch that he feared to shew him the vision yet Eli would haue it out of him that he might know the Lords mind which when Samuel had delivered hee runneth presently to the ground from whence it was and not to any by or secundary meanes by which it might be brought to passe for the Lord wants no means to accomplish that which once hee doth determine 1 Sam. 3 1â— It is the Lord saith he let him doe what seemeth him good He acquiesceth in the good will of God and embraceth the judgement though it were against himselfe and his he like a well nurtured child kisseth the rod though it were made for his own back Then in the name of the Lord both King and Queen and subjects take notice of this that the hand of God is upon you and upon us in you it is the Lord that hath done it and so let us all acknowledge And thus much for the first particular CHAP. XLIII The mooving cause of the defeate is to be observed A Second circumstance of the conquereds carriage consisteth in the inquiring and finding out of the moving cause of their overthrow for though God be the efficient cause yet there is a moving cause without him that provoketh him to give his owne people into the hands of his enemies Psal 94. It
is a question moved in the Psalmes by David why dealeth the Lord thus and thus with his people why dost thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoke against the sheepe of thy pasture why withdrawest thou thine hand and why hast thou broken downe her hedges so that all that they passe by the way doe plucke her grapes Psal 80.12 The Prophet answereth all these questions by quitting God and charging upon his people the cause of all this namely their inquitie When in the 79 Psalme he hath layd out the desolation of the holy temple the bloudy cruelties coÌ„mitted upon the bodies of his saints their inhumanitie against the dead bodyes the reproch they suffered and Gods wrath against them which was heavyer then all the rest he layeth downe their iniquitie to be the cause of all remember saith he not our former iniquities against us let they tender mercies speedily prevent us for wee are brought very low v. 8. In all the places quoted from the booke of Iudges wherein I haue shewed the overthrow of Gods people to be from God you shall still see their sin laid downe as the moving cause provoking God to deale so with them Iud 4.1 6.1 and the children of Israel againe did evill in the sight of the Lord so that this phrase of speech is made a preface to usher in the judgments of God This was the matter of Abiiahs message to Ieroboams wife the Lord shalt smite Israel as a reede is shaken in the water and he shall roote up Israel out of his good land and shall scatter them beyond the river he shalt give Israel up and what is the cause 1. King 14.15.16 because of the sins of Ieroboam who did sin and made Israel to sin Where observe the sin of the King and his people to be the cause of their ruine This was prophesied of by Samuel to the people if you shall doe wickedly you shal be consumed both you and your King Sam. 2.25 and so it came to passe indeed In a place of Ieremie the Lord setteth downe the reason why he would scatter his people with an east wind before the enemie why he would shew them the backe and not the face in the day of their calamitie because saith he my people hath forgotten me Ier. 18 1â— And to conclude the Prophet Esay in the places quoted layeth down the same cause Cap. 42.24 for they would not walke in his wayes neither were they obedient to his law therefore he hath powred upon them the fury of his anger and the strength of battel So in the other place thy first fathers hath sinned Cap. 43.27.28 thy teachers haue transgressed against me therefore c. I have prophaned the Princes and haue giuen Iacoh to curse and Israel to reproches The curse must alwayes accompany sinne he spared not the soule of his â—eloved when they sinned yea nor the sonne of his loue becomming surety for sinne no prerogatiue exempts from wrath but being in Christ witnesse Gods protestation concerning Ieconiah the last and the worst of the line of Iudah As I liue saith the Lord though Coniah Ier. 22.24 the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Iosephus deploring the unparalelled calamitie of his owne nation of Iudea layeth downe the cause of their utter desolation namely the abomniable impietie and iniquitie of the Princes and people which were growen to such a height that every one in their place did strive to out-strip another De bello Indaic lib. 7. cap. 28. in somuch that if one should haue gone about to haue devised some new sin there was no place for him they were all growne so cunning A fearfull and incorrigible case ApplicatioÌ„ and yet woe is us no worse in a manner then our owne is though wee will not know it the fearfull things giuen out of this nation both for sin and judgment may make our eares to tingle and our hearts to tremble yea as the same Author reporteth and that in grief of heart that if the Romanes had not come against them to execute the fierie wrath of the Lord upon them he thought a new deluge would haue swallowed them up with the old world Ibidem lib. 6. cap. 16. or fire from heanen would haue consumed them with Sodome for saith he they exceeded eyther of their sinnes The like is related by one of our owne Authors concerning the last loosing of Hierusaâ—em to the Saracens under Saladine their Commander