The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 5
CHAPT. V. Of the Ʋertue of a Souldier.
THe ſecond perſonall circumſtance is vertue; 2 Vertue.by which I meane not barely thoſe morall vertues, wherewith the heathens were rarely gifted, as Caeſar, Pompei, &c. (who indeed by theſe make our age bluſh,) but alſo thoſe cardinall or Theologicall vertues, 1. Tim. 6.6. Exodus 10. & 21. Non ſunt verae virtutes, ſed umbrae.called ſomtimes by the name of godlines, and ſometimes the feare of God: and that becauſe the feare of God or godlines, is the fountaine and foundation of all other vertues: Where this is not (as one ſaith well) the reſt are not true vertues indeed, but shadowes. It is worth the obſervation, that where God amongſt the reſt of his bleſſings, doth promiſe that their war shall proſper; Deut. 28.3.He firſt bleſſeth the perſon: he muſt be a good man before he be a good and acceptable ſouldyer to God. God will not accept or bleſſe the action (at leaſt to that partie) before he bleſſe and accept the perſon: but the perſon being accepted, howſoever it fall out, it is a bleſſing to him. Such eſpecially ſhould be the commanders from the higheſt to the loweſt; yea as every one excelleth in eminency; ſo he ſhould labour to excel in true pietie; and that for theſe reaſons.
Firſt, 2. King. 16. Reaſons of vertues neceſitie. Tanto conſpectius in ſe crimen habet, quanto qui peccat major babe…ur.a fault in the face is foule, and the greater perſon the greater ſin. Secondly the ſin of ſuch is exemplarie and therefore a double ſin. Let Vitellius play the ryot, Tiberius the drunkard; will the ſouldiers be ſober? Let Sardanapalus ſit down to the diſtaffe, will his ſouldiers care for armes? Let Nero play the Mad-man, or rather the monſter of men; will not his ſouldiers be as mad and monſtrons as he? Let Ieroboam be an Idolator, all his followers will be of that faſhion. Let Lewis 11, be an egregious diſſembler, & his Courteours will be of that cut. Thirdly, as nothing corrupts more thē evil example, ſo nothing is of more force to correct thē their good example. When Lewis the 11, of France ſcorned learning, all the Court & Nobles thought it but foolery; but Francis the 1, both being learned himſelf, and affecting the learned, every ſtate fell to affect learning. As the Romane Emperours and cōmanders were good or bad; ſo were the ſouldiers better, or worſe. As valour failed in King Iohn, & he began to ſubmit to the Pope; ſo his ſubjects were content to put their necks under forreigne Government: but as Edward the third, roſe up to be the hammer of popish power, & to challenge & maintaine his right, both by Counſel and Armes, the land became a counſell of war, and an army of valorous counſellors. Fourthly, the ſucceſſe of the war doth often follow the vertue of the commander. To omit other examples, witnes the Kings of Iudah. While they were good, they pevayled againſt their enemies, as David, Ezekiah, &c. 2. King. 16but by the contrary againſt the bad Kings, the enemies; prevailed; inſtance Achas, branded by the Lord for a bad one, this is that Achas; 2. Chron: 28and he had as bad ſucceſſe. For evidence whereof, reade the places quoted. It is often noted of that King, and great Commander Moſes, that he was the ſervant of God; Deut. 34.5 Rev. 15.3.and that not onelyonly for his authoritie and fidelitie in his place, but alſo for his pietie. And this indeed is the greateſt honour, that any Commander can attaine to, to be Gods ſervant. So did David eſteeme it. It is ſaid of Cornelius, the Centurion, that he was a devout man fearing God. Thus you ſee then, that it is not enough for a man to hauehave a good cauſe, & authoritie in his hand, but if he will thriue and hauehave the ſame to proſper, Application.he muſt be good himſelfe. It then condemneth to hell, from whence it came, that helliſh principle of, Matchiavell, that a Prince, or great One, should endeavor rather to be eſteemed religious, 2. part. m…x. 1.then to be ſo indeed. He hath to many apt Schollers, in this eſpecially; but is not this to extinguiſh the light of nature, to mocke God, and to play the damnable hypocrite? What gaines he by this? Firſt, that which is not in graine cannot hold. Secondly, when once he commeth to dance in a nett, and the colour is caſt to the eyes of all men, then he turnes from hypocriſie to open impietie; he takes on the Lyons ſkin when the foxes will not ſerve; (which is a mayne inſtance of this Matchiavillian rule) and he maintayneth that with open tyranny, which he could not cover with hypocriſie. Laſtly, when the Lord hath made him thus vile, Pompon: … Lae. t in Iul:he makes his grave in a field of shame. All theſe may be inſtanced in Iulian a grand hypocrite, while his uncle Conſtantine lived; but as great in Apoſiate, and as cunning an Atheiſt after his death. But his end was anſwereable to his courſes. Such ends made Gaius Caligula that errant Atheiſt, and Herod Agrippa that truell murtherer; yet, the one diſſembled paynim devotion, and the other the profeſſion of true religion, as might appeare by his ſolliciting Tiberius for the Iewes, when he was incenſt againſt them. Let Chriſtian Princes then follow Abraham; walke with God and be upright, and in peace and warre God ſhall bleſſe them.
