The Christian Armory, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Of common crosses, and particularly of warre, forraine and domesticall.
Question.
HOw are crosses to be diuided and distinguished?
A. They are either such publicke and priuate euils, which are common to Gods children with the wicked, or such temptations, crosses and troubles that are proper and peculiar to Gods seruants.
Q. Which are those publicke euils to which good men and euill are indifferently subiect?
A. Warre, plague, famine, oppression, losses, pouerty, cosenage, or deceit, it.
Q. With what comfortable perswasions shall wee solace, and support our selues in time of warre?
A. Albeit hostility and warre is a sore iudgement,1. Chr. 21.13. and the sword be more grieuous thē either famine or pestilence, yet Gods children want not their consolations.1 Chr. 21.13. Ezec. 14. v. 21. 1 Kin. 8.35 36▪ For first, the sword of the enemy commeth not by chance, but by Gods direction and appointment, and that not onelyonly for the triall and exercise of Gods children, but for the punishment and destruction of his enemies.
Secondly, the enemies rage and fury is not of a boundlesse extent, but limited, restrained, & ordered by the diuine prouidence for our good.
Thirdly, though our enraged enemies doe or may sometimes (yet not without Gods permission) kill our bodies,Math. 10. v. 28. yet they cannot kill our soules, nor depriue them of Gods fauour, and his kingdome.
Fourthly, neither sword, war, nor persecution can part the godly from their indissoluble vnion with Christ,Rom. 8. v. 38. nor take them out of Gods handes and protection.
Fiftly, if our cause bée good, if the defence of our selues be vndertaken by aduise and counsell, and withal we call vponupon God for valour,2 Ch. 20.15. wisedome and victorie, the successe cannot be but good, neither néed wee feare the great multitude against vsus; for the battell is not ours, but the Lords.
Sixtly, though God sometimes, (to shew his iustice, that he doth not winke at sinne, but punish it) vseth the enemies malice in the temporall ouerthrow of his children, yet he doth withall shew his mercy in rescuing and sauing many, and in turning the punishment of sinne in his children, into a medicine and soueraigne salue.
Lastly, God by the euils of warre, wil cause vsus more to desire peace and quietnesse, and when wee hauehave obtained it, the more to estéeme it, and to bée thankefull to God for it. For as the nights darkenes maketh the light of the Sunne more desirable; as vallies set out the mountaines, & the champion country commendeth the woodland: so doth warre declare and make knowne the excellency of peace.
Q. But what if in a lawfull war and in a good quarrell, we now and then bee foiled and ouerthrowne, how shall wee comfort our selues? and what course shall we take?
A. First,Ios. 7. v. 21. wee must know that (by reason of Achans sinne that had stollen a Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of siluer, and a wedge of gold,) the Israelites were put to flight by th… men of Ai:Iud. 20. v. 21. & 25. and the Beniamites twice ouercame the Israelites that had a good cause, because they fought not in faith, nor repented them of their sins, as they did afterwards: wherefore wée must repent vsus of our sinnes (before we go to war) and vndertake the iust defence of our selues in humility, and not in presumption of mind.
Secondly, though once, or the second time, we bee ouerthrowne in warre, yet wee must not bee daunted and discouraged,Deut. …0. v. 3. &. 4. but onelyonly repent of sinne, and séeke helpe at Gods hand, and God will goe with vsus, and fight for vsus.
Thirdly, Gods children may (for their correction and triall) as well be foiled in fighting in defence of a iust cause and quarrell; as hauehave ill successe, and be crossed in other matters.
Fourthly, the experience of our ouerthrowes in battaile, will make vsus more expert and aduised for the time to come.
Fiftly, (though for the time) we hauehave lost the day; yet we must comfort our selues in this, that we hauehave not lost our faith, our cause, our wisedome, our vertue, our noble resolution and fortitude, & therefore we must (against the next encounter) entreat the Lord to go out with our armies, and to guide and prosper vsus.
Sixtly, it is better for vsus sometimes, to hauehave the ouerthrow in warre, then to triumph ouer our enemies: for if all things fall out according to our desires, wée would soone put out of our hearts all feare of God, and grow secure, proud, and arrogant, ascribing all the glory of the victory not to God the onelyonly cause, & the only author of it, (for he alone is the Lord of hostes) but to the instrumentall causes, and to our selues onelyonly, and therefore God will by some foile and ouerthrow preuent this erroneous arrogancy.