When the Christians had kept it 80 yeares Gulielm Neabrigens rer Anglicar lib. 13. cap. 14. after the recovery of it by Godfrey Duke of Bullion the height of their iniquities wherto they were come did so ascend in Gods presence and made such a shrill cry in his eares that he cast them out againe making their civill dissention serve for the Saladines advantage So that you see the cause is within our selues wee neede not seeke it without Ne te quaefieris extra it is not in God for he delighteth to do good to his people nor is it in the wicked for he hateth them as they hate both him and his people it is not in the creature of what kind soever for he made it good and he loveth every thing as the workmanship of his hands It is then the sin in our bosome or our bosome sin that maketh him deale thus with us As sin doth separate the soule from God so it often separateth the whole person from Gods house from country from wife and familie from King from subject and from what not Therefore in this our separation wee should search our sin Lam 3 40 and every man know the plague of his owne heart which hath made the Lord to plague us Search your selue saith the Prophet and turne unto the Lord. But herein wee are all faultie men eyther search not at all or they search as though they desired not to find they search as meÌ„ doe for their bade mony they know they haue it but they would gladly haue it passe for currant amongst the good money Lastly they search not for that which especially they should find out It was a very pertinent question of the Israelits when 4000 were smitten by the Philistins wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistims 1. Sam. 4.3 But their answere was not answerable O say they let us fetch the Arke of the covenant that it may come among us saue us out of the hand of the enemie What were they smitten because the Arke of the covenant was not among them So they conceived and would conceive no better but the trueth was their sinnes had caused the God of the covenant to depart he went not out with them Samuel went not with them these were they that laid both the Arke and themselues in the mouth of the
meet with them in the crossing of a way they will grumble against God as though he had done them wrong or as though there were not in them for the which the Lord might not onely cross them but crush them but let them know if they change not their note the Lord will note them for his enemies and thurst them out for wranglers CHAP. XLV Of humiliation for sin and forsaking of it FOurthly as the conquered seeth sin to be the cause of his euill and therein cleareth the justice of God so he must be humbled for sin and so forsake it that God reconciled to him may be on his side It shall nothing prevayle men to see sinne as Pharao did and never to mourne for it or to mourne for it as Achab did and not to forsake it Israel after their second defeat humbled themselues and mourned exceedingly So Iosua when the people that went up to take A◠fled before their enemies and were smitten to the number but of 30 persons fell on his face mourned and cryed unto the Lord but what meant Iosua might some say was this the courage of so great a Generall thus to be daunted for the losse of 30 men was that such a matter might it not be a chance of war no there was another matter in it It was not the 30 men nor 3000 that would haue so much dismayed Iosuah he wisely fore-saw that all was not well at home and therefore he would not on againe till the matter was cleared the execrable thing was found out To be briefe the Israelits under the yoke of the Philistims found out their sin mourned for it It is said in their humiliation that they drew water and powred it out before the Lord that is they shed teares abundantly before the Lord. 1. Sam. 7.7 The roring Goliahs of our age scorne a stone out of this running brook to beat the brains out of their roaring sins oh mourne and cry Applicatiō that is womanish Well I am sure there was more true worth and valour in in one litle David then in all the roarers in Ram-alley or milford-lane and yet he mourned wept and cryed and roared for griefe of sin but not as they doe Foure motives of mourning in Gods people defeated For four things the people of God are to mourne being defeated for their sin because they grieved God by it for the want of Gods presence for making him depart from his inheritance for the defacing of Gods glory by the wicked in their ruffe For the first many will mourne but rather for the punishment of sin then for the sin it selfe whē the worm of conscience begins to knaw the terrours of hell present themselues to them then they cry and roare as though hell roard for them but they are just like Mariners when the storme is ouer or like fellous they cry rather for the sentence giuen against them then for the felony committed And some will cry for their sin but rather because it is hurtfull and shamefull then for grieving of God by it as if a man by his lewdnes cast into some loathsome disease regrateth the sin for the disease it hath brought upon him and not because thereby he hath offended God but David cryeth out on himselfe and his sin especially for the offence done to God by it against thee against thee onely haue I sinned Psal 51. and haue done that which is evill in thine eyes As for the want of Gods presence so other things goe well with them it is the thing