THE Defence of Militarie profession Wherein is eloquently shewed the due commendation of Martiall prowesse and plainly prooued how necessary the exercise of Armes is for this our age ⧠IMPRINted at London by Henry Middleton for Iohn Harison 1579. VERO NIHIL VERIVS ¶ TO THE RIGHT honorable Edward de Vere Earle of Oxenford vicount Bulbecke Lord of Escales and Bladesmere and Lord great Chamberlaine of England EXperience beareth such a soueraigntie ouer all thinges humane and diuine that without it the quality or power either of worde deede deuise or matter cannot make it selfe knowen to the vnderstanding of mē for the heauenly trueth iustifieth it selfe by the effects of his nature and power made apparant to the eyes capacities of earthly creatures Adam not well staid vpō the trueth of Gods word transgressed the cōmandement feeling the plagues of his offence had thereby experience of the power trueth of his Almightie Creator The first worlde ouerflowing in wickednesse was drowned in the flood of Gods vengeance to geeue experience to the world that ensued what it is to contemne his worde and Prophets Noah beleeued the word of the Lord and obeying his commandement prepared the Arke was saued in the flood he all his family by experience wherof the world is made to vnderstand the power and assurance of Gods trueth and fauour towarde his elect people The Lord willed Moses to denounce his plagues against Egypt and in the effect of his power trueth he accomplished the same vpon man and beast vpon fruit and tree vpon earth and water the experience whereof made Moses and the Israelites so hardie in fayth that they tooke their way through the red Sea as through the fieldes on drie land Pharao in the hardnesse of his heart pursued the Israelites and was drowned he and all his armie in the pathes where Iacob went drye shod ▪ whereby all the kings and princes of the earth had haue experience what it is to contemne God to persecute his people to despise his worde and ministers The like experience made Iosuah bolde to lead Israel through the deepe waters of Iorden where they passed on foot and went dry shod to land The Israelites breaking the couenant of the Lorde their God standing in their rebellion were destroied out of the land of Iudah and Ierusalem and made slaues to the Chaldeans whereby they were taught by experience and so are wee by the same example what it is to despise the Lord of hostes and to stand in disobedience against his maiestie The Lord restoring Iacob out of Chaldea to his inheritance againe according as he had promised by the mouthes of his Prophets doth teach vs by experience how faithfull he is in his promises that we therefore should rest vpon him without doubting Christ our Sauiour wrought wonders before all Israel that their eyes might see his diuine power and beleeue him for his works sake but they beleeued not their owne eyes and are therefore confounded by the experience that testifieth against their owne consciences By examples of experience the Lord Iesus taught the Iewes as by that of Diues and Lazarus of the sower of seed of the euill Steward c. As by familiar demonstrations Our forefathers the olde Christians so polluted their Tabernacles with the workes of impietie that they extinguished the holy Ghost in the Sanctuarie whereby they fell to ignorance and corruption ▪ and were giuen ouer to superstition and Idolatrie The experience whereof should teache vs of these dayes and our children to walke wisely in the presence of our God. Experience discouereth the effects of wisdome and folly and maketh demonstration of the fruits of vertue and of vice and teacheth to distinguishe betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt the foole and the wise man c. Experience is the mother and nurse of the policies and gouernements ciuill and martiall priuate publike guiding the counsailes and doinges of men with orderly discretion Experience of the inordinate iniquities of mē fuonded the lawes and the iudgement seat The experience of the troublesome furies of men founded Armes and aduaunced Militarie profession for the repressing and restraining of the tyrannies and noyfull malice of the wicked The experience of the profit and value of lawe and armes maketh al prudent states and commonwelths to embrace and to vphold them both with much care and endeuour So to conclude experience is the ordinarie companion and naturall ornament of reason which maketh mē wise in knowledge prudent in the direction and vse of things He therefore that iudgeth or directeth against experience is not in deede a man but a foole more ignorant then a beast The experience of other mens harmes warneth the wise to be ware The experience of forren euils warneth England to waken it selfe out of securitie and to be watchfull and wisely to take it selfe Experience hath taught me to loue and to honour armes and in the zeale of a good heart to couet the aduancement of martial occupation which made me an vnlettered man to take vnto me a notarie to sette downe in writing this drift in the defence and praise of warlike prowesse against al cōtemners of the same for the