Seuenthly, though we loose the day, & receiue the ouerthrow in battell,Petrarch. de remediis vtr. fort. yet we hauehave not lost the conscience of our good seruice, the liberty of our mind, nor the glory of our skill.
Lastly, as the barrennes of the earth teacheth the husbandman skill, the often arising of stormes add tempests, maketh the Pilot and Mariner wise to decline the annoiance of them, and frequent fals maketh the rider wary: So sundry foiles & ouerthrows in battel, make Gods children more politicke and prouident, yea, & much more to humble themselues before God, and to implore and entreat his hand and helpe.
Q What duties must we performe in the time of warre and hostility?
A. First, we are to be expert and old beaten souldiers in the spirituall battell against the world and wickednesse, and against the Diuell and death:Ephe. 6.13 and if herein wee putting on the whole armour of God, quit our selues like mē, other wars shall neither terrifie nor trouble vsus.
Secondly, we must search the Scrip…tures, and by thē examine the lawfulnes of our defiance or resistance, and if ou… quarrell and conscience be good, the issue cannot be euill.
Thirdly, we must not be carelesse and secure in the greatest peace and prosperity, seeing that wars come many times when they are least dreaded or doubted.
Iudg 7.3.Fourthly, the Captaines and souldiers must bee trained vp in the feates of warre,Deu 20.3.4. and in all policies & stratagemes, they must bee valorous: the Ministers must exhort them to bee couragious in Gods cause, and they must call vponupon God, and depend vponupon his power and promise for successe, and then al shall go well with them. And what if their bodies bee slaine? yet the truth still remaineth, and their soules shall liue for euer.
Lastly, the Princes, Ministers, and people at home must renue their faith, and repentance, and their couenant with God, and then the enemies shall fall before them.
Q. How shall the seruants of God comfort themselues against ciuill warre?
A. Mat 24.6.7.First, that this euill commeth from God in his iustice: for when the greater sort refuse to make their peace with God, and to reconcile themselues to Christ, and when they despise the doctrine of saluation, God doth so forsake them, that they by vprores and mutuall dissensions deuoure and destroy one another.
Secondly, it is a common euill, and therefore the more patiently to be endured.
Thirdly, God hath defined and determined the beginning, maner, and end of it, and doth trie and exercise onelyonly those that are his children by it.
Fourthly, as all worldly thinges are mortall and mutable, so hauehave Cities, and great States and Kingdoms their maladies, and diseases, créeping and growing vponupon them, wherefore priuate grudges and ciuill warres often befall them.
Fiftly, in what places now are goodly and faire townes, and cities, there hauehave beene in times past, woods, forrests, wildernesses, and so may and will be hereafter.
Lastly, a resolued Christian that séeth ciuill warres in their true face and hue, putteth away childish feare,Lipsius de Co…st. and is no more broken at them, then the house top is with the haile dashing against it.
Q. What duties are wee to performe in time of ciuill warre?
A. First, let vsus not abuse our present peace and prosperity when we enioy it.
Secondly, it behoueth vsus to bewaile, and forsake our sinnes, that bring all these euils into the world.
Thirdly, we must bee wary and prouident that wee bee not so many firebrands to nourish the flame of ciuill contention, lest we smart for our folly, an… when it is once begun, wee must endeauour by supplication, rebukes, admonitions, threatnings, and promises to suppresse and quench it.
Fourthly, if wée must, or néeds will take parts, then it is our wisedome, and iustice to take part with the best cause & persons, and to pray vntounto God for counsell and assistance:2 Ch. 14.11 and then God can & will giuegive victorie (when it pleaseth him) as well by a few, as by many.
Fiftly, let vsus beséech the almighty to grant repentance to the authors of it, and to saue our country.
Lastly, for as much as ciuill warres procéede from the ignorance of Christ, & from the contempt and disobedience of the Gospell, we must for the ceasing and remoouall of this euill, make our peace with God and entertaine his word with more delight and deuotion.