Now as the Commāder muſt be ſuch, ſuch alſo ſhould the ſouldiers be, as Cornelius was a devout man himſelfe; ſo he called unto him, with his two ſervants, a devout ſouldier alſo. God himſelfe in Deuteromy, Act. 10.7.giues lawes concerning the puritie of a Campe; when the Campe goeth forth againſt thine enemies, Deut. 23.9.10. Numb. 5.23then keepe thee from every evill thing; which after he calls uncleannes, becauſe ſin defileth. He here forbiddeth all morall, civill, & legall uncleannes; the former two concerne all campes. So in Numbers, the leper and uncleane were put out of the Campe. Of all Iepers the ſinner is the fouleſt; and of all ſinners the wicked ſouldier is the greateſt. One Achan made the whole army fare the worſe. Ioſ: 7.Vnholy Armies, although they be for a good cauſe, and war under lawfull authoritie; yet through their exorbitant courſes, they incourage the hearts, and inarmes the hands of the enemies. I will produce but one inſtance, becauſe I muſt labour to abridge my ſelf, The Turkes advantage by our ſinnes.having many things to goe through. Aventinus relateth how they of Rhodes wrote to Frederick the third, & the Princes Electors, how the great Turke, being diſſwaded by his Nobles from making war againſt the Chriſtians, eſpecially againſt the Germans; his anſwere was, as he feared no Chriſtians, ſo leaſt of all the Germans; and that for 4 reaſons. Firſt, their diſagreement amongſt themſelves, like the five fingers of a mans hand which ſeldome come together. Secondly, they are diſſolute in their lives, by whooring, drinking and all manner of riot, delighting more in great plumes of fethers, then martiall armes. Thirdly, they are diſorderly in their proceedings. Fourthly, they neglect all laws of government, not puniſhing the bad or rewarding the good. As the Turke putteth theſe imputations upon a natiō once ſecond to none (as they gaue good proofe to Caeſar) ſo I wiſh, that they, & all Europes armies, could quit themſelves of theſe, better then indeed they can: for howſoever the envious Turke with Lamia his eyes, ſeeth much abroad and nothing at home; yet our home bred evils, which he thus taxeth are more hurtful to us, then all his forces; De ſacro foedere l. 5.as witneſſeth Folieta, in a ſpeech to the ſame effect, upon that victory obtained by the Chriſtians in a Sea-fight againſt Aſſanus Baſſa, where he obſerverh that they ſtand not ſo much by their own forces, as by our ſloth, negligence, and diſcord.
