body but when he cometh to the head there is all the difficultie there it taketh him tugging even so a Preacher may freely reprove the sinnes of the people for in that there is no matter of feare but wheÌ„ he commeth to the head pointing his hand to the Prince there is the difficultie there matter of feare presenteth it selfe yet it must be done aswell as the rest The like freedome of speech did Frederick Bishop of Vtricke use by way of parable to Lodoviâ—us Pius the Emperour as he sate at dinner with him being newly consecrated Bishop the Emperour willed him 〈◊〉 remember his office without respect of persons for whiâ—â— admonition the Bishop humbly thanked him and askeâ— him forthwith whither he should begin with the head 〈◊〉 that fish that was before him or with the tayle the Emperour replyed with the head as the chiefest member It is weâ— said the Bishop then breake you of your incestuous Match with Iudith Raunlph in Polychronic lib. 5. cap. 29. Anno 1363 which the Emperour did for a time but the Pope upon a penitenciary mulct of some thousands of Crowneâ— made up the Match againe and Iesabel caused the Bishop for his freedome of speech to be slaine in the Church These were honester meÌ„ though the one a Dominick Monâ—e the other a Bishop then that Protean Bandog Spalato whose Dalmatian Pal hath proved but a Pâ— Lib. 1. de rep Euch pag. 28. Sect. 13. to the English Church Amongst the rest of his Sicophantish knaveriâ—s he hath this flat against the Word That the faults of Princes may not at any hand be taxed in publique by whatsoever authoritie wherein sure he shewed him selfe a greater friend to his owne fâ—guts then to the states and soules of Princes And yet weâ— want not such Black-birdes in our owne Purpits who under the name of White Serm. in Rom 13 pag 18. vent this blacke position that Ministers are not to inforce Gods commaÌ„d upon Princes Iudge you by this what fearfull times we live in indeed the high Creast of authoritie thinketh much to stoupe to the word of a weake man as they conceve it What saucie fellows did Pharao esteemeâ— Moses and Aaron that they should will him from God to let his people goe Shall the worlds Minions deified with flattery or Mars his favorites adorned with trophees and attended with triumphes submit and render at the blast of a trumpet yes indeed that word that can make the blind to see the deaf to hear the lame to goe yea the dead to rise can command the greatest Commander in the world Yea if a man were commander of the vvhole vvorld he must eyther by this vvord be Commanded or condemned See the proofe of this in that powerfull discourse of Paul before Felix As he reasoned of rightousnes temperance and judgement to come Act. 24 25 Felix trembled Tertullus and all the smooth-tounged pick thankes under his governmeÌ„t could not haue kept him out of this fit These Counsellours are not to be slighted because the contempt of them is not onely a fearfull prognostick of fuâ—ure ruine but also a main moving cause vvhy the Lord vvil â—estroy both Prince and people Amongst many others Cha 36.15 16. there is a pregnant place for this in â—he second booke of the Chronicles And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and fending them because he had compassion on his people and on his 〈◊〉 welling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised â—his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord â—arose against his people till there was no remedie The worth of a worthy Minister is not knowen but in time of distresse and not then but to those whom the Lord hath taught how to esteeme of him heathens Pagans papists may challenge us of our neglect of this Were ten Nestors so much worth to AgamemnoÌ„ one Sopirus to Darius one Cineas to Pirrhus what is Gods Aaron to his people what is Nathan to David and Elisha to Ioash The Grecians would not part with their Orators on no condition The Romanes had a great care of their Dogges that kept their Walls Sagacissimos caues in turribus nutriebant Viget lib. 2 cap. 26. Anscribus cebaria publice lo antur in Capitolio Cic pro sexâ—o Rossio So the Geese that with their cry did awake the watch when the enemies were about to surprise the Capitol were in great esteeme with the Romanes insomuch that their food was allotted by a publique decree wherewith they were to be fed in the Capitol Yea in great scarsitie of food they would not touch them Will you see what honour Balac the King of Moab did to Balaam the false prophet he goeth out to meete him euen to the outmost border of his land Deut. 22.36 What honour were Baals priests in that eate bread at the Kings table The papists glory much and giue us often in the teeth with that honour they giue to their shavellings Gondomar for an instance made great bragges of this that though he were the Embassador of the great King and besideâ— that he had a breech that was not very bowable yet he mist not an inch of his manners to Blackwell in the tower False Prophets are with the wicked alwayes most in request because they serve their lusts and please their humors Balacâ— would not let Aaron haue so much as a bit of bread or 〈◊〉 draught of water but Balaam I warrant you wanted no dainties Ioash King of Israel was no good man and yet how did he honour loue with the best loue he had Elisha the Prophet 2. King 13 14. When the man of God was a dying he commeth to him vveeping over him cryeth out Oh my father my father the chariot and the Horsmen of Israel Alexander the great came dovvne from his horse and entertained Iaddo the high Priest of Hierusalem vvith all reverent respect All these and many more examples may condemne the neglect of this in the Professors of Christ ApplicatioÌ„ But vvee had best looke to it for neglect or contempt of Gods Messengers in time of peace maketh a vvoefull vvant of them in time of vvar especially vvhen the good spirit of God hath left the soule Saul in his peace vvould haue no Prophet but such as vvere of his ovvne stampe and pleased his humor therefore insteed of Samuel he had none but the devill to ansvvere him in the day of his distresse could all Baals Prophets and his full-fed trencher-chaplaines say nothing to him No never a vvord they vvere all to seeke A false deceiving Hananiah vvith his hornes a Doeg or doglike Amaziah accusing the bretheren a furious boxing Zedekiah smiting Gods Ministers on the mouth vvill prove but miserable comforters in the day of danger Therefore they must be Gods Ministers indeed and not barely in name of the Lords ovvne sending
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
Speculum Belli sacri OR THE LOOKINGGLASSE OF THE HOLY WAR Wherein is discovered The Evill of War The Good of Warr The Guide of War IN THE LAST OF THESE I GIVE A SCANTLING OF THE CHRISTIAN Tackticks from the levying of the Souldier to the sounding of the Renaiâ— together with a modell of the carryage both of Conquerour and conquered I haue applyed the generall rules warranted by the Word to the particular necessity of our present times GALLAT 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them DEVT. 29.9 When the Hoast goeth against the enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing 1 SAM 17.47 And all the Assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not vvith sword for the battell is the Lords and he will giue you into our hands Qui presumit de viribus suis antequam pugnet prosternitur Aug. Printed Anno 1624. TO THE MOST ILLVSTIOVS PRINCE FREDERICK KING OF Bohemia Count Palatine of the Rhine c. As also to the most vertuous Lady ELIZABETH Queen of Bohemia and onely daughter to the great and mighty King of Great Brittain THE life of man most illustrious Prince and Princesse is said by God himselfe to be full of trouble yea Iob 14.2 the Humanists term it and that truely rather a trouble then a life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt sâ—evis projectas ab undis jacet infans indigus omni vitali auxiâ—â—o Lucr lib 6. Diog. Laert lib 9 in vita ipsius This needeth no other proofe then woefull experience through all the parts of mans life The Poet pretily Emblemes our infancy with a ship broken Marriner cast naked hurt and helplesse from the waues upon the shore bewraying with woefull cryes the rest of the passages answerable to the beginning If the consideration hereof made that great Philosopher Democritus weep continually what heart of flesh and eye of pittie can from the promontorie of our present security without a floud of teares behold the wether-beaten Barke of Gods Church over which to use the phrase of the Psalmist all the waues Psâ—l 42.8 and billows of the Lord doe passe yea one deep so calleth for another that if God himselfe were not the Ararat to rest upon it should be split in peeces upon the rockes of Shittim Quorum pars magna fui A great part of this distresse your Graces are therefore for mine own part I could wish with Ieremy That my head were full of water Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes were a fountain of teares Jn the Christall nature wherof while I looked for the cause of this evill that memorable passage of defeated Pompey did offer it selfe to my meditation An approved Author telleth us that Pompey being defeated in the Pharsalick battell as he fled to Aegypt hee took off tht way to visit the Philosopher Cratippus whom curiously he questioned whether at all there were any divine Providence or Moderation of humane things or not For his own part he could hardly be perswaded that God regarded those sublunary things because he had the worse in the better cause The Philosopher answered that there was a full period appointed to Kingdoms beyond which they could not passe The answer and the question now I passe because I shall haue occasion in the Treatise further to explane them But may it please your Highnesse to obserue thus much that if flesh and bloud or meere philosophy be guide in this inquisition a good man may loose himselfe for not onely doth the Athiest from the adversity of the godly and prosperity of the wicked peremptorily conclude Mal. 3.14 that it is in vain to serue God but even the Saints of God forgetting their Logick haue stumbled upon the like Paralogism Ps 63.4.5.6 c. Witnesse the Prophet David in that psalm where he compareth the peace plenty and prosperity of the wicked with the adverse and contrary things which doe befall the people of God Waters saith he of a full cup are wrung out to them Where both the quality and quantity of affliction is laid open Vpon this the people of God are said to turn in that is David and others namely to the thoughts following Is it thus with us Hence they gather this false conclusion How doth God know c. Surely in vain I haue cleansed my heart c. But this they doe in their phrensie a sympton of the fever of their affliction which David acknowledgeth with censuring of himselfe in the same psalm v. 15.21.22 If your Majesties heart hath been levened for so the word doth signifie v. 21. with any such temptation be not discouraged there hath no temptation taken you but such as hath befallen the servants of God Goe with David to the sanctuary and there you shall see the cause of your affliction and your enemies successe for a time namely to work Your tryall their destruction In the mean time renowmed Princes the Lord biddeth you goe on Speak unto the children of Israel that they goe forward Ex 14.15 As we cease not to our power to fill the golden censor with odors Rev. 8. that it may be filled againe with fire and cast upon the earth that is Gods and your enimies Cicero de crator Hutarch in Hannib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so I haue presumed though the least of all to present your Highnesse with a model or draught of the holy Warre indeed with an earnest intreatie not to faint or giue over till God giue the victory If an experienced Souldier shall censure this Frame as Hamball did Phormio for his lecture of Militarie Discipline with the livery of a fool or as Archidamus did Periander who of a good Phisitian made himselfe by his evill favored Verses an extreme evill Poet let him obserue well and I hope hee shall finde no wrong offered to his Element As for the meannesse of the Frame your gracious acceptance as a stately Roofe shall cover all the deformitie Jn great things it is enough to will as Princes are Gods so in this they resemble him to respect the good will more then the work If I can bring but Goats haire to couer the outside of the Tabernacle or wield but a sling against the Goliah of Babylon or bring but some odors to the Censor of your annoynted selues and yours it shall comfort me and happily encourage others to shew the way more fully at the which I haue pointed Whatsoever it is I am bold to present it to your Highnesses joynt protection You are together the subject of calamity yea the But and point blanke whereat they aim You are joyntly together prayed for that the Lord would plant you as hee hath plucked you up and giue you double joy for your sorrow and glory for your confusion yea that you may not onely be built up but that you may joyntly build up Jerusalem which is the praise of the world In the mean time gracious Princes possesse your soules
