with many such other prayers some of Dauid as the Lords annointed some of the people as vnder and indefence of their Magistrate but all in the feare of God And it is out of all controuersie that whom we may lawfully take vp weapon against for their ouerthrowe we may lawfully pray vnto God and we may as lawfully seek their subuersion by al such meanes as may be with the least blood-shed and spoyle of the people of God Antonius Pius shewed a good minde when he often vsed the saying of Scipio se malle vnum ciuem seruare quam mille hostes perdere that hee had rather saue one Citizen then destroy a thousand enemies If Iosua and Iehu had not been armed with the law full authority of the sworde they might in no wise haue politicklie dissembled with the inhabitants of Ai or with the Priests of Baal but now being placed as publike persons for the defence of the Church of God and going agaynst them as to whome they are bound neither by league of confederacie nor by duety of loyalty they are no further to bewray or proclaime their intent then best may serue for the speedie and safe accomplishing of the lawfull conquest of the Lordes enemies But say some the hostilitie and open enmitie betwixt vs and Spaine ought first to be proclaimed before any warres ought to be taken in hand Was not I pray you that huge nauie of Spaine which came euen to make an end of vs vpon earth a sufficient herald openly to proclaime the hatred and hostilitie of the Spaniard against vs And I think his ships and treasure houses doe meetly well tell him that out fleetes and ordinance vpon the Spanish seas haue beene a reasonable herald to proclaime to them what they are to looke for at the English mans hands If our most gracious Soueraigne whom the Lord long blesse preserue haue vpon causes not knowen to vs thought good as yet no other way to proclaime the warre we are not to busie our selues in examining the sayd causes which perhaps may priuately concerne her Maiestie her self But as when Moses and Iethro mette together hauing kissed each other rogarunt alter alterum de prosperitate postea ingressi sunt tentorium ipsius they asked one another of their health and so they went into his tent so let it suffice vs to talke of those things which concerne our selues and our owne posteritie let it suffice vs that for our owne warrant we haue learned by the word of God both the causes of our war to be allowed as iust and the manner also thereof confirmed as lawful and let vs not doubt but that as many as thus with a resolute heart and trust in God proceed in these affayres the Lord will so blesse and prosper their labour as shall be most for the praise of his holy name and for the quiet and peace of our Church and Common wealth Many thinke that they haue condemned these warres sufficiently if they can poynt out a fewe that haue been hindered or haue sustained losses thereby But as we may not iudge ill of the sacrifices and prayers which Iob made daily for his children because those children were taken away by fearefull and sodaine death or rather as we may not condemne the voyage which the children of Israel made to conquer the land of Canaan because they so dropped away in the voyage that of sixe hundred thousand there came but two into the land of promise no more may we condemne our practises against the Idolatrous Spanyard because amongst many some haue had but heauie and hard successe Others affirme that they could like of these warres well enough if the aduersaries were thereby pluckt downe but these dealings say they doe not to any purpose weaken the enemie I doubt not but if the Lord doe still continue his holie hand ouer vs they will bee found with the enemie shortly to be somewhat Per lo primo colpo non cade la querria sayth the Italian An oake is not fallen downe at the first stroake Many littles make a mickle It is something that we haue all their Merchandises will they nill they as plentifully as euer we had and more freelie from the clutches of the bloodie Inquisitors and something it is that we doe a little disease the enemie and trouble his patience in his busie prouiding for the new inuincible Nauie and something also it is that we haue hereby many able and expert Souldiers and Mariners to keep the enemie occupied at home which otherwise with greater danger of stirring vp rebellions would attempt as he hath done to make inuasions vpon vs here Scipio had no better way to set his owne countrey Italy free from Hannibal but to inuade the Territories of Hannibal in Affrica He sayd vnto the Senate Castra Romana potius Carthaginis portis immineant quà m nos iterum vallum hostium ex moenibus nostris videamus Let rather our Romane Camps pitch before the gates of Carthage then that we should see our walles besieged of our enemies The very place where warre is endureth many calamities Affrica sit belli sedes illic terror fuga populatio c. Let Affrick be the seate of the warre let there be the terror the flight and the spoyling And a little before he sayth Plus est animi inferenti periculum quà m propulsanti In lawfull daungers there is more courage in him that setteth vpon the enemie then in him that defendeth In sua terra cogam pugnare eum Carthago praemium victoriae erit I will make Hannibal fight in his owne land there will be somewhat to bee gotten Carthage will be the price and reward of our victorie The Senate graunted him a conuenient power he inuaded Affrica it came to passe as he expected he remoued the forces of Hannibal out of Italy he did that by his policie in a short time which by all the Romane power could not be brought to passe at home in many yeares I make not this example of the heathē any ground for vs to build vpon onely we may profitably consider how farre the light of nature did shew it selfe for the defence of natiue soyle and we may learne sometimes wisedome of the children of this world who are more wise in their generation then the children of light Our ground that we are to rest vpon is first the equitie of the cause of our warre which I hope hath been sufficiently declared by the word of the eternall God and by the practises of such Magistrates as the holy scripture doth propound vnto vs. Secondly the power and mercie of God who of the one is able and of the other is willing to effect and bring to passe whatsoeuer we shall take in hand in his feare Iosua going against Idolaters had many and mightie enemies Iabin the King of Hazor the King of Madon the King of Shimron the King of Achsaph the Canaanits Amorits
