Gods Three Arrows, Dedication 4 – Section 5
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, SIR HVGH HAMMERSLY, Knight, one of the Aldermen and Coronels of the honourable City of LONDON, and Preſident of the Martiall Company, exerciſing Armes in the Artillery Garden. AND, To all the Captaines and Gentlemen of the ſaid Company, Such valour as may make them victoriouſly ſtand againſt all ſorts of Enemies. Worthy Preſident, Captaines, and Gentlemen,
Semel, & ſecundò, & tertiò (ni fallor) petijſti à me, ut tibi tuis que commilitonibus ſcriberem exhortationis ſcrmonem, aſſerens vobis non parum fore adiutorij, ſi quos armis non poſſum, literis animarem. Bern Prolog. in Ser. ad Mil. Temp.AS by a free Election of you all, I was called to preach that which is here preſented to you, ſo by the first motion and earnest ſollicitation of many of you, I am induced to publiſh it. How farre mine owne purpoſe was from any ſuch purpoſe, God is my witneſſe. How farre your deſire prevailed to alter that my purpoſe, this evidence is an apparent evidence. Among other motives mentioned by you that in the name of the rest were Solliciter in this buſineſſe, this, which by ſome of you was alleaged, moſt prevailed with me, that the more common this Sermon was made, the more commodious it might be to your Company. How my poore paines may adde any advantage to your important imployments, I know not. This I know, and do openly acknowledge, and publikely profeſſe, that my heart is ſet upon your Artillery Company: I love it: I admire it: I honour it: I praiſe God for it: I will continue to pray to the Lord of Hoſts for his bleſsing upon it: and to my poore power, I will doe what I can, for the advancement thereof. As one, though a very meane and weake proofe thereof, I doe here dedicate to you in particular, that which by your meanes, and for your ſake is divulged to all in generall. I confeſſe, that as the matter thereof, ſo the manner of handling it, is ſomewhat differing from my ordinary courſe. For, I had reſpect to the kind of Auditory before which I ſpake. Among Souldiers I endeavoured to ſpeake Souldier-like. If offence be taken at matter or manner, I ſhroud my ſelfe under your ſhields for defence. Now that you have brought me forth into the open field, and ſet me up to be gazed on, and baited at by the differing cenſures of diverſe cenſors, leave me not to ſhift for my ſelfe. Be not backward to patronize what you have beene forward to produce. I may the rather expect all juſt defence from you, becauſe by appearing ſomewhat otherwiſe in your Aſſembly then I uſe to doe in my uſuall Auditory, I take you, worthy Preſident for my preſident, yea all you valiant Captaines, and other Gentlemen, whom I make as one Patrone, for my patterne herein. Me thinkes, O prudent Preſident, when in a forenoone I ſee you ſitting, and giving advice among the wiſe Senators of our City, and in an afternoone marching before the Martiall Gentlemen of your Company, me thinkes the ſame man is not the ſame man. But of old, ſuch hath beene the demeanour of thoſe who have beene gifted for the one and the other place, to be both grave Senators and brave Souldiers. Such were Brutus, Scipio the one and the other, Camillus, Marius, Pompey, Caeſar, and many other who were both Togati and Armati, prudent Conſuls, potent Captaines. The like I may ſay of all you Gentlemen of the Artillery Garden: You that are, whereſoever you are, in your perſons the ſame Perſons, do with that decorum obſerve the buſineſſe which you are about, as in your ordinary vocation, and Military profeſsion, you ſeeme to be other and other men. Hereby you manifeſt your prudence and providence. Prudence, by fitting your ſelves to that which is fit for the preſent. Providence, both by improving the time of peace, and making the beſt advantage thereof in the duties of your particular callings, and alſo by preparing your ſelves againſt the time of Warre, and preventing the damage which might otherwiſe thence enſue. Nulli qui eſt de putatus ad aliquod officium, licet id per quod ſuo officio incongruus redditur. Vnde clericis omnino non licet bella gerere, &c. A quin. 2 2. quaeſt. 40. Ar tic. 2.So well have I ever approved this your courſe, as, if my coate and calling had beene anſwera ble, long ere this, I had endeavoured to have beene of your Artillery Company. But, for thoſe whoſe education appertaineth to me, I verily purpoſe, and openly profeſſe, that if ever any Sonne of mine be a Citizen of London, and of ſufficient ability, I will endeavour to have him a member of this your Company. Of which minde, I would more perſons and parents were. If they were, and their childrens mind (when they are of age) anſwerable therto, both City and Kingdome would be much more honoured and ſecured by this and other like Societies. My deſire is therfore, that this which is likely to come to the view of many more then at firſt heard it, may prevaile with thoſe many, to doc as you doe, and to adde able men and availeable meanes to the advancement of your Company. To conclude, if any advancement (O noble Preſident, Captaines, and Gentlemen of the Artillery Company) may any way by your deſire to have that, which once your ſelves heard, lie open to the view of all, be attained, the end of yeelding to your deſire is obtained. For this end therefore, humble and hearty prayer is and ſhall be made (to him that hath power to move the minds of all men according to his owne mind) by him that promiſeth to be
Black-Fryers London. Iul. 10. 1626. Your daily Oratour, WILLIAM GOVGE.