in patience For the patient wayting of the righteous shall not alwaies be forgotten Your Highnesses in all humble duty A. L. TO THE PRINCE HIS HIGHNES CHARLES The Hope of great Brittain Most gracious Prince WHILST with mournful eye I often viewed the deepe and long continued distresse of your dearest sister and of her royall Lord it gaue me occasion to inquire into the equitie of their cause which in all impartiall judgemeÌ„t shal be found so just that they and all that loue them may appeale to God for the pleading of it but perceiving the successe not to answer the cause and that some for want of love and some for want of judgement did judge the cause by the events I went with David into the sanctuary whence I discovered the causes of their calamitie notwithstanding of the goodnesse of the cause namely the all-wise God to be the chiefe workman who putteth every one into the refining pot that he appoints for his treasurye they and theirs and in them especially all the families of God to be the gold Aegipt or Babilon to be the sornace the Amalekits to be the fewell or fire-workemen the croaking frogges to be the bellowes and the purging and refining of his owne people to be the worke Vpon this discovery betweene love and feare yea out of more love then skill I must confesse I undertooke the framing of this modell of the sacred War wherein I handle at large the particulars of the said discovery as they doe occur in their proper places Heerin brieflie by way of application I haue laid the particuliar passages of both sides to the generall rules illustrated by the fittest examples that my reading would affoord me that the regularitie or obliquitie of euery passage may appeare I haue laid open according to my small skill the pandâ—micall diseases of warr together with the remedies by the way I haue touched vpon domestick affaires and in all this course I haue made the sacred word the loadstone the compasse and the lesbian rule whereby to square and direct all the rest This I presumed to dedicate to their Highnesses because they are the speciall parties as the Lord speaketh that haue seene affliction by the Rod of Gods wrath Lam. 3. but considering how they and theirs Gods cause in their hands and whatsoever is commended to them standeth need both of a protector and revenger I was emboldened on the knees of my bounden duetie and best affection to intreat your grace that according to your accustomed favour you would vouchsafe to looke into this looking-glasse and howsoever its vnpolished ruggednes may rather be discovered by your compleate skill Heroick experience in Armes then its abilitie to direct so Princely a Director yet that sure word wherewith this glasse is steeled will both be light to leade you and strength to make you victorious and as a Trumpet though a meane Officer serveth to rouse the courage of the greatest Commander so this shall rather give an Alarum to your Martiall spirit theÌ„ ad to your Highnes literature courage or skill Gird on your sword then Gracious Sir goe on in the Lord and for the Lord and prosper Our eies are fixed towards God and then upon you in te unuÌ„ oculi omniuÌ„ conversi you are the tree from whose shade the Saints doe looke for shelter refreshing and which shall kill by Antipathye the Snakes of Babel If your Grace would giue me leaue I could lay downe many motives as first Gods honor in the dust Religion at the stake the healing of the beasts wound and the setting of Dagon againe upon the stumps Secondly it was Iosuahs honor to deliver the craftie Gibionits once become his confederates from the fiue Kings whom he put to the sword what honor shall it be to you to vindicate from disgrace and wrong a paragon of Princes a tryed Iewel aboue the patience of her sex an onely loving and a lovely Sister a Prince persecuted by the wicked and deprived of all for the maintenance of the truth a Princely issue as deare and neare to you as Lot was to Abraham and lastlie the people of God in an Aegiptian thraldome Teares here are the best Orators I will say no more but as the wife of Intiphernes said to Darius concerning her brother you can never haue another Sister Thirdly that cruell and cursed crew that hunt for their soules would devoure you and yours if opportunitie should serve Fourthly it shal be your greatest honour to fight Gods battles and who knoweth but that you are the man for whom God hath reserved that honor Charles the great made Rome great And may not a greater Charles raze Romes greatnes Concerning the ruine of Rome which must be accomplished by your Princelie name I commend to your Grace this prophesie Imperium fâ—sâ—es C. fastus seeptra triumphus Quaefuerant penitus C. veniente cadent Fifthly your late admirable deliverance out of the paw of the lyon out of the Iaw of the Beare requireth by course that you should encounter with Goliah Non potuit perire taÌ„tarum lachrimaraÌ„ filius Aug conf Lib. 3. c. 12. Tu non inventa reperta es Sir God thought on you and on vs in you when you thought not on your selfe and blessed be God his name who hath made that principall good that the sonne of so many prayers could not perish Yea wee may truely say to our comfort that you are found againe Lastly your Princely resolution and irrevocable word hath ingaged you to the service of Sions deliverance if you should leaue Sion helplesse which God forbid it were in a manner hopelesse To inlarge these motives to your Grace were but to bring the gleanings of the grapes to the vintage of your literature and policie craving therefore pardon for my boldnesse of speech bluntnesse of phrase Play my selfe the subject and my humble suite at the soote of your Highnesse censure Your Highnesse his most humblie devoted A. L. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT Right Honourable and most Worthy AS many things fall in between the end and the putting of it in execution So whilst J was in hand with this Treatise by the providence of God and his Majesties call you were assembled in the Honourable and High Court of Parliament Which Assembly we pray may be like that assembly of David and his States in Hebron where first they made a covenant before the Lord and thereafter went to warre against the Iebusites and then against the Philistims and overcame them both 2 Sam. 3.15 Strike your Covenant then with the Lord and your warre shall surely prosper For the discoverie of your Adversaries which is a main principle of warre you need not a Vox populi you haue vivam vocem Principis Onely this little Work which I humbly commend unto your view I wish may be vox tubae to your martiall designes a perspectiue it is whose optic medium is the word
Milites veteres literatos etiam c. ut Lamprid. and in Militarie matters such as by their service and carriage had deserved well their places Also schollers such as were well versed in Histories desiring them to unfold what they knew from the Romane histories or any other concerning any matter they had in hand Pirrhus said of Cyneas hee had got more Cities by his eloquence then by his own forces I knew a very rawe boned youth of a meer Scholler proved an excellent and much honored Souldier The Ancients doe Hyerogliph a wise and able Councel by a little fish that goeth before the great Whale which as an ancient Naturalist records how truely I will not now dispute doth seek and finde out every necessary for the Whales maintenance discovereth all shallows and dangerous passages demonstrating the way by the motion of it selfe As long as this liveth the Whale is safe this being dead the Whale knoweth not what to doe Iust so a learned and wise Councell provideth how the Throne of the Prince may be established looks out everie thing that may make him happy in his government and his subjects happy in him they foresee likewise the shallows and the shelfes of base indignity vvhereupon a Prince may run himselfe at unawares by good counsels motions and admonitions they avert him from every thing that may dishonour himselfe vex his subjects or bring his Kingdom into contempt In a word a wise Councel is the glory of his Majesty and the Theater of his actions as Antigonus said of Zeno which being removed by death or dislike the pillars of State are removed and so the edifice must fall Princes then are not well advised in making choice of insufficient men for the government of State that there own sufficiency may appear the more Wil the Sunne darken the Starrs that it may shine the brighter Wil the fountain haue but dripping conduits that all may come to the Conduits head Or vvould a man be lame in his hands or feet that the vvit of his head might the better appear God indeed doth great things by vveak and foolish means yet that is his prerogatiue Again they are strong and wise in him and through him Now I come to the last 4 Honesty but not the least namely the honestie required in Councellours Which wee must not take strictly onely for outward decency vvith the Apostle or for that Economick Rom. 12.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethick or Politick honesty vvhich we call by the name of Civill honesty by which it is possible as the Car-men of this age assure for some to goe to heaven But vvee must take it so as it comprehendeth piety equity and honesty called by the Evangelist good and fair honesty Luk. 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iethro gaue Moses counsell to make choyce of such Councellours Exod. 18.20 compare it with Deut. 1.13 and you shall see 7 properties required Wisedome Vnderstanding knowledge fear of God ability truth and hatred of coveteousnesse The like choyce vvas to be observed for that great Shanhedrion consisting of 70 with Moses Numb 11.16 These were interressed in the highest matters and sate vvith Moses himselfe The spirit directeth vvhat men they should be namely known men that is such as haue approved themselues by their wisedom and good carriage worthy of so great a place One describing the properties of a good Councellour commeth close to this marke They should haue experimentall wit in their brains words of truth in their mouths zeale in their iustice and sanctity in their life Tully giveth a reason from the weight of their charge De Sence lib. 3. Councellours of State should be better then other men because they haue the custody of the Common-wealth He illustrateth the same by a Master of a Ship sitting at the Helm Ambrose giues another reason from the quality of counsell either good or bad according to the Councellour Who will seek fair water out of a puddle or a pearle amongst dirt and Mire Where lust avarice Atheism or Idolatry remaineth shall a King State or Generall look for good counsell Can a man gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The counsell is as the counsellour witnesse Salomon Prov. 12.5 The counsels of the wicked are deceit the words are very emphaticall in the originall the craftie counsels of the ungodly are deceit where he cals them not deceitfull but deceit as all composed of deceit and no other thing in them Anne eum idoneum putabo qui mihi det consilium qui non dedit sibi lib. 2. de offi The Septuagint Translation is a good paraphrast They coyn out in steed of counsell ungodly deceit Shall I think him a fit man saith he to giue me counsell that never took any good counsell to himselfe No where any sin raigneth there is no room for good counsell There may well be counsell for Rome A third reason may be given from the divers effects that follows from good and evill counsellours Forreignes use to inform themselues of two things especially in the State Of the Councell of State and of the Kings foole if the Councell be wise and vertuous and the foole simply plain and honest there they gather evidences of a well governed State But if the Councell be shallow and corrupt and the foole more knaue then foole thence they collect the weaknesse of the State And indeed as the Councellors be good or bade so falleth or flourisheth the State A remarkeable instance of this we haue in Ioash King of Iudah who under the counsell of Iehoiada his uncle governed exceeding well hee was zealous of Gods service he razed out all the High places purged the Church rooted out Baals Priests caused mony to be collected for the repairing of Gods house In a word He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the daies that Iehoiada lived all which time he prospered But Iehoiada being dead the Princes of Iuda Baals old friends comes to the King with cap and knee like dissembling traitors as they were and tels him The Mar-Kings Oration no doubt a fair tale that liberty of conscience would doe wel and he might honour himselfe and please his subjects much to restore to them againe their old service hee had too too long been awed by an old hot-spur who it might be had shewed more fury then zeale in the harsh handling of his grandmother and that happily for some end of his own and howsoever he had saved his life and brought him to the Kingdome yet all this time he had been but his King restreyned of those pleasures and delights that otherwise he might haue had For as for their parts they had no delight to come at Court where for such a precise fellow they could not be merry besides hee had quitted him of all his regall authority in matters of religious worship wherefore it should be greater for