benefite and encouragement of my countrie countrimen And finally the experience of the high noblenes honour of you my singuler good Lord doth enboldē me in the loue of a faithful hart to your renoumed vertues most humbly to commend this litle work to your honorable protection that vnder the shielde of your noble fauour and iudgement it may stande in grace before our nation to some good effect God graunt it To whom be praise to your good Lordshippe abundaunce of heauenly graces and fatherly blessings euen to euerlasting life Amen London 23 Decemb 1578. Your honours most humble GEFFREY GATES ¶ The defence of Militarie Profession IT hath bene an old controuersie in the opinions of the English nation what profession of life is most honorable in worldly states They being Ilanders what by their famous might and prowesse and what by the naturall safetie of the situation of their Soyle enuironed with the maine Ocean sea and dwelling in greater securitie then any one nation that inhabiteth the continent they may reasonably differ from the iudgement both of Greekes Romanes in discussing this question For it may well be granted that the profession and occupation that is most in vse and most necessarie for the maintenance and preseruation of the common wealth that the same should be had most in honoure standing most in vse and value England therefore dwelling in safetie and commonly in peace may séeme to giue the preheminence vnto the lawer For by his wisedome and trauel is iustice ministred to the maintenance and aduauncement of souereigne authoritie by the benefite of whose maiesty Reuenge and Tyrannie is forbidden in publique and priuate euery iniurie and quarell committed to the iudgement and direction of the
law that the vnnaturall rage and furies of the mightie of the cruel of the wicked being restrained and repressed sociall vnitie and vniuersall obedience may be nourished and holden in the ciuil felowship of men so that the Lambe may sucke safely by the Wolfe the Calfe by the Leoparde and the Asse féede quietly by the Lion c. And happie is the state where this is accomplished by the industrie and prudence of the peaceable Lawyer But forasmuch as the thoughtes of man are wicked euen from his youth and all his wayes naturally inclined to extreme euill desirous to satisfie his owne lusts and affections with iniurie and crueltie to reuenge and to reigne in his owne will and power without correction and yeldeth not vnto the obedience and direction of any other but for feare of stripes There must bee therefore an other state and profession of men whose power and prudence must comprehend the maintenaunce and defence not onely of the Seate of Justice but also of the Cowe and Plowe of the Bed and Cradle yea of the Altar and of the souereigne state which resteth in the profession neither of the Priest nor Lawyer nor in the occupation of the Housbandmen Artisans nor Merchants but lieth in the prowesse and value of them that professe Armes For when Preaching processe Plee or Perswasion cannot preuaile in reforming the euils and outrages of the wicked then must the sword of violence be put in execution by the hands of them that are able and skilfull to abase and to extinguish the furies of tumults and Rebellions and either to bring to obedience the disordered multitude or else to cut them off from the earth that peace and ciuill iustice may possesse and rule all the lande to the restitutiō and preseruation of domestical concord and Societie without the which mankinde shoulde decay from the face of the earth the rest that remained in the worlde should be in more miserable state then the wilde beasts of the desert And as it is proued by experience in all ages that Justice and Ciuil pollicie is not surely seated without the ayde attendance of Martial gard So is it to be sene that where military prowesse hath in any part of the worlde moste preuailed there hath orderly most flourished Justice Noblenesse Science and all manner of vertuous and commendable occupations both of body minde Witnes of Greece Italie and France and nowe last of Germany Whereupon this is to be cōcluded that as Justice is not of it self able to set vp it selfe in authoritie and to exercise rule ouer the multitude of Adams rebellious and stiffe-necked broode without the friendship ayde of Armes so must wee estéeme martial prowesse as the common fortresse wherein ciuill Policie with all her partes and appendants are hatched nourished preserued for the orderly nourishment and preseruation of Man and Beast of Fishe and Foule of Fire and Salte of Earth Water Where this benefit wanteth there wanteth Science and gouernement without which the whole worlde woulde soone become a desolate wildernesse ewithout man to manure or to inhabite it So that the wickednesse and transgressions of men being the founder and mother of humane lawes and pollicies we must giue most honourable place to that profession and occupation that is moste of force and value to chastise the wickednes of the wicked and to vphold the righteous to preserue the weaklings little ones and to giue frée passage and estimation to right and