men which they could not otherwayes extort out of them and at the last some part of the goods that were confiscated might accrew to the Informer for their labour and for the hire of such information Thirdly they must be content with their wages such pay as was allowed unto them by the Emperor for their labor pains taken in war for the defence of the commonwealth or with such proportion of victualls as was appointed them for in times past souldiers had not their pay in mony but in victualls and with this Iohn teacheth them to be content and not to extort mens goods from them or to grate giftes out of them or to borrow any thing or buy it of them and pay them either slowly little or nought at all Thus the words are expounded by divers Authors of great learning and famous in the Church from all which we learne how innocent souldiers ought to be and to offend or wrong no man in body name or goods Not in body They must do violenâ—e to no man not in name They must not accuse any falsely nor in goods by force or fraud for injuries may be done either by open force or cunning subtility but they must be content with their wages That I may drive this nayle as Solomon cals the words of the wise to the head give me leave to beate it home with some reasons or Argument And first because I speak unto Christians this may be learned from Christ who commands us to be innocent or harmlesse as Doves This we are taught to be the foundation of our spirituall building up in a Christian practice and upright living by an Ancient Father thus speaking Whilst thou art building thy spirituall house let the foundation be first layd not upon light sand but upon the solid Rock upon which thou maiest more easely reare up the high top of Righteousnesse for he fulfilleth the greatest part of righteousnesse that hurts no body and he which shall lay the foundation of innocencie and proceed on the high topp of Righteousnesse howsoever he shall be tossed in tumultuous warres and troubles for a short while in this life yet shall hee be sure to find rest and peace at the last if not in his life yet at least in his death as we learne from Davids words Keep innocency and take heed unto the thing that is right for that shall bring a man peace at the last or as the other Translation reades it Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace or as another readeâ— the last thing that shall be given to such a man is peace A second Argument to induce souldiers to innocencie shall be the same that Abigail used to restraine David from plundring and destroying Nabal as he had resolved in revenge of a discourtesie in Nabals refusing to send him some small provision which he requested of him in his great necessity My Lord said shee fighteth the Lords battels and evill hath not been found in thee all thy dayes it is thus read by a learned Translatour If my Lord fight the Lords battels and evil should not be sound in thee And another thus Seeing thou my Lord wagest the Lords warres therefore let not iniquity bee found in thee Teaching us that those that fight the Lords battels as all those doe who fight under a just Authority in a good and just cause should be carefull to be free from violence and iniquity It is a disgrace to an honest man to have wicked persons lodge in his house and to a School-master to have Rakehells under his tuition and to a Generall to harbour villains under his command but most of all it is a dishonour to the Majesty of the Lord of hosts that wickednesse and villany should march under his colours and take up quarters in his leaguers and garrisons A third reason may be collected also from other words of Abigail in the pursuit of her businesse unto David This shall be no griefe unto thee nor offence of heart to my Lord saith shee either that thou hast shed blood causelesse or that my Lord hath avenged himselfe if her former argument will not move her latter surely will prove effectuall though a man respect not the glory of God yet surely he will even of selfe-love have respect to his owne comfort and freedom from a tormenting conscience which by innocencie is conserved and know all men assuredly that those who now lay siege to Townes and Castles shall one day either in warre or peace in bed or battel be besieged with the memory of their sinnes and then This unto him shall be a Brazen Wall His Conscience to fear no sinn at all A strong Fort I say it shall be and impregnable to all the Hellish Furies to have a Conscience void of offence before God and man when innocent and causlesse blood plundered Goods and unjust Booty shall be unto the Actors thereof as the Elephants blood unto the Dragons that sucking the blood of the Elephants do kill them and they themselves being drunk therewith oppressed not able to digest it die also So those that by violence rapine and injustice have killed and undone others shall by such deeds be utterly and eternally undone themselves A fourth reason recalling souldiers from violence may be taken from the malignant