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
but more their sinnes vvhich were the cause And as he had the Duke and other Nobles for his Hearers so he gaue him and all the rest their portion shewing their particular faylings in that businesse which they all intertained as from God and acknowledging their sinns they were mightily encouraged and began to wax strong so that by Gods mercy in the end they prevailed as hereafter you shall hear Last of all the necessity of such doth appear in the happy successe of such Warres as haue made use of them Was not Elisha better to the King of Israelâ— then all his strength and counsel beside Eleazar was joyned with Ioshua the Priests bare the Arke and blew the Trumpets in the Lords warre for that was the Lords appointment Numb 1.10 31.6 One instance may serue for many namely of that great battel betwixt Abijah King of Iudah and Ieroboam King of Israel Where Ieroboam had the oddes in forces to the number of three hundred thousand men yet Abijah by his oration sheweth that he was confident he had the better And why 2 Chro. 13.12 Because saith he God is with us for our Captaine and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry alarum against you Where you see that Abijah conceived and that truely â—â—at he had great oddes of Ieroboam even in this particular â—at he had the Priests of the Lord and they the Priests of â—ols We may see how much the Priests and Prophets are â—steemed in warre even of the wicked by Balaâ—ms desiring â—f Balak to come and curse the people of God The hoâ—ourable esteem that Balaâ—m had of Baâ—aâ—k Num. 22.36 appeareâ—h in this â—at he went out to meet him Yea the Iewes in their rebelliâ—n against Adrian the Emperour had their Bar Cochab that 〈◊〉 the son of the Starre And so hath the Romish Iebusites And as to the Iewes finall undoing he proved Bar Cozibae the â—nne of falshood so shall the Iesuites proue in the end when â—heir seduced Crue shall see themselues deceived Who â—ught Ioash the King of Israel to smite his enemies but â—e Prophet Elisha 2 King 13.14 I will add but one instance more very memorable and admirable In the warres 〈◊〉 Scotland for the establishing of the Gospel the Protesâ—nt Army being nigh S. Andrews resolved upon â—eliberation not to goe thither by reason of the Queens â—reat forces in and about it that godly Minister spoken of â—efore being with them in all their troubles told the Arâ—â—y that he was resolved to preach there the next day being â—e Lords day According to which resolution he taketh his â—ible and goeth on When he came to the Citie the Queen â—nd her forces were fled for fear That night and the next â—ay he taught laying open the haynonsnesse of the sin of â—dolatry pressing the Magistrates with the ejecting of it â—d erecting of Gods true vvorship which so wrought upâ—n their hearts that the effect followed Yea that very act by Gods blessing was the very break-neck of Babel in those â—arts Thus you see the grounds cleared for the necessity of such â—cred Councellours in Gods Warres wherein I haue been â—â—e larger because howsoever this is universally slighted â—ver as a matter of least moment yet if it be judiciously and religiously weighed it shall proue a point of 〈◊〉 greatest importance Doth reason direct men to provide good souldiers a goâ— Generall good Officers a good Phisitian a good Chiâ—gian and shall they neglect the providing of a good Minister of whom I may say truely that in an Army he is boâ— Fabius and Marcellus a sword and a bucklar But by how much the necessity of such is the greater Application 〈◊〉 much the more is the neglect and contempt of such to bâ— regrated Neither in peace nor warr are the Watchmen 〈◊〉 God in their deserved esteem The counsell and commaâ— of such by men of all sorts as it is from God should bâ— obeyed and followed God commandeth us to obey sâ—â— as haue the oversight of us and to haue them in singular esteeâ— for the works sake They that murmur against such theâ— murmur against God and they that reject such they rejeâ—â— God If Eliah be found out he is charged to be the enâ—my of the State because he speaketh the truth They thâ—â— be indeed the troublers of Israel doe falsly charge it upoâ— the Watchmen of Israel Time-serving Amaziah will conjuâ— Amos from the Court and the Kings Chappell Lyiâ— Hananiah will not stand to contest against God himseâ—â— speaking by Ieremiah If Micaiah will not sooth with a hâ— to destruction hee must be hated and beaten for thâ— truth Zedekiah giveth him a bok on the ear and 〈◊〉 ther setteth him packing or fast by the heeles In a word if the man of God with the Apostle Paul deâ—ver painefully faithfully and freely the whole counsell of God he 〈◊〉 presently charged with conspiracie against the State the land cannot beare the words of such an one God indeeâ— hath given such counsellers but the rebellious of this time cannot brooke them eyther they choake them or chop them on the cheeke Our case and Israells is much alike I raysed up your sonnes for prophets saith God by Amos you â—ong men for Nazarits but how doe they use them They gaue their Nazarites wine to drinke Amos 2.11 and commanded their Prâ—â—bets saying prophesie not It is holden a great policie now for Micaiah that his word be like one of the rest and that he speake â—ood whatsoever come of it but a Micaiah indeed dare not â—ally for a world but whatsoever the Lord saith that he will beake Men had best looke to it for whosoever he be that â—eepeth backe one iote of Gods counsell for feare of the â—ce of a mortall man shall never be able with Paul to make a â—omfortable account of his Embassye to God which is far â—etter for a Minister then life it selfe Yea this huckstering of Gods counsell is the very way to bring the Minister to a â—earfull visible and exemplarie confusion The speech of God to Ieremie should be the word in the Ministers Banner â—ird up thy loines and arise speake unto them all that I command â—ee be not dismayed at their faces lest I consume thee before them Ier. 1.17 Indeed the faces of Kings and great Ones especially Generals in a field are full of feare and terrour to weake â—llie men that carry no Armes but the Word To this purâ—ose the Sermon of one Gregory Preacher to Fredericke Duke â—f Saxon a man much approved by Luther is not unworthie your view This man dealing roundly in the Dukes â—udience against the sinnes of the time being somewhat â—fraid to smite at the Princes sinnes in a publique place he â—ame home to him very handsomely with this similitude A Preacher saith he is not unlike to one that uncaseth a Hare it is an easie matter to uncase or take the skin of all the
that are Counsellours in vvarr As of al the heavenly creatures that ever God made a good Angell is the best but a bad Angell is become the vvorst so of all the sonnes of men a good Minister is the best and therefore called an Angell but a bad Minister the vvorst and therefore may bee called a Devill As all Gods Saints are his peculiar Iewels so his Messengers are the Starshining-Diamonds amongst the Iewels A mans state is but weak when he pawneth or putteth away his Iewels But it is a note of ignominie for a Prince to pawn his Crown Gods faithfull Ministers are the Crowns and Iewels of the Kingdom All the Iewelrie of Venice is not worth one of them A question was put once what Forreignes had received the richest gifts out of the Tower One answered the Spaniard another answered not so for the Duke of Bulloin had carryed the richest Iewell out of the Tower that ever was in it yea such an one as was worth all the rest and the Archduchesses inventory besides Those Princes wrong themselues much saith a learned Author that send such Iewels out of the land because they may stand in need of them when they cannot be had I haue knowne some of the black crue on their death bed to haue cryed out and roared for comfort from such Ministers whose presence in their health they haue hated and whose persons they haue persecuted besides others instance that Maule of the Ministery and arch-persecutor the first letters of whose name were Sir P. M. having persecuted in his life with cruel persecution that holy Father M. R. B. in dispair at his death he sent sundry to seek him but neither the man of God nor the favour of God could be found God giue others of his stamp to look to it in time for as there be many haters and persecutors of Gods Ministers against the light so I see or reade but of a very few reconciled to God Of all the gifts that ever God gaue to a people such a Iewel as I shewed is the very best Witnes that saying of God by the Prophet Ieremy Amongst many blessings promised upon repentance hee promiseth to giue them a good Pastour as the Crown of all the rest Ier. 3.18 And I will giue you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede them with knowledge and understanding But of all the plagues that ever God threatned against a people or brought upon a people a Counterfeit Iewel is the very worst Witnesse likewise the Lord Chap. 2.11 by the Prophet Micah If a man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lie saying I will prophesie unto thee of wine and of strong drinke he shall even be the Prophet of this people Let Gods Warriours then take heed of such as God hath not sent of Wolues in Sheeps cloathing beware of vile pontificall Iason who for gain vvill betray the Citie and the Sanctuary to abominable Antiochus Let Nehemiah beware of couzening Shemaiah vvho under a colour of saving his life would earn the hire of iniquity from Tobiah and Samballet by suggesting false feares to disgrace him and to bring an evill report upon Gods Generall So man-pleasing Vriah is also to be looked to vvith vvhom change is no robbery namely to chop out the Altar of God and in the Altar of Damascus Take heed likewise of the Turn-coat Levite at the rate of who will giue most And likewise of the belly-god Chop-church the Bisteepled or Tristeepled metaphisicall ubiquitatiue the enemy to the crosse of Christ the maker of merchandize of Gods vvord Never one of this crew vvill doe good but hurt These cannot make up the breach nor rise up in the gap Ezech. 13.5 nor stand in the battell of the day of the Lord Hosea 9.8 yea the Lord calleth such snares and fowlers in the way of the people and hatred in the house of God In the name of God then let Gods Lieftenants get such as are of God such as are the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel and they vvill teach them to smite their enemies as Flisha did Ioash The ordering of the Lords Army by his own appointment is an excellent pattern for all others in this point Moses and Aaron with the Priests and Levites vvere quartered about the Tabernacle between the Sanctuary and the Tribes of Israel and as they were next unto the holy place and kept Centinal there continually so they were the first that moved in the March Numb 2. Neither vvas it onely so in the Camp of Israel but also in the Camp of the new Ierusalem vvhere God hath his Throne You may see the like namely between Gods Throne and the 24 Elders compassing it There are foure living creatures full of eyes glorifying God night and day Rev. 4.5.10 after whom the 24 Elders fall down and worship God This me thinkes should be a strong motiue to all Gods forces to take this course since none can giue better order for incamping then God himselfe Vntill the time such Centinall be set such Watch be kept such Counsellours be followed and such Commanders in the first place be obeyed giue me leaue to be plain the Lord will not be with us But if this couse be taken as I hope it shall I durst pawn my life for it that Gods enemies should flee before us with shame enough to their faces As the croaking froggs the Iesuites are the incendiaries of warre so it must be undertaken and continued at their pleasure What warre by the Papists hath been undertaken since they began to flourish but they haue had a speciall hand in it It is true as Remigius Nantelius a Dane doth discover that the Iesuites went not personally to warre before the Prince of Parmes going into France about the year 1595 because they thought it a disgrace to their Clergie and a breach of a Law made against it so to doe but with a non obslante sundry ensignes of them followed the said Prince with their Chariots and all furniture yea with their banners after the manner of Princes therunto ambitiously annexed they gaped as the Author saith for honour and spoile wherof they did assure themselues if the Prince had subdued the French In rationali Iesuitarum For it should haue been their prayers onely that moved God to giue the overthrow to their enemies But they counted before their Host and so they were deceived in the reckoning Yet for all this they cease not to ply it assuring all that fight for the beast that it shal goe well with them Their large promises of heaven of victory of pardon of freeing of their friends out of Purgatory and foyling and rooting out of their enemies maketh me call to minde a blasphemous brag of that curseâ— Heretick Nestorius made Prelate of Constantinople by Theâ—dosius to whom he speaketh thus in a Sermon O Caesar purâ— me the land of Hereticks meaning the true worshippers oâ— God and I shall giue thee
