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A61178
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A sermon preached before the Artillery Company of London at St. Mary Le Bow, April 20, 1682 by Thomas Sprat ...
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Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing S5058; ESTC R16434
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15,174
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38
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And that says the Heathen Orator is a Law not given to us but born with us to which we were not educated but made which we took not from reading or institution but from the very Principles of our beings that when ever our Lives are in danger from the treachery of Robbers or rage of Enemies then Omnis honesta esset ratio expediendae salutis then says he all ways of securing our selves are honest and even honourable for so the word honestum does usually signifie I must not go so far as Tully does I cannot say with him that all ways of defending our Lives from danger are honest much less are they honourable But this I will say that all Lawful ways in such cases are not only truly honourable but truly Christian and I will use no other proof of it than what he alledges That this is most agreeable to the true Law of Nature For let none be mistaken the Doctrine of Christ in its highest Dispensations of Grace in its severest Rules of Mortification did never design to abolish the original Dictates of Right Reason or of sincere Nature but rather to correct the irregularities of Reason misguided and to reform the Depravations of Nature corrupted Of Right Reason and Nature all the Light and Rules were written by the finger of God on the hearts of men of the Gospel all the Truths and Precepts were written by the Holy Spirit of God in his revealed Word The Hand indeed and the Character of the one is much clearer and more legible than the other But since the same God was the Author of both they cannot in the least contradict each other For its part so far is the Gospel from doing so so far from destroying the common Principles of Humanity towards our being or well-being in this world that it more strongly confirms and advances them all by the higher Commands of Christianity So far it is from extinguishing the harmless desire of self-preservation that of all Institutions in the world it proposes the best means to effect it Wherefore that is a thing rather to be taken for granted than proved That the use of the Sword for public or private defence is lawful among Christians A self-evident truth denied by none but by some wild Sects of Enthusiasts And indeed it were to be wished that all those who are of that opinion would in practice stick to it since it may be observed of them that they are never against the use of the Sword but when they are not Masters of it Thus far then your Duty is plain before you The profession of Arms is not in the least contradictory to the Christian Profession in general But still there is some difficulty behind how the forcible drawing of the Sword can be consistent with those severe and mortifying Graces to which above all other Religions indeed well-nigh contrary to all other Christianity alone obliges all its Disciples How Warlike Enterprizes can stand with Meekness How an undaunted heart with Self-denial How a daring spirit with Patience How Conquest with love of Enemies What shall we say in this Question Will it suffice to affirm That Christ our great Law-giver has divided the parts of his Discipline Has distributed to several men their several portions of it according to their distinct conditions in this world That only from such as you the governing and active part of mankind He requires Valour a high Mind and a brave Spirit And that only from such as us the lower and the obeying part he expects Mildness Gentleness Patience That cannot be For although to several Stations and Relations of men in this world our blessed Lord has assigned their peculiar duties yet to no particular Rank or Order of men did he ever confine any one of all his general Precepts Wherefore there must be some other way for all these Virtues that seem so extremely distant to meet and entirely agree in the same Breasts To this end you may be assured that our Lord did never so injoyn any one Christian Grace to all Christians as utterly to exclude any other He never obliged any of his Followers to be so meek as to be without all Courage nor so courageous as to be void of all Meekness But he has so wisely tempered and graciously proportioned all his heavenly gifts that the stoutest courage which he teaches is always found to be the meekest and the meekest heart which he makes so is in the likeliest way to be the most courageous Here then let us fix If this be true then instead of any jealousie that the strictest Laws of Christ will break a brave mind or debase a bold heart to Cowardize you ought rather hence to conclude That only by his Laws and the Hopes and Rewards which attend their performance you can be taught a perfect Valour And consider I pray how undeniable this will appear in the particular Instances It is true our holy Faith most solemnly injoyns Condescension Long-suffering Forbearance Mercy and requires the more of all these in men to one another since it shews us there is so infinitely much of them in God towards men But now will any of these Virtues be a hindrance to the true Fortitude Rather in the common experience of the best and most generous part of Mankind as well as of Christians is not the truest Fortitude always observed to be the most inoffensive most accessible hardest to be provoked easiest to be intreated It is confessed the Law of Christ requires the most fearless minds nevertheless to fear God to fear him so as to tremble at offending him so as to obey him and by such a fear helps us to enjoy him But now can can there be any surer means than such a fear to raise your minds above all unworthy fear of men or worldly dangers We know the Gospel commands us to fear men too for Gods sake obliges the stoutest minds as much as the gentlest to pay an equally-dutiful submission to their Lawful Superiours But does the strictest obedience suppress the true stoutness Do not you find that exactness of Discipline increases it Is it not brutish Ferity rather than manly Boldness which will not endure the easie yoke of Conscientious Obedience It is granted our Religion forbids all men to invade each others Rights That says the fierce or the ambitious man would put a stop to many a gallant and valorous action It would indeed to many a licentious and outragious But not to any worthy Enterprize For as in Peace nothing can be truly just so in War nothing can be truly brave where the sacred distinction between Right and Wrong is not kept inviolable My Brethren That slowness and backwardness of attempting upon others unjustly that fear of injuring others for such a Fear it is not your shame but your praise to own that willingness to right others as well as your selves which Christianity teaches all its Disciples will certainly make a Souldier innocent in
