Gods Three Arrows, Section 37
§. 37. Of going to warre upon command.
II. *See §. 35.THey who are ſent by lawfull authority unto lawfull warre, must go. What warre may be counted lawfull a§ 18. Quando Imperator dicebat, producite aciem, ite contra illam gentem ſtatim obtemperabant. Aug. Enar in Pſal 124. Vide Aug. contr. Fauſt. Manich. l. 22, c. 74. Itur & reditur ad nu…um ejus qui praeeſt. Bern, ad Mil. Temp. cap. 4.hath beene ſhewed. Lawfull authority, is the commād of ſuch as God hath ſet over us, eſpecially of the ſupreme Governour: which command may come to us either immediately from the governour himſelf, or mediately by ſuch as he ſets under himſelfe over us. For, ſaith the Centurion, I am a man under authority, and have ſouldiers under me, and I ſay to one, go, and he goeth; and to another, come, and he commeth, Mat. 8. 9. A proofe pertinent to the point in hand. For what doth a Centurions bidding a ſouldier, go, imply, but a ſending of him to ſuch or ſuch a ſervice in warre? Ioſhua (22. 2.) for this commends the obedience of the Reubenites, Gadites, and halfe the Tribe of Manaſſeh. Vriah ſo farre obeyed in this caſe, as he loſt his life, 2 Sam. 11. 16, 17. I ſay not this to juſtifie Davids or Ioabs command: but to demonſtrate the extent of Vriahs obedience.
Authority is given for this end, to obſerve what may be beſt for the ſtate wherein they have their authority; and anſwerably to order matters. In ordering whereof, there being many caſes wherein the very life of ſome particular perſons is to be put in hazard for preſervation of the whole ſtate, God hath given this power to ſupreme Magiſtrates to appoint whom they ſee beſt, according to that which Moſes ſaid to Ioſhua, Chooſe us out men. If men choſen might refuſe to go, to what purpoſe are they choſen? Souldiers owe Exequendi juſſa bellica miniſterium milites debent paci ſaluti que communi. Aug. cont. Fauſt. Manich l. 2. c. 75.to common peace and ſafety, the ſervice of executing their Governours commands of waging warre.
Ob Hath one man power over anothers life?
Anſw. 1. Going to warre doth not neceſſarily preſuppoſe loſſe of life. Many returne home from warre, not onelyonly with their lives, but also with much honour and wealth.
2. Many are the caſes warranted by God, wherein ſome hazard their lives for others, as Eſth. 4. 16. Iudg. 5. 18. Phil. Miles Chriſti ſecurus interimit, interit ſecurior. Sibi praeſtat cum interit: Chriſto cum interimit. Cum occiditur ipſe, non perijſſe, ſed perveniſſe cognoſcitur. Mors ergo quam irrogat Chriſti eſt lucrum: quam excipit, ſuum. Bern. loc. citat. Non eſt poteſtas niſi à Deo, vel jubente, vel ſinente. Cum ergo vir iuſtus, ſi fortè ſub rege homine etiam ſacrilego militet; rectè poſſit illo iubente bellare, civicae pacis ordinem ſervans: cui quod iubetur, vel non eſſe contra Dei praeceptum certum eſt, vel utrum ſit certum non eſt; it a ut fortaſſe reum regem ſaciat iniquitas imperandi, innocentem autem militem oſtendat ordo ſerviendi. Aug cont Fauſt. Manich. l. 22. c. 75.2. 30.
3. If in this caſe a ſouldier die, he dieth in his way, and in the worke of God: ſo as, his death may be his beſt advantage. God having given his Angels charge over all his, when they are in warre, they will either keepe them from death, or when they die they will take their ſoules, as they did the ſoule of Lazarus, to carrie it to bliſſe. Therefore with much confidence he ſlayeth his enemy, with greater confidence he is himſelfe ſlaine. He doth a good turne to himſelfe if he be killed, and an acceptable thing to Chriſt if he ſlay his enemy. When he is ſlaine, he is not deſtroyed, but perfected. The death which he inflicteth is Chriſts gaine: and which he ſuffereth, his owne gaine.
The application of this point of obedience in particular concerneth ſuch as are or ſhalbe commanded, as Ioſhua here was, to fight with the enemies of the Church and State: that they teſtifie their obedience readily, with good conſcience and courage, and that for the Lords ſake.
Quest. What if Chriſtians be under the ſubjection of Idolaters, or Infidels, ought they at ſuch a Kings command to go to warre?
Anſw. An ancient Father giveth this anſwer. There is no power but of God, either commanding, or permitting it. Therefore a righteous man, if happily he ſerve as a ſouldier under a King that is even a ſacrilegious man, he may rightly warre at his command, keeping the order of civill peace: who is either aſſured that that which is commanded is againſt no command of God, or is not ſure whether it be ſo or no, ſo that, perhaps the iniquity of commanding may make the King guilty, but the order of ſerving may prove the ſouldier to be innocent.