Gods Three Arrows, Section 85 – Section 92
§. 85. Of the evils of warre.
1. FOr warre multitudes of men are gathered: and thoſe for the moſt part luſty, ſtout, and ſtrong men. In ſuch multitudes it is ſcarce poſſible to have none but ſuch as feare God. Many, many armies there have beene in all ages, wherein not one, that truly feared God, could be found. Very few armies have beene heard of, whereof the greater Quis finis fructusve ſecularis huius non dico militiae, ſed malitiae Bern. ad Mil. Temp. c. 2. Quis enſe accingetur, & non contraria lenitati & iuſtitiae exercet? id eſt dolum, & aſperitatem, & iniuſtitiam: propria ſcil. negotia praeſiorum. Tertul. adverſ Iud. & adverſ. Marcion. De militum vio lentia, lege Chryſ. Hom. 76. ad Pop. Quovalidior eſt, eo promptior ut inſeriorem opprimal Ambr. Offic l. 1. c. 35. Erat ubi que iuſtitium ob bellorum frequentiam. Hier, in Zac. 8.part have beene men truly religious, and men fearing God: but rather impious, licentious, and violent perſons. Where multitudes of ſuch are aſſembled together, what miſchiefes may not be feared?
2. For warre men uſe to be furniſhed with all kind of deadly weapons, and mortall munition, whereby ſouldiers are the more emboldened to all manner of outrages: much cruelty is thereby occaſioned. Hence it comes to paſſe that men aſſembled in armies account all that they can come by, be it by hooke or crooke, right or wrong, to be as their owne. So as the places thorow which they paſſe, and where they make any ſtay, ſuffer much prejudice by them. Inſtance the Danites that robbed Michah, (Iudg. 18. 16. 17, 25.) This undoubtedly was the cauſe that moved Iohn the Baptist to warne the ſouldiers that came to be inſtructed by him to take heed of doing violence, Luke 3. 14. For, the more potent men are, the more forward they are to oppreſſe others. And as for juſtice, it uſeth to ſleep when war moſt waketh
3. To maintaine warre, rich treaſures are oft exhauſted, ſubjects much oppreſſed, many husbands taken from their wives, parents from their children, maſters from their families, all ſorts of men from their callings. Trades thereby do much decay, and lands are oft left untilled. Yea of thoſe that are ſo preſt out to the war, many never returne home againe: whereby it comes to paſſe that many women are made widowes; many children fatherleſſe, many old, impotent parents childleſſe, and other friends friendleſſe, to their utter undoing.
4. In war many are brought into moſt lamentable diſtreſſes, and yet no comfort, no ſuccor afforded unto them. Some in the battell have an arme, a leg, or ſome other limb cut off, whereby they are diſabled to helpe themſelves; and yet though they call and cry for helpe, no man pittieth them: but oft lie trampled upon by men and horſes to their greater torture. Among other ends of Flutes, Fifes, Trumpets, Drummes, and ſuch like loud ſounding inſtruments in warre, this is ſaid to be one, that the complaints and cries of wounded men might not be heard. If ſome of theſe by their own paines, or helpe of their fellow ſouldiers being wounded get out of the army, they may notwithſtanding feele the ſmart of their wound, and find the loſſe of their limbs or ſenſes to their dying day.
5. By warre many are taken captives, whom malicious and mortall enemies (ſo taken) oft put to exquiſite torments: as the Syrians, who threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of iron, Am. 1. 3. and the Edomites, who ript up the women with child of Gilead, Am. 1. 13. and the Moabites, who burnt the bones of the King of Edom unto lime, Am. 2. 1. and Adonibezek, who having cut off the thumbs and great toes of 70 Kings, made them gather their meate under his table, Iudg. 1. 7. and the Caldees, who ſlew the ſonnes of Zedekiah before his eyes, and then put out the eyes of the ſaid King, and bound him with ſetters of braſſe, &c. 2 King. 25. 7. and the Philiſtines, who tooke Sampſon, and put out his eyes, and bound him with fetters of braſſe, and made him grind in their priſon houſe, Iudg. 16. 21. Others taken by enemies, though they be not ſo tortured, yet may be made perpetuall ſlaves.
6. By warre ſtrangers and enemies invade others countries and kingdomes, enter into them, thruſt out the true Lords therof, take away lands and inheritances, with all their goods and cattell from the true owners: abrogate good lawes: make cruell edicts; deprive people of their priviledges and immunities: make noble men meane; rich men poore: free men ſlaves: deflowre mens wives, raviſh their virgins, rip up their women with child, trample on old folkes, toſſe little children on pikes, cauſe weeping, wailing, and bowling by reaſon of their ſavage cruelty in every place. Good cauſe therfore had the Pſalmiſt to pray, that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our ſtreets, Pſal., 4…. 14.
