Gods Three Arrows, Section 18 – Section 20
§. 18. Of just warres.
Ne bella per Moyſen geſla miretur aut horreat, quia & in illis divina ſecu tus inperia non ſoeviens ſed obediens fuit. Aug. cont. Fauſt. Manich. l. 22. c. 74. Et Quoeſt. ſuper Ioſ. l. 6. c. 10Quest. VVHat warres may be counted juſt and lawfull?
Anſw. To make a juſt and full anſwer, warres muſt be diſtinguiſhed.
1. There have been wars extraordinarily made by expreſſe charge from God. As the wars in Moſes his time againſt Sihon, and Og, and the Midianites, (Num. 21. 21, 33. & 31. 1.) and the warres in Ioſhuahs time. No queſtion muſt be made of them, becauſe they had the beſt warrant that could be, Gods command. If any will make thoſe wars a patterne to root out kingdomes and nations as Moſes and Ioſhua did, let them ſhew the like warrant.
2. Ordinary warres are either defenſive or offenſive.
Defenſive warre is that which is undertaken to defend Defenſive warour ſelves or friends from ſuch wrongs as enemies intend, or attempt againſt us or them: whether the enemies be forraigne or domeſtique.
This warre whereunto Moſes ſendeth Ioſhua, was defenſive, againſt a forraigne enemy which wronged theſe Iſraelites themſelves, and firſt ſet upon them.
The warre wherein Ioſhua aided the Gibeonites againſt the five Kings that beſieged them, was defenſive in the behalfe Ioſ. 10. 7. 2 Sam. 3. 1.—18. 7.—20. 6. Offenſive war. The cauſes thereof. Bellum ipſis pietatis materiâ ſiebat. Chryſ. ad Pop. Hō. 14. Si quà gens vel civitas quae bello petenda eſt, vel vindicare neglexerit quod a ſuis improbè factum eſt, vel red dere quod per iniurias ablatum eſt, bellum eſt iuſtum. Aug. Quaeſt. ſuper Ioſ. l. 6 c. 10. Iuſta bella defi niri ſolent, quae ulciſcuntur iniurias. Ibid.of friends againſt forraigne enemies.
Davids warre againſt the houſe of Saul, and againſt them that tooke part with Abſalom, and Sheba, was defenſive againſt domeſtiques.
No queſtion can be made of the lawfulneſſe of ſuch wars as theſe are. Neceſſity forceth men thereto.
Offenſive warre is when enemies are firſt ſet upon: which according to the cauſes given of offending an enemy, may be as juſt as defenſive warre. The cauſes are ſuch as theſe.
1. Maintenance of Truth, and purity of Religion. This moved the Iſraelites in Canaan to think of making warre againſt their brethren on the other ſide of Iordan, Ioſ. 22. 12. In this reſpect the warres of the Kings of the earth againſt Anti-Christ are commended, Dan. 11. 40. Rev. 17. 16.
2. Recovery of that which is unjuſtly taken away. For this end the Iſraelites in Samuels and Davids time ſet upon the Philistines to recover the cities which they had taken away, 1 Sam. 7. 14. 2 Chron. 18. 1. This alſo was the cauſe of Abijahs war againſt Ieroboam, 2 Chro. 13. 5.
3. Execution of vengeance on ſuch as have done publique wrong. This reaſon doth God render of ſending Saul againſt Amalek, 1 Sam. 15. 2. For ſuch a cauſe David made warre againſt the Amonites, 2 Sam. 10. 7.
4. Drawing away enemies from ſome dangerous plot that they have in hand. Thus to draw Saul from purſuing David, God ſtirred up the Philistines to invade Iſrael. Thus 1 Sam. 23. 27. 2 Chro. 16. 3.Aſa ſet upon Baaſha, to hinder the bulwarks which Baaſha was making againſt Iudah. If Aſa had not diſtruſtfully hired wicked inſtruments, he had done well in his warre.
5. Weakning the power of open and profeſt enemies. For this end David ſet upon all enemies of Iſrael round about.2 Sam. 8.
6. Subduing of rebellious ſubjects that gather head, and will not be brought under law. For this end Abel of Bethmaachah was beſieged by Davids men.
7. To helpe and aſſiſt friends and allies in like caſes. So 2 Sam 20. 15.Abraham fought againſt them that with other Sodomites had taken Lot captive.Gen. 14. 14.
Provided notwithſtanding that before men enter into warre, whether defenſive or offenſive, all good and faire Cautions in going to war. Non ſanè inter vos aliud bella movet, liteſ que ſuſcitat, niſi irrationabil is iracundiae motus, aut inanis gloriae appetitus, aut terrenae qualiſcun que poſſeſſionis cupiditas: talibus certè ex cauſis ne que occidere ne que occumberetutum eſt, Bern. ad Mil. Temp. c. 2, &c. Vide item Aug. cont. Fauſt. Manich. l. 22. c. 74.meanes be uſed, to move enemies voluntarily to do what is juſt and equall. The advice which the Apoſtle giveth about going to law, (1 Cor. 6. 1, &c.) may fitly be applied to going to warre. We have good patternes herein, not onelyonly in the Iſraelites towards their brethren, (Ioſ. 22. 13. Iudg. 20. 12, 13.) but alſo in Iephthah towards the Ammonites, (Iudg. 11. 12.) Yea the directions given in the Law tend much to this purpoſe, Deut. 20. 10, &c.
This caution obſerved, in faith may men on the forenamed grounds wage warre. But if nothing beſides the motion of unreaſonable paſſion and anger, or ambition and vaine-glory, or deſire of any earthly poſſeſſion whatſoever, do provoke men to warre, ſurely for theſe cauſes it is not ſafe to kill or to be killed. Souldiers were of old gravely and juſtly reproved for undertaking combats in ſuch caſes.
