The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Title page – Dedication 1
Speculum Belli ſacri: OR THE LOOKINGGLASSE OF THE HOLY WAR, Wherein is diſcovered:
The Evill of War.
The Good of Warr,
The Guide of War.
IN THE LAST OF THESE I GIVE A SCANTLING OF THE CHRISTIAN Tackticks, from the levying of the Souldier, to the ſounding of the Renai…; together with a modell of the carryage, both of Conquerour and conquered. I hauehave applyed the generall rules warranted by the Word, to the particular neceſſity of our preſent times.
GALLAT. 6.16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them.
DEVT. 29.9. When the Hoaſt goeth against the enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
1 SAM. 17.47. And all the Aſſembly ſhall know, that the Lord ſaveth not vvith ſword: for the battell is the Lords, and he will giuegive you into our hands.
Qui preſumit de viribus ſuis antequam pugnet proſternitur, Aug.
Printed, Anno 1624.
TO THE MOST ILLVSTIOVS PRINCE, FREDERICK KING OF Bohemia, Count Palatine of the Rhine, &c. As alſo to the moſt vertuous Lady ELIZABETH, Queen of Bohemia, and onelyonly daughter to the great and mighty King of Great Brittain.
THE life of man (moſt illuſtrious Prince and Princeſſe) is ſaid by God himſelfe to be full of trouble; yea, Iob 14.2.the Humaniſts term it (and that truely) rather a trouble then a life. foreign. Vt ſ…evis projectas ab undis jacet infans indigus omni vitali auxi…o. Lucr. lib 6. Diog. Laert. lib 9, in vita ipſius.This needeth no other proofe then woefull experience through all the parts of mans life. The Poet pretily Emblemes our infancy with a ſhip broken Marriner, caſt naked, hurt, and helpleſſe from the waues upon the ſhore, bewraying with woefull cryes the reſt of the paſſages anſwerable to the beginning. If the conſideration hereof, made that great Philoſopher Democritus weep continually; what heart of fleſh, and eye of pittie, can from the promontorie of our preſent ſecurity, without a floud of teares, behold the wetherbeaten Barke of Gods Church, over which (to uſe the phraſe of the Pſalmiſt) all the waues, Pſ…l. 42.8.and billows of the Lord doe paſſe; yea, one deep ſo calleth for another, that if God himſelfe were not the Ararat to reſt upon, it ſhould be ſplit in peeces upon the rockes of Shittim. Quorum pars magna fui.A great part of this diſtreſſe, your Graces are: therefore for mine own part, I could wiſh with Ieremy, That my head were full of water, Jer. 9.1.and mine eyes were a fountain of teares: Jn the Chriſtall nature wherof, while I looked for the cauſe of this evill, that memorable paſſage of defeated Pompey, did offer it ſelfe to my meditation. An approved Author telleth us, that Pompey being defeated in the Pharſalick battell, as he fled to Aegypt, hee took off tht way to viſit the Philoſopher Cratippus, whom curiouſly he queſtioned, whether at all there were any divine Providence or Moderation of humane things or not. For his own part he could hardly be perſwaded, that God regarded thoſe ſublunary things, becauſe he had the worſe in the better cauſe. The Philoſopher anſwered, that there was a full period appointed to Kingdoms, beyond which they could not paſſe. The anſwer and the queſtion now I paſſe, becauſe I ſhall hauehave occaſion in the Treatiſe further to explane them. But may it pleaſe your Highneſſe to obſerue thus much, that if fleſh and bloud, or meere philoſophy, be guide in this inquiſition, a good man may looſe himſelfe: for not onelyonly doth the Athieſt, from the adverſity of the godly, and proſperity of the wicked; peremptorily conclude, Mal. 3.14.that it is in vain to ſerue God; but even the Saints of God, forgetting their Logick, hauehave ſtumbled upon the like Paralogiſm, Pſ. 63.4.5.6, &c.Witneſſe the Prophet David in that pſalm, where he compareth the peace, plenty and proſperity of the wicked, with the adverſe and contrary things which doe befall the people of God: Waters (ſaith he) of a full cup are wrung out to them. Where both the quality and quantity of affliction is laid open. VponUpon this the people of God are ſaid to turn in, that is David and others, namely to the thoughts following, Is it thus with us? Hence they gather this falſe concluſion, How doth God know, &c. Surely in vain I hauehave cleanſed my heart, &c. But this they doe in their phrenſie, a ſympton of the fever of their affliction, which David acknowledgeth with cenſuring of himſelfe in the ſame pſalm, v. 15.21.22. If your Majeſties heart hath been levened (for ſo the word doth ſignifie, v. 21.) with any ſuch temptation; be not diſcouraged, there hath no temptation taken you but ſuch as hath befallen the ſervants of God. Goe with David to the ſanctuary, and there you ſhall ſee the cauſe of your affliction, and your enemies ſucceſſe for a time, namely, to work, Your tryall, & their deſtruction. In the mean time (renowmed Princes) the Lord biddeth you goe on; Speak unto the children of Iſrael that they goe forward. Ex 14.15.As we ceaſe not to our power, to fill the golden cenſor with odors, Rev. 8.that it may be filled againe with fire and caſt upon the earth, (that is Gods and your enimies;) Cicero de crator. Hutarch. in Hannib. foreign.ſo I hauehave preſumed (though the leaſt of all) to preſent your Highneſſe with a model or draught of the holy Warre indeed, with an earneſt intreatie, not to faint or giuegive over till God giuegive the victory. If an experienced Souldier ſhall cenſure this Frame as Hamball did Phormio, for his lecture of Militarie Diſcipline, with the livery of a fool; or as Archidamus did Periander, who of a good Phiſitian, made himſelfe by his evill favored Verſes an extreme evill Poet: let him obſerue well, and I hope hee ſhall finde no wrong offered to his Element As for the meanneſſe of the Frame, your gracious acceptance, as a ſtately Roofe, ſhall cover all the deformitie. Jn great things it is enough to will: as Princes are Gods, ſo in this they reſemble him, to reſpect the good will more then the work. If I can bring but Goats haire to couer the outſide of the Tabernacle; or wield but a ſling againſt the Goliah of Babylon, or bring but ſome odors to the Cenſor of your annoynted ſelues and yours, it ſhall comfort me, and happily encourage others to ſhew the way more fully, at the which I hauehave pointed. Whatſoever it is, I am bold to preſent it to your Highneſſes joynt protection. You are together, the ſubject of calamity; yea, the But and point blanke whereat they aim: You are joyntly together prayed for, that the Lord would plant you, as hee hath plucked you up, and giuegive you double joy for your ſorrow, and glory for your confuſion: yea, that you may not onelyonly be built up, but that you may joyntly build up Jeruſalem, which is the praiſe of the world. In the mean time gracious Princes, poſſeſſe your ſoules in patience; For the patient wayting of the righteous ſhall not alwaies be forgotten.
Your Highneſſes in all humble duty. A. L.