spirit may speake comfortably to our spirits that all our sinnes are forgiuen vnto vs giue vs that sanctifyng faith which may bring forth all good fruites of amendement of life and true repentance O Lord pardon our huge grieuous sinnes which we haue heretofore cōmitted agaynst thy diuine Maiestie let our former wickednes be no hinderance to thy mercie Lord remember not the iniquities and offences of our youth but according to thy mercie think vpon vs in thy great goodnes Remember not how vnthankfull we haue been vnto thee for thy manifold preseruations and benefites all the course of our life Thou hast been rich in mercie towards vs but we haue been poore in thankfulnes to thee agayne Lord pardon all our former vnthankfulnes and make vs daylie more and more thankfull not onely in word but also in holines of life that we neuer be found to be of the number of those which confesse thee with their mouth but denie thee with their workes In all our affayres of our outward warfare Lord grant vs grace especially to be zelous in our inward combate agaynst sinne and wickednesse that we may mortifie the roote of our carnall and corrupt affections that we may haue the true strife of the spirit against the flesh wrastling agaynst all sinnes but especially agaynst those whereunto we finde our selues most inclined Ayd vs good Lord especially in our spiritual battaile against the world the flesh and the diuell put vpon vs the sword-girdle of truth the breastplate of righteousnes Arme vs with the shield of faith wherby we may quēch al the fierie darts of the wicked and so deliuer to vs and guide in vs the sword of thy spirit that we may ouercome and triumph by the blood of the Lambe and the word of his testament And for as much as the euents of our estate and vocation are sundrie and variable O Lord we pray thee so gouerne vs with thy good grace that in all our trauailes we may ioyfully say Thy will be done and not ours that neither our prosperitie doe cause vs to forget thee nor aduersitie doe prouoke vs to murmur agaynst thee that with contented mindes we may cast all our care on thee for thou carest for vs that in troubles we may assure our selues that thou doest not plague vs as a iudge but correct vs as a father and that in euery good successe we may humbly acknowledge thee the author and giuer thereof and neuer lift vp ourselues to accompt it the worke of our owne hands We that thus goe downe in shippes and occupie our busines in great waters doe daylie see thy manifold workes and thy wonders in the deepe how thou liftest vp the waues of the sea and hast made the Leuiathan to take his pastime in them with innumerable beasts as Dauid speaketh both small and great Lord graunt vs alwaies to make true vse of these thy creatures that wee may learne thereby to acknowledge thy Maiestie to reuerence thy power to feare thy iudgements and to trust in thy mercies Thou hast promised that those which crie vnto thee in their trouble thou wilt deliuer them from their distresse and bring them to the hauen where they would be Thou onely art he that commandeth both the windes and the seas Lord so gouerne them both in these our attempts against the professed enemies of thy truth as may be most for the glory of thy name for the benefit of thy Church for the good and welfare of our natiue soyle and for the sauegard and honour of our most gracious Soueraigne Blesse our labours prosper our voyage let thy enemies so fall before vs as that thou maist haue all the praise and we all the comfort Teach our hands to warre and our fingers to fight couer our head in the day of battaile giue vs thy holy angels to assist vs grant vs to be true and faithfull amongst our selues obedient to those whom thou hast placed ouer vs couragious against thy enemies hold thy holy hand ouer vs sanctifie our affections that we may not so much seeke our selues as endeuour to doe that seruice which may be most agreeable to thy holy will and most for the prosperous estate of our Prince and Countrey whom we beseech thee O Lord to blesse and protect now and euer We know O Lord that the obtaining of victorie doth not consist in number of men it is all one with thee to saue with many or with no power in the defence of thy trueth we goe against the open vpholders and sworne vassals of Antichrist good Lord let not thy aduersaries preuaile against vs let not the wicked say where is now their God Strike a terror into the enemies let the shield depart from them confound that proud and haughtie power of that Haman that doth so insolently oppose it selfe against the Gospel of Iesus Christ Goe before our armie good Lord and be our buckler and shield to defend vs from all daungers both of bodie and soule Lord remember thy wonted mercies and louing kindnes which haue been euer of old and for thy Churches sake euen for that remnant which thou hast amongst vs let it be thy mercifull pleasure to blesse our endeuours grant vs to repose our trust and confidence stedfastly vpon the experience of thy power and goodnesse giue vs such assurance of faith and such continuance in true mortification that we being thy children and our lamps of repentance alwaies burning death may neuer be sodaine vnto vs and when it shall be thy good will to take vs out of this vale of miserie be it in or out of those battailes which to our profession doe appertaine we beseech thee O Lord that our soules may so fight a good fight and finish their course with ioy that they may be partakers of the crowne of euerlasting triumph in the world to come These and all other graces needful for vs and for thy whole Church and euery part and member of the same we craue at thy hand in the mediation of thy sonne Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour in that prayer which he hath taught vs in his holy Gospell Our Father c. FINIS Prou. 15.15 Prou. 28.1 Rom. 14.22 1. Ioh. 3.20 Lawfulnesse of Militarie profession Ioh. 8.39 Gen. 14.18 Deut. 23.18 Matth. 