The Bible Battles, Chapter 5
V. CHAPTER. Of the iuſt cauſes and true grounds of making warre.
AS we ſee the vndertaking of warre to be lawfull and honourable, ſo muſt it be ever therein vnderſtood that it alſo be juſt; for the cauſe as it is either good or evill, ſo is the warre, ſo may the iſſue bee thereafter expected. The warres vndertaken of the Iſraelites by warrant from God proſpered: True it is, that vnjuſt warres ſometime may hauehave good ſucceſſe, for the iniquity of the people againſt whom they are vndertaken: and therefore by the event, the iuſtice of the warre is not to be ever judged; but by the juſt cauſe thereof. Now in ancient times warres defenſiue and offenſiue hauehave been made vponupon theſe grounds.
I. A warre juſt, by reaſon, by the inſtinct of nature, and by cuſtome of all Nations, and by religion it ſelfe, is that which is vndertaken in defence of our Country, religion, libertie and ſtate.
God alloweth to goe to warre againſt an enemie comming vponupon vsus; vponupon this ground was the warres ofNum. 10. 9 Exod. 17. Iudg. 6. & 11. 1 Sam. 14. 47, 48. 2 Ch. 14. 1 K. 20. Ioſua againſt the Amalekites, of Gideon againſt the Midianites, of Iephte againſt the Ammonites; of Saul againſt the Philiſtims and others ſpoyling them, of Aſa againſt Zerah the Ethiopian, of Ahab againſt Benhadad the Syrian, of the Romanes againſt Hanniball, and of the ancient Brittaines, here againſt the Romanes, Saxons, Danes, and Normans. A Heathen could ſay, luſtum est bellum, & pia arma, …iv. 9.quia nulla niſi in armis relinquitur ſalu…: It is both juſt and godly, when otherwiſe we cannot liue ſafely.
II. It is juſt warre to bring vnderunder ſuch as rebell, having formerly yeelded ſubjection; vponupon this ground went Chedorlaomer with the ayde ofGen. 14. 2 K. 3. 2 Ch. 25. 2 K. 24. 20. Eze. 17. 15 2 K. 17. 3, 4. 2 Sam. 18. & 20. other Kings againſt the King of Sodome, and the reſt; ſo Iehoram againſt Moab, Amazias againſt the Edomites; Nebuchadnezzar againſt Zedekias, whom he had made King, and taken an oath of; Salmaneſer againſt Hoſhea, which conſpired againſt him. Thus Kings juſtly make warr againſt Natiue Rebells, as David did againſt Abſalom, and againſt Bichri.
III. It is juſt war to helpe friends, Allyes and Aſſociates vnjuſtly oppreſſed and wronged. VponUpon this ground Abraham armed himſelfe, and ſet vponupon the foure Kings to recover Lot, whom they had carried awayGen. 14. 1 Sa. 23. 3. & 11. Ioſ. 10. 6, 7 Captiue: David reſcued Keylah from the Philiſtims, Saul Iabeſh Gilead from the Ammonites; and Ioſua the Gibeonites from the Amorites, Iudas and Simon 1 Mach. 5. 10. 17. lib. de Offic. Bell. Gal. 7.his brother helped the other diſtreſſed Iewes. The Romanes made war againſt the Samnite… in the defence of the Campanians, who had put themſelues vnderunder their protection: This St. Ambroſe ſaith is Iuſtice: Caeſar Ibucid. 1.gaue ſuccour to his friends in Gergovia; for neglect hereof was held a kinde of treaſon, and it was juſt cauſe of reproach to forſake friends, Confederates, and ſuch as ſhould be holden in their diſtreſſe: God willethPro. 24. 11 vsus to ſee to this, alloweth of it, commanding vsus to helpe in ſuch a caſe.
IV. It is lawfull, (if otherwiſe peaceably it cannot be obtained) to make warre for paſſage of an armie; to get it by the ſword, if paſſage be hindred. This made Iſrael to fight with Sihon King of the Amorites, andDeut. 2. 26. 30. Num. 21. 23. 24. 33. Deut. 29. 7 Iud. 11. 30. Ogg the King of Baſan, for that they hindred their way to Canaan. This was the cauſe of the warre by Necho againſt Ioſias, becauſe he raſhly went out againſt him, going againſt him, going againſt another Enemie the King of Aſſyria. For this thing Iudas 1 Mach. 5. 48. 51.deſtroyed the Cittie Ephron, and the Inhabitants thereof, becauſe they could not be intreated to giuegive him and his hoſt paſſage peaceably, but ſtopped vp his way.
