Gods Three Arrows, Section 60
§. 60. Of the lawfulneſſe of ſhedding bloud in warre.
V. *See §. 55. Secure diſſipentur gentes quae bella volunt, & abſcindantur qui nos conturbant. Bern. ad Mil. Temp c 3.ENemies in warre may lawfully be ſlaine. If Gods command, Saints practice, Gods approbation, and remuneration, yea and his vengeance on them that ſpared ſuch enemies as ſhould have beene ſlaine, be ſufficient warrant, ſufficient warrant is not wanting for this point.
1. For precept, Moſes from God ſaith to the Iſraelites, aNum. 31. 3.Avenge the Lord of Midian; b—17.kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath knowne man. And Samuel to Saul, c1 Sam. 15. 3.Smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and ſpare them not, but ſlay both man and woman, &c. And the Lord himſelfe, dEzek. 9. 6.ſlay utterly old and yong.
2. For practice, note the patternes of eGen. 14. 17.Abraham, and of the people of God under fNum. 31. 7.Moſes, gIoſ 8. 22.Ioſhua, h2 Sam. 8. 2.David, and others guided by the Spirit of God.
3. For Gods approbation, we have a memorable inſtance thereof by the miniſtry of Melchizedek, a Prieſt of God, iHeb. 7. 1.who met Abraham as he returned from the ſlaughter of the Kings, and bleſſed him.
4. For Gods remuneration, The continuance of Iehu his raigne k2 King. 10. 30.unto the fourth generation for flaying Ahabs ſtocke, And lEzek. 29. 19.the reward which the Lord gave to Nebuchadnezzar. for deſtroying Tyrus are evident proofs.
5. For Gods vengeance on ſuch as did not ſlay thoſe enemies that ſhould have been ſlaine, there is inſtance in m1 Sam. 15. 13 19.Saul, and n1 King 20. 42Ahab.
When enemies are ſlaine, it is in a defenſive or offenſive warre. If in defenſive warre, then there is no other way to preſerve our owne lives from ſuch as band themſelves together in armes but by ſlaying them. They ſhew that they ſeeke the lives of them againſt whom they come. The ſlaughter therefore of enemies is but a preſervation of our owne lives. And the bloud which in defenſive warre is ſhed, is ſhed ſe defendendo, in defending ones ſelfe: which was never counted unlawfull. Such are a cauſe of their own death. And he that is the cauſe of death is more infault then Qui cauſa mortis eſt, potius in culpâ eſt quam iile qui occidit. Aug. Macedon. Epiſt. 54.he that killeth.
As for offenſive warre when it is rightly undertaken, it is either for ſome unſufferable wrong done, or for juſt feare of wrong in time to come. In ſuch a caſe, warre is a publique execution of juſtice. So that it is as lawfull in theſe caſes for ſouldiers to ſlay true enemies, as for executioners to put to death malefactors, arraigned, condemned, and delivered to them for that end.
Beſides, by ſlaughter of enemies, the land againſt which they are enemies hath reſt, and ſecurity: as towns and high waies are ſafe and quiet by executing theeves. This effect of deſtroying enemies is oft noted in Scripture, Iudg. 3. 10, 11, Cum homo ab homine occiditur, multum diſtat utrum fiat nocendi cnpiditate, vel injuſtè aliquid auferendi, ſicut à latrone, an ulciſc endi vel obediendi ordine, ſicut à judice, ſicut à car…ifice…an evadend…, ſive ſubveniendi neceſſitate, ſicut interimitur hoſtis à milite. Aug. Ib.30. & 5. 31. 2 Chro. 15. 15. & 20. 30. Thus juſt and due cauſes of ſlaying enemies muſt rightly be obſerved. For, when one man is kild of another, there is great difference, whether it be done with a deſire of wrong and robbery, as theeves do, or in courſe of puniſhment and obedience to law as Iudges and executioners do, or thorow neceſſity of avoiding danger, and affording ſuccour, as ſouldiers do.
Ob. David ſeemeth to be branded for ſlaying ſo many enemies as he did. For, as a reaſon why he was not thought fit to build the Temple, it is ſaid to him, Thou haſt ſhed bloud abundantly, and haſt made great warres, &c. Thou haſt beene a man of warre, and ſhed blouds. 1 Chro. 22. 8. & 28. 3.
Anſw. This is not upbraided to David as a crime, or as a matter of ignominy. For, it was his glory that he q1 Sam. 25. 28.fought the Lords battels; and rHeb. 11. 32.for that he is put into the catalogue of Gods Worthies. But firſt thereby is implied that David could not have ſuch leaſure as was meet for ſo great a work as the Temple was: which is more fully expreſſed by Salomon in theſe words, s1 King. 5. 3.David my father could not build an houſe unto the name of the Lord his God, for the warres which were about him on every ſide, &c.
2. The building of that Temple was a type of the building of the ſpirituall Temple, the Church of Chriſt. The builder thereof muſt be an anſwerable type of the builder of the ſpirituall Temple, who was tIſa. 9. 6.the Prince of peace. Thus Souldiers need not be daunted at the bloud which they ſhed in warre.much doth God himſelfe thus intimate to David: u1 Chro. 22. 9, 10.A ſonne ſhalbe borne to thee which ſhalbe a man of reſt, &c. He ſhall build an houſe for my name, &c.