27.6 Iudg. 5.23 2 Chro. 20.15 Psal 144.1 Nehem. 4.14 vers 20. Deut. 20.2 Deut. 20.10 Warre the last remedie Luc. 3.14 1. Cor. 9.7 Luc. 7.9 Act. 10.2 and 48. Obiection against pietie in Souldiers Respons Reuel 12.12 Abuses of war ought not to abrogate the lawful vse thereof Rom. 13.2 Verse 4. 1. Tim. 2.2 Matth. 26. An. Dom. 1512 August lib. 22. contr Faustum Manichaeum cap. 70. Warre against the Spaniard how to be allowed 2. Chron. 19.2 2. Chron. 20. v. vlt. 2. Chron. 25.6 2. Chron. 22.5 2. Chron. 21.13 Exod. 32. Exod. 32.4 Psal 106.16 2. Thes 2.4 Apoc. 17 9. Apoc. 14.8 Iohn 15.21 Heb. 10 14. Heb. 7. v. vlt. 1. Tim. 2.5 Heb. 1.1 Rom. 1.16 Heb. 2.16 Heb. 4.15 1. Cor. 15.20 Col. 1.18 Rom. 8.33 Rom. 8.1 Psal 32.2 Psal 103.12 Mich. 7.19 1. Iohn 1.7 Iosua 9.15 2. Sam. 21.4 2. Reg. 25.7 Iere. 39.1 K of Spayne Luc. 4.6 Ioh. 8.48 Prou. 8.15 Matth. 8.28 K. of Spayne Reuel 19.15 Reu. 18.6 9 Of warre to be proclaimed 1. Cor. 3. vers vlt. Psal 105. vers 44. Psal 105.44 Rom. 12.19 Matth. 5.39 Rom. 13.4 Matth. 18. vers vlt. Deut. 25.17 Deut. 23.20 Matth. 10.16 1. Pet. 2.2 Iosua 8.4 2. Reg. 10. Hieron vt citatur decret causa 22. quaest 2. cap. vtilem Luc. 3.14 1. Sam. 30.26 Psal 24.1 Libr. 2. de bello vandalico Goods of Papists that liue with vs. Aug. lib. 22. contr Faustum Manichaeum cap. 70. Rom. 13.2 Ier. 27. v. 6 7.8 Gen. 14.4 Gen. 14.17 1. Pet. 3.9 Math. 5.44 Psal 83.14 Psal 52.11 Psal 28.3 Psal 10.4 Psal 35.5 Psal 59.6 Iosu 8 4. 2. Reg. 10. Exod. 18.8 Iob. 1.19 Numb 26.64 Titus Liuius in 28. ab vrbe condita Luc. 16.8 Iosua 11.4 2. Chron. 14.9 2. Chro. 14.14 1. Sam. 17. Iudg. 15.15 2. Sam. 15.31 Prou. 21.30 Prou. 21.31 Psal 61.3 Iam. 1.17 Iohn 13.1 Psal 7.15 2. Sam. 17.36 Verse 45. Psa 6◠ver 21 Rom. 13.1 The difference of the English gouernment as it is now from the Spanish In the English the rebel dieth and the subiect liueth In the Spanish the subiect dieth and the rebel liueth 2. Cor. 11.14 The reuerend father Master Nowel shewed one of these kniues to diuers Noblemen of England Tul. Offic. 1. Xenophon Psal 68.21 Par. 3. max. 1. pag. 346. Reuel 13.17 Abac. 2.11.6 1. Sam. 17.3 Psal 7.6 Gen. 18 32. 1. Reg. 2.29 2. Sam. 3.27 2. Sam. 10.7 Lucan Gen. 41.40 1. Reg. 18.3 Phil. 4. 1. Thess 5.11 Gen. 18.32 1. Sam. 30.26 2. Chro. 14.14 1. Cor. 9.7 Psal 107.30
out whole realme as was found out by the dealings betwixt Mendozza and Throgmorton and also in his sending of troupes of armed men to inuade Ireland to bereaue her Maiestie of a part of her imperiall Crowne and dignitie And finally in casting about to surprise and intrap the whole Fleete of the English Marchants her Maiesties dutifull subiects when they meant him no harme but vnder the hope of the performance of his league did traffique without feare For I speake not now of any thing that he hath done fithence he hath shewed himselfe our professed enemie But thinke they the Bishop of Rome may dispence with all disloyaltie hee may dispose Kingdomes at his pleasure he hath taught vs that no faith is to be kept with heretikes this is our anchour this is our hold The Euangelist S. Luke setteth downe the words of the diuell to our Sauiour Christ when he shewed him all the kingdomes of the earth and the glorie of them All these sayd he are mine and I can giue them to whomsoeuer pleaseth me He lyed most blasphemously as he could not but lye being the father of lyes and a lyer from the beginning saith the eternall wisedome of God By me Kings raigne and Princes decree Iustice The diuell hath not so much as power of swine without the permission of Iesus Christ And as the diuell did most vntruly chalenge to himselfe the power and authoritie due to God only to giue and dispose all the kingdomes of the earth so his eldest sonne Antichrist doth inherite the same vntruth he may bestow al kingdomes as seemeth best to him hee may giue England to the Rebels in the North Ireland to Stukely and others France to the Leaguers the Indies to the Spaniards to be made two fould worse the children of hell then they were before and all the kingdomes of the earth how and to whomsoeuer he pleaseth So also his grandchild the King of Spayne doth imitate very well the steppes of his forefathers he may deale how he will in all kingdomes against league against right and against truth how and in what sort soeuer pleaseth him Thus ye see then how the Popes children sworn souldiers in Spayne first partly by their Idolatrie and partly by their damnable heresies doe vtterly deface the true worship of God secondly they wickedly vsurpe the offices and dignities of our Messias our anoynted King Priest and Prophet thirdly they fight against the truth of the humane nature of Christ and the veritie of his ascension the most noble fortresses of our saluation fourthly they seeke to obscure and ouerwhelme the fruites effects and merites of the passion of our Sauiour Christ And last of al they are such as in no wise may be trusted being not onely workers and permitters but euen professed patrones of all trecherie falshood and disloyaltie And therefore greater seueritie is to be shewed vpon the confederates of this so dangerous a conspiracie within the walles of the Church of God then is to be vsed to any forraine foes of the heathen whatsoeuer To beate downe this diuelish pride and falshood of the Antichristian band all true Christians which are armed with the authoritie of the Magistrate ought to goe