The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 8 – Chapter 9
CHAP. VIII. Of the lawfull undertaking of War.
THVS having ſhewed the perſonall circumſtances, 1 Cauſes to be made known. 2 Reparation demanded. 3 And laſtly warr to be denounced.… come to the third main circumſtance of the deſcription namely, the lawfull undertaking of it. A war may be lawfull in it ſelfe, and yet unlawfully undertaken: As for no… making the cauſes known: not requiring reparation of the wrong: and finally for not denouncing of the warre. All theſe were obſerved by the Iſraelites in repairing the wrong done to the Levite and his Concubine. For, firſt the Tribe… ſent to Gibeah, to expoſtulate the wickedneſſe vvith Be… jamin; Ludg. 20.they demanded thoſe children of Belial that were the malefactors; that by putting them to death evill might be done away. To the which, when the children of Benjamit would not hearken, Iſrael makes war againſt them, which doubtleſſe was denounced upon the denyall; as appeareth by the Benjamits taking notice of it, and preparing themſelues to intertain the vvar, Iudg. 20.11.12, &c. In which paſſage it is not amiſſe to obſerue that Marginall note of rebe…ion, Scripture abuſe, by th… Doct. of Doway.of the Doctors of Doway, made upon the place: That omiſsion or contempt to puniſh haynous crimes, is a just cauſe to make warre against any people. Their bloudy concluſiō falſly obſerved from the premiſſe, I ſhall after hauehave occaſiō to han…e; for the preſēt let this ſuffice. They force the Text againſt the minde of the holy Ghoſt. For howſoever the people …ere devided in tribes, yet it vvas one intire politique body, … heads vvhereof might call any offenders to an account; …hich they might not hauehave done, if they had been under …ſtinct dominions and policies. But of this more hereafter. … To the preſent matter, that this proceeding is requiſite; Reaſons.it … not onelyonly cleere from the law of nature and nations, but alſo from the law of God; & the continued practiſe both of Gods people, & of the heathen. In the booke of the law the …ord commandeth his people, when they come to fight againſt a Cittie, they ſhould proclaime peace, which if they entertayned, then were they to ſaue them, & make them tributaries; But if they ſhould reject the condition, thē were they to be…eige the Cittie, to ſmite the people, & to take the ſpoile to themſelves, Deut. 20.10.11.12. So the tribes, by Embaſſadors, examined the Reubenites erecting of the Altar, before they would war againſt them, Ioſh: 22.12. Yea God himſelf, who for his dominion and power, both in heaven and earth, is …alled the Lord of hoſts, keepeth this ſelfe ſame courſe in his proceeding againſt the rebellious ſonnes of men. For proofe here of the Scripture is copious, I will therefore point out one place in the propheſie of Hoſea. Blow ye the cornet in Giheah, & the trumpet in Ramah, cry aloud, Ch. 5.8.or beat up the drum at … thavē, after thee O Beniamin. As here the Prophet deſcribeth the treacherie and rebellion of the people againſt God, ſo he beingeth in God (as it were) comming in armes, or marching in battle-ray againſt the people. But withall he willeth the prieſts, and watchmen upon the wall, to giuegive them warning; … by ſound of trumpet, and beating of the drumme, to pro…aime the Lords comming, that they might prepare themſelves to meet the Lord by repentance. And this God doth, … ſhew the equitie of his wayes; that as he giveth lawes to …thers, he will be a law to himſelfe. The heathens that know not God were ſtrict in this courſe, Belli aequitas ſanctiſſime feciali populi Romani jure praeſcripts eſt, nam nullum bellum justū, niſi quod denunciatū ſit & indictum. lib. 1. de off.as appeareth by an in violable rule of war mentioned by Tullie. The equitie of war doth religiouily require, that by an herauld of armes, from the Romane Senate, war should be proclaimed. For no war (ſaith he) can be juſt which is not before denounced and proclaymed. This forme of denouncing war, was firſt taken up amongſt the heathens by one Rheſis, as witneſſeth the ‘Author de viris illustribus. cap. 5.Author of worthy men brought into Rome, as Livi witneſſeth by Ancus Marcius their King; the forme whereof wee finde in ſundry Authors of note. ꝰ Livi lib. 1. Gell. lib. 10.A herauld of Armes with two ſufficient witneſſes, was t… fling a ſpeare into the Territories of the enemie. VponUpon the inlargment of their dominions, they had a Pillar which they called the Pillar of war; from which they flung a bloudy ſpeare (that was kept in the Temple of Mars) toward the enemy, on whom they vvere to vvar. … Columna bellica.This was likewiſe the cuſtome of the Perſians.cAmmians Marcellinus lib. 16.
CHAPT. IX. Againſt whom to War.
THe fourth circumſtance following in the deſcription, An enemie muſt be the obiect of war.concerneth the object of war, or the partie, againſt whom we are to war; namely, an internall or externall enemie. So did rhe Iſraelites, in their warres commanded againſt the ſeven nations, or in their warres permitted upon occaſion againſt their enemies. So the Iſraelits againſt the Beniamits, for they were become Gods enemies, and the enemies of the common-wealth. The Lord will not ſuffer his people to meddle vvith the Moabites; becauſe they vvere friends in the flesh, (though untovvard ones) permitting (yet by Gods mercy) his people to paſſe by them, paying for the neceſſaries they tooke of them. So neither with the Ammonites not theirs did they meddle, Deut. 2.9.19. Iacobus Ruardus Comment. de diverſ. Reg. jur.It was a Law amongſt the Romanes, that upon controverſies ariſing, friendſhip ſhould be given up, and deadly enmity openly profeſt be…ore they made warre upon them.
Hence it appeareth how unwarrantably againſt the Law, of Nature and Nations, the Duke of Bavaria hath taken up Armes againſt his deer and faithfull friend, without juſt cauſe, or good occaſion given him, by him, or his. Croeſus was demanded by Socrates, vvhat vvas the preciouſeſt thing he had gained by his greatneſſe? Max. Serm. 6.He anſwered revenge upon his foes, and advancement of his friends. What a vile thing is it then, to take vengeance on the friend, and to advance the foe! A hurtfull friend is worſer then a foe. foreign. Falli: portus & ipſ. fidem? Propert.So that the good Princes may ſay with the Pſalmiſt, if our enemies bad done it, we could hauehave born it. A wound from a friend is a double vvound, & Shipwrack in the Haven is grievous. But what ſhould we ſay? Though David in amazement complain, it muſt be thus; partly, that the tryals of thoſe that ſtand for God may be the cloſer; and partly that falſe friends may be unmasked: and laſtly, that Poperie may proclaim to the world (as it ever hath done) that there is no cord ſo ſtrong, nor bond ſo ſtrict, but it will either cut it, or untie it.