§. 19. Of ſouldiers encouragement in juſt warre.
THat which hath beene delivered of the lawfulneſſe of warre cannot but afford matter of much comfort and courage to ſuch as are called to juſt warre. They may on this ground go in faith, with much confidence, cheerfully, and couragiouſly. If there be peace betwixt God and their own ſoules, if they have truly repented of all their ſinnes, if their perſons be juſtified as well as their cauſe warranted, they may not onelyonly call upon God, and that in faith, for his aſſiſtance and bleſſing, and depend on him for the ſame, but alſo undauntedly meet death in the mid-way, and comfortably commend their ſoules into Gods hands. What need he in Quid vel vivens vel morieus metuat, cui vivere Chriſtus eſt, & mori lucrum. Bern. ad Mil. Temp c. 1. Eiſihoſies nos perimant, nullum tamen ad animas periculum migrat: ne que ſalutem illam ſempiternam violare poſſunt. Chryſ. Hom. 7. in 1 Tim. 2.life or death feare, to whom to live is Chriſt, and to die is gaine, Phil. 1. 21. Though enemies deſtroy the body, yet no danger comes thereby to the ſoule: neither can they impeach eternall ſalvation. There is much comfort in breathing out our laſt breath in Gods work. It is a kind of Martyrdome. For a ſouldier to die in the field in a good cauſe, it is as for a Preacher to die in a pulpit. VponUpon the cautions before noted, this aſſuredly wilbe the iſſue, If a ſouldier get the day, or otherwiſe eſcape with his life, they that ſet him on work are too too ungratefull if they do not abundantly reward him. Herein if man faile, aſſuredly the righteous Lord will not faile. For, whatſoeuer good thing any man doth, the ſame ſhall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free, Eph. 6. 8. In particular, The Lord will certainly make them a ſure houſe that fight the battels of the Lord, 1 Sam. 25. 28. If Quàm glorioſi revertuntur victores de praelio, quàm beati moriuntur Martyres in praelio. Bern. loc. citat.in this worke of the Lord, in his warre, he be ſlaine, his ſoule ſhalbe more then a conquerour, triumphing in heaven over all ſorts of enemies. They may therefore be ſecure. O how gloriouſly do ſuch with victory returne from war! how bleſſedly do ſuch as Martyrs die in battell!
§. 20. Of oppoſing violence to violence.
VI. *Sec § 9.VIolence may be reſisted with violence. If any courſe may be accounted violent, ſurely war is one of thoſe courſes. To omit the *§. 13. Lex talionis.fore-mentioned proofes for the warrant of warre, aDeut 19. 21. Exo. 21. 23, 24, 25.the law of requiting like for like maketh much to this purpoſe. Thus dealt b1 Sam. 15. 33.Samuel with Agag, when he ſaid to him, As thy ſword hath made women childleſſe, ſo ſhall thy mother be childleſſe among women. So dealt. cIudg 1. 6, 7.Iudah with Adonibezek, whoſe thumbs and great toes they cut off: for ſo had he dealt with 70 Kings. Many like evidences are recorded and juſtified in holy writ.
Thus are violent, cruell, and hard-hearted men by a ſenſible demonſtration brought to ſee their perverſe and miſchievous diſpoſition. As the fore-named Adonibezek confeſſeth, ſaying, As I have done ſo the Lord hath requited me.
Ob. How can this reſiſting of violence with violence ſtand with thoſe Chriſtian principles, Reſist not evill, Recompence to no man evill for evill. Avenge not your ſelves, Quid eſt non reddere malum pro malo, niſt abhorrereab ulciſ…ē di libidine? Quid eſt accepta iniuria ignoſcere malle quam perſequi, &c. Aug. Macellino. Epiſt. 5. Hoc fit ut vincatur bono malus, immo in homine malo vincatur bogo malum. Ibid. Vide Aug. contr. Fauſt. Manich l. 22. c. 76.Mat. 5. 39. Rom. 12. 17, 19.
Anſw. 1. The reſiſting of violence here intended is a publique execution of juſtice: but that which Chriſt forbiddeth is private revenge. The latter phraſe, avenge not your ſelves, is an expoſition of the former.
2. Chriſts words are to be taken comparatively, thus. A Chriſtian muſt be ſo farre from revenge, as rather ſuffer a double wrong.
3. They imply a readineſſe to forgive, againe and againe.
4. They import a Chriſtian vertue, of overcomming evill with goodneſſe and patience, Rom. 12. 21.
Learne wiſely to diſcerne betwixt perſons, and caſes: thorowly ſift and examine your owne paſſions: let your hearts be ſeaſoned with a true feare of God, and love of man: let it be enflamed with a zeale of Gods glory: ſet good ends before you, and aime at them: be well inſtructed in the meanes whereby you may attaine to thoſe ends; and then take courage and reſolution to your ſelves. Deale with wicked men, as wicked men are to be dealt withall: fight againſt them that fight againſt you: with the froward ſhew your ſelves froward, (as the Lord himſelfe doth:) deſpiſe them that deſpiſe you: ſhew as much ſcorne of them, as Pſal 18. 26. 1 Sam. 2. 30.they can do of you. This is to anſwer a foole according to his folly, and to keep him from being proud in his own conceipt, Pro. 26. 5.from inſulting over you, and from taking advantage againſt you. There be times & occaſions when miſchievous enemies are not to be yeelded unto, no not an haires breadth. By oppoſing undaunted courage againſt their ſtout boldneſſe, they may be beaten at their owne weapon.