7. By warre more bloud uſeth to be ſhed then any other Cerne cruento borrore caſtrorum bella ubi que diviſa. Madet orbis mutuo ſanguine, &c. Cypr. Epiſt. lib. 2. Epiſt. 2. ad Donat.way. Heapes upon heapes are thereby made of dead corps. We read of 70000 deſtroyed by a plague thorowout all Iſrael within the ſpace of three dayes, 2 Sam. 24. 15. But by the ſword there were ſlaine in one battell (which may well be ſuppoſed to be in one day) 500000: and of whom? of children, of old, poore, impotent perſons? ſuch as for the moſt part are taken away by plague and famine? No verily; but 500000 choice men, 2 Chro. 13. 17. We read of huge hoſts indefinitely ſet downe, ſo as they may be ſuppoſed to conſiſt of many hundred thouſands, ſo vanquiſhed, and deſtroyed, as none eſcaped, 2 Chro. 20. 24. Yea, we read of whole cities, one after another utterly deſtroyed: even all that were in them, man and woman, young and old, and oxe and ſheepe, and aſſe with the edge of the ſword, Ioſ. 6. 21. & 10. 28, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 39, 40. When God would utterly deſtroy a ſtocke and all appertaining thereto, the ſword hath beene uſed as his inſtrument to effect that judgement. Inſtance the caſe of Ieroboam and Baaſha, 1 King. 15. 29. & 16. 11. Yea and of Ahab alſo, 2 King. 10. 11. The Amorites likewiſe, Canaanites, and other nations were utterly rooted out by the ſword.
8. In warre moſt unnaturall ſlaughters are oft committed. For, it may and oft doth fall out that one brother warreth Marte cadunt ſubiti per mutua vulnera fratres. Ovid. Metamorph. lib. 3. fab. 1.on one ſide, and another on the contrary ſide: So father and ſonne: and other neare kinsfolke, and deare friends. Whence it comes to paſſe that a brother kils a brother, a father a ſonne, a ſonne a father, a kinſman a kinſman, a friend a friend: By warre the eleven Tribes had almoſt utterly deſtroyed the Tribe of Benjamin, which made them weep ſore, Iudg. 21. 2 It cannot be otherwiſe thought but that in the bloudy warres betwixt the houſe of Saul and the houſe of David, and betwixt Iudah and Iſrael, many a kinſman ſlew one another. This when it is knowne, pierceth ſo deeply into the ſoule, as no cure can ever be made thereof. Oedipus Senec. Traged 3 quae dicitur Thebais Idem Traged 5 quae dictur Oedipus. Caecil Stat. in Theb. Ovid in Ibin & 3 Faſt.having underſtood that in a conflict he had killed his father, (though he did it ignorantly and caſually, yet) he pulled out his owne eyes in revenge of himſelfe. The two ſonnes of Oedipus, namely Eteocles and Polynices, waging warre one againſt another, ſlew each the other. Telegonus alſo killed his owne father in a tumult. Theſe wofull accidents do moſt uſually happen in civill warres.
9. By warre not onelyonly living perſons are ſlaine, ſo as townes, cities, and nations have been diſpeopled, but corne fields burnt, fruit trees cut downe, barnes, garners, and other like places filled with all kind of graine, and other proviſion for man and beaſt, deſtroyed and conſumed: towers and wals beaten downe: houſes of men, and houſes of God, even ſacred temples ſet on fire, and burnt downe to the ground. The moſt ſacred houſe of God that ever was, that glorious Temple which Solomon built was not in this kind ſpared, 2 King. 25. 9. Yea famous cities, and townes, and kingdomes have by warre beene made heaps of rubbiſh, and deſolate wilderneſſes, full of bryers and thornes, and habitations for wild beaſts, dragons, owles, and other dolefull creatures. For proofe read Iſa. 7. 20, …4. & 13. 20, &c. & 17. 1, 2. & 34. 9, &c. Ier. 50. 39 40. Zeph. 2. 13, 14. Iudg. 9. 45. Thus the ſword is not onelyonly terrible to preſent living creatures, but alſo to all ſorts of creatures in preſent and future ages. As a Sicut torrens qui valdè excurrit & inundat, omnia ſecum rapit & perdit, ita & barbari illi invaſerunt omnes genecs, & perdiderant, Chryſ. Hom 35. in Gen. 14.flood which runneth with a ſtrong ſtreame, and overfloweth, carieth away and deſtroyeth all, ſo barbarous ſouldiers invade and deſtroy all.