on couragiously and cheerefully to tread the Winepresse of the Lords wrath as S. Iohn speaketh to reward the whore as she hath rewarded others and to let the smoake of her burning ascend for euermore But here me thinkes I heare some say vnto me That Antichrist and his confederates are to be beaten downe and destroyed we make no doubt nor question but this should be done in warre openly proclaimed and not in such priuie intrapping and laying in waite and rather should their whole realme be set on then the Merchants surprised which labour trulie and painfully for the reliefe of themselues and their families To the answere of which obiection we are first to be aduertised that whatsoeuer the enemies of the grace of God doe possesse howsoeuer they haue toyled for it and obtained it with the sweat of their browes yet is their possession no better thē the possession of brute beasts which as we see by the oxe horse and mule doe trauaile in their seueral kinds for that wherewith they are sustained There is no lawfull possession indeed but where the faith of Christ is embraced and receiued S. Paul sayth That all is ours as we are Christs and Christ Gods The world was made for the faithful Howsoeuer the enemies of Christian faith doe painfully trauaile in their seuerall trades of life yet are their goods not so their owne but that if they fall into the hands of the armie of the Lord vnder the authoritie of a lawfull Magistrate it may bee sayd of them as it was sayd by the Psalmist The Lord hath brought foorth his chosen with gladnesse and giuen them the lands of the heathen and they tooke the labours of the people into their possession The people of Canaan might labour painfully but the gaine and profite of their labours was the strength and maintenance of their princes and rulers as also now the wealth of the Spanish Merchant is the might and power of the King for as the Merchant groweth more and more in wealth so doth he build and fortifie his ship stronger and stronger and at the last the King commandeth both his ship and him And therfore as the people of Israel did then vnder Iosua so may we doe vnder our Christian Magistrate now euen so farre as God shall leade forth his chosen with gladnesse weaken the powers of the gouernours by taking the labours of the people into our possession Moreouer there are manie things which are in no wise lawfull in priuate men that are allowed and tolerated in those which are armed with the authoritie of the publike Magistrate against the professed enemies of the Church of God It is sayd to the one Auenge not your selues if they strike thee on the one cheeke turne to them the other also It is sayd of the other that they are the ministers of GOD euen for this purpose to take vengeance of euil doers and not to beare the sword in vayne It is commaunded the one to forget iniuries and as fully to forgiue as they hope to be forgiuen It is enioyned the other by expresse words to remember the iniuries of Amalec Remember sayth God what Amalec did vnto thee by the way when ye were come out of Aegypt And remember we may how the bloodie Spanyard hath fought at sundrie times by most dangerous conspiracies to rent our nation asunder Remember Amalec Remember how many godlie English Merchants their Inquisitors haue most cruelly tormented and spoyled Remember how hardly they haue delt in euill intreating such Ambassadours as haue been sent from our most gracious Soueraigne Remember how iniuriously they sent to inuade her Maiesties Realme of Ireland Remember how they attempted with their inuincible
valiant youths and recouered Lot with all his substance And when he had gotten many rich prises and spoyles of his aduersaries Melchizedeck the most liuely type and figure of Christ not onely allowed his exployt giuing to him and his men bread and wine to comfort him but also he receiued tythes of the sayd spoyles as the Priest of the most high God which is both a comfort to all those Ministers that serue in time of warre that the first tythes that euer were spoken of in the Scripture were payd of prizes taken in warre and also it is to all other souldiers a very manifest approbation of their profession for that God accepteth the tenths of the spoyles obtained by them For that most iust God which vtterly abhorreth those that offer the price of an harlot doth expressely forbid the price of blood to bee cast into Corban that Lord would in no wise haue receiued the tenths of souldiers spoyles vnles he had also allowed their profession to be sacred and holy The warres which are lawfully taken in hand against the open enemies of the Church of God are indeed as they are called not the warres of men but the warres of the Lord himselfe When the Israelites fought against the mightie hoast of Sisara there was a citie Meroz which would not take part with the people of God but Deborah inspired with the spirit of God doth curse them for that as the Prophetesse sayd they did not take the Lords part Iehosaphat was encouraged not to feare the multitude of his aduersaries for that the warres were not his but the warres of God himselfe for so sayd the Prophet Feare not it is not your warres but the warres of God What heart and conscience Dauid caried in his warres doth euidently appeare by that his humble thanksgiuing Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight At the reedifying of Hierusalem when Sanballat and the Arabians with others had made a cursed league agaynst it Nehemiah exhorted the Iewes to fight for themselues and for their brethren for their wiues and for their children and then sayd he our God will fight for vs. The Lord by his own mouth doth very apparantly allow warre when he maketh lawes and statutes for the right vse thereof As that when the people goe to warre they should take the Priest with them to vse exhortations for the strengthening of their faith that they may be fully perswaded that the Lord goeth with them to fight for