vertue And further as man naturally is inclined to pride and emulation and thereby infected with malice and couetousnesse and looke how much mightier the person is that is possessed of the vices so muche the more hurtfull they are in worke and practise And therefore are they moste pestiferous and noyfull in kinges and souereigne Princes whiche as they are of hautie courage and ambitious so are they daungerous and commonly full of quarrels troublesome to their Neighbours When such are encouraged with a desire to conquer and to bring to their obedience them that are frée from their bondage or to spoile them of liues goodes and habitations they are not ruled ouer by the equitie of lawe neither pacified by persuasions nor mollified with praying or preaching but violence must be resisted with violence and one lawlesse iniurie satisfied with an other iniurie which without the force and terror of armes cannot be once offered much lesse accomplished Euery state therefore that wanteth the garde and assistance of martial prowesse lieth open to be ruinated by euery spoiler that will inuade it whereby we finde that no state Kingdome Empire or common wealth can stande in any assured safetie either inward or outward but by the benefite of military profession the friend and nurse of Lawes of Religion and of ciuell concord The necessarie vse and high value whereof made the wise Grecians and valiant Romans to commend all high courages to the vse and exercise of Armes as the noblest and most profitable occupation that a worthie minde should desire whiche estimation it also holdeth continually and must in al estates kingdomes and Empires of the continent of the world And though the wickednesse infidelitie of the world be generally punished by sworde fire famine spoyle and murther the ordinary workes of warre Whereby the Justice of God is executed vpon the inhabitants of the earth yet hath the Lord plāted mainteined and restored his trueth and religion by the meanes and assistance of warlike force and policie and practised his most especiall Sonnes in the knowledge of Armes For Abraham being called to receiue the promise of saluation to the whole worlde and brought by the Lord his God to dwell in the land of Canaan had of his owne family and aliance aboue three hundred fighting men by whose power and courage he not onely defended himselfe and al his from the spoile and iniuries of the wicked but also reuenged the wrong done to his neighbours the Kinges of Sodom and Gomorha and recouering their goodes from the spoylers hee restored to euerye man his part that was lost by the ouerthrow For which famous deede of prowesse Melchisedech the King of Salem blessed Abraham and praysed the Lorde God possesser of heauen earth in his behalfe In the value of warlike prowesse Simeon and Leui the Sonnes of Iacob reuenged the violation of their Sister Dyna vpon the sonnes of Sychem By force of Armes the Israelites comming out of Egypt made their way through the Amalekites vanquished the Kings of Hesbon and Basan and possessed their landes their cities and their riches so did they vanquish and destroy the mightie Kings and inuincible people of Canaan and possessed their landes and cities By Armes their posteritie defended their inheritance and helde the same for by Armes the Lorde God vanquished and destroied the enemies of Iacob and therefore is called the Lorde God of hostes By Armes Cyrus conquered Chaldea and
courage for the pursuite and exercise of Armes whereby they became Lords and commanders of al the chiefe nations Empires states and kingdomes of the world And againe for the chastisement and confusion of them the Lord raysed vp to Armes and warlike courage the rude and barbarous multitudes of the Goths Hunnes and Vandales And so the Turkes of a small people and of the sauage Scythian kinde to be the most cruell and noyfull spoylers and destroyers that euer were vpon earth to subuert all the ciuill states and Empires of Asia and Affrica and to subdue and depopulat ▪ the noble Empire of Greece and the kingdom of Hungarie Tamberlan a heardman with the rude Scythians to chastise Baiezet the Turkish Emperour and all his dominions ▪ And lastly the Spanyard to chastise France Italy Germany and lowe Duchland And now let vs farther beholde with discretion what worke the Lord is entred into by Armes in these last dayes of the worlde And how martiall prowesse and industrie hath mightely serued to aduaunce the name and glorye of God and to giue passage to his Gospell where it lay prostrate and troden vnder the feete of Antichrist and his consorts For when the time was come in the yere of our Sauiour Christ 1517. that the Lord set foote on earth to restore his Sanctuary he beganne his businesse by a poore ministrie vnder the couert protection of the most worthie prince Duke Frederick of Saxonie and so encreased vnder the defence of the most noble Princes Iohn Duke of Saxonie Philipe Lantgraue of Hesse of the famous and warlike cities Augsborough Strasborough Vlmes Magdeborough c. And when the champions of the kingdome of darkenesse vnder the conducte of the most renowmed Emperour