heaven Tripartit hist lib. 12. cap. 1. help thou me to root 〈◊〉 them and I shall help thee to overcome thine enemies For thâ—â— hee was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fling-fire in French Bon te feu Iust so the frogges of the bottomlesse pâ— doe croak and call together the Kings of the eariâ— to the battle of Armageddon with this incouragement Root out those pestilent Heretickes quit your Dominions of them and besides the peace and prosperity with plenty and obedience from your loyall Catholike subjects you shall haue heaven hereafter as sure as the Pope himselfe who hath the disposing of it But how they haue sped and prospered that haue followed their counsell I shall haue occasion to shew hereafter And as they are of their father the Devill and with lying words deceiue men so 〈◊〉 will assure you upon the word of God who cannot lie that if you will procure such Ministers as are of God warranting their Call by their life and doctrine and hearken to such and obey them as from the Lord the Lord hath said it Deut. 28.7 He shall curse thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face they shall come against thee one way Esa 1.19 and flee seven waies before thee If you will be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land Where obserue especially that there must be a willing obedience otherwise both the Minister and the meanes can doe no good It is a vain thing and the grossest point of Popery to presume upon the ordinances Obadiah 1. or the work done This is to make the Nest in the Clift of the rock out of which the Lord will bring every one down that so doth for God thereby is robbed of his glory and the soule cozened when it commeth to reckon The Trojans trusted foolishly to their Paâ—â—adium the Asiatickes to their Pessimuntius the Romanes to their Ancilia the Papists to the Crosse and holy-water and the Israel of God to the Arke of God As the idolatrous Papist in any common calamity cals for the pax and the host so the Israelites caused bring the Arke and putting carnall confidence in that without any counsell asked of Samuel or commandment from the Lord it must be carryed out to battell They were no better here then the uncircumcised Philistim or rather worse for they feared the Arke more then God and his people trusted to the Arke more then to God but the Arke was so far from saving them that God gaue both them and it into the hands of the enemies Yea for their wickednesse and vain confidence the Lord so abhorred his own Ordinances that he suffered them to be polluted with the foule hand of the uncircumcised Philistim who had nothing to doe with them In the very same predicament be our carnall Gospellers who being confident upon the profession of the outward badges of Christian profession as the Word and Sacraments thinke all shall be well enough they are baptized they haue the Word and receiue the Sacraments and they haue an excellent Teacher and they frequent the house of God and sit before the preacher and commend both him and the Sermon the Word is as a louely song and they shew much loue to him with their mouthes Ezech. 33.31 c. but there is one thing wanting which marreth all They heare the words saith God but they will not doe them If the distressed people in the Palatinate Bohemia and Switzerland examine the cause of their captivity in their own land I beleeue they shall finde their presuming on the meanes with unanswerable walking to haue deprived them of the means and made Ashur to lie heavy upon them their exemplary punishment giues an alarum from the Lord to England and Holland who presuming on some Watchmen upon the walls and some manna about their tents thinkes the Lord will never come against them nor remoue the Candlestick but let them know that except the deadnesse of Sardis and the lukewarmnesse of Laodicea be really repented of the Lord will pull them out of the 〈◊〉 of that rock Yea and rather pollute his own Ordinances then indure their mockerie The Provinces may happiâ—â— presume upon some purer reformation and expulsion 〈◊〉 the Antichristian Hierarchie but I protest upon my knowledge from the griefe of my soule that they carry a name that they liue but they are dead both to the power of the the Word and Discipline for besides the infection of all plaguie heresies that they keep warm amongâ— them where is the power of the Word in Saboath keeping family duties gracious words and holy walking Where is the Pastor that can say here am I and they whoâ— God hath given me Where is the power of the Ministery in shaking of the hearts of great Ones Who will not like the Nobles of the Tekoits Nâ—b 3.5 put their neckes to the work of the Lord Yea their great ones in a manner overtop both Word and Ministery and as their enemies speak like 〈◊〉 many petty Popes they make the power of both swords serue onely humane policy which as it is a justling out of Gods honour in putting the Cart before the Horse so it is a thing that God cannot bear for hee is very jealous of his glory and of the Scepter of his Kingdom If the calamity of the aforesaid people cannot work let them and us take a veiw of Scotland the very paragon of true reformation where there was not so much as one hoofe of the beast left yea where their tallest Cedars were made to stoup at the foot of Gods Ordinances yet for want of fruits worthy of so great a mercie the Lord cast them in the furnace of affliction as famine sicknesse dearth and death yea which is worst of all he hath suffered the stinking carkasse of the interred whore to be raked out of the graue and the froggs of Aegipt to swarm in Goshen which is a great and fearfull wonder What think you Is Israel a servant Is he a home-born slaue Why is he spoyled Ier. 2.14 c. Hast not thou procured or deserved the like unto thy selfe v. 17. My counsell is that Princes States and people both with us and them might be humbled for this particular for God doth threaten us if we doe not Ier. 2.37 that wee shall goe forth from him with our hands upon our head yea he will reject our confidences and we shall not prosper in them The injoying of the meanes without the holy use of them maketh men but the more lyable to the wrath of God The word and works that were taught and wrought in Bethsaida made their case more woefull then the case of Tyrus and Sydon By how much higher Capernaaum was lifted up to heaven in the plenty of the meanes by so much lower was it prest down to hell in the abuse of the meanes Take notice then it is not the Temple of the Lord
nor the word of the Lord nor the Prophets of the Lord that will serue the turn but labour to be Temples for the Lord to dwell in Let the word dwell plenteously in you yeeld obedience to all Gods comandements and especially look to the keeping of the Saboth hate all superstition turn away your eyes from beholding vanity especially from stage-plaies the very theater of vanity the chayre of the Devil and the other masse-book of the Iesuite Labour as much to doe as to hear and make much of him that brings the message for the messages sake and then be sure the Lord will blesse you He shall blesse all those that blesse you and curse all those that curse you and the Viols of odours which are the prayers of the Saints shal one day descend upon the head of you and yours like a precious ointment CHAP. XXVII The wise carriage of Counsell NOW I come to the last thing in Counsell which is thâ— wise carriage of it namely it must be kept secret noâ— onely from the enemy but also from all that are not oâ— the Councell of War The discovery of the enemies counsell I shewed the discovery of the enemies counsell to be no small advantage so the secrecy 〈◊〉 our own counsell is the lock and key to good successe Foâ— the discovery of the former not onely common souldiers or ordinary Commanders haue adventured their liues but even great Generals and Princes themselues as Fabius Case brother to Fabius Maximus in an Hetrussian habite discovered their forces and intent Saladine Sultain of Egipt hearing of the preparation and expedition of the Christian for the recovery of Ierusalem Egnat l. 9. cap. 8. himselfe in the habite of a private man went through France Germany and Spain and discovering what he could returned to his Kingdom iâ— safety So Athertus Brandoline in the habit of a Labourer under the pretence of selling Grapes entred the Camp oâ— Francis Sforcia Duke of Millain and discovered his forces But to clear those attempts in such personages of temerity The secresie of their own counsell Nulla concilia mâ—â—iora sunt quaÌ„ illa quae ignoraverit adversarius antequam facâ—as 〈◊〉 will not stand For the latter namely the keeping of their own counsell secret it concerneth the greatest and the best It is the plain position of Vegetius That there is no counsell better theâ— that which is concealed from the enemy before it be put in execution The same Authour in another place giveth a reason of the said position It is the safest saith he that all the things we doe in preparations or expeditions be hid from the knowledge of the enemies Hence it is as the same Author and others report lib. 3. c. 26. Tutissimum namque in expeditionibus c. that the ancients gaue the Minotaur in their ensignes that as he was placed by Dedalus in an inaccessable aborinth so the counsel of war should be wonderfull secret Hereupon One hath made a prettie Embleme the application whereof is this unfolding the reason Nosque monent debere ducum secreta latere Consilia authori cognita techna nocet This teacheth Captaines to keepe secrets closse For these reveald turns to the Authors losse For keeping of secresie in war Vegetius hath a marveylous good rule of that which seemeth fit to be done consult with many Quid fieri debet tractato cum multis quid vero facturus sis c. of that which you intend to doe indeed consult with a few and that faithfull ones yea rather with your felfe meaning the Generall so that from the common souldier or ordinarie Commanders the courses intended are to be concealed There be many notable instances of well concealed counsell and the ensuing good in militarie writers amongst the rest none more common and yet none more remarkable then that of Q. Metellus Pius proconsull in the Spanish War against the Ceâ—iberi or French-Spanish as he beleagred Contrebia the chiefe citie of that precinct with all his forces he could not overcome it After long deliberation with himselfe what to doe he withdraweth his forces on a sudden and marcheth a pace to other parts and encamping sometimes here and sometimes there the cause of his so doing wa not onely hid from his enemies who did not regard it but also from his owne souldiers who wondring at his strange courses one amongst the rest being very inward with him demanded what he meant by these removals Valerius Mâ—x lib 7. cap. 4 Front lib. 1. cap. 1. Let alone saith he further to inquire for if my shirt knew what I meant to doe I would cause it to be burned thus seeming to direct his course another way he brings his forces before the cittie he giveâ—h the assault unexpected wherein they were surprised with such a sudden feare that without more a doe he tooke it Cesar C. Nero attending Hanibal desired exceedingly to prevent Asdrubal his brothers forces from ioyning with him but how to hold Hanibal in hand by concealing the matterâ— from him there was the cunning He draweth out of hiâ— forces ten thousand of the best and commandeth his Legates whom he left to keepe the same station to make sâ— many fires as they used to doe to giue the same face or shew of an intire Campe and Hanibal indeed did take it so to be In the meane time he ioyneth with Livius Salinator his coleague who was too weake of himselfe to ioyne battle with Asdrubal but the forces being ioyned and yet concealed from shew least Asdrubal should detract fight they ioyne battle Asdrubal is defeated and Nero returneth to the Campe ere Hanibal knew any thing So that of two of the wittiest Captaines that euer Carthage had the one was defeared and the other was deluded and that by well conceased counsell for if Hanibal had had but the least suspition they might haue lost their whole forces One example more in Iason who going to besiege a Towne in Thessalia he caused his souldiers to Arm and led them out being ignorant whether to goe or what to doe As they were marching he causeth a message to be brought that the enemy was marching toward them and that he had spoiled the fields all about whereat the souldiers being incensed the Generall leadeth them on to the very walls which they assaulted so fiercely unexpectedly that the Towne was takeÌ„ as the Author saith before eyther the conquered or the conquerour knew â—olyan lib. 5. Antigonus was so wary in keeping his counsell that when his son Phillip asked him in the hearing of divers when he meant to remove the Campe he gaue him no other answere but this Are you afraid saith he that you shall not hear when the trumpet soundeth taxing thereby partly the unadvisednes of the Prince Câ—lins Rhodâ— lib. 13. c. 5. who would aske his father such a question in the hearing of others and partly intimating that Princes counsell especially in