effect or consequence hereof that it makes the expedition unsuccessefull and prepares discomsiture to the whole Army and that by these particulars First hereby the accesse of their prayers unto God his acceptance of them is hindered according to the menace of the Prophet Isaiah VVhen you spread out your hands I will hide mine eyes yea when you make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood The necessity of innocent hands to be presented to God in prayer those that had onely naturall Theologie well perceived and therefore the Persians arriving at Delphos with a Navy of a thousand Ships did present in Apolloes Temple rather religious then rapicious hands And for the practice and efficacy of prayers in Armies we have the examples of Jehoshaphat assaulted by the Moabites and Ammonites and of the Christian Emperours Constantine who appointed prayers unto his souldiers and taught them to ascribe the Victories unto God and to crave his blessing and assistance for the time to come and Theodosius who counted his prayers his best and accustomed Forces Besides our own Chronicles relate the effect of prayer in the Army of King William the Conquerour who the night and morning before the Battell with Harold did give themselves to acknowledge their sins prayer and communicating the Lords Body whilest Harold and his Forces spent the whole night in drinking singing and dancing 2. The conscience wherin remains the memory of former violence injustice makes men Cowards and afraid to grapple with death which they
availeth his washing if he touch it againe so it is with a man that fasteth for his sinnes and goeth againe and doth the same From these generall observations let us descend to some particulars more nearly concerning the questioners and men of the same order of life And first whereas Iohn Baptist doth not bid them lay downe their Armes nor renounce their troth which they plighted nor as wee say flye away from their colours Hence is rightly collected by learned Authors in their expositions upon the place and tractates upon this subject of warre an Approbation of souldiery or warfare and that there is a lawfull use of Armes and warre and that even unto Christians for If Christians discipline did disallow all warres the Baptist would rather have given them this Advice that they should throw away their Armes and withdraw themselves from all manner of warfare which he did not nor yet did our Saviour forbid the Centurion in whom was found greater faith then in Israel to continue in his Office Nor the Apostle S. Peter teach any such lesson unto the devoute Captaine Cornelius his family and friends that were gathered together to heare all things that were commanded him of God And Solomon tels us that there is a time of warre as well as a time of peace Besides all these we have the examples of worthy and godly men serving God in military Affaires Some of which are spoken of by the Apostle as of Gideon of Barak of Jephthah of Sampson of David and others who through faith subdued Kingdomes escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in Battell and turn'd to flight the Armies of Aliens And we finde what good service Claudius Lysias who commanded in chiefe the Garrisons and forces in Hierusalem did unto the Church of God by sending Paul away from Hierusalem to Caesarea with a guard of two hundred Souldiers threescore and ten Horsemen and spear men two hundred by which he safe escaped the conspitacy of the Jews that had bound themselves with an oath to kill him And of Constantine the great it is recorded what helpe he did make to the Christian's by armes against the tyrannie of Lycinius and other persecutors Againe as we have the concession of the Spirit of God for the lawfulnesse of warre in not forbiding it and the examples of worthy men serving God in it so have we the wisdome of the Spirit in giving rules and lawes for military orders to be observed in the pursuit of warre which is another strong Argument for the lawfull use of Armes in needfull cases otherwise the Spirit of God would not have given rules on this matter And withall advising not to attempt any thing in this kinde but with mature deliberation Thus Solomon teaches With good Advice make warre for that is the way to safety Further that the use of the sword is not only lawfull but in some cases necessary may be truely collected from the saying of the Apostle that the Magistrate or higher power beareth not the sword in vaine there being two endes of the Magistracy the one the good and defence of those that doe good the other the punishment of those that doe evil unto which ends the use of the sword is very necessary for hereby the Magistrate is enabled to defend himselfe and his Subjects himselfe in his just power and his subjects in their rightfull proprieties whereunto without the use of the sword he should sometime be unable by an over-powring strength of a forreigne enemie and others sometimes by the conspiring and conbining together of