that the most least regard but for the godly they make more of it then of all the things in the world yea nothing without this will suffice the godly giue them this with whatsoever they can be content the good things or hid treasure of this life will serve the wicked well enough without this many say who will shew us any good that is for the belly backe possession or height of ambition but lift thou up over us the light of thy face Iehovah for that is more joy to me then all the riches of the world wherein worldlings most delight And herein is a main difference betweene the child of God and the wicked let Ismael live and be great and let Isaack be the heire with all the troubles that belong to the executorship let Esau haue pottage and let the blessing goe where it will let Saul be honored before the people and let him be an off-cast from the Lord but let all this be put together it is but trash in the eyes of the godly in comparison of his face Observe their desire in the burthen of the 80 Psal where in their captivitie still they desire oh God returne us and cause thy face to shine and wee shall be saved their deliverance and all the happines that may follow it will not be worth any thing to them without the amiable looks of Gods countenance So that as Absalon seemed rather to make choyce of death then not to see the Kings face so Gods people had rather die or endure any sorrow or calamitie under the countenance of a reconciled God then liue Methusalahs age and inioy what the world could afford under the frowning lookes of a displeased God Yea there is no temptation so sharpe no plight so dolorous no fright so fearfull nor agony so in expugnable as the angry countenance of a forsaking God for this maketh a man apprehend and conceive of God as a God inarmed against him for his destruction This the people of God conceive of their state as it appeareth by that patheticall expostulation in the aforesaid Psalme how long wilt thou smoake or shew the tokens of an angry countenance against the prayer of thy people vers 6. What maketh the wound of cōscience so unsupportable but that the Chirurgion denyeth to looke at it he letteth it ranckle and fester till who can beare it yea if the spirit of God should not support his owne by the finger of the spirit though unsensiblie the best should be at their wits end and Sauls impatiencie should drive them to desperate courses But in this he differenceth his owne from the damned that as his one hand is over them so his other hand is under them he supporteth them wonderfully when they conceive nothing lesse and by a secret instinct extorts prayer from them even in the fearfull agony of their soules distresse whē their prayers seeme to be rejected of him but it is nothing so with the wicked in their distresses from God his justly conceived wrath for eyther they seek not at all for the appeasing of Gods angry countenance or with lost labour they leaue presently of and run to the devill directly or indirectly for the alaying of the same I touch these things but briefly leaving the further enucleation to accurat theologs and sound soule-phisitians Lastly for the glory of God trampled under the foote of pride wee should be
ride when windes blow and waues rage if heaven and earth be shaken this will hold But because groundlesse hope is no better then an Anchor without ground groundlesse hope saith the Poet for the most part deceiveth I wil point out the grounds of your hope in this great bufinesse and but briefly point at them because I may haue occasion to handle them more at large First consider the goodnesse of your cause of which I neede not much dispute for it will maintayne it selfe in the end A better cause there can not be then Gods right and mans right All Gods people that have scanned it are perswaded of the equitie of it which shall one day manifest it selfe as cleere as the Sunne shine at noon day This was it that maintayned Davids hope for as he often commends the goodness of his cause to God so he bringeth in his hope much depending on the goodnesse thereof Iudge me o God and plead my cause against an ungodly nation and unmercifull Psal 43.1 In consideration whereof he checkes his drouping soule and awaketh it up to waite upon God waite hopefully for God for yet I shall confesse him vers 5. Where observe as he maketh hope his Anchor so the goodnesse of his cause is the cable that he rideth by Bernard hath a pretty saying to this effect if the cause of the warre be good saith he the end of the warre can never be evill Si boun fuerit causa pugnae exitus malus esse non poterit neo bonus iudicabitur finis ubi causa non est bona Serm. ad milites Templi cap. 1. howsoever for many causes it may be long first and may be much at under in the meane time neither can a good end saith he come of an evill cause A second ground may be taken from the nature of hope it selfe which is to maintayne a man when all other things faile this sweeteneth and replenisheth the labour of the husbandman it conforteth the marriner when he seeth no land releeveth the patient when the phisition hath giuen him over and inlargeth the heart of the captive in the darkest prison This sustained David in all his troubles David acknowledged that he had fainted if this had not beene Psil 27. â—3 I had fainted except I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living Where by the land of the living