his secresie concealed he assaults and takes Amphipolis that neither expected him nor was provided against him Again another rule of tryall of trust directeth you to take heed of two sorts The first is such as their very Religion maintaineth treachery namely Papists professing that faith is not to be kept with Hereticks upon any relation The second sort is such as by their practise haue made ship wrack of their fidelity to any Qui semel est malus semper praesâ—mitur esse mâ—lus in eodem genere He that is once evill is ever so presumed to be in the same kind except the Lord renew him by repentance It is the nature of faith neither for fear nor flattery for gain or glory for hatred or applause of men to deceiue Pontius Centurio a Captain of Caesars being taken by Scipio Pompey his father-in law had his life offered him with an honourable place if he would serue Pompey who answered Scipio That he thanked him exceedingly Brusoni l. 2. c. 35. but of life upon such unequall conditions he stood in no need So he chosed rather to die then to falsifie his faith to Caesar Constantine would trust those Courtiers no more that had cracked their credit with God Theoderick an Arrian King did exceedingly affect a certain Deacon although he was an Orthodox This Deacon thinking that he should gratifie Theoderick much and attain to advancement became an Arrian which when the King understood he changed his loue into hatred and cursed the head to be struck from him affirming that if hee kept not his faith to God Euseb lib. 2 what duty in conscience could a man expect from him But to conclude this point of keeping counsell pray to God for wisedom and for wise and faithfull Counsellours for it is God that giveth and directeth the counsell of the wise Cum consilium tuum cognoveris adversariis proditum dispositioneÌ„â—uta lib. 3. cap. 23. and also discovereth and confoundeth the counsell of Achitophel To end then with the rule of Vegetius if your counsell be discovered to the enemy take an other course CHAP. XXVIII The execution of things consulted on THVS having finished my discourse of Counsell with the conditions thereof together with other things conducent to the good and guiding of warre I come now to the execution or managing of things wisely consulted of or if you will to discourse of the practick of warr As in all Arts and Sciences practicall practice is the proper end so especially in the Art of War wherin Counsell and Strength are required Innata est nobis vis a magis communibus ad minus communis procedere Primo Physicor Counsell to deliberate and Strength to execute There is an inbred sagacity in man as Aristotle saith to proceed from things more common to things more particular which course in this Treatise I keep applying the unfolded generall rules to their particular objects not that I take upon me to direct in every particular for that is both beyond my element and unpossible to the best experienced by reason of new occasions arising requiring rather an exception then a rule As it is the discretion of the Phisitian in the cure of this or that particular man by reason of occurring circumstances of implicate or opposite diseases not to walk by his generall rules for so he may kill rather then cure so an excellent rule of war evill applyed in the particular is like a Cataplasme to a true Plurisie in steed of Phlebotomie But not to insist in Apologie I intend to follow my ayme namely having touched the particulars to take them along with me to the standard of the Word whereby they being ordered and directed they may likewise be blessed from aboue CHAP. XXIX The true use of Stratagems THE managing of war according to the nature of war as you know is either Defensiue or Offensiue taking the denomination from the chiefest part otherwise a pure unmixt war especially if it be defensiue will proue but a poore one It may likewise be distinguished in regard of place in field-fight and oppugnation of holds In both which services before I come to touch the particulars let this position take place without controversie That stratagems are both lawfull and necessary neither doe they being lawfully used deserue the name of deceit That they are as usuall as war it selfe there is no question Witnesse all that haue written of war Vegetius Stuchus Egnatius Polyaenus and Frontine who hath foure whole books of Stratagems But because the examples of men must rule us no further then they are ruled by the Word you shall not onely see the examples of Gods people in his warrs warranted by the Word but also Gods own expresse direction for Stratagems for the destruction of Ai though the Lord had decreed it yet he giveth order for all necessary secundary means that might serue for the overthrow of it Ios 8.2 Cum justaÌ„ bellum suscipitur utruÌ„ appertè pugnet quis an ex insidiis nihil ad justiciam interest dominus enim c. Quest 10 in Iosua Dolus an virtus quis in hosce requirit Lay thou an ambushment saith the Lord for the Citie behind it In which words Ansâ—â— observeth very fitly When a iust warre is undertaken whâ—â—ther one overcome by open force or stratagem it is all one in thâ— ballance of Iustice for God saith he commanded Ioshua thâ— to intrap the inhabitants of Ai. The very saying of the Heâ— then is sound enough in this point so his termes be weâ—â— construed A Stratagem or Force all one to foes Neither can a Stratagem be properly called by the namâ— of deceit because deceit presupposeth some trust undeâ— parley league or kindnesse so that this being put upon aâ— enemy is rather as I may say doins acceptus then dolus dâ—tus because he should haue looked better to it The woâ—â— Dolus that the Poet useth abusiuely as Aâ—ujnas saith 〈◊〉 taken in the better part wherfore the Ancients when they took it in the worser part to make a difference called it â—â—lum malum Homer likewise taketh it in the better part soâ— commending Visses for his excellency of wit against his enemies and that by just proceeding setteth it down under thâ— very same name It is said of Phillip of Macedo that heâ— prevailed more this way then by all his forces But as the course is both lawfull and commendable so you must look to use it lawfully you must not shift in false deceit and couzenage under the colour of a true Stratagem There is as much difference betwixt these two as is betwixt a Magistrate using the sword of Iustice and a man lying in wait to cut his neighbours throat In every Stratageme there be two things especially to bee avoided faâ—se-deceit and lying the former hath relation to any league or parley or interim of truce promised or proclaimed Vnder these terms to attempt any thing directly against the enemy
plain with him as a friend lest afterward he might be deceived that hee had another fault intollerable in any man much lesse in a King There was no truth in his words no sincerity in his heart he trusted no body neither was hee trusted by any At which Macduâ—â— brake forth in these speeches Away with thee saith he the dishonour of the name of Kings a monster rather to be abandoned society then to be called to rule a Kingdom With which speeches going away in a great rage the King got him by the hand and told him hee put the case but to try him for he was no such man indeed Hist rer Scoti lib. 7. yea there was not a more religious faithfull just and magnanimious King amongst them all then he was Davids lie to Achimelech did more hurt then if twenty others had lyed 1 Sam. 21.2 he said the King had commanded him some secret businesse which was not so indeed And though he coyned upon neer necessity yet cannot he be excused of infirmity although he made no trade of it This lye cost the Priests their liues as he ingenuously confessed 2 Sam. 22.22 I haue occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house Besides this fault in great Ones as Kings Generals and Councellours makes inferiours of all sorts to count lying a grace The Courteours of Meroe a Kingdom of India counted themselues highly graced with limping and halting because the King halted Exemplary sin in great Ones maketh sin common and vice once common is counted novice but vertue though a lyar as the Poet saith is to bee hated to hell Yet for all this that hell is so hugely inlarged upon earth that we are become like the Egiptians who had no punishment for lying Nullus modus mentiendi summa meÌ„tiendi impunitas Alex. lib. 6 cap. 10. nor no measure in lying Two sinnes of all other the Persians most abhorred lying and breaking these two of all others bear now no little sway Yet it were our best to break off this sin For though we may lye by authority and no man can call us to account yet God will call us to an account for every idle word much more for every lye And though there be no penalty on earth yet the Iudge of heaven and earth hath appointed hell hereafter for lyers if they leaue not of and repent Rev. 22.15 Without shall be dogs saith the Lord and whosoever loveth and maketh a â—ye But some may reply what would you haue a Spy to doe how shall he accomplish his businesse except he deliver some untruths To which I answer as his calling is lawfull so he must use it lawfully whatsoever he doth he must not sin God putteth sin as a necessity upon no man he may conceale the truth or some part of the truth change his habite make shew of what he meaneth not to doe In all which he must take heed that they be not in matter of Religion for that will endure no part of dissimulation But some may instance that stratagem of Hushai in subverting the counsell of Achitophel wherein it seemeth he delivereth sundry untruthes 2 Sam. 16.16 and that against his knowledge as first he saluteth Absolom by the name of King and that he would be his and serue him Vers 18. Fuit officiosum meÌ„dacium Ambigue sermone ludificatur Osiander answereth that it was an officious lye but Iunius better That he dallied with Absolom in a doubtfull speech Peter Martyr pleadeth for warrant Divine instinct because David so directed him ch 15. v. 34. But howsoever if there were either untruth or equivocation in it it is no warrant for us CHAP. XXX The Oppugnation of an Hold. NOW I come more particularly to the oppugning and defending of an Hould wherein I mean to be briefe because the particulars of the service dependeth much upon the circumstances of the subject First then to the Assaylants There be two kinds of waies as Writers well obserue and experience teach Obsidendi duas esse species Veg. lib. 4. cap. 7. to besieg any place either by continued assault or by cutting off all supply of means wherby they may be forced to yeeld The latter of these is first to be attempted Fame potius quam ferro as Caesar well observed The Assaylants having chosen the best advantage of ground for entrenching of themselnes and planting of their Ordinance they are in the first place to look well to themselues Cum negligentia intervenerit paribus insidiis suliacent obsidentes Veget. lib. 4 cap. 28. for if neglect or carelessenesse overtake them as one well observeth they are subject to as great danger as the besieged Claudian the Poet both expresseth the danger and directeth the remedy multis damnosa fuere gaudia dispersi pereunt somnoque soluti Too many often joy Secure doth hurt whom lazie sleep doth slay The Apollinates whom Phillip besieged served him such a trick in the night time through the besiegers neglect they took in the Roman supply their enemies not knowing All the day following they kept themselues very quiet giving occasion to the Assaylant of security but in the silence of the night they sallyed forth without any noyse and possest themselues of the enemies Camp where they slew some thousands Livi lib. 33. and took more then they slew the King himselfe without his cloaths very hardly escaped Frontine gaue the same caution upon the same ground For whether the Assaylant saith he be taken with sleep or surfet or idlenesse or with any neglect of their place the besieged on a suddain sallyeth out they take kill consume and spoile with fire they undoe all their works take their munition In a word they marr all in an houre that the enemy hath been making and devising many daies moneths yea it may be years Therefore saith he they must look to guard themselues with all manner of defence and vigilancy as trenches towers Lib. 4. c. 28 or sconses against eruptions as well as with means to assault For men being blocked up where they must either fight starue or yeeld it may be to a cruell and faithlesse enemy they make a vertue of necessity the pinch putteth them to their wit and despaire strengthneth their resolution Foelices saepe sine ratione upon the wings whereof they are carryed to desperate attempts wherein they proue often happy beyond all reason Hereupon as the Assaylant must secure himselfe so in the next place he must keep the besieged doing Fiuethings necessary for the oppugnant To direct the Assaylant against the besieged these fiue things are requisite he must be wise cunning dilligent constant and upon occasion wisely adventurous By the first he is taught not to persist against that which must needs cost him more then it is worth The second includeth all lawfull stratagems whereby every wise Assaylant should labor to possesse himselfe of any