THE DIGNITIE OF CHIVALRY, Set forth in A SERMON, Preached before the Artillery Company of LONDON, 13. Iune. MDCXXVI.
§. 1. Of the Summe of Text and Sermon.
II. CHRON. VIII. IX.
foreign.
THEY were MEN of WARRE.
THE Dignity of Chivalry (a point very pertinent for this preſent appointment) is the Pearle that is incloſed in the casket of my Text. Hereof that you may take the better view, I will ſet open this casket in your ſight. Be pleaſed therefore to take notice of the generall Scope whereat the Holy Ghoſt aimeth in this Chapter: thereby you may diſcerne that the forenamed point, The Dignity of Chivalry, is not violently wreſted, but properly ariſeth out of my Text. The Summe of this Chapter is A Declaration of the Magnificence of Salomon. Among other evidences thereof this is one, that his native Subjects, Children of Iſrael, THEY were MEN of WARRE. The originall expreſſeth none but words of weight: Circumſtantiall words, which are as bonds to knit word to word, it leaveth to be underſtood. There are therefore three onelyonly words in the originall, all which ſet out the Dignity of Chivalry, and that by the Perſons, their Property, and Part whereunto they were put.
The parts of the Text.The firſt word foreign THEY, noteth out Singular Perſons.
The ſecond, foreign MEN, a Speciall Property.
The third, foreign WARRE, a Select imployment.
THEY were MEN of WARRE.
§. 2. Of ſuch as are fit or unfit for warre.
IN the two verſes before my Text, it is ſaid, that there were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizites, and the Hivites, and the Iebuſites, who were not of Iſrael: 2 Chro. 8. 7, 8.and that being left, they were ſo brought under, as Salomon made them to pay tribute. They might therefore have beene put to any office or worke that the King would: yet were not THEY MEN of WARRE. They were too meane and unmeet perſons, for a function ſo high and honourable. On Who not fit for Warre.the contrary, in the words immediately before my Text, it is ſaid, Of the children of Iſrael, did Salomon make no ſervants for his worke. They being men of better note and name, were 2 Chron. 8. 9.reſerved for a more honourable imployment, which my Text thus expreſſeth, THEY were MEN of WARRE; which words are inferred on the former, by way of oppoſition, with this adverſative Particle BVT. They were no ſervants for worke: BVT THEY were MEN of WARRE. As the meaner and baſer ſort were made ſervants for worke, ſo Who fit for Warre.the better and excellenter ſort were made Souldiers for War. THEY were MEN of WARRE. Nor Hittites, nor Amorites, nor Perizites, nor Hivites, nor Iebuſites, BVT Iſraelites, THEY were MEN of WARRE. No Slaves, no Captives, no Aliens, no Forrainers, but Free-men, Freeborne, Native Subjects, Naturall Citizens, THEY were MEN of WARRE. Thus this relative particle foreign THEY, as here it is uſed, is to be taken foreign with an excellency, as importing ſome eminency of the Perſons here meant. This choice then of Perſons maketh much to the Dignity of Chivalry.
§. 3. Of the property of men of Warre.
2. AS there was choice made of perſons in regard of their outward priviledge, Iſraelites, Natives, Citizens: Elegit Deus ex fortiſſimis Iſrael & ad bella dectiſſimos. Bern. ad Mil. Temp. cap 4.ſo alſo in regard of their inward property. For the ſecond word of my Text, foreign MEN, though it be oft uſed for mortal men, ſubject to many miſeries, yet is it alſo put for foreign valorous men, and attributed to thoſe choice men which were taken out of the twelve ſeverall Tribes of Iſrael, and ſent to ſpie the Land of Canaan. Yea, this very word Numb. 13. 2, 3.is twice uſed in that exhortation which the Philiſtims uſe to encourage one another, when they heard that the Arke of the LORD was brought into the hoſt of the Iſraelites: and it is uſed to ſet out valour and courage in men. For thus, word for word it may be tranſlated, Be men: ſome tranſlate it thus, Play the MEN: Others thus, Quit you 1 Sam. 4. 9. foreign eſtote viri. foreign S…is viri.like MEN. foreign by tranſpoſition of a letter, are foreign Men of place and power, Commanders, Captaines. Thus the MEN here meant, may be diſtinguiſhed from the vulgar, common ſort of men. The Hebrews put ſuch a difference betwixt foreign and foreign as the Grecians doe betwixt foreign and foreign, and the Latines betwixt Vir and Homo. foreign importeth ſuch an one as hath in him foreign Fire, Life, and Spirit: but foreign a man of the earth. Vir by the Latines is ſo called of vertue and proweſſe: but homo ab humo, as foreign of the earth. In Greeke, they moſt properly are ſtiled foreign. Herod. in Polym.foreign, who are foreign, virtuous, valorous, magnanimous: but all of all ſorts foreign. Our Engliſh is herein penurious, it wanteth fit words to expreſſe this difference: We call all, whether mighty or meane, Men: yet ſometimes this word MEN in our tongue hath his Emphaſis, as in theſe and ſuch like phraſes, They have played the MEN. They have ſhewed themſelves MEN. They are MEN indeed. Thus in the Engliſh tranſlation of the Scripture it is uſed, I Cor. 16. 