he meant even this world wherein men liue and in particular that land of Canaan the seate of Gods Church This so supported Iob that he would trust in God though he would kill him This was all that Alexander reserved to himselfe This is pictured like a beautifull virgin for the continuall beautie and vigor that is in it It is compared to brasse by the learned for the durable and impenetrable nature of it This is it that caryeth us aboue hope namely of carnall reason This is both staffe lanthorne when all sight and sence of all secondary means faile yea this is never higher elevated De divinia mâ—seratione tum ampltus spâ—raÌ„dum cum â—â—esidâ— humana â—â—fecerint Hexam then when our State in all mens eyes is at the lowest yea so low that the blasphemous wicked will not sticke to say God cannot restore him or at least God will not restore him Ambrose giveth a good direction from the nature of hope manifesting it selfe in greatest extremitie wee should most of all hope saith he in divine helpe wheÌ„ humane and secundary meanes fayle us so long as there is life there is ‘ DuÌ„ spâ—â—es sâ—â—â—a hope yea if it goe so hard with us that as Seneca saith Wee can hope †Qui nuÌ„â—il poâ—est sâ—e râ—ed dâ—speret nâ—bil nothing yet let us despayre nothing The third ground is from the succefle of hope in most desperate cases therefore it is said of hope that hope maketh not a shamed Which phrase is a Hebraisme denoting unto us the certainty or things hoped for to be accomplished Where first hee putteth a difference between hope in God and hope in man or humane things the latter proveth no better then a broken reed by which when a man is deceived he blusheth at the folly of his confidence but it is not so with that hope that is in God It likewise meeteth with the worlds misconstruction of Gods cause in distresse and the miserable case of his people when they see them deprived of their state their liues hunted like a Partridg how they are forsaken of their friends and made the object of the enemies wrath then the world flouts them Gods enemies whet their teeth on them drunkards sing songs of them vile Varlets bring them upon the Stage exposing their names and persons to all manner of contumelies and open mockery Is not this shame enough No saith the Apostle all this is nothing where hope is all the devils in hell cannot make a man ashamed for the things hoped for shall not deceiue him It is true that in temporall deliverances and vindicating his cause from the calumny of the enemy he hath not promised by this or that particular man yet it is enough to every particular man set a work that hee will doe it by him or another and why not by him as well as by another Let him waite on therefore it is enough that the Lord will doe his work Gen. 48.21 Israel said to Ioseph Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you againe to the land of your fathers Was not Davids case desperate in all mens eyes and in his own his hope almost forlorne his heart sunck in his belly Yet the object of his hope was made good Israels hope was very low for comming into the promised land and yet the Lord did not fayle them in any good thing they hoped for I might instance this in Ioseph Iob Mordecai and others But to bee short Let us come to our own times How haue many worthy men out of the sparkes of hope raked up in the ashes made a braue fire how haue they been lifted up out of the dust and their horn exalted on a suddain I will instance but in two or three Antonius Grimanius by noble prowesse and vertue rising from one degree to another till hee came to be Procurator for S. Marke in Venice but being defeated by the Turke in that Sea-fight at the Sporades through the fault of the Gally-masters that came not up to the fight hee was falsly accused to the Senate brought in chaines to his answer condemned to banishment and his greatest enemy Melchior Trivisan set up in his place but having lived in banishment till envy was extinct by the Senate hee was called back with a publique decree Integritatis virtutis ergo intimating his integrity and vertue to be the cause of his restitution and being made one of the Senate and Procurator as he was before he went in a great Embassie to Francis of France and
of your hope is from the enemie with whom you haue to deale namely the beast the Dragon and the false Prophet whose ruine the Lord of hoasts hath vowed and determined It is a great advantage to know our enemies but a greater incouragment to know that our enemies are Gods enemies and God their enemie so that they cannot stand What your enemies are and what attempts they shall make and how certainely and suddenly they shall fall it is cleare in the Revelations It is true indeed you haue monstrous enemies unparaleld by any other Sagitta disbolt Hon. 3. in Psal 38. Imo peior Diabolo Hom. 8. in Esech namely the devill the Imperiall force giving the devill or Dragon for his Armes and the Pope or Anti-Christ whom Origen termeth truely the arrow of the devill yea and worse in a manner then the devill himselfe whose chiefe instruments be these hellsh furies the Iesuits these shall gather together all the waters of the whore on which shee sitteth but the Sun-shine of the Lords wrath shall dry them up her flesh shall be given to be eaten and shee shall be made naked her wound shall not be cured shee shall be burned with fire shee goeth to utter destruction And for