A SERMON Preached before The Artillery Company OF LONDON AT St. Mary Le Bow April 20. 1682. BY THOMAS SPRAT D. D. One of His Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary Published at their request LONDON Printed for Iohn Baker at the three Pigeons in St. Paul's Church-yard 1682. To the Honourable Sir William Prichard Knight and Alderman President of the Artillery Company Sir Iames Smith Knight and Alderman Vice-President To the Right Worshipful Sir Matthew Andrews Treasurer As also to the Right Honourable Earl of Thanet Lord Allington Lord Lumley Lord Paston To the Right Worshipful and Worshipful Sir Iohn Narborough Iohn Shales Esq Philip Frowd Esq Maj. Richard Burdon STEWARDS And to the whole Court of Assistants Field-Officers Captains and Gentlemen Professing and Exercising Arms in that Renowned and Honourable Society Right Honourable c. IN obedience to your commands I have published this honest-and loyal Discourse which is all I can say to its advantage except what was an unexpected commendation to it that the Enemies of our Church and State have thought fit to dislike it and to shew they did so have had recourse to their old Arts of lying and slandering But it is no matter what they say or do whilst you continue like your selves to think the practice of Loyalty not only a part of your Profession as Souldiers but of your Religion as Christians As to the main Doctrine here delivered there is not any one true Son of the Church of England but will consent to it nor any of its Adversaries that can oppose it without renouncing the common Principles of Christian Government As for the manner of handling it I have reason to ask your pardon but not theirs That I have not managed it as so noble an Argument deserves I beg your excuse That I have not treated of it with bitterness or virulency I believe even they will confess when they shall read it and let them consider what moderation and temper a man had need be of that in this Nation and this Age shall speak against Faction and Rebellion without extraordinary Severity Right Honourable c. I am Your most humble and most obedient Servant Thomas Sprat April 29 1682. A SERMON Preached before The Artillery Company St. LUKE xxii part of ver 36. He that hath no Sword let him sell his garment and buy one WHen in such Warlike Solemnities as yours of this day men of my Profession are admitted to the honour of bearing any part I suppose it is not expected that we should cloy and vex your ears with the terms of your own Art or affect impertinently to entertain you with discourses on the Heroic Science of Arms. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual And if it was justly esteemed once a very indecent presumption in a Philosopher to read a Lecture of Battels before one great Commander how much more improper would it be for a Divine to undertake to teach the Art of War in the presence of so many But when you call us hither to serve you in these your annual Triumphs I know you do it with a pious design That as all Wars of old were usually begun with a public Sacrifice so these your exercises of War should first be consecrated by devotion That here in the House of God you should first receive the Churches Prayers and Benedictions on those Weapons which abroad you are so ready to employ in the Churches defence That of those Arms of which you have elsewhere learnt the skilful and the glorious practice here you might consider the saving and the religious use How a meer natural Courage may be so improved by Piety as to become a most Christian Grace How Victory may be not only made lawful and barely innocent but how it may be sanctified and sanctified not first by Rebellion then by Sacrilege but by fighting only in a truly good and righteous Cause and by defending it not with hypocritical zeal and zealous cruelty not only with Valour and Conduct but with Fidelity Loyalty Justice Equity and Charity How this may be done it being I humbly conceive my proper business here to deliberate whilst I endeavour to do it I must intreat the favour not only of your common patience but of your more than ordinary pardon if besides my many other infirmities that which ought to have been an advantage shall prove my disadvantage if even this great appearance so beautifully-terrible as an Army with Banners which guards this place and secures all within it and round about it particularly us of the Clergy shall yet happen somewhat to discompose me so that I shall not be able to bring a firmness of mind equal to the greatness of the occasion However for my incouragement I have brought with me our blessed Lord the Great Captain of our Salvation speaking to you with power and in the words of my Text pronouncing that which at first hearing seems a most surprizing Doctrine for the Prince of peace to deliver That sometimes the Habiliments of War are more necessary more becoming a Christian than the very Robes of Peace That in some seasons of imminent danger those of his Disciples who had not Swords were obliged to sell if need were their very garments to buy them Such is the literal sense of the words But was not this a strange Precept for that King to injoyn whose Kingdom was not of this world How could this be consistent with that meekness in Persecutions that long-suffering of Injuries that very love of Enemies with which his whole Gospel abounds How was this conformable to his mild example who went as a Sheep to the slaughter and as a Lamb that is dumb Who though he might have summoned more than twelve Legions of Angels to his immediate rescue yet never employed them as a Triumphant Host but as an Harmonious Choir to sing Peace on Earth good will towards men How comes he just then as he was going to be betrayed by one of his own Disciples into the hands of his most cruel Enemies against whom he designed nothing less than opposition how comes he then to talk of furnishing his Attendants with Instruments of War and of preferring Swords before Garments Then especially when presently after as soon as he was seized on by the High Priests Officers he severely rebuked the great Apostle St. Peter for but once using the Sword Put up thy Sword says he into its place He that taketh the Sword shall perish by the Sword It is true these two remarkable Sentences of our blessed Saviour that to St. Peter and this in my Text may seem at first view capable of contrary interpretations But if we shall examine the circumstances and occasions of their delivery we shall soon find that they do not only very well agree with each other but both together may teach us the whole Christian Doctrine of War what use of secular Arms the Gospel permits what it condemns