used in sallying out upon the enemie so Furius the Roman consul brake out by the gate called Decumana and did the assailant great hurt So Cesar in the French-war telleth us how he served the enemie Sic nostros contempsere lib. 5. slighting us saith he they fell to their worke some to cut trenches some to fill up ditches Cesar in the meane time sallyeth out at all the gates put the enemie to flight The like did Labienus Hircius upon Pompey Harlem made many brave Sallies upon Duke Alvaes forces and not onely killed many with small losse to themselves but also carryed divers ensignes out of their trenches nayling some peeces of their batterie Without further example it is an usuall thing A meere Lyon couchant or a Serpent dormient though they hâ—ue both courage and wit yet not imploying it to offence are not fit to keepe a hold The third thing required is cunning Cunning. for the art and cunning of the assailant must be opposed and cut off with the like Stratagems in defence are of exceeding great use neyther is it sin by those to deceive a deceiver for this is but to take him in his owne net As there be many examples of this kind well knowen to men of reading and experience so I will shew you but two or three examples for instance In the besieging of Rhodes the enemie made an Ambulatorie or walking-Tower an engine then of great use not unlike it may be though of greater quantitie to the moving wooden sconces used at the siege of Harlam This over-topt all the Towers of the citie to cut off the use hereof the enginers caused to digg through the walls and in the night to make the way hollow by the which they did convey it which the enemie not perceiving being covered with earth as it came that way it sunke downe with the owne waight so they lost their engine and all their labour and the citie was delivered There were many prettie Stratagems used in the defence of Harlam amongst the rest this one put Duk de Alva from working any more that way The defendant preceiving that the enemie meant to lodge in a new battered bulwarke they left rampering against it and fell to the mining of their owne bulwarke wherein they put barrels of powder casting many trenches round about it the enimie offering to enter they quit the bulwarke As a multitude of the enemie pursued and were come to Push of Pike at the barrier of a trench they fired the mine blew up kild and tooke to the number of 1600 and sallying backe to their owne trenches recovered the ground of their bulwark which againe they re-intrenched and kept One more of excellent note related by Vitruvius in the siege of Apolonia Trypho Alexandrinus did mine through the wall in sundry places till he brought his mines a flights shot without the gate in all which he hung up vessells of brasse so sone as ever the enemie began to mine towards the citie by the sound of the vessells they understood where he wrought whereupon they countermined the enemie by penetrating their owne and powred vessells of hot boyling water urin boyled sand and such like upon the heads of their enemies lib. 10. cap. ult whereby they plagued them Not unlike to this was he practize of a carpenter at the besieging of Berca by the Persians who carrying a brasen shield about within the walls and laying it to the ground Herodot in Melpemone by the sound of the same discovered the working of the enemie In our time it is usuall to set basins full of beanes or peason upon the ground which rebounding at the strokes of the miners discovereth the enemies workes There were never more Miners or Enginers under Zions walls then now there be Pharao hath said to the Egiptians come let us worke wisely with them that is craftilie for so the word signifieth It is not unworthy our observation when that Typicall Pharaâ— began this undermining of Israel euen then when they began to corrupt their religion to commit whoredomes with the Idols of Egipt That this is true looke in Ezech. and sundry other places of Gods booke the Lord sheweth what direction he gaue them namely to cast away the EgyptiaÌ„ Idolls wherewith they were defiled Eze. 20.7.8 23.8 Iâ—s 24.14 but they rebelled against me saith the Lord they did not every man cast away the abhommation of his eyes neyther did they forsake the Idolls of Egipt then I said I will powre out my fury â—pon them to accomplish mine anger against them in the middest of the land of Egipt Ps 105 25. Then saith the Psalmist he turned the hearts of the Egiptians to hate his people to deale craftilie with his seruants You see when his peoples sinnes provoke God the enemies wit beginneth to worke against them being guided thereto by the overuling hand of God So standeth the case betweene us and Pharao his Antitype Wee haue hugged the gods of Rome so long and kept in the strange fire of their sacrifice so carefullie that we are become as some call us a Nation of deviâ—s for reasons and conspiracies by this meanes many are infected others growne lukewarme the most part key cold for which the Lord hath increased the hatred of forreyne and of our homebred Egiptians against us sharpeneth their wit that they may deale craftly with us not that God is the author of the evill of sin but of the action as it is a just plague and punishment to us With their craft they haue undermined our wit they haue undermined our State and which is worst of all the haue undermined yea and almost blow en up the power of our religion they haue made Israel naked and Iuda contemptible and bare Wee stand in neede then that wit should awake and some Trypho should discover their undermining for wee see but a litle But vessels of brasse or tinckling cymbals will not serue but some silver Trumpet must giue Israel the alarum and awake them out of sleep that they may hast to the breach We had more then need of some cunning Archimedes to countermine the Romans for keeping of our Syracusa It is likewise a part of cunning to meet with the enemy in his own cunning Anti-cunning in feigning a regresse or raysing of the siege for that as I shewed is a speciall Stratagem in oppugnation to withdraw themselues that the besieged may be secure and they may return with the greater advantage It shall be their care therefore to make use of that time as occasion shall be affoorded Our enemies seeme to withdraw themselues from the work about which they are Application Astu se subtrahunt ut ex insperato nos opprimant as though they had given it over Vpon the Parliaments proceeding some seems to turn that they may overturn us the frogs keeps a croaking at the proclamation the nymphs of Babel seems to mourn that
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
your heads and shame upon your enemies This course will break the heads of the Dragons of your sinns this will offer violence to heaven and as it were inforce God to answer this will be like an earthquake to your enemies it will sinke them it will swallow them up A pretty instance of this I remember from the confession of an arch-enemy of the Gospell namely Queen mother of Scotland who fighting against God and the erecting of his Kingdom confessed openly That she feared more the fasting and prayer of the man of God Iohn Knox and his Disciples then an Army of 20000 armed men As your neglect hath been great in this particular so the blemish of out Nation in neglecting and opposing this office is indeleble No Nation professing the Gospell but they haue publiquely been humbled in some measure we excepted we onely haue not set forth to help thus against the mighty which I thinke verily hath accursed all the rest of our helps that they are as Water spilt upon the ground It is true that the soules of Gods people haue been exceedingly humbled in secret for the afflictions of Ioseph and haue poured out their hearts in aboundance of sighes and teares for their miseries But what is this to the publique discharge Since I am fallen upon the point I cannot but with griefe obserue that this Nation hath been at such opposition and enemity with this duety that it is thought as dangerous a thing to undertake it as it was in Athens to make mention of the recovery of Salamis or as it was amongst the Iewes to speake in the name of Iesus What should be the cause of this I haue often wondred I am sure of this It is an evill sign of an evill cause yea a fearfull fore-runner and provoker of Gods long protracted wrath to fall upon us Not any finne of omission or commission hath a more fearfull threatning against it then this Witnesse the Prophet Esay Ch. 22.12.13.14 When God saith he called to weeping and mourning and to humiliation in the highest degree as the word importeth then behold saith he ioy and gladnesse slaying of Oxen and all the contraries by which they braved out God to his face But what followed A fearfull threatning Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts Whose eares should not tingle to heare this And whose heart should not tremble to thinke upon it And yet the best in this is too secure But since the duety is so called for and since it setteth such an edge on invocation it hath so prevailed against the enemies of Sion and the neglect of it is so severely threatned what may be the cause may some say that in a Christian Common wealth it should be thus neglected and withstood If you will haue my opinion in my judgement I conceiue these to be the Remoraes or break-necks of this duty First the universall plenty except the wants of the meaner for so long as there be Oxen and Sheep to kill and sweet wine enough so long no humiliation Ioel 1.13 When the meat offering and the drink-offering fayleth them then will the Priests saith the Lord by Ioel gird themselues in sackcloth and lament and houle A second let is the conceited glory of the Church the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord say they and that imgreat pompe and glory and what need we mourn It is an outside glury indeed but there is but a little glory within A third let is this men are so inslaved to sin and Satan and so vassalled to their own corruptions that they dare not incounter with their Maisters for whose service they haue bored their eares The fourth Remora is this the plants that are not of Gods planting know well that the use of humiliation would find out the causes of our evill amongst which themselues would be found to be the chief So that it is no wonder that they cannot endure to hear of humiliation But if men be thus fearfull to awake sleeping dogs and will hazard themselues and the Nation upon the point of Gods Pike what a fearfull plight shall they be in in that gloomy day that is like to come upon us wherein the Lord shall giue the Alarum May not Ahab condemne us in this Obliviscitur se Regem esse ubi Deum omniū Regem pertimescit purpuram abjicit c. And where shall we appeare when Ninivie sheweth it selfe Of whose King Ambrose giveth this pretty observation that he forgot himselfe to be a King when once his heart was smitten with the fear of the King of Kings hee casteth away his robes and beginneth by his repentance to be a King indeed for he lost not his command but changed it from the worse the better But to conclude the point oh that my counsell could please all those that I haue spoken to both Kings Ministers and people that we might be humbled as one man together and every man apart by himselfe and renting our hearts before the Lord never leaue importuning him nor let him goe till he were intreated If we would humble our selus the Lord would humble our enemies It is his Covenant Psal 81.13.14 Oh that my people had hearkened to me and walked in my waies I should soon haue subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their Adversaries Oh that wee were like Israel in the Iudges Chap. 20. who went to God the second time humbling themselues and offering burnt-offerings and peace offerings whereupon the Lord gaue their enemies into their hands So if we would humble our selues and kill our sinnes our enemies should quickly loose what they haue got and pay full deerly for all costs and damages But before I conclude the point take one caveat with the duty that it be performed with sincerity and singlenesse of heart for if it be done in hypocrisie or perfunctorily slighted over in the performance it provokes God and plagues the performer The Hollanders and French fast but without exprobation be it spoken they had need to send as God speaks for mourning women Ier. 19.17 that by their cunning they may be taught to mourn A soft heart sets well to a mournfull ditty where this is wanting there is no musick Humiliarion without reformation is a mockery of God and the undoing of a good cause The Lord tels us in the 58 chapter of Esay and the 7 of Zacharie how he abhorred the fasting of his people without reformation he giues a good reason in the fift and sixth verses They fasted not to the Lord but to themselues that is for their own ends as if men would serue their own turns with God and care not a whit how hee be served of them it were just with God to mock both them and us with shews of favours because we mock him with shews of service and amendment And surely if we look not to it in the humbling of