V. It was lawfull to the Iſraelites Num 25. 1 17, 18 & 31. 1. 3.for religion ſake to avenge the Lord vponupon Idolaters, which by wiles and inticements corrupted the people of God. This is warranted by the Lord; vponupon this ground Iſrael ſent an army againſt the Midianites, Ioſua and all the Elders held it lawfull vponupon ſuch a ſuppoſed ground, (had it been true) to make warre againſt the two TribesIoſ. 22. 12. 33. Iudges 20. and halfe. Alſo the Chiefe in a State conſenting to puniſh notorious, offenders, if they cannot get ſuch delivered peaceably, by warre may ſet vponupon their maintainers, as Iſrael did vponupon the obſtinate Beniamites.
VI. Indignities vnjuſtly offered vntounto Ambaſſadours, or meſſengers ſent from one ſtate to an other is juſt cauſe of warre, for this did David ſet vponupon the Ammonites, & handled them… Sam. 10. & 12. 30, 31. Liv. 4. Florus Caeſ. com. Phil. Comm. with great ſeveritie. This wrong the Romanes revenged vponupon the Fidenians, Illirians, Ʋ …ians, and Armoricaus. Charles Duke of Burgundy put all the Caſtle of Nele to the ſword to theSee Dr. Sutcliffe his practice of the law of Armes. ſword for killing his meſſenger. For Ambaſſadours or Meſſengers are priviledged by the Lawes of all Nations and ſuffered to paſſe ſafe among the poynts of weapons.
VII. Reproches offered and injuries done to principall men in a State is juſt cauſe of warre: This cauſed the warre betweene Ieptah andIudg. 12. 4. Ephramites, who called the Gileadites fugitiues, whereof Ieptah was the head; The taking away of Sampſons wife, being a Iudge in Iſrael made him ſeeke revenge vponupon the Philiſtims. The Rhodians abuſing the Romanes with inſolent termes when they took part with Perſeus coſt them deare: Frederick Barbaroſſa beſieged and tooke Millan for a ſcorne offered to him. Gideon for that he was contemnedIudg 8. & ſleighted of the Elders of Succoth and Penuel after his victorious returne did fall vponupon them. For high authority is ſacred, and the injurie, reproach or contempt offered thereto, is not to paſſe vnpuniſhed.
VIII. VponUpon the injuries and wrongs vnjuſtly offered and ſpoyle made and ſubjects carried away, Princes and States hauehave cauſe, by warre to get ſatisfaction and recouer their right, if otherwiſe they cannot bee righted: This was Davids warre with the Amalekites to regaine from them their wiues, children, & goods carried1 Sam. 30. 1 Sam. 23. 1, 2, 5. away, and with the Philiſtims robbing the threſhing floores. The Romanes with ſharpe warres proſecuted Mithridates, for that by one generall proclamation he had cauſed divers of their people to bee maſſacred: They alſo warred vponupon the Sabins for ſpoyling the Romane Merchants. This was the cauſe of the Romanes third warre with the Carthaginians; alſo with the Hetruſcians, and other neighbours: for injuries done to ſubjects: redoundeth to the Prince, which he is to right and to cauſe reſtitution to be made; which if reaſonably offered, is not to be refuſed.
IX. Breach of Covenant and promiſe hath beene cauſe of warre. VponUpon1 K. 22. 3. & 21 34. this, did Ahab warre vponupon the King of Syria to recover Ramath in Gilead, which Benhadad had promiſed before to reſtore to him: for this cauſe the Romanes began their warresLiv. 42. with Perſeus the King of Macedonia.
X. To get peaceable poſſeſſion of a Crowne juſtly claymed; as David did the Kingdome of Iſrael; therefore he warred againſt Iſhboſheth and2 Sam. 2. 8 10. & 3. 1. the houſe of Saul.
XI. To revenge olde injuries offered by predeceſſours, the ſame being continued in their poſterities; vponupon this was the warre performed by Saul, and commanded by God againſtExo. 17. 8. 1 Sa. 15. 3. Deut 25. 17, 18, 19. the Amalekites, for the evill they did to the Children of Iſrael comming out of Egipt. And leaſt this might ſeeme to be ſomething hard vntounto the preſent generation againſt whom Saul was ſent, we muſt know, that the Amalekites continued Enemies to Gods people, the Children living in the ſtepps of their forefathers from Ioſua to the dayes of the Iudges, and to the dayes of Saul; yea Agag whom Saul tooke priſoner had made many a childe fatherleſſe, (no doubt of Iſrael) els olde Samuel Iudg. 3. 13 & 6. 3. & 7. 12. & 10. 12. 1 Sam. 30. 1.would not hauehave ſo laid to his charge nor ſo revenged it vponupon him, as he did. They were ever taking part with the Enemies of Iſrael, as all the cited places in the margin ſhew. Now to take part with an enemie is juſt cauſe of warre: vponupon this the Romanes warred againſt Philip of Macedonia, for that he aided the Carthaginians, and joyned league with Hannibal againſt2 Sam. 8. 3 them.
