The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI. The carriage of the conquered in Generall.
NOW I come to treat of the behaviour of the conquered; to whom I muſt confeſſe, it is eaſier to giuegive counſell, then to undergoe the burthen: and rules of directions are ſooner given in this caſe, Vincitur ars vento, nec jam moderator babenis utitur. Obid. lib. 3. Feſtor. Phillip. 1.29.then taken. A tempeſtuous ſtorme (as the Poet ſaith) may countermand the Art of the best Navigator, and put the ſtoutest Maſter from the Helm. Yet for all this, in this greateſt evill, there is matter to manifeſt the greateſt magnanimity: there is more worth and valour in ſuffering, then in doing: VntoUnto you, ſaith the Apoſtle, it is given, not onelyonly to beleeue in him; but alſo to ſuffer for his ſake. Were not our glorious Martyrs the greateſt Conquerours? It is a great grace for a conquerour to carry, even the cup of victory: but a greater glory for the conquered to drinke the dregs of Martiall diſpleaſure, or of his enemies triumph, with undaunted magnanimity. Victis ſolatio est, virtute praeſtantis viri cadere.It is ſome ſolace (as the ſaying is) to be brought under by him, who is worthy to command: And this gaue ſome eaſe to the heart of Mithridates, who after 50 yeares ſtanding out, with the glory of many victories, at length was forced to yeeld himſelfe and his, to the mercy of Pompey the great; Non eſt turpe ab eo vinci, quem vincere eſſet nefas. Veleius Paterculus.yet contenting himſelfe with this faire overture, that it was no ſhame to be overcome of him, whom to overcome it was impoſsible. But as it is not in a mans choyce whether he will be conquered or no; ſo likewiſe it is not in his choyce, by whom he will be conquered; and therfore he muſt fit himſelfe to carry it well, whoſoever lay it on; whether the enemy be like Pirrhus, contending onelyonly with the Roman, who ſhould command; or like the Samnite, contending with him who ſhould ſurviue, whatſoever it be, or by whomſoever, it muſt bee born; ſo that as the Comick ſaith, it is the part of a man: Iſtuc viri officium.not that a man ſhould be taken, in this caſe, with a Stoicall inſenſibility, and quaffe away all care, and wit, foreign.with drinke and Tobacco; or caſt himſelfe faſt a ſleep with the opium of delights, or ſuffer himſelfe to be charmed with the inchantments of ſolatious company, as though hee cared not what God had done to him, nor what he would doe with him; this is to be under a double conqueſt, the latter whereof is the worſer.
A man therefore vnderunder the yoke, muſt not onelyonly ſuffer, but alſo doe, and deviſe how to redeem himſelfe. To doe and not to ſuffer, is with the Lyon in the ſnare to ſtruggle, or with the fiſh to wraſtle in the net; but to ſuffer and not doe, is with the ſea-calfe, to play and ſport themſelues when all the waues of God are going over them. God often by the hand of the enemy, as by a Purſivant at Armes, fetcheth in bankrupt Tenants; that is, his own untoward or backſliding people; and leaveth them in the purſivants hand till they take ſome courſe to ſatisfie for the arrerages. If a man in that caſe take thought of nothing but ſtrong drunke and Tobacco, a punke and ribauldrie, as ſundrie in the fleet and Marſhalſey doe, is he not like to ly long enough by it? yea, it may be while all his delights leaue him, and he hauehave neither inward nor outward comfort; and the more unſenſible one is of ſuch a caſe, it addeth the more to the miſerie of his caſe. So when Gods people are in the hands of their enemies, they muſt conſider where they are, and caſt about what to doe. It is the lot of Gods people, that are left alive in the Palatinate, and Bohemia, to be under an Aegyptian captivitie; The Inheritance of God is laid waſt and poſſeſſed by Gebal, Amon, and Amalecke; they hauehave conſulted together againſt God and his anoynted, that his name and the name of Iſrael may be no more in remembrance.
A great part of this woefull calamitie lyeth on their Princely cedars, who with their brāches are rooted up, & like a partridge they are hunted to and fro, ſo if it were not that God out of the waters hath rayſed a litle hill for them to reſt upon, I know not whether Kielah and Ziph, would hauehave affoorded them any ſafe reſt or no.
Now ſince all this is come upon your royall Majeſties, & you, and yours, yet lying under, are the ſubject of the enemies inſolencie, to you & yours giuegive me leaue to direct my ſpeech in the application of this paſſage; (not but that I hope the rule of the word, the long experimentall knowledge of heavie affliction, & the great miſery of your poore diſtreſſed ſubjects, hath cauſed you both, to lay to heart the affliction.) But this is further to intreat you to obſerve whence it is, looke about for deliverance, get you a habite of patience how to beare it, foreign.and be directed in ſome meaſure what uſe to make of it. Out of an earneſt deſire of deliverance to you & yours, & all Gods diſtreſſed people, I am bound to offer ſome rules to yours Majeſties conſideratiō, which no doubt being followed wil work out your deliverance and therefore I preſume they ſhall neither be grievous nor unprofitable to your Majeſties.