The good warrant which ſouldiers have for ſlaying their enemies in warre, giveth good encouragement to them for Miles hoſtem, & judex, vel Miniſter ejus, n…centem, non mihi videntur peccare cunshominem occidunt. Aug. de lib. arbitr. l. 1. c. 4.a cheerfull going to warre, and for valiant fighting therein. And though by their valour much bloud may be ſhed, yet they need not be any more daunted thereat, then Iudges, Iuries, Executioners, and other Miniſters of Iuſtice for putting many malefactors to death. Souldiers are no more guilty of bloud in ſlaying enemies in warre, then Miniſters of Iuſtice in putting capitall malefactors to death. It is indeed a matter of pity, and it ought to move our bowels of compaſſion that people ſhould be ſo wicked and deſperate, as to give occaſion to have their bloud ſhed: but, the occaſion being given, aDeut. 13. 8.—19. 13.pity muſt be laid aſide. bIer. 13 14. Ezek. 5 11. Zec. 11. 6.God himſelfe in ſuch caſes caſteth off pity. Wherefore, ſhedding of bloud in juſt warre is ſo far from unlawfull cruelty, as it is a point of moſt warrantable equity. Pity in this caſe may prove the ruine of the citie: and more prejudiciall to a State, then tolerating theeves, murtherers, traiters, and ſuch other pernicious malefactors.
OnelyOnly that which is lawfull muſt lawfully be uſed: to Directions about killing enemies.which end receive theſe few directions.
1. Shew that thou delighteſt not in bloud. Shed no more then of neceſſity (thorow the obſtinacy of enemies) thou art Pagani necandi non eſſent, ſi quomodo aliter poſſent à nimiâ infeſtatione, ſeu oppreſſione fidelium cohiberi. Bern. ad Mil. Temp. cap 3. Magnum Babyloniae crudelitatis indicium eſt, ne ſenibus quidem peperciſſe: quorum aetas etian, interhoſtes venerabilis eſt. Hier. Com in Iſa. 46 In what caſes no mercy to any.forced to ſhed. If enemies yeeld, and relinquiſh their hoſtility, ſpare them. Read the charge which the divine law giveth to this purpoſe, Deut. 20. 11.
2. Slay not ſuch as cannot hurt thee, as weake women, aged men, and young children. This exception the Law expreſſy maketh, Deut. 20. 14.
Ob. In other places Gods people are commanded to ſlay men and women, infant and ſuckling, 1 Sam. 15. 3. Anſwerably the Iſraelites dealt with many of their enemies, They utterly deſtroyed all, both man and woman, young and old, &c. Ioſ. 6. 21.
Anſw. 1. Particular charges make extraordinary caſes: as gGen. 22 2.the charge given to Abraham for ſacrificing his ſonne. Extraordinary caſes are not exemplary. They are rather matters of admiration then imitation.
2. The people who were ſo to be dealt withall were by God devoted to utter deſtruction: Some, becauſe their land was given by the ſupreme poſſeſſour of heaven and earth for an inheritance to his people. The Law therefore that ſpeaketh of ſparing enemies, hath this exception, hDeut 20. 16.But of the cities of thoſe people which the Lord thy God doth give thee for inheritance, thou ſhalt ſave alive nothing that breatheth. Others were devoted to deſtruction becauſe of their implacable hatred, unſatiable wrath, and intolerable wrongs againſt the people of God: As iExo 17. 14. Deut. 25. 17, 18, 19. 1 Sam. 15. 2, 3.Amalek.
3. If enemies will hearken to no conditions of peace: but obſtinately ſtand out to the very uttermoſt, in ſuch a caſe ſaith the Law, kDeut. 20. 13. Cur iraſceretur Deus adverſus Chaldaeos quos ipſe miſit ad capiendum Iſrael? Reſpondit, illos abuſos eſſe crudelitate ſuá & plus impoſuiſſe plagarum, quam Dei ultio flagitabat. Hier. Comment. in Iſa. 46. In what caſes enemies may be tortured.Thou ſhalt ſmite every male with the edge of the ſword.
3. Put not thoſe whom thou flayeſt to exquiſite torments. God proteſteth againſt the Syrians (Am. 1. 3.) for their cruelty, in that having overcome Gilead, they threſhed the inhabitants thereof with threſhing instruments of iron: and againſt the Ammonites, who ript up the women with child of Gilead, Am. 1. 13.
Queſt, May not enemies in any caſe be tortured?
Anſw. Yes. 1. In caſe of queſtion: when otherwiſe they will not confeſſe the truth.
2. In caſe of talio, or requiting like for like: as nIudg. 1. 6, 7. foreign. Radamanthi jus, ut Ariſt. Eth. l. 5. c. 8.the Iſraelites dealt with Adonibezek, whoſe thumbs and great toes they cut off. For ſo had he done to threeſcore and ten Kings before.
3. In caſe of revenging unſupportable inſolences and injuries. Hereby was o2 Sam. 12. 31.David moved to put the Ammonites under ſawes and harrowes of iron, &c. For they had p—10. 4.Villanouſly entreated the Ambaſſadors whom David in kindnes had ſent unto them: which was an inſolency againſt the law of nations.
4. In caſe of treachery, perjury, and breach of fidelity. For this cauſe qIer. 39. 6, 7.Nebuchadnezzar ſlew the ſonnes of Zedekiah before his eyes, and then put out his eyes.
4. What thou doeſt againſt thine enemies do in love. 4. Slay in loveLove their perſons though thou hate their practiſes. rMat. 5. 44.Pray therefore for them. Pray that God would turne their hearts, and move them to ceaſe from their hoſtility, or pardon their ſin. Thus pious Magiſtrates will pray for the ſalvation of their ſoules whoſe bodies they adjudge to death.5. Avenge not thy ſelfe.
5. Take heed of making that publique execution of juſtice an occaſion of executing private revenge: s2 Sam. 3. 27, 29.So dealt Ioab with Abner, t1 King. 2. 32.which pulled vengeance on Ioabs head.