Oh then that vvee vvould make a holy Warre indeed; that is, to be holy in our ſelues; and then neither Gog nor Magog ſhould prevaile againſt us. To this end, the Lord biddeth us ſanctifie a war. By which phraſe hee vvills, Jer. 6.4.that all that vvill vvar for him ſhould be holy. As this ſerveth to direct us what manner of ſouldiers in a juſt warre are required; ſo it diſcovers the blaſphemy of that Matchiavillian principle of Atheiſm; wherein with open mouth, Machiavils blaſphemy.he preferreth Paganiſm in ſouldiers, to true Religion; becauſe Religion (ſaith he) makes men humble, puſillanimious, or weak-minded, and more apt to receiue injurie then to repell it. Before I come to the anſwer, let me ſay thus much of him once for all; if that Atheiſtly burn paper, and blinde bayard, had lived amongſt the Heathens, and had dealt with their feyned gods, as he hath dealt with the true God, they vvould hauehave made him an example to the world, and would hauehave burned his blaſphemous papers in the fire; but as they humored exceedingly his lewd Countrimen, ſo they flew over the Alpes; yea, and the Seas alſo, infecting France, and all the reſt of Chriſtendome: Inſomuch, as the Sybillin oracles were the refuge of the Painims for their direction; ſo moſt Princes, and their affaires now, are guided by Matchiavel. Are not men now of diviliſh pates, and deep reaches to the evill, and ſuch as are acquainted with the depth of Satans policie, the onelyonly men of ſervice (as they call them?) Yea, ſay they be but very beetles and block-heads, yet if their brains vvill ſerue to hatch toades, they will ſerue the turn as well as can be; if he can ſwear horribly, and blaſpheme fearfully, vvith termes not to be named; if he can roare and quarrell, and out-face heaven and earth by his ſinnes, he is fitter to be a ſouldier (ſaith the Matchiavilliſt) then he that will ſay, ſurely, and truely, and ſo forth: becauſe ſuch a one is a meer Puritan, and ſo weak and faint-hearted, that the enemy doth not fear him.
To come then to the anſwer of the point: there is nothing more impious then the Poſition; and nothing falſer then the reaſon. For the firſt, is there any thing more impious, then to prefer Paganiſm to Piety? If this had been good, in vain had Iohn perſwaded the doubtfull Souldiers to take a holy courſe. Likewiſe the reaſon (that true Religion maketh men cowards) it is againſt all reaſon, againſt the nature of true magnanimity, the power of Religion, and the experience of time. Standeth it with reaſon, that hee that hath the ſtrongeſt on his ſide, ſhould hauehave the leaſt courage? True magnanimity makes a man couragious to undertake the good, and hate and abhor the evill as a baſe thing, unworthy of ſuch a ſpirit. Who but the religious doe ſo? The power of religiō.Alſo the power of religion, doth tie a man that hath it to his God, aſſuring him if he looſe this life he ſhall hauehave a better. The ſouldier thus perſwaded in his conſcience, and bearing Arms for a good cauſe: as for the glory of God, the defence of Religion, the good of his Countrey, and credit of his Prince; will not louelove his life unto death, in the doing of his ſervice. Caeſar tells us, that the ancient Gaules were a generous and warlike people; wherof he giues this ground, that they reſolutely beleeved the immortality of the ſoule. HaueHave not all the true Worthies of the world bin religious ones? Who more truly magnanimious? Who more valorous & victorious then David, & yet a man for zeal & piety, according to Gods own heart? Who more couragious then holy Constantine, who vanquiſhed Licinius, bringing peace to the Goſpell, and eſtabliſhing the Goſpel of peace? What glorious victories had godly Theodoſius, who was Gods gift to the Church indeed, againſt the Barbarians, and other enemies of the Empire? I could bring many other inſtances, but theſe will ſuffice. The wicked errant Cowards.And as none more worthy then ſuch; ſo none more unworthy then irreligious Athieſts, the openly prophane, or rotten hypocrite. Was there ever a greater coward then Gajus Caligula, Sueton. in Calig. ca. 51 Dion. in Calig.who would hide his head at the Thunder? And marching one time on foot through a ſtreight, with his Army, was put in mind by one, if the enemy ſhould charge them, what fear they might be in; like a cowardly Atheiſt, he mounts himſelfe in an inſtant, and fled with all his might, though no man purſued him. Let the word, a witneſſe beyond all exception, determine this queſtion, The ſinners in Syon are afraid, fearfulneſſe hath ſurprized the hypocrites, Eſa. 33.14. For how can that man ſtand, who is purſued by God and an ill conſcience? Other inſtances I might giuegive of great Tyrants, yet ſtarke Cowards, but I can giuegive but a touch; onelyonly let me commend to you an inſtance of this kind, worth your obſervation. As the Kings of Iudah were holy and religious, ſo they were valorous and victorious; they were, as God promiſed they ſhould be, the head and not the tayle; but on the contrary, as they were impious and idolatrous, ſo they became degenerous and cowardly; and ſo they became, as God threatned the taile and not the head.