10. By warre the juſter cauſe, and better part is oft overthrowne, and put to the worſt. Herein (if in any other thing) is the proverbe verified, Might over commeth right. For, it falleth out in warre where multitudes are gathered on the one ſide, and on the other, as it doth in ſingle combates, and duels. The ſtronger and skilfuller, the more experienced and more active man may have the worſe cauſe, and yet overcome the other, though the juſter perſon. Hence is it that Infidels take occaſion of inſulting over Chriſtians, Idolaters over Worſhippers of the true God, and the unrighteous over the righteous. The Prophets ſtood amazed hereat: and in an humble manner expoſtulated the caſe with God, as, Hab. 1. 13, &c. Lam. 4. 20. Pſal. 44. 9, &c. & 74. 4, &c. & 79. 1, &c.
§. 86. Of the better part put to the worſt in warre.
Queſt. HAth not God the ordering of battels? Doth not he give victory to whom he will? Is there any reſtraint to the Lord to ſave by many or by few? If ſo, why hath not the better part alwayes the better ſucceſſe and victory?
Anſw. Moſt true it is that the iſſue of warre is diſpoſed by the Lord: and that it is nothing with him to helpe, whether See §. 77. 2 Chro. 14. 11.with many, or with them that have no power. Yet can we not thence in ferre that the better ſide ſhall alway have the victory. For,
1. How unſearchable are his judgements, and his wayes past finding out, Rom. 11. 33.
2. They who are accounted the better perſons, and have the better cauſe, may have ſome ſecret cauſes in them deſerving puniſhment, for which the Lord wiſely and juſtly ſuffereth them to fall into their enemies hands: and ſo giveth them occaſion to ſearch out that which lyeth hid, Ioſh. 7. 13.
3. Though the perſons which wage warre, and the cauſe for which it is waged, be righteous, yet their manner of waging may be ſuch as God be juſtly provoked therby to give them over to their enemies, as he did the Iſraelites when they went about to revenge the villany of the men of Gibeah, Iudg. 20. 21. Saints may be too confident in their owne might and wit. They may be zealous in puniſhing others ſinnes, and yet harbour ſecret ſinnes among themſelves. They may enter battell without ſeeking the Lord aright. For theſe and other like reaſons may the Lord ſuffer them to faile in their attempts.
4. The unrighteous oft prevaile againſt the righteous, that thereby they may be Gods rod to puniſh his children. But what priviledge is this to the unrighteous? what damage is it to the righteous? The rod, when Gods worke is done, ſhalbe caſt into the fire. The Saint being a child of God that is beaten therewith, will thereby be bettered.
5. As for the Lords ſaving with few againſt many, and with them that have no power againſt ſuch as are mighty, and every way well furniſhed to the war, it is true in regard of Gods almighty and extraordinary power. But ordinarily ſucceſſe is given according to the means that are uſed. So as if the worſe part be better prepared with men more in number, and more valiant, and with more ſtore of better munition, ordinarily they get the upper hand thereby. In this reſpect Chriſt giveth advice to conſider how an enemy is prepared, and anſwerably to go out againſt him, or to ſeek peace with him, Luke 14. 31, 32.
§. 87. Of the good of warre notwithſtanding the evils thereof.
Queſt. HOw can ſuch evils of warre ſtand with the lawfulneſſe and uſefulneſſe of warre a§. 13, 14, &c.before noted?
Anſw. 1. The lawfulneſſe of warre ariſeth from the b§. 17. Ex animo hominum vitioſo bellum erumpit. Chryſ. in Mat. 10. Hom. 36.neceſſity thereof: and the neceſſity of warre from the iniquity of men. Becauſe ambitious and injurious men cannot otherwiſe be reſtrained then by warre, or becauſe there is no other way to puniſh ſuch malefactors, it is lawfull and needfull after ſuch a manner to draw out and uſe the ſword of the Lord againſt them.
2. The c§. 17.uſefulneſſe of warre ariſeth from the good effects that iſſue from a juſt undertaking, a wiſe managing, and a proſperous finiſhing of the ſame. But, the evils of war ariſe from the ill diſpoſition of ſuch as are without juſt cauſe incited thereto, and being armed with power, abuſe the ſame to the ſatisfying of their inhumane humour. Many evils ariſe from the ſupreme authority of a Monarch, when he turnes it into a tyranny: yet is ſuch a ſupreme authority moſt warrantable and profitable.