intestine foes and seditions persons raising routs and rebellions to the oppression of the people subversion of States ruines and alterations of Kingdoms and governments and other like mischiefes incident to human Affaires for the prevention of which lawes Magistrates and Armes are equally necessary Vndoubdtedly therefore seeing that there are such a multitude of wicked men as lawes are necessary so also Magistrates and likewise souldiers which are under them And wee find this practised by David not only against the forraigne foes of himself and his people the Philistines and Ammonites but also against the usurpation of Ishbosheth as likewise against the rebellion of Absolom and Shebah and their adherents From hence we may inferre consolations and encouragments to those Princes and Magistrates whom open hostility of forreigne enemies as Jehoshaphat assaulted by the Moabites and Ammonites or the intestine disobedience of unnaturall Traitours and Rebells as David by the rebellions of Absolom or Shebah or the exigencie and distresse of friends as Lots captivity did Abraham or allies and confedrates as the Gibeonites being in feare of the five Kings did Joshuah doe necessitate and compell to draw the sword and make warre for we do alwayes think that warre ought to be of necessity and do propound unto themselves just ends as defence of themselves and subjects their friends and confederates in their just powers rights proprieties and priviledges from wrongs Reparation of injuries for which no reparation can be had by peace restraint of violence or confusion arising by tumultuous and factious men restitution of peace and publique Tranquiltie where it is violated or broken and conservation of it where it is assaulted for warre is waged that peace may be obtained These ends I say and not sinister and private Aimes propounded as enslaving free Subjects oppression of weaker states invasions and conquests of others dominions enlarging private territories and treasures and such like which ends doe render a warre lawfull And together with these ends doe not prosecute their warres with a purpose to hurt cruelly thirsting after revenge with implacable malice brutish rebellion and desire of dominearinge with such other like Affections of which it is said that in warres they are justly condemnable but being on the other side peaceably affected only seeking and demanding reparation of injuries offering conditions of peace and agreement and having a mind prepared to embrace peace when it shall be offered and purposeth nothing more then to reduce those whom they shall subdue unto peace and unity according to this direction be a peace-maker by warring that those whom thou conquerest thou maist reduce unto the unity of peace These I say herein may bee comforted and encouraged their service herein is no lesse acceptable to God though it be done by the sword then that which they performe in the Administration of justice by the Scepter in times of peace and greatest Tranquility Secondly this consolation and encouragement extends unto all souldiers that are called to armes by just Authoritie and doe serve under their Princes in the Lords Battels The workes of a just warre duely managed are no more by-wayes to true happinesse then the workes of their ordinary vocations in times of peace yea so it may bee that just and godly
speaking shall say unto him Thou hast wrought us we are thy deeds wee will not leave thee but we will be alwayes with thee and goe with thee to judgement Then his vices shall accuse his soule with many and sâ—â—dry crimes and shall find many false witnesses against it though the true ones are enough to its condemnation The divels also with a terrible countenance and horrible aspect shall affright it and with a great fury persecute it and catch at it desiring to keep and possesse it except there be some to deliver it then the soule findes the eyes and mouth and other senses shut up by which it was wont to goe out and solace it selfe in outward things shall turne back into it selfe and seeing it selfe all alone and naked shall thorow despaire faile in it selfe and fall under its owne selfe And because for the love of the world and pleasure of the flesh it hath forsaken the love of God it shall be forsaken of God in the houre of so great necessity and be delivered to the divels in Hell to be tormented Thus farre S. Bernard whose Meditation were it well thought upon and seriously beleeved would worke undoubtedly a great restraint in men from many acts of violence and injustice which now without scruple of conscience they commit But supposing all that hath been said to be spoken of friends what may be done to enemies sure it is lawfull to â—se all violence against them Hereunto I answer First we are to consider enemies as men opponent to peace and justice and to these they are by warrs to be reduced And no other ends in the pursuite of enemies by sword and hostile Acts are to be sought for According to the saying of Tully For this