And as it is with Commanders, ſo it is with ſouldiers, The vertue of a ſouldier. Xiphil. apud Dion. in Marc, Anto.remarkeable and miraculous was that bleſſing that God gaue to Marcus Anthonius the Philoſopher, and his Army, and that by means of the Chriſtian companies, that warred under him in his war againſt the Marcomans and Quadians: He and his whole Army were incloſed in a dry country, having no means to come by water, but through a ſtreight paſſage which the enemy kept, and were like to be loſt without one ſtrok; the Emperours Generall, in this diſtreſſe, told him, that he had a Legion of Chriſtians in his Army, which could obtain any thing of their God, that they prayed for: the Emperour hereupon thought himſelfe not too good to intreat them this office, which they willingly, and heartily performed in the name of Chriſt. God, as hee is ready to hear, anſwered their deſires with lightning upon their enemies, and plenty of rain upon themſelus, which they kept in their Targets and Head-peeces, and drunk. Whereupon ſuch fear fell upon their enemies, that through terrour they were vanquiſhed without ſtroke: wherefore the Emperour called them, The Thundering Legion, and honoured them ever after, and all Chriſtians for their ſakes.
But ſome will object, object. doe we not ſee and reade, that men monſtrouſly wicked, hauehave behaved themſelues to death, ſo valorouſly in the field, that their names hauehave no mean place in the book of valour.
I anſwer, anſw. ambition may provoke a man, to buy a bed of earthly honour vvith his deareſt bloud; or unadviſedly he may adventure, not counting what it may coſt him: but if he ſhould compare this life with eternall death attending after it, upon all thoſe that are not in Chriſt; he durſt not for a world be ſo prodigall of this life, except he knew of a better; yea, he would quake and tremble at the verie thought of death. Then to conclude this point; as Ioſhu… had a reſolution, that he and his houſe would ſerue the Lord; and as David would hauehave the faithfull to ſerue him: ſo, let thoſe that will be Gods warriours, be good warriours. For as the evill carriage of Souldiers, both Popiſh and Proteſtant, hauehave laid Chriſtian Kingdoms open to the Turkes tyrannie; ſo we muſt confeſſe to our ſhame, that our unworthy walking; and walking after the fleſh, betrayes our good cauſe into the hand of the man of ſin; whoſe ſouldiours doe not prevaile, becauſe their carriage is better then their cauſe, (for both are ſtarke naught) but hee cannot endure that in his own, Numb. 2.31.which for a time he will in his enemies. The Midianites that cauſed the Iſraelites to ſin, vvere vvorſe then the Iſraelites; but God firſt corrected his own people, and then vexed the Midianites.
Laſt of all. object. 2 If any ſay, that this my frame of a Souldier, is like Sir Thomas Moore his Vtopia, or Tully his Orator, ſhewing rather what ſhould be, then what poſsible can be.
I anſwer, it is true, anſw. if we reſpect the perfection of the thing: but it doth not follow, that we ſhould not labour for perfection. No phiſicall rules can be laid down, nor receipts given to reduce the body to a perfect latitude of health; yet ſtill the Phiſitians preſcribe, and ſtudy. On all hands, Valeat quā tum valere poteſt. Aut tales inveniant aut faciant.Let bee done what can be done. And firſt, let one labour to be ſuch, and if they cannot finde ſuch, let them ſtriue to make them ſuch. And let us all pray that our Camps may be holy Camps, and our Warres ſanctified to the Lord.