13. Quit you like MEN. And 2 Sam. 10. 12. Let us play the MEN. That the word here in my Text is ſo to be taken, is evident by comparing this with like places. Thoſe valiant men that came out of ſundry Tribes to David in Hebron, to turne the kingdome of Saul to him, of whoſe courage 1 Chron. 12. 23.and Proweſſe much is ſpoken, are ſtiled with the words here in my Text, foreign Men of Warre. —38. Iocl 27.—3. 9. 2 Chro. 17. 13.The Prophet Ioel applieth theſe two phraſes foreign Mighty Men, and foreign Men of Warre, to the ſame perſons. Where the magnificence of Iehoſaphat is ſet out as Salomons magnificence is here ſet out, in Ieruſalem there are ſaid to be foreign Men of Warre, and by way of expoſition they are further ſtiled foreign Mighty men of valour. They were therefore choice Men of courage, Men of valour, that are here meant in my Text: ſo as their Property doth further ſet out the Dignity of Chivalry. In that, though Natives onelyonly and Iſraelites were deputed to the imployment here mentioned, yet not all ſorts of Natives and Iſraelites, but ſuch as were well reputed of for virtue and valour, and fit for their imployment.
§. 4. Of preparation for war under a Prince of Peace.
3. THeſe Natives of name, ſelect Subjects, Men of mighty minds, to what imployment were they appointed? Even to Warre. They were men of WARRE. What need might there then be thought to be of Men of Warre? Had all the Nations round about proclaimed Warre againſt Iſrael, as in Ioſhuas time? Or was Warre within their Ioſ. 9. 1, 2.gates, as before Deborahs daies? Or were their enemies Iudg 5. 8. Iudg. 15. 11.Rulers over them, as when Sampſon began to be a Iudge in Iſrael? No ſuch matter. What then? Was this the time to take revenge of Iſraels enemies for former wrongs, to ſecure the Land of them, and to bring them under ſubjection? Surely no: All that, was ſufficiently done by David, that mighty man of Warre. Salomon now raigned. Salomon 2 Sam. 8. 1, &c.that Prince of Peace. His name proported Peace. For, Salomon had his denomination from foreign Peace. Peace alſo was promiſed to be in his daies. Both the forenamed Name of Peace, and alſo the promiſe of Peace are expreſly mentioned by God himſelf, where he thus ſpeaketh to David, Behold a Sonne ſhall be borne to thee, who ſhall be a man of rest: 1 Chron. 22. 9.and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name ſhall be Salomon: and I will give peace and quietneſſe to Iſrael all his daies. This Salomon was herein an eſpeciall Type of the great Prince of Peace, Chriſt Ieſus, who is Our Iſa. 9. 6. Epheſ. 2. 14.Peace. In that then, where there was no feare of danger, nor any inſtant, urgent neceſſity required, in a time and place of Peace, under the raigne of a Prince of Peace, They, of whom you heard before, They were Men of WARRE. Surely preparation for Warre, Exerciſes thereto, Martiall diſcipline, Artillery tacticks, and Military trainings are matters of moment, commendable and honourable, not tobe rejected or neglected, but duly to be reſpected, and daily practiced, at all times, in all places, whether of perill or peace. This third and laſt branch therefore (as it is here ſet downe) even the Part which the forenamed Perſons performed, amplifieth the Dignity of Chivalry. For, They were Men of WARRE.
§. 5. Of the principall Points of the Text.
THus have I cleared the generall Scope of my Text, and laid open to your view this promiſed Pearle, the Dignity of Chivalry: by ſhewing how every word of my Text eyeth that marke, and every part and particle thereof much advanceth the ſame. With your good patience I purpoſe to dive yet more deeply into the depth of my Text. For the three Parts raiſed out of the three words thereof, as they have beene opened before you, (namely,
1. The ſingular Perſons, THEY,
2. Their ſpeciall Property, MEN.
3. Their ſelect Imployment. WARRE.
THEY were MEN of WARRE.)
Theſe three points (I ſay) afford to our heedfull conſideration theſe three uſefull Obſervations.*The three principall points of the Text.
I. The Artilery profeſſion is an honourable function.
II. Military men must be of mighty minds.
III. In peace to prepare for Warre, is a principall part of prudence.
Of theſe in order: and firſt of the firſt.