The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Gods word the ground of Counſell.
IT followeth in the next proper place to ſhew when… this councell ſhould come, the ground whereof ſhould b… the word of God. For although the Scripture be not an Encyclopedia of all the particulars of every Science; yet in it the… may be found a Syſteme of all ſciences; it being the Miſtreſſ… to whom all Sciences are handmaids. Yea, this directs the… ordering of all true principles and concluſions. No better Philoſophy, Logick, or Metaphyſick, then in the book o… God. No better counſel or direction for war or peace, the… there is to be found. Hence the Word is called by the nam… of Councel. Act. 20.27I hauehave not ſhunned to declare unto you all the counſell of God: Thy Teſtimonies are my delight (ſaith the Prophe… David) my councellours, Pſa. 119.24or the men of my councell. Tha… charge given to the King of Iſrael, concerneth all King… in the world, and they that will thriue in peace or war, muſ… obey it; namely, that they hauehave Gods Law-book continually with them, that they ſhould reade it, that they may learn to fear God, to avoid ſin; yea, by this rule all their doings ſhould be ſo ordred, that they ſhould not decline from i… to the left hand, Deu. 17.18or to the right. So the like direction was given to Ioſhua, who was to fight the battels of the Lords. Th… book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, Ioſ. 1.8.but thou ſha… meditate therin day and night.
Both reaſon and experience confirmeth this poſition, a… what work can teach a man ſo well to war as the book … God, who is the excellent man of War. Again, hath eve… any Warriours paralelled thoſe who hauehave had their rules and directions from God? Witneſſe Moſes, Ioſua, David, and the reſt, HaueHave all the Worthies come nigh one of theſe? Adde to theſe reaſons the nature of the Word, vvhoſe proper encomy it is, to make a man perfect to every good work. Since lawfull war is a good vvork, and that of a high nature, the vvord muſt not onelyonly fit men for the undertaking of it, but alſo for the happy managing of it, to Gods glory, and the and ertakers good. It is a ſure Canon in Theologie, That the word of God is not onelyonly the Canon of our faith and life, but alſo of our Calling, whatſoever it be, from the King to the Porter. Would to God we would all obſerue it. This may very well be ſaid to be that Tower of David, built for an Armory, vvherein a thouſand ſhields doe hang, Cant. 4.4.even all the Targets of the mighty men: for whether vve underſtand thereby the Tropies of Chriſts triumph, hung upon the neckes of the …aithfull; or that Panopli, or compleat armour ſpoken of in …he Epheſians; yet all this we attain unto by the Word. Alexander carryed Homers works ever vvith him, foreign.as the furniture of his iourney: and Cyprian uſed ever and anon, to call for Tertullian his Maſter.
Oh that thoſe that fight the Lords battels, Application. Pſa. 119.98or hath intereſt in them; would take this courſe with the Word, that they might ſay with the Prophet David, Thy Commandements …re with me; and that they would caſt away prophane Pamphlets, plaguie play-bookes, and froathy complements of …le louelove; for as theſe become not Chriſtian warfare; ſo I …m ſure that Homer, and all the Tacktick Writers, and rules of Military Diſcipline in the world; are not able, vvithout …his, to teach a man the Art of War. And therefore David giveth a good reaſon of his foreſaid reſolution, that the Word ſhould ever be vvith him; Thou through thy commandements haſt made me wiſer then mine enemies. If it be objected …hat many great Warriours, and victorious Conquerours, …ever knew vvhat this Word vvas. I anſwer, Great they were …deed, but not good. And vvhat gaine they by their greatneſſe, but the greater torments? eſpecially they vvho liue in the light of the Word, and yet vvill not be guided by it? This Word doth ſtretch it ſelfe through the vvorld as an infallible rule to vvalk by; but, Who beleeues the report of it? Who vvalketh by the rule of it? Wiſedome ſtandeth without and cryeth; vvithout indeed, for ſhe cannot come in. Counſel for the Popes war is brought by the froggs from the bottomleſſe pit, vvhere Ignatius lyeth Leager for the State. Profeſſedly, they doe diſclaim the Word, and the Popes unwritten Villanies, muſt be both the ground and guide of all his War.
As for the Atheiſt; Matchiavils rules, or vvorſe, are his chiefe guide, vvith vvhom the Papiſts doe vvillingly joy… hands. As for the hypocrite and carnal profeſſors, vvhat the Papiſt ſpeaketh blaſphemouſly of the Word, he maketh good in his profeſſion; namely, he uſeth it like a Noſe of Wax; it muſt be ſtampt and caſt in vvhat mould he vvil hauehave it: but he vvill not be caſt by it, as in a mould; it ſhal not ſquare his conſcience, nor his actions; but he muſt ſquare and pare it at his pleaſure: yea, ſuch vvill hauehave nothing to command in all actions, but the great canon of Proſopolatria, or humane authority. In a vvord, in effect they ſay, The word ſhall not raign over them, but they vvil raign over it and the conſcience too, though it be Gods Cabonet, not ſit for man to ſit in.
Gods forces muſt likewiſe acknowledge their guilt herein: vvith this Armorie they are not ſo acquainted as they ſhould be and muſt be indeed, before things goe vvel. This vvould clear the judgement, reform the life, overcome paſſions, kindle zeale, temper vvith diſcretion, incourage the heart, ſtrengthen the ſpirits. In a vvord, it vvould make a truely valiant man. If we would but take this ſting of David, we ſhould not want a ſtone to beat out Goliahs braines. But every peece of this is like Sauls armour, too heavy for fleſh and bloud to beare, further then in bare diſcourſe. But there muſt be a denyall of fleſh & bloud, before in our courſes wee can be happy heere, or heereafter. It is reported of a king of Aragon (to his no ſmall prayſe) that beſides his other literature, (wherein even in the time of war he much delighted) and beſides his love to the learned (whom he honored and uſed as his ſpeciall councellours, both in peace and in war) that notwithſtanding of his many waighty affaires, he read the Bible ouer foureteene ſeverall times, with the ſpeciall comments upon it. I wiſh heartily, that all Gods warriours would make this word the treaſure of their ſtudy, and that as I hauehave ſaid it might alwayes be with them, for therein is the fullneſs of counſell.
Neyther will a ſuperficiall looke, or a bare taſte thereof, foreign. Col. 3.16.ſerue to make the perſons happy or the affaires proſperous: but as the Apoſtle ſaith, it muſt dwell plentifully or richly; the word doth ſignificantly preſſe, that it muſt alwayes be with us. Wee muſt be the houſe, & it the furniture. It is not a lapping of this word as the doggs doe of Nilus; nor a talking with it, and of it, while it is without dores; but there muſt be a diligent ſearching into it, as a man would dig for the finding of the richeſt treaſure, Iohn. 5.39. So did thoſe truely noble men of Theſsalonica, they ſearched duely for the trueth, Acts. 17. There be too too many now of Leo the tenth, ſtampe, that ſay in effect, they find no profit in the fable of the word, for ſo called, that blaſphemer, the doctrine of Chriſt. And ſome are, like Agrippa: they are almoſt perſwaded by it, but it is, but almoſt: but it muſt dwell richly in us, that is, as our onelyonly treaſure, as David, did wiſely eſteeme of it, as you may ſee through all the 119. Pſalme, as his richeſt treaſure.