consequence then it must necessarily follow that there must be but one Religion and that of Gods own appointment Some Civilians who for the most are too much Matchiavalized loving the profits better then the Law labours to palliate this with utilitie matter of fact and necessity And for instance they bring Sultan Solyman the great Turke a fit example indeed who being moved by the Mufty or chiefe Pope and the Cadilesheiri or Arch-prelates together with some of the Bassaes to abandon the Christians Iews and all of diverse religions or otherwise to force them to Muzilmanize that is to professe Turcism The Turke looking out at a window pointed them to the variety of the flowers in the garden whereunto saith he I compare diversities of religions in my Dominions which are rather usefull then hurtfull so they liue in obedience The like they tell us of Alexander Severus Traian and others but what be these to Christian Kings and Rulers who haue not so learned Christ They must walk by Lawes and not by Examples neither must God loose the least jote of his honour for their greatest gaines As for necessity in regard of disturbance all wisedom is to be used in avoyding of it and all faire meanes used to reduce them to the truth but disturbing must not bee avoyded with sinne It is a clause worthy the observation and by the Popes themselues placed in the Canon right though not observed Reg. 1. de Regiminis num 6. but ill abused That it is far better that offence or disturbance should come then the least truth should be forsaken Is a King a noursing father and will he suffer a plaguy or leprous childe to be in the house or lye in the bed with his childe that is sound Will he suffer poyson to lye strawed about where his childe may reach it This were to murther his childe and not to play the parent to it Will a King suffer forraign Kings to erect their Lawes in his Dominions and permit his subjects to obey some one and some another No hee would scorn it and hold them Traytors that should motion it and will he put that upon God and force him as it were to bear that he will not bear himselfe Surely the Lord will not bear it It was a princely part and a royall resolution worthy the imitation in Edward the sixth a Sunâ—shine over-clouded by the sinnes of this land in the very rising hee being requested with his Councell by Charles the fifth then Emperour to suffer the Lady Mary his sister to haue a Masse in her house the Councell sitting about that and other things sent D. Cranmer and D. Ridley to perswade the King to grant it When he had heard what they could say he so learnedly and grauely did refute it out of the word of God that with astonishment their mouthes were stopt Then they fell to him with false grounds of policy as the loosing of the Emperours favour the hardening of his sisters heart the discontenting of Popish subjects to whom he replyed that they should content themselues for hee would spend his life and all that he had rather then agree or grant to that which he knew certainly to be against the truth Yet for all this they would not leaue him but pressing him further he fell a weeping and willed them to let him alone Fox pag. 1179. Hee had cause to weep indeed but they greater Where they should haue preserved him from sinne they were made the meanes to corrupt him The Prelates and pleaders for Conformity haue no great reason to brag of these men as they were Bishops not of Gods making for whilst their heatts were deceived and their eies vayled with the bewitching honours and glorious shewes of Pabel against the light of knowledge they proved as you see enemies to the crosse of Christ therefore God puld them out of their rags and cast them in the Furnace and then they proved his friends indeed and so may some Prelates proue if God bring them to the stake But to the matter for all that they could doe such was the zeale of that holy Saint and happy King that Lady Mary could haue no Masse at that time To conclude this reason men would haue thought that the union of Britains Kingdomes would haue cut short the increase of Babel his Kingdom and that the Foxes should haue been forced either to change their skins or holes but we see for our sinns by neglect of authority that to the dishonour of God the defacing of his Gospell the griefe of his people and indangering of life crown and dignity they are so hugely increased in both Kingdoms and in Ierland that in their own conceit they are grown too hard fâ—â— us it is most just with God if we spare the Cananits that the Cananits should vexus The fourth reason may be taken from idolaters who to our shame are zealous of their false worship The Lord may justly upbraid us with such as he did his people Israel hathâ— nation changed their gods Ier. 2.11 which are yet no gods but my people haue changed their glory for that which doth not profit So the Lord may inquire of us whether heathen Rome and Antichristian Rome do tolerate any worship but that which is of their owne appointment The Laws of old Rome forbade any strange Gods to be worshipped amongst them that is as Tully expoundeth Cic. de leg privatim adscitos of mens private device but by the Senats publique appointment so new Rome is as strict in that they will haue no mixture but of their own making instance the Tridentin excommunications witness likewise with many others the Doctors of Doway upon the Lords forbidding of mixtures of seed Lev. 19.19 cattle and garments here all participation say they with heretikes and schismatickes is forbidden Philip of Spaine said he had rather haue no subject then subjects of a divers religion and out of a bloudy zeale suffered his oldest sonne Charles to be murthered by the cruell inquisition because he seemed to favour profession for which Non pepercit filio suo sed dedit pro nobis Hieron Catina that mouth of blasphemie the Pope gaue him this for his panagyr that he had not spared his owne sonne but had given him for them As old Rome called the Christian religion a new religion so new Babilon calleth the ancient trueth a new religion or heresie and therefore they hold it a damnable thing to haue any thing to doe with it expecting but a day when they may race out the remembraÌ„ce of it As for our drawing nigh unto them in superstitious rites they flout us to our face and tell us in a bravado that let us come as nigh to them as wee will they will not come one haires breadth nigh to us yea they asperse our religion with this Quo vadis pag. 13. Heylin pag. 249. that if it were true wee would never bland it How bitter then
is the friut of D. Hall his correspondencie with poperie for which he pleadeth in his treatise of travells and urged hard for conformitie with popish ceremonies by Heylin in his Geography As for the Papists applauding of our leiturgie as he speaketh there it is but a sorry prayse to it when they reckon with him they will pay him for this as they doe in the Epistle to Spalatoes recantation where belying him falsly with the name of an unlearned Minister they flout him for his bragge In the honour of the maried clergie pag. 55. that the English Church was honoured with a Dalmatian pall put upon a Bandogg indeed I know the Doctor knoweth them well enough and that there is no peace with Rome who haue sworne themselues deadly enemies to the gospel and the Professors thereof It is the oath of the Kinghts of the holy Ghost ordeyned by Henry the third of France Anno 1570. that they should persecute the Hugonits Now I come to the last argument which is the evill ensuyng upon the toleration of any false religion The Lord telleth the Israelits that if they destroy not all the idols of the Canaanits that his angershould be kindled against them Deut. 7.4 and he would destroy them suddenly How angry was God with Iehosaphat for hauing any thing to doe with idolatrous Achab therefore he rebuketh him sharply threatneth him fearfully by the mouth of Hanani the Seer 2. Chron. 19 2. shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. And falling in the same fault againe in ioyning with wicked Ahaziah King of Israel he telleth him by the mouth of Eliezer because thou hast joyned they selfe with Ahazia the Lord hath broken thy workes 2. Chron. 20 37. If the Lord were thus angry for joyning in civill affaires how angry would he haue been if he had admitted their idolatry or matched with them The most part of the Kings and great ones Applicatiō they eyther forget God altogether or they thinke he is not the same God I would therefore haue them to cast but their eyes upon examples of later times and see how the Lord hath met with tolerators of false religion Henry the fourth of France begun well but he held not out whose tolerating of others though upon extremitie and imbracing of popery for a kingdom though from the teeth outward caused the Lord as one said well to him to smite first at his tongue wherewith he had denyed him and at last to smite at his heart by one of the furies of the same hellish religion which for the world he was content for a time to tollerate How did Q. Mary pay Cranmer and Ridley for pleading so hard to the King that she might haue a Masse Men must not thinke first to serve their owne turnes and then to serve Gods turne to goe on with policie making religion dance attēdance to it which indeed should serve religion is to set the Asse upon Christ and not Christ upon the Asse The disturbance and distraction of the Germanes which weakeneth them exceedingly against the common enemie ariseth especially from the toleration of diversitie of religion No thing as one saith well doth more combine the minds of men together then unitie of religion and nothing more dis-ioyneth them then diversitie of religion And it were good me thinke for the united Provinces to make up their union with unitie of religion And I may say boldly upon my former grounds made good by instances that they indanger themselues most by toleration of diversitie of religion Besides the multitude of idols in their houses whereof they make no bones though thereby they keep life in Poperie what a confused chaos of heresies what a State renting breach of Schismaticall divisions with a hotch-potch of opinions are to be found with them wherin to their blemishes they are holden the Antesignans or ring-Leaders through the world so that it is growne to a proverbe If a man had lost his religion he might find it at Amsterdam Which proverb I think may rather be inverted thus If a man bring any religion to Amsterdam he had best take heed he loose it not for reason and experience makes this position good that a place of opposition is not so dangerous to Religion as that place where for Religion every man may doe what he list They must not think that their manner of government or necessitie of trading or any other thing will serue to tolerate this toleration against the Law of God and nature the office of the Magistrate the example of the enemy and the evill ensuing on it I wish they may obserue and ponder together with the aim of their cruel enemy who looketh for more advantage out of this evill then out of any other thing Where there be many Apes there be but a few men Many weeds a little corn So a small deale of true religion where is so much diversity of religion Where there is a Cachexia or evill habite of humours there is but a little good bloud so an evill habit of corruption taketh away the life of true Religion in which indeed consisteth the life of true policy I pray God they may look to it and that he would open our hearts from the head to the foot to look to it at home where Popery is as freely practised as if it had publique toleration and that by connivency which God will not winke at And because matching with Idolaters setteth up the greatest gate to idolatry and by consequence layeth us open to Gods heavy wrath as God himselfe doth witnesse Deut. 7.4 They will turne away thy sonn◠from following me that they may serue other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy you suddenly We must shut that floud-gate if we will not haue the plague come in and consume us I wonder how men can hold up their faces to speak for such Matches They are first flatly against the Word 2 Cor. 6.12 be not unequally yoked which the Doctors of Doway quote in their Marginall note upon Levit. 19 to condemn all matches with schismaticks and hereticks For confirmation whereof they cite Theodoret. Secondly the Lord taxeth such Matches as a high measure of sin instance in Ahab of whom it is said as if it had been a light thing to haue walked in the waies of his father 1 King 16.31 hee took to wife Iezabel who served Baal Thirdly of the evill effects of these Matches we need not goe no further then our own Nation It is reported in our Histories of Vortigern who Anno 450 at the perswasion of Hengist brought in a multitude of Saxons and marryed Rowen daughter to Hengist Intravit Satanas in cor eius Math. Westmonasteriens pa. 156. of whom it is said that the devill entred into his heart because being a Christian by profession he matched with
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