them against their enemies And further he commandeth that before they set vpon their enemies with sword and fire they should first offer peace For although warre be a lawfull remedie against the professed enemies of the Church of God yet is it the last remedie and then onely to be vsed when no other meanes can preuaile It may well be compared to the fawing off and fearing of the festered and rotten lims of a mans bodie which remedies are then onely to be put in vre when the case is so vtterly desperate that there is no hope of doing good by any other meanes And for this cause sayth the Lord let them first offer peace and yet therewithall allowing agaynst the rebellious and obstinate to destroy them with the edge of the sword When the souldiers came to Iohn the Baptist demaunding what they should doe he shewed them how they should liue iustly and louingly among themselues but in no case did he bid them to forsake their profession nay rather in flat words he allowed their vocation when he bad them bee content with their wages Shall the forerunner of Christ allow to the souldier his ordinarie pay as the Apostle Paul seemeth also to graunt when he maketh the demannd Who goeth to warfare at any time at his owne cost And doe they not also therewithall permit him in the bodie of the Common wealth to put in vre that function and office whereby he is lawfully maintained A Christiā Common wealth doth very wel resemble the bodie of man The head in gouernment next vnder Christ is the Prince and soueraigne Magistrate the armes are the Knighthood and Chieualrie the soule is the professing and true embracing of the Gospell of Christ the legges are the Commons and husbandrie whereby the whole bodie is sustained and vpholden and euery of these haue their seuerall lawfull duties according as the necessitie of the bodie shall require The Centurion in Capernaum and Cornelius in Caesarea were souldiers and Captaines of seuerall bands yet the one of them is commended to haue such faith as was not to be found in Israel the other is renowmed for his prayer and almes zeale to the truth of God both of them are receiued into the bosome of the Church of Christ neither of them is any way exhorted to renounce their former vocation neither did the outward warfare hinder but that inwardly they both continued the faithfull souldiers of Iesus Christ against sinne and wickednesse Yea say some if that holines were now in our men of warre they were the better to be liked allowed but where are such deuout men now to be found what are they now but swearers and ruffians what are they but theeues and robbers so vngodly and so greedie of pray that they spare neither friend nor foe all is fish that commeth to the net and whatsoeuer is gotten by them is not employed as it was by the Centurion and Cornelius in building a Synagogue for the maintenance of Gods seruice in relieuing the poore distressed members of the mysticall body of Christ but in vpholding and frequenting most filthy brothell houses and benches for Bacchus in euery corner I must needes confesse that as in all other callings iniquitie doth more now abound then euer it did because the diuel doth now rage most knowing that he hath but a short time to raygne so also of Souldiers many horrible abuses are committed And yet I doubt not but that the Lord hath still amongst them many Cornelies and Centurians his trew and faythfull seruants But howsoeuer among the most part iniquitie doth now preuayle yet the abuses of war ought in no wise to abrogate the holy and lawfull vse thereof What blessing can possibly be more abused then is now the peace of the Church and common wealth Peace hath increased plēty plēty hath wrought pride pride hath hatcht disdayne and disdaine hath brought forth such strifes and debates such suites of law such quarrellings and contentions as neuer were heard of in any age before vs. Shall we therefore conclude that peace is not to bee allowed or that peace is not the good blessing of God God forbid Let vs seeke rather to lament and amend our owne most wicked abuse of this bountifull gift of God and pray continually for grace that we may hereafter vse it more rightly to Gods glory
Nauie at once to swallow vs vp Remember Amalec Whereas the lawe in Deuteronomie forbiddeth the Iewes to commit any vsurie amongst themselues and yet alloweth it them to bee vsed towards strangers S. Hierom doth by strangers vnderstand the publike and professed enemies of the people of God His reason is for that their goods are not their owne they vsurpe so long as they are destitute of the truth of God The like may be sayd of guilefull policie It is not to be allowed in Christians amongst them selues who are to vse that simplicitie of Doues which wanteth all manner of guile and harme And be as S. Peter sayth Like new borne babes or rather as the Greeke word signifieth like now borne babes voyd of all fraud and deceit Yet dare I not condemne that policie of Iosua who besieging Ai placed thirtie thousand strong men behind at the West side in a priuie ambush making a shewe himselfe as though hee would flye before the townesmen of Ai onely to intice them out that his men who were priuilie placed behind might sodainly oppresse and make hauocke of them Neither dare I disallow the policie of Iehu which by making a pretence that he would doe sacrifice to Baal did thereby assemble the Priests of Baal that he might the better at once dispatch them For as Hierom witnesseth he had no so good a way with so little blood to take speedie vengeance of Gods enemies The Apostle biddeth no man to oppresse or defraud his brother for the Lord is an auenger of all such things And S. Iohn the Baptist willeth those deuout souldiers which came to be instructed of him not to offer violence one to another yet may we not condemne Dauid who made a spoyle of the Amalechits and sent part of the prises which he had gotten to the Elders of Iuda Ramoth and Bethel with