XII. David made war vponupon Hadadezer 1 Ch. 18. 3King of Zobah, (and ſome thinke juſtly) being jealous of his greatneſſe, comming with a great Armie to eſtabliſh his Dominion and to border ſo neere vponupon him, as at the River Euphrates. It is wiſedome for Princes to looke vntounto the dangerous attempts of high and aſpiring ſpirits, over much ſeeking to enlarge their power and Dominions.
Laſtly, warres hauehave beene juſtly made by Iſrael Gods people, at Gods command, to ſubdue Nations, and to poſſeſſe their Kingdomes as they did the Kingdomes of Canaan, and in herited them. Thus alſo warred Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian, Cyrus the Perſian, Alexander the Grecian, and afterwards the Romanes to ſubdue people vnderunder them, and they vndertooke it, and proſpered: but whether they had, all of them, and in all thoſe warres, that immediate divine warrant, and did it lawfully, I dare not affirme: and therefore much leſſe let any aſpiring ſpirits now take liberty to doe ſo.
1. The Iſraelites had a word ofDeut. 2. 24. Ioſ. 14. 6. Gen. 15. 18. 21. Command from God to ſubdue Sihon the Amorite, Ogg of Baſan, and all the Kingdomes of Canaan, and a word of encouragement to hauehave aid, to get them, as they had before a word of promiſe to inherit the Country.
2. Concerning Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, to them was Gods will revealed, and they were foretolde of their ſucceſſe to ſet them forward to the ſubduing of people, and to bring them vnderunder their Command; It wasDan. 2. 28. 31. 43. foretold Nebuchadnezzar in a dream and expounded by Daniel to him: andDan. 4. 19. confirmid by Ieremie the Prophet to the Iewes in Iudea, and by Ezechiel in Babylon: whoſe words came no doubt to the eares of Nabuch: to whom God had given all Kingdomes, people, Nations and tongues. Cyrus the Perſian Eſai 44. 28. & 45. 1. Eſdr. 1. 2.was by name foretold hundreds of yeeres before he was borne, of his riſing, rule, and Dominion, of which he had gotten knowledge, and aſcribed his ſucceſſe to be from the Lord God of heauen. This knowledge the2 Ch. 36. 23. might hauehave from Daniel who lived in Babilon, when Darius and Cyrus reigned that ſubdued the Babilonians. How Alexander the Grecian Emperour, and the Roman knew of their power and Dominion aſſigned to them of God, is not ſo plainly recorded in holy: but it may be, that Daniels propheſie, and his interpretation of Nabuchadnezzars dreame, might goe abroad, and become knowne either by the writing it ſelfe, or by relation and tradition from one to another: or they might have it from the Oracles of their owne imagined Gods, but indeed divels, who well knew the Oracles of the true God, and ſo told the Grecians and Romans ſuch things, as from themſelves, promiſing to them victories, and dominion over Nations, which the Scriptures of the Prophets had foretold ſhould ſurely come to paſſe. Now they finding ſucceſſe according to the voyce of thoſe counterfeiting Oracles, they aſcribed all to the power and gift ofIud. 11. 24 thoſe, Idol gods and Diuels: and ſo Ireld it lawfull to hold thoſe Kingdomes which they could ſubdue, as t… a then did imagine, as appeareth by the ſpeech of Iepthah to the King of the Ammonites.
Thus wee ſee vponupon what grounds warrs in ancient times have beene made to make them lawfull & iuſt; which is the firſt thing to bee conſidered o…. For as the cauſe is good or bad, ſo may wee expect the iſſue: howſoeuer a good cauſe will encourage to battle, let the event be, as ſhall pleaſe God.
Vniuſt warres doe worke the Authors confuſion very often; as may be ſeene in the vniuſt warre of Amaleck againſt Iſrael, of Sihon andExo. 17. 1 K 20. 2 am. 10. 16. 17, 18. 2 Ch. 14. Iud. 20. Ioſ. 7. & 8 Og without cauſe, comming out againſt them, of Benhadad his warre againſt Ahab, of the Syrians againſt David, of Zerah with his ten hundred thouſand againſt Aſa; True iris, that iuſt cauſes have ſometime an euill euent, for the ſinnes of the people; and ſometimes the vniuſt may preuaile, as Beniamin & Gileah, in two battells againſt Iſrael, for their greater ruine at the length, as it hapned to theſe Beniamites, and to the Inhabitants of Ai, and Bethel, though before they had made Iſrael flye before them.