end are wars undertaken that men may live in peace with justice And S. Austen calls a just warre peace sought or a seeking of peace These Authors from Nature and Divinity teaching us that whatsoever is done in warre ought to aime at these ends of peace and justice As first to offer conditions of peace as was commanded by God unto the people of Israel and if they should be accepted then their enemies were to be preserved in safety upon the performance of tribute or conditions agreed on Secondly if such conditions of peace should be refused then were the enemies to be prosecuted in hostile manner as killing the men and spoyling their goods But here the Lord though he gave the Israelites liberty against their enemies yet he gave them two rules of restrainte First the sword should nor touch the innocent as women and children Secondly regard was to be had of such things as were necessary to the preservation of life as fruit-trees of which respect was to be had that they were not to be cut downe for any service in warre or in a siege of a City because the Tree of the field is mans life The like we may understand of corne-fields and Meadowes Gardens and Orchards by the fruit and strength whereof mans life is preserved and surely the conservation of these both in Leaguers and Marches ought very heedfully to be provided whether they belong to friends or foes If they belong friends it is inhumane to spoyl or waste them if they belong to enemies it is great pollicy to preserve them that the Army may be supplied with necessaries and here if I could doe it without seeming to digresse I would gladly plead for the safety and immunity of the fruits of the ground from spoyle and devastation in warrs and make suite for a protection for the husbandman and his labours together with things belonging unto husbandry that they might be safe from violence the necessity of Agriculture or husbandry being of such consequence that by it onely both in warres and peace the life of Kings and Kingdoms is conserved for this cause there was an Imperiall Lawe that husbandmen and such as were occupied in country businesses whilst they were resident in villages and country-Townes should be secure in any part of the Empire so as none should be found that dare presume to invade take or violently carry away their persons Oxen instruments of Husbandry or whatsoever belonged unto the country-work and if any man should dare through rash boldnesse to violate and breake this Statute he should restore what he had taken fourefold should incurre infamie by the Law and be further punished at the Generals or Emperours discretion And as the the commonwealth so the Church according to its power did provide for the priviledge and safety of husbandmen among others that Those who were employed in Husbandry and their cattell wherewith they tilled the ground and carried seed to the field should enjoy convenient security And of Cyrus the great it is registred that when he went to warrs he caused proclamation to be made that husbandmen should be spared and that the conquest should be so ordered that they might still remaine in their possessions and of Xerxes King of Persia in his expedition against the Graecians that he gave charge for the indemnity of Country men saying unto one Artabanus Let us fight with armed men and souldirs and not with shepherds And of the ancient Indians it was counted a wrong in warres either to take the husbandmen or to spoyle their fields and such was their care for husbandry that at one and the same time and place some did meet and joyn battle with their enemies when others did plow and digge and that without any danger This course was taken by Charles the fifth in his warres with Francis King of France in Piedmount so as they kept either of them a numerous Army for certaine years otherwise provision would quickly have been wanting to their Forces But to return from whence we digressed women and children being spared the ftuits of the earth conserved and husbandmen kept indemnified those who by force and Armes oppose peace and justice to such armed powers as seeke to establish them to kill and slay none will deny to be Acts of Justice or to take them alive and imprison or enslave them and to appropriate their Goods Riches and Possessions as a lawfull prize unto the conquerors And yet herein much caution is to be had whereunto it shall not be unprofitable to observe these Rules First in killing slaying and taking away the life of the enemy is much regard to be had with what mind intentions and affections it is done S. Bernard hath a distinction very profitable to this purpose First If thou prevailest and perhaps killest a man out of desire of conquest and revenge then thou livest a Murtherer which name who is he that would not be loath to carry among men or that his soule should appeare in the presence of God with so grievous a sin upon the conscience as the murther of a man that creature whereon God hath set the glorious character of his own