this notable salutation and greeting Ecce vobis spolia de inimicis Domini Behold ye the spoyles of the Lords enemies The earth sayth Dauid is the Lords and all in the same contained God is the chiefe Lord of all we haue nothing lawfully but what we hold of him in capite The professed enemies of the Lords Church doe hold no tenure of GOD in capite being cut off from the head Iesus Christ whatsoeuer then they enioy they possesse it as theeues and robbers and therefore the bereauing them of it is not theft but as Dauid doth terme it a spoyle of the Lords enemie Or if it be theft as it pleaseth our secret Papists to terme it yet is it such a robberie as by the mouth of the Spanyards themselues is allowed for they haue a verse and common prouerbe in Spayne Quien hurta al ladron Cien dias gana de perdon He which robs a theefe alwaies Hath pardon for a hundred daies Procopius witnesseth that in Numidia in the citie of Tingit in two Pillars of Marble these wordes are grauen in the Phoenician tongue Nos Maurusij sumus qui fugimus a facie Iosue filij Nun praedonis we are Moores which fled once from the face of the thiefe Iosua the sonne of Nun. Thus was Iosua the true seruant of GOD accompted and termed a theefe when hee did lawfully conquer and take spoyle of the Lords enemies But here some may say what shall we esteeme of the goods of those Papists that liue amongst vs Haue they no lawfull possession of that they haue Is it lawfull for vs to spoyle and bereaue them of their possessions Surely there is nothing wanting but that which Augustine doth name as the ground of all warres legittma superior authoritas aut iubens aut concedens A lawful superior authority either commanding or permitting The Magistrate onely must iudge who offend of weakenesse and who offend of wilfull obstinacie and without the Magistrate nothing may be done no not so much as amongst the heathen men be the subiects neuer so faithful Christians and be their Princes and gouernors neuer such heathens or Infidels it is in no case lawful for the subiect to rebell against his Soueraigne Prince All superior powers are ordained of God Nabuchadnezzar so long as hee bare rule is called the seruant of God I haue giuen all these lands saith God to Nabuchadnezzar my seruant and all nations shall serue him and his sonnes vntil the time of his land bee come also And that people that will not serue him I will visit with the sword with famine and with pestilence I could neuer read that God did long prosper any rebelling against their Soueraigne but he hath often blessed strangers when they haue sought to deliuer their neighbours from tyranny or Idolatry When fiue Princes who had sworn loyaltie to Chedorlaomer as their Soueraigne and were twelue yeare subiect to him did afterward rebell against him they and all their power were quickly discomfited But when Abraham a stranger came but with very small might the Lord sent vnto him a most noble conquest Both vnder Christian Magistrates and vnder heathen no subiect may rise vp in armour without or against the authoritie of the Soueraigne Monarch As for a gouernour that is elected conditionally and onely with power to maintaine the auncient liberties and priuiledges of the Aristocratie of the countrie as is the preheminence which Philip may perhaps lawfully chalenge in the low countries if he then seeke against couenant to turne the Aristocratie into an absolute Monarchie this is vndoubtedly such a tyranny as may lawfully bee withstoode of them which neither by conquest nor lawful right were deliuered into his hands for as to seeke to bring in an Aristocraty where is an absolute Monarchy established were manifest rebellion so also to bring in a Monarchie where is an Aristocratie established is manifest tyrannie But Iosua whose warres the inhabitants of Tingit accompted as theeueries and robberies was both an absolute gouernour of Gods people and a stranger no way in subiection to the Princes of Canaan therfore what as a priuat mā he might not do that might he lawfully do as a publike Magistrate As to giue another instance it is not lawfull for priuate men to curse that is to pray for the destruction subuersion of their enemies blesse sayth the scripture curse not Yet how often doth Dauid and no doubt lawfully pray for the ouerthrow of the publike enemies of the common wealth of Israel Make them sayth he O Lord as a wheele and as the stubble before the winde let fire consume them cast them out in the multitude of their vngodlines for they haue rebelled against thee Pay them O Lord according to their deserts and according to the wickednesse of their owne inuentions breake the arme of the wicked let them be as chaffe before the winde and the Angel of the Lord scattering them bee not mercifull to them that offend of malicious wickednes
Heth its Pheresits and Iebusits who were sayd to be like the sand of the sea shore innumerable yet whē he vsed his forces and policies in the feare of God the Lord grāted vnto him many most noble cōquests Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa with a most huge armie euen ten hundred thousand three hundred chariots Asa in comparison had but a small power yet knowing on the one side the equitie of his cause and on the other side the power and mercie of God he cryed out and sayd O Lord it is nothing to thee to helpe with many or with no power helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest only vpon thee and in thy name are we come against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee The Lord sent to Asa a most glorious victorie and his people droue away Sheepe and Camels and exceeding great spoyles The Lord ouerthrew that mightie Captaine Sisera by the hand of a weake woman Iael the wife of Heber Dauid with a sling brayned Goliah Samson with a iaw bone slew a thousand There is no power so small but the Lord is able to strengthen it sufficiently against the enemies of his truth and all helps