you see I haue gone a long in these circumstances of â—â—uncell making a mixed application of them as occasion was given both to civill and martiall affaires CHAPT XXIIII Of the particularities of the Counsell of War NOW I come more close to my proper subject of war Of the obiect of war wherein I brieflie meane to shew what is the object of this counsell what is the ground of it and how 〈◊〉 should be carryed The object of the counsell of war is whatsoever maâ— accommodate themselves and incommodate the enemie Yea they are to be acquainted as much as may be with thâ— enemies affaires forces and counsell As what number they be what kind of forces they be vvhether horse or foote vvhat disposition they are of vvhat be their Armes defenfive and offensive Difficile vincitur qui vere potest de suis de adversarii copiis judicare Lib. 3. cap. 26. Stratag lib. 1. cap. 2. and vvhat Armes they are best at Vegetiâ— giveth a good reason for this he is hardly overcome that 〈◊〉 truely judge or discerne of his owne and his adversaries forceâ— For the discovery of the adversaries counsell as it is of greause so some Generals haue not onely been carefull in thâ— discovery but haue made great attempts for the effecting of it As Cato in the Spanish war being very defirous to discover the enemies counsell and seeing no ordinary meanes to effect it caused 300 souldiers breake in upon the enemies campe who brought one of the saide campe safe avvay to the Generall out of vvhom he extorted the secrets of the enemie The discovery of the King of Arams councell by the Prophet Elisha was great advantage to the King of Israel Beware saith the Prophet thou passe not suth a place King 6.29 for thither the Sirians are come dovvne Euen in this respect as for others the Lord is called an excellent man of war because he knovveth the forces the counsell and Armes of the adversary In this the diligence of the common enemie doth both blame us and shame us The devill is a busie Bishop They vvant no spies they spare no paines nor charges vvhereby they may discover and frustrate all the attempts of Gods forceâ— for his ovvne cause That serpentine brood of the devill oâ— rather devills themselves as one calleth them affoordeth alâ— kinds of counsellours some dormient some couchant some rampant some vvalking yea creeping flying abroad for discoveryes The Duke of Bavariaes letter to Richard Blond Vice-Provincial in England vvherein he thanks him for his paines and diligence for the Romish See and Catholique Cause doth directly discover what weekly intercourse is between the said Blond and the Pope notwithstanding of Romes distance from England As for Blonds interest in some of the Bedchamber mentioned in that letter I will not meddle with it It were good then they were encountred with the â—ike diligence and industry Paulus Aemilius discovered the ambushment of the Boians by the flying of Birds in the Truscan war For the fowles being affrighted from the wood the councell sent out a scout-watch and discovered ten thousand in ambushment So by the flying of these black-birds of Rome their subtilties in war and infidelity in peace vvith carefulneffe might be discovered The Doctors of Doway obserue from Nubrigensis Lib. 2. cap. 21. rer Anglic. 2 King 6.17 upon the opening of Elishaes servants eyes that a husbandman in Yorkâ—hire named Ketle had the gift to see evill spirits whereby he often detected and hindred their bad purposes As by this lye they vvould make footing for their feigned miracles so indeed the Lords Armies had need of scaled eyes wherewith to discern those Legionary spirits who are digging through the vvall to raze down the foundation But some vvith Gallio care not for these things ApplicatioÌ„ some see them but wil not see some underhand doe countenance them and some with the faint-hearted spies dare say little or nothing to them But it is to be feared that these evill spirits will proue like a Hecticke once openly discovered neâ—ver cured but by a miracle CHAP. XXV Gods word the ground of Counsell IT followeth in the next proper place to shew whenâ—â— this councell should come the ground whereof should bâ— the word of God For although the Scripture be not an Encyclopedia of all the particulars of every Science yet in it theâ—â— may be found a Systeme of all sciences it being the Mistressâ— to whom all Sciences are handmaids Yea this directs theâ— ordering of all true principles and conclusions No better Philosophy Logick or Metaphysick then in the book oâ— God No better counsel or direction for war or peace theâ— there is to be found Hence the Word is called by the namâ— of Councel Act. 20.27 I haue not shunned to declare unto you all the counsell of God Thy Testimonies are my delight saith the Propheâ— David my councellours Psa 119.24 or the men of my councell Thaâ— charge given to the King of Israel concerneth all Kingâ— in the world and they that will thriue in peace or war musâ— obey it namely that they haue Gods Law-book continually with them that they should reade it that they may learn to fear God to avoid sin yea by this rule all their doings should be so ordred that they should not decline from iâ— to the left hand Deu. 17.18 or to the right So the like direction was given to Ioshua who was to fight the battels of the Lords Thâ— book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth Ios 1.8 but thou shaâ—â— meditate therin day and night Both reason and experience confirmeth this position aâ— what work can teach a man so well to war as the book 〈◊〉 God who is the excellent man of War Again hath eveâ— any Warriours paralelled those who haue had their rules and directions from God Witnesse Moses Iosua David and the rest Haue all the Worthies come nigh one of these Adde to these reasons the nature of the Word vvhose proper encomy it is to make a man perfect to every good work Since lawfull war is a good vvork and that of a high nature the vvord must not onely fit men for the undertaking of it but also for the happy managing of it to Gods glory and the and ertakers good It is a sure Canon in Theologie That the word of God is not onely the Canon of our faith and life but also of our Calling whatsoever it be from the King to the Porter Would to God we would all obserue it This may very well be said to be that Tower of David built for an Armory vvherein a thousand shields doe hang Cant. 4.4 even all the Targets of the mighty men for whether vve understand thereby the Tropies of Christs triumph hung upon the neckes of the â—aithfull or that Panopli or compleat armour spoken of in â—he Ephesians yet all this we attain unto by the Word Alexander
carryed Homers works ever vvith him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the furniture of his iourney and Cyprian used ever and anon to call for Tertullian his Master Oh that those that fight the Lords battels Application Psa 119.98 or hath interest in them would take this course with the Word that they might say with the Prophet David Thy Commandements â—re with me and that they would cast away prophane Pamphlets plaguie play-bookes and froathy complements of â—le loue for as these become not Christian warfare so I â—m sure that Homer and all the Tacktick Writers and rules of Military Discipline in the world are not able vvithout â—his to teach a man the Art of War And therefore David giveth a good reason of his foresaid resolution that the Word should ever be vvith him Thou through thy commandements hast made me wiser then mine enemies If it be objected â—hat many great Warriours and victorious Conquerours â—ever knew vvhat this Word vvas I answer Great they were â—deed but not good And vvhat gaine they by their greatnesse but the greater torments especially they vvho liue in the light of the Word and yet vvill not be guided by it This Word doth stretch it selfe through the vvorld as an infallible rule to vvalk by but Who beleeues the report of it Who vvalketh by the rule of it Wisedome standeth without and cryeth vvithout indeed for she cannot come in Counsel for the Popes war is brought by the froggs from the bottomlesse pit vvhere Ignatius lyeth Leager for the State Professedly they doe disclaim the Word and the Popes unwritten Villanies must be both the ground and guide of all his War As for the Atheist Matchiavils rules or vvorse are his chiefe guide vvith vvhom the Papists doe vvillingly joyâ— hands As for the hypocrite and carnal professors vvhat the Papist speaketh blasphemously of the Word he maketh good in his profession namely he useth it like a Nose of Wax it must be stampt and cast in vvhat mould he vvil haue it but he vvill not be cast by it as in a mould it shal not square his conscience nor his actions but he must square and pare it at his pleasure yea such vvill haue nothing to command in all actions but the great canon of Prosopolatria or humane authority In a vvord in effect they say The word shall not raign over them but they vvil raign over it and the conscience too though it be Gods Cabonet not sit for man to sit in Gods forces must likewise acknowledge their guilt herein vvith this Armorie they are not so acquainted as they should be and must be indeed before things goe vvel This vvould clear the judgement reform the life overcome passions kindle zeale temper vvith discretion incourage the heart strengthen the spirits In a vvord it vvould make a truely valiant man If we would but take this sting of David we should not want a stone to beat out Goliahs braines But every peece of this is like Sauls armour too heavy for flesh and bloud to beare further then in bare discourse But there must be a denyall of flesh bloud before in our courses wee can be happy heere or heereafter It is reported of a king of Aragon to his no small prayse that besides his other literature wherein even in the time of war he much delighted and besides his love to the learned whom he honored and used as his speciall councellours both in peace and in war that notwithstanding of his many waighty affaires he read the Bible ouer foureteene severall times with the speciall comments upon it I wish heartily that all Gods warriours would make this word the treasure of their study and that as I haue said it might alwayes be with them for therein is the fullness of counsell Neyther will a superficiall looke or a bare taste thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.16 serue to make the persons happy or the affaires prosperous but as the Apostle saith it must dwell plentifully or richly the word doth significantly presse that it must alwayes be with us Wee must be the house it the furniture It is not a lapping of this word as the doggs doe of Nilus nor a talking with it and of it while it is without dores but there must be a diligent searching into it as a man would dig for the finding of the richest treasure Iohn 5.39 So did those truely noble men of Thessalonica they searched duely for the trueth Acts. 17. There be too too many now of Leo the tenth stampe that say in effect they find no profit in the fable of the word for so called that blasphemer the doctrine of Christ And some are like Agrippa they are almost perswaded by it but it is but almost but it must dwell richly in us that is as our onely treasure as David did wisely esteeme of it as you may see through all the 119. Psalme as his richest treasure CHAP. XXVI Gods Ministers the disposers of this sacred Counsell BVt as the word of God must dwel plenteously so it must be used wisely So saith the Apostle in all wisedome As this word is Gods speciall treasure whereby he disposeâ—â— all his mercies towards his so he hath ordayned disposeâ—â— and dispensers of his sacred wisedome namely his Ministers who are to stand betweene him and his people in things appertayning to God Hence it followeth that such stewards must dispose this counsell aswell in war as in peace As Kings haue their Counsellours and Courts haue their learned Counsell to giue them the law so God maketh choyce of these and calleth them from amongst the sonnes of men to be his Counsellours and Embassadours to deliver his will and counsell to their bretheren The necessitie of such dispoâ—ets and the reasoÌ„s The necessitie of such in war ariseth from these grounds First from the depth of the mistery which they are to dispose and the greatnes of the worke they doe undertake for who is sufficient for these things Secondly from the indisposition of man to understand or teach this mistery except a man be sent from God to informe him how can I saith the Enuuch understand except I haue a guide Ananias must be sent to Paul and Peter to Cornelius that they may be instructed It is a mad conceit of many in this age that they know as much as the Minister can doe yea some will say they can teach as well as he though they be not called of God which indeed is to despise the gift of prophesy I speake now of such an one as is called of God for otherwise many private men are better to advise with But it is not learning barely or an aptnesse to discourse but there must be a setâ—ing a part of the man with an endowement of power and authoritie with a holy skill to wound to heale to cast downe to raise up to instruct rebuke correct In a word to cast downe every strange thought that setteth it selfe