the more certainty hereof it is set downe as though it were already done Rev. 16.17 18. cap. It is done it is fallen it is fallen Babilon that great cittie I might bring a world of proofes both from the ancient fathers from the Sybills from their owne Prophets and others that fearfull and finall shall be the fall of Rome That Roma as the Sybills say shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ruin indeed but the thing is so cleere to those that haue read any thing whose eyes God hath not blinded that to deny it is both to contradict God and man It hath beene often to me matter of wonder above all all other their oppositions of the truth how they could deny this but I am perswaded the learned of them withhold the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse Otto Frisingensis an ancient Author who lived 1161 speaking of the ruine of Rome as it hath been the head of all both for dominion and sin so in Gods just judgment it shal be measured to as it hath measured to others I could cite Hildegard Abbas Ioachimus Chrisostom Bernard and others but I rather reserve the larger handling of it to another treatise Beda hath a prettie verse to his purpose Regna ruent Romae ferro flammaque fameque Romes Kingdome falls by famine fire and sword Which to referre to the Gothes and Vandalls were impudencie since that was long before To apply it Applicatiin lovers of Rome and lookers toward Rome and all that loue to be peddling with it and under-propping it secretly looke to it for the day shall come that they shall cry alas for it and shall perish with it As for those that set their heart and hand against it by prayer or sword and hate all communion with it yea every patch of it or garment spotted with the flesh let them go on and prosper howsoever it may be nay it must be through fire and water yet the day shal be theirs There is a Spanishfied popish pamphleter endeavouring to maligne the State of the Vnited Provinces erected maintayned by the finger of God who disswadeth all men from the maintenance protection and partaking of and with the Hollanders and that by sundrie calumnious idlements rather then arguments He draweth one from the fatall end of all such as haue undertaken that businesse beginning with Monsieur de Lemmay and ending with the late Queene Elizabeth of happy memory aspersing like a blacke mouthed Cur as much he can the life and death of a famous nursing mother of vertue and religion giving up also his virulent gorge upon that rightlie renoumed Prince of Orange To which I answer First that as unnaturall and violent death doth not alwayes argue an evill life so it doth not prejudice the goodnes of the action in hand and therefore he is a greater calumniator then argumentator againe if this without further limitation be a good argument then all men haue reason to forsake the maintenance of Babel whereof he is a brat for who haue led such monstrous lives and made such prodigious ends as the maintayners thereof yea I shall be able to prove punctually that never a man that hath put his hand to the maintenance of that Babilonish altar carry it as cleanly as he could but the Lord set Ieroboams marke upon him in one kind or other but that I refer to another treatise To the partie himselfe I will say no more now but that by way of retortion which he putteth upon Sir Ralfe Winwod namely if he had been as good an Englishman as a Hollander the Cautionarie Townes had not been released so had he been as good an Englishman as he is an arrant traytor The affaires of Holland pag. 71. and a spaniolized sycophant he had never profaned with aspertion the ashes of his native Soveraigne nor presumed to suggest false matter of iealousie against the King of Bohemia The last ground of hope or rather the first though I put it in the last place is the love of God in Christ Iesus This is the procatartick cause of hope Spes bona praestat opē this is the ground wheron the Anchor is cast where this is there must be hope and where hope is there is both helpe and assured good successe Rom. 5.5 Hope maketh not ashamed saith the Apostle because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts This is a good ground indeed this will never let the Anchor come home all the other grounds are made good to your Majesties your faith and the spirit must make good this to your soules which is the ground of grounds Without this all the other are nothing as the Apostle saith neyther circumcision Gal. 5.6 nor uncircumcision prevayleth any thing but the new creature in Christ Iesus so neyther a good cause nor the nature of hope nor experience of helpe nor the wickednesse of their enemie will doe any good without this main good the assurance of Gods love So long as men walk saith the Prophet Ieremy after their own devices and doe the imagination of their evill hearts so long they say and can say no other that there is no hope Ier. 18.12 What hope can these men haue of good successe to their courses or to see the face of God with comfort that crosseth God and themselues and his people in all their courses God showes what came of Zedechiah his hopes Shall he scape saith the Lord that doth such things Ezech. 17 1◠Or shall he break the covenant and be delivered All Gods people this Summer haue refreshed themselues with the hope of the English Parliament but except they make sure Gods favour by the zeale of his glory the amendment of life