whatsoeuer are nothing without the handie worke and blessing of the Lord almightie Policies are of great force in warre and therefore Dauid prayed especially Lord I pray thee turne to foolishnesse the counsaile of Achitophel This Achitophel was so wise so politike and so prudent that his counsailes were counted like the Oracles of God yet when he vsed his policies against the good Prince Dauid what became of him he was intrapped in his owne deuises and being miserably confounded at the last for want of a hangman became a hangman to himselfe There is no wisedome there is no policie there is no counsaile against the Lord. So likewise horses ships munitions ordinance and such like are good helpes and stayes for the Common wealth but there is no hope or confidence to be placed further in them then God shall follow them with his blessing The horse is prepared for battaile but the victorie commeth of God We should make the same vse of the power and mercie of God as Dauid did when he sayd Thou Lord hast bin my hope and strong tower agaynst the enemie I will dwell in thy tabernacle for euer and my trust shall be vnder the shadowe of thy wings As if he should haue sayd I haue had O Lord heretofore good experience of thy goodnesse and might I know thy loue is immutable and thy mercie endureth for euer therefore I will repose and rest my selfe wholly vpon thee who wilt neuer faile them that put their trust in thee If man doe helpe his neighbour he will sometimes vpbrayd and sometimes waxe wearie because man is inconstant and variable but with the Lord there is no change nor shadowe of change whom he loueth he loueth to the end And therefore whatsoeuer deliuerances and benefites we haue receiued at Gods hands we must make them so many arguments and proofes to confirme and strengthen our trust in God hereafter during life Hath the Lord so miraculously discouered and in a manner without any blood on our partes and preuented so many and so dangerous conspiracies and treasons which so treacherously haue been often deuised against her sacred Maiestie Did the Lord in his mercie to vs ward tumble downe the wicked headlong into the same pit that they digged for others when that cursed crew had fortified themselues to bereaue her Maiestie of her noble Realme of Ireland Did the Lord confound their diuelish purpose when they had as it were set downe their staffe and cast anker with their huge Armadoes as it were to raigne like Kinges and Lords on our English Seas driuing them that had so richly furnisht themselues into those bare and barren coasts where their golde and siluer could nothing benefit them when by sorceries and witcheries they haue attempted to annoy her Maiestie hath the Lorde so happily discouered them and so mightily confounded them that as the Rebels haue had no force so the Prince of rebels Lucifer himselfe hath had no power against her Hath the Lord made a speedy dispatch of all those Popes and cutte them off Pope after Pope which by their bloody bulles and ranging reconcilers haue sought her Graces ouerthrow and granted her still to remaine as many good yeares may shee continue a happy and triumphant Queene Hath the Lord made our ships of Englād such a terror to that mighty kingdome that on their owne coastes and in the mouthes of their own harbours they will not come out tenne to one vnlesse they may haue together their whole inuincible nauy Let vs then assure our selues that if we can be thankful vnto him and put our trust wholly in his goodnes louing his truth and liuing in his feare he will still so succour and defend vs hereafter that we shal be safe for euer vnder the shadowe of his wings Another thing that did greatly comfort Dauid in his battailes against his enemies was for that his enemies were also the enemies of God and therefore that the Lord would most certainly subuert ouerthrow them This made him say that as hee had slaine the Lyon and the Beare so the Philistine also should shortly be destroyed because he had railed vpō the hoast of the liuing God And afterward Thou sayth Dauid commest against me with a sworde and a speare and a shielde but I come against thee in the name of the Lord of hoasts the GOD of Israel whome thou hast blasphemed Surely GOD will wound the head of his enemies and the hayrie scalpe of euery one that continueth still in wickednesse Consider then I pray thee what enemie thou doest encounter with when thou goest against the Spaniard First he is as ye haue heard before an Idolater a pillar and prop of Antichrist an open enemie to the fayth of Christ and a professed patron of truce breaking falshood and disloyalty He is also a greedy tyrant of vnsatiable couetousnes that seeketh nothing else but to swallow vp euen the whole worlde When the Soueraigne dignity in the low countries was offered to our most Christian Prince franckly and freely her Grace refused it being contented with those kingdomes which God and blood and nature hath heaped vpon her but this monster of Spaine is neuer satisfied Nauarre Naples the Indies will not serue but he must gripe in also the Low countries and deuoure vp all their auncient liberties The Lowe countries will not content him but he must plucke in also Portugall Portugall is nothing to him vnles he may also obtaine France and then also he gapeth for England But I hope that as the Larke being mounted to the highest doth sodainly fall downe and as the tyde when the water is at the furthest hath his recourse backe againe So the