Charles the fifth seemed to renge the hoste of Israel vnder a terrible victory then did the Lorde of hostes bestirre himselfe and frustrating the counsailes and dispersing the forces of his enemies he vanquished the troupes of the Philistims by the Armed hand of his chosen captaine Maurice Duke of Saxoni who vy the vertue of Martiall prowesse ayded by the Lord God of hostes brake the teeth of the vngodly and restored the worde of God to a free passage throughout all Germanie So did the Lorde preuaile by Armes in Surike by vertue of which also wydened the passage of his gospell into France and by the force and power of one poore towne there holdeth possession for his Sanctuarie maugre the might and malice of all his enemies This being the most glorious effects of Militarie industrie in these saide countreis to the enlarging of Christes kingdome for the saluation of many and comfort of the whole worlde praise the inuincible Arme of our God mighty and victorious in battell and see yet a greater worke then all these nowe a doing by force of Armes for the ciuill libertye and for the freedome of true Religion in lowe Dutchelande where the hande of the Lorde hath bene so apparant fauourable that in all the progresse and successe of these warres it may be saide This is the worke of the Lord our God in the sight of all the Heathen and it is marueilous in our eyes Let vs therfore examin some part of those affaires see how Iacob hath preuailed in his warres by slow and vnexpert souldiers against the most famous arrogant implacable enemies of the gospel of Christ and then let the swinish fooles that contemne martiall profession stoppe their mouthes and be ashamed For the heauens doe reioyce the worlde is comforted and Israel shal be glad through the victories of God purchased by the fidelitie prowesse of his valiant men at armes When King Philip had wearied his good subiects of low Duchland with fained pacifications in the aduantage wherof the defendants being taken vnprouided vnarmed were daylie spoyled and murthered they fell to armes for publike defence stoode vpon their gard but béeing ouercome by the false promises of the faithlesse Regent the Duches of Parma they accepted conditions of agreement and while they rested vpon the same came the Duke of Alua accompanied with chosen forces and tooke the countrey in charge as Lieutenant to the king He planted his bands of warre in all the stronge townes and holdes through out the Lowe countrey he apprehended the Counties of Horne and Degremont and executed them as captains and chiefe pillers of the Mutiners He builded the Castell of Antwerp for mastering of that proude citie and renged all the whole Lande vnder feare and oppression minding to bring the people vnder extreeme exactions for the nourishment of their own plagues seruitude I mean for the maintenāce of the kings forces fortifications throughout for the holding of the people in subiection to what yoke or ordinances so euer should be enforced vppon them Wherein the Duke missed the Tracte of that wisedome and pollycie that was famed to bée in him For this tirannous porpose coming to common apparance then reuolted the Holanders and Zelanders in an vnlikely state to stande to theire cause But the Lord God of hostes that had stirred vp this quarel meaning to proue the force of his blowe by an vnlikly host against the troopes of the prowde and dredfull warriers his ennemyes did shewe himselfe sufficient able to confounde the mightie by the weake the prudent by the foolishe the industrious by the slowe the courageouse by the cowarde the glorious by the vile the noble by the churle and the King by the vassale the rich and imperiall by the poore and seruile multitude For comparison beinge consideratly made of the Holanders and rude Zelanders with their King hee mightie in powers both by lande and by sea standinge in continual redines they weak and vnprouided both for lande and water he in renowmed armes stronge experimented and politique they naked and of al other their Kings people and subiects contemned for their natural slowenes cowardise ignorance dronkenesse and most vnwarlike spirites the King infinite in artillarye munitiones treasures and eke in frends lieutenantes commanders martiall bands of incomparable fame and approued value the mutiners easye to be exhausted of their monie vnfurnished of all habilementes of warre of trained Soldiers and experimented Capteines and hauinge their neerest neighbours yea and them of their kinred and alience to bee their moste fyerse and noifull enemies And in this vnequal match to entre warre it woulde haue seemed a motion in the mutiners proceedinge rather of a desperat rage then grounded vpon any reasonable hope to preuaile to any other effect then to the thraldome and confusion of themselues and of their posteritie Howe be it the Lord that commandeth his Soldiers and capteines that beare armes in the quarell of trueth and righteousnesse not to feare the multitude of their enemies stoode by the Hollanders in their honest cause and hath iustified their quarell wil maintaine it to the ende as it seemeth at this day