§. 88. Of warre the ſoreſt judgement.
The evils of warre being ſuch as have beene *§. 84.ſhewed, we may well inferre theſe concluſions following.
I. VVArre is the heavieſt of Gods judgements. There are three publique judgement called aEzek. 5. 16.evill arrowes. Arrowes, becauſe they are ſharpe and deadly; piercing to the very heart of a man. Evill, by reaſon of their effects, the evils and miſchiefs which they worke. In this reſpect ſaith the Lord, bDeut. 32. 23.I will heape miſchiefs upon them, I will ſpend mine arrowes upon them. Gods arrowes are called instruments of death, Pſal. 7. 13. The three moſt fearefull judgements, which are moſt uſually called Gods arrowes, are Plague, Famine, Sword. The ſoreſt of all theſe is the Sword. Evident is this by the anſwer which David gave to Gad, who from the Lord put thoſe three to his choice. One of them muſt be endured: but which of them, he himſelfe might chuſe. Thereupon he ſupplicated againſt the ſword, in theſe words, Let me not fall into the hands of man. Hereby he 2 Sam. 241 14.ſhewed that he accounted the ſword the moſt terrible judgement: and withall intimateth the reaſon thereof: becauſe it is put into mans hands; ſo as Plague and Famine is more immediately ordered by God, then Warre. Men are made the inſtruments thereof. And their anger is fierce, and their wrath cruell. Yea, they prove many times inſatiable in their Gen. 49. 7. Homo homini lupu…. Plaut in Aſinar.cruelty: as wolves when they enter among a flocke of ſheepe. For (as it is in the proverbe) Man is a wolfe to man: as cruell one to another, as a wolfe to ſheepe: one undermining, one devouring another, as they can get any advantage one againſt another.
Beſides, warre more uſually cauſeth both plague and famine, then either of them cauſeth warre. If a plague rage a citie or country, enemies wilbe afraid to ſend an army thither, leaſt they be all infected and deſtroyed with the plague. So if famine thorow ſcarcity of food deſtroy the inhabitants of a land, enemies will forbeare to invade it (eſpecially if they be not able to bring with them proviſion enough for horſe and man to ſo remote a place) fearing leaſt they and their cattell be all ſtarved. Thus theſe two judgements may be ſome meanes to avert warre. But warre ordinarily cauſeth plague and famine. Theſe Lev. 26. 25, 26. Ier. 14. 12. Ezek. 6. 11.three, Sword, Pestilence, Famine, are very oft joyned together: and for the moſt part, Sword is put in the firſt place, as the cauſe of the other two. Plagues oft ariſe from multitudes of people thwacked together, from noiſome ſavours, from want of cleane ſhiftings, from unwholſome food, from infected aire, and other like cauſes which are ordinarily occaſioned by warre: eſpecially, when people are by enemies blocked up, and have not liberty to goe abroad, and to provide for themſelves.
In Ieruſalem, when it was beſieged by the Babylonians Ier. 21. 6, 7.there was a great peſtilence, and much famine: but much greater *Ioſeph. de Bello Iud. l. 6. c. 11.when it was beſieged by the Romanes. The firſt great plague that was in Queene Elizabeths daies was brought into England by the ſouldiers that came from Stow in his generall Chron. of Engl. an. 4. Eliz.New haven that was ſomwhile beſieged, and after taken by the enemy.
Of famine cauſed by warre, ſee Dearths Death, on 2 Sam. 21. 1. §. 22. 24.
If warre be an uſuall occaſion of plague and famine, it muſt needs be the greateſt of them: and if of them, ſurely the greateſt of other judgements.
§. 89. Of delighting in warre.
II. NO true Christian can, or may delight in warre. He may b§. 17, 18.on juſt cauſe wage warre: but there is a great difference betwixt the doing of a thing, and delight therein. God doth afflict, and grieve children of men, but not cLam 3. 33. foreign ex corde ſuo.from his heart, willingly. Iudgement is dIſa. 38. 21his ſtrange worke, his ſtrange act. So ought warre to be unto Chriſtians. A true Chriſtians heart is poſſeſſed with true charity. But charity delighteth not in ſpoiles, in wounds, in paines, and tortures, in bloud of men, nor in any other evils that warre ordinarily cauſeth. They are therefore deſtitute of true Chriſtian charity, and in that reſpect, no true Chriſtians that ſimply deſire warre, that without juſt and urgent cauſe raiſe warre, that with delight enbroile themſelves therein. They are worſe then ſavages, yea then ſavage beaſts. Though the Lord made many of the Heathen his rod to correct his people: yet becauſe they delighted in ſhedding bloud, the Lord brought heavy judgements upon them: as on Aſhur, Iſa. 10. 5, &c. on Babylon, Iſa. 14. 4, &c. Ier. 50. 23, 24. Hab. 2. 7, 8. on Mount Seir, Ezek. 35. 5, 6. Yea alſo upon the houſe of Iehu, who deſtroyed the ſtocke of Ahab, Hoſ. 1. 4.