Iniustitiae duo sunt genera vnum eorum qui inferunt alterum eorum qui ab ijs quibus infertur non propulsant iniuriam Qui non obsistit sipotest iniurie tam est in vitio quam si parētes aut amicos aut patriam deserat There are two kindes of vniustice the one of them which doe iniurie the other of them which doe not defend from iniurie He which doth not withstand iniurie if he be able is in as great a fault as if he should forsake his parents his friends or his own countrey their houses can hardly burne but ours must be in danger to smoke and therefore especially we are to labour to preuent the ende that is the slauery and bondage which they intend to bring vpon our owne nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a noble thing saith Xenophon to fight for the auoyding of bondage And it cannot but be as noble to fight for the eschewing the Antichristian yoke of popish Idolatrie for howsoeuer the Spaniard would seem to be a defendour of the Catholike faith let his filthy Idolatry his pestiferous heresies his truce breaking his greedy couetousnes his swelling ambition and his bloody cruelty be sufficient testimonies to vs that his fayth is not true and Catholike but diuelish and Antichristian Well he may make a shew of deuotion and of the seruice of God and of liberall contribution to maintaine the Church of God But all their offerings as ye haue heard are of goods wrongfully possessed and therefore they doe but according to their owne prouerbe Hurtan el puer as darlos pies por amor de dios steale the swine and bestow the feete for the loue of God and all their outward glorious profession is but to haue as their owne by word goeth of them Vnnas de gato y habitas de beat◠la cruz en los pechos yel diablo en los hechos The clawes of a catte and a Saints weede the crosse on their brest and the diuel in their deede It is but an outward shew to cloake and couer their couetousnes and hypocrisie and therefore going against him wee goe against the Lordes enemie and we may conclude to our owne heart with the confidence of Dauid Surely GOD will wounde the head of his enemie and the hayrie pate of him that continueth still in wickednesse The Frenchman that hath answered all the Maximaes gathered out of the workes of Machiauel is in this poynt too short who concludeth generally that there ought to be no warres against Gods enemies in cases of religion onely vpon this ground Puis que toute religion consiste en vne approbation de certains points qui concernent le seruice de dieu il est certain que telle approbation pend de la persuasion qui en est donnée aux hommes Or le moyen de persuader vne chose a vne personne ce n' est point de prendre les armes pour le batreny de le menasser ains de luy remonstrer par bonnes raisons allegations qui le puissent induire a persuasion Seeing that all religion doth consist in the allowing and yeelding to certaine poynts which concerne the worship of God it is certaine that that allowing doth depend vpon the perswading of men Now the meane sayth he to perswade any man is not to take vp weapons to beate him nor to menace and threaten him but to make demonstration to him by such reasons and good proofes as may leade him to perswasion What perswasion I pray you can be vsed with them which will not suffer a perswader to liue amongst them who if a teacher come to them doe put him straight to the fire or sword or if the holy scriptures or any godly instruction be brought vnto them they burne both the booke the bringer who are not content to liue vnder Antichrist but doe with al tyrannie and bloodshed vphold the kingdome of Antichrist which are not weake but wilfull not blind but obstinate which are not content themselues to beare the marke of the beast but doe fight for the beast and seeke to bring all nations vnder the yoke of his bondage If the Spanyards were no otherwise enemies to vs thē the Indians were to them who were most of them meeke and obedient and willing to be taught and gouerned if we should then haue spilt the blood of so many infinite thousands as they haue done then might the Papist iustly haue opened his mouth against vs and we should haue had great occasion to feare that which now hangeth ouer them euen the vengeance that the Prophet speaketh of one stone to crye against another and one beame to crye against another woe be to him that buildeth of blood As the blasphemie of the Philistine made Dauid more couragious so these huge iniquities of the enemie ought to make vs expect the vengeance at the last to light the more heauier vpon him Another comfort and solace had Dauid in all his troubles that euen for the Churches sake the Lord would destroy his enemies and for this cause he saith Arise O Lord in thy wrath and lift vp thy self against the rage of mine enemies so shall the congregation of the people compasse thee about for their sakes therefore lift vp thy selfe againe the Lord shall iudge the people c. We must needes confesse that in respect of the most part of our selues in the Realme of England both by our contempt of Gods holy word and by our vnthankfulnes for his manifold blessings we are so farre off from being worthie to haue out enemies subdued vnder vs that we haue deserued much rather to be long agoe deliuered as a pray vnto their teeth But we know the Lord hath his Church amongst vs he hath committed vnto vs his holy word and Sacraments he hath also his number of his elect and chosen and we may say with the Prophet Esay Except the Lord of hoasts had left a remnant to vs we had been as Sodome and Gomorrah For that little remnant that number of the elect which God hath amongst vs the Lord hath hitherto extended so many blessings vpon vs and we hope that for their sakes he will still lift vp himselfe againe God promiseth for ten good men to spare all Sodome Dauid had in his armie Ioab a most wicked manquellour who had most trecherously and wilfully murdered Abner the sonne of Ner Generall of the armie of Israel and Amasa the sonne of Iether Generall of the armie of Iuda men as the scripture sayth better then himselfe This wicked Ioab was Dauids Lieuetenant of all his armie and the Lord sent vnto him many noble victories for his good Prince Dauids sake We haue many English Souldiers and Mariners of most wicked and dissolute life and such as in their warres haue no respect to the glorie of God and the benefite of his Church but onely seeke to take somewhat