The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV. The Fight it ſelfe.
I Come now to the very point at length which doth determine all, and that is the fight it ſelfe: Men muſt not onelyonly pray, but they muſt alſo fight againſt the enemy: they muſt not onelyonly ſpeak, but they muſt alſo ſtrike: Strokes and words will doe well together. Moſes and Aaron prayed againſt Amalecke, Ioſhua and Iſrael fought againſt them. Amalecke is a ſmiter, and he muſt be ſmitten. It is a generall fault amongſt us that profeſſe Chriſt, that wee can diſcharge a few prayers againſt Antichriſt; but a heart to abhor him, and a hand to ſmite him (even ſo far as our places reach) we hauehave not; wee are too too like that white livered Roman in Tully, who under excuſe to keep the Camp, ſtayed back from the battle, to whom Africanus ſaid well, hee could not endure officious ſeeming Souldiers, Non am… nimium diligentes, in quit, Africanus.whom indeed doe ſtarke nothing. When Moſes cryed hard to God, Iſrael being in a great ſtrait, the Lord anſwered; Wherefore cryest thou unto me; ſpeak unto the children of Iſrael that they may goe forward. He doth not check Moſes becauſe hee prayed, Exod. 14.but becauſe he went not on with the people, as he was commanded, and therefore God reneweth the charge. The Ancients commend the Lacedemonians, that with their prayers, their hands were prompt to fight. To this effect was the ſpeech of that ancient Roman, that by bare wiſhes and woemaniſh cryes, we must not look from God to overcome, but by counſell, …l…ſtianus ….watchfulneſſe and doing (which are the ſecundary means whereby God hath appointed us to help our ſelues) we muſt looke to overcome. In comming to the very ſhock, what part of the enemies battalion, and with what forces it is firſt to be charged, is at the Generals diſcretion. As for that Military cry uſed, and commended by many in the joyning bartell; yet holden as a baſe and barbarous thing of others, I will not much contend; onelyonly this, as it is a thing moſt uſed by Turkes, Barbarians and Savages in their fight; ſo it rather ſpendeth ſpirit, then ſhe weth ſpirit. The Barbarians hauehave this obſervation againſt this crying; that dogs that barke much, doe not bite much. True fortitude conſiſteth in a ſtout heart, and in an able hand. Of this mind was Regulus Mauritanus, and others. As for the Iſraelites uſing of it, Ioſ. 6, it was the Lords command, and they had little oppoſition in the fight. As for Cato his commendation, and Caſars approbation of the uſe of the voyce in his Commentaries; I take them not to mean hollowing and hooping, but rather a couragious ſtirring up of one another, and daunting of the enemy with high words, and auſterity of looks. Howſoever, let the ſouldier remember, not to be daunted at the encounter of ſuch as come on with a cry.