§. 90. Of Chriſtians backwardneſſe to warre.
III. CHriſtians ought to be very backward to warre. The evils thereof are ordinarily ſo many, as they ſhould make a Chriſtian trie all other faire meanes for retaining or recovering his owne, and for preventing or redreſſing wrongs, then by warre to ſeeke the accompliſhing of his deſire. Chriſtians ſhould be affected to warre as the Apoſtle would have them to law, 1 Cor. 6. 1, &c. They ought not to uſe it but in the laſt place, after all other good meanes have beene uſed, as a deſperate remedy, when no other remedy will ſerve the turne. Vrgent neceſſity ſhould force Chriſtians to warre. The evill effects of warre cannot but be very grievous to a true Chriſtian ſoule. How then may he be forward to that which cauſeth ſuch evill effects? See the caution even for juſt warres, before given in the latter end of §. 18.
§. 91. Of circumſpection in waging warre.
IIII. GReat circumſpection must be uſed in waging war. Many evils ordinarily ariſing from warre, if men be not watchfull over themſelves, pride, wrath, revenge, cruelty, and many other corruptions, whereunto our nature is much prone, will ſoone find occaſion to diſplay themſelves, by reaſon of that power which men gathered together in an army, have. David, a man in a great meaſure renewed, aAct. 13. 22.yea a man after Gods owne heart, b1 Sam. 25. 22.being accompanied with an army of valiant men, upon a diſcurteſie offered unto him by a churle, was ſo incenſed with rage, and enflamed with revenge, as he vowed, and ſwore to deſtroy all that pertained to that churliſh Nabal, before the next morning. If ſuch a man, by reaſon of his warlike power, was ſo ſoone provoked to ſo great an evill, what will not warre provoke others unto, eſpecially if they be confident in their power, and get any advantages againſt their enemies. Wherfore, to prevent the evils of war, ſuch as have juſt occaſion of waging war, muſt look to their manner of waging war, and lay aſide al malice, envy, wrath, revenge, deſire of bloud, cruelty, & other inhumane paſſions: and continually walk before him, carying themſelves as in the preſence of God, ordering all their actions according to the word of God; yea and oft looking to God, calling upon him, and doing ſuch things as in the good ſucceſſe of them may give them juſt cauſe to praiſe God. Thus may we avoid the ordinary evils of warre.
§. 92. Of warre kept out of a land.
V. IT is a bleſſing to have warre kept out of a land. Warre being a cauſe of many evils, to have war kept out, is to be freed from thoſe many evils. This is that caſe, wherof the Pſalmiſt thus ſaith, aPſal 144. 15.Happy is that people that is in ſuch a caſe. This was the happineſſe of Salomons raigne; for, b1 Chro. 22 9God gave him reſt from all his enemies round about. As a bleſſing on Iehoſaphat and his kingdome, it is recorded, that, c2 Chro. 17. 10The feare of the Lord fell upon all the kingdome of the lands that were round about Iudah, ſo that they made no warre against Iehoſaphat.
Thrice happy is England in this reſpect, that under the bleſſed government of Queene Elizabeth, King Iames, and our now (and long may be be our now) royall Soveraigne, King Charles, hath beene preſerved from warre, the cauſe of many evills, and from the many evills of warre. It cannot be denied, but that in bleſſed Queene Elizabeths daies, there was much warre: and that many attempts were made by enemies abroad, and traitors at home to diſturbe our Peace, extirpate our Religion, and ruinate our State: but they all turned to the increaſe of our happineſſe, in that we are delivered from them all, and ſo preſerved from the evils of open hoſtility, and privy conſpiracy, as thoſe attempts proved thorow the divine providence more glorious, and many wayes beneficiall to Soveraigne and Subjects, to Church and Common-wealth, then ignominious, or any way prejudiciall.
That there may be better notice taken hereof to enlarge our hearts the more to praiſe God, and to move us the more ſecurely and confidently to caſt our care on him, I hope it will not be unſeaſonable here to ſet down a particular catalogue of ſuch deliverances from the foreſaid evils, as God hath given us ſince the beginning of that bleſſed Queenes raigne.