The Bible Battles, Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Of the Generalls carriage towards the perſons conquered, and towards their Countrey when hee hath obtained a full Victory.
VIctorie as the heathen Orator ſaith, Eſt ſem per infolons, it maketh mansheart haughtie, if the Conquerour doth not know how to ſubdue his corrupt nature, if he remember not the inſtabilitie of things here below; that hee which is to day victorer, may to morrow be vanquiſhed, if the great commander and Ruler of hoſtes bee ſo pleaſed to alter the courſe.
The people of God, ſometimes dealt with the ſubdued enemies very ſeverely; but this was vponupon ſome ſpeciall charge from God ſo to doe; as we may ſee in Iſraels dealing with Ogg, and S…hon, with all the Kings of Canaan and their people, as alſo in Sauls deſtroying of Amalek, theſe by Gods commandement were vtterly to bee deſtroyed. VponUpon ſpeciall reaſon we may read how David took a ſharpe courſe with the Ammonites, in putting them vnderunder ſawes, yron Harrowes, axes of yron, and made2 Sam: 12 31. them paſſe through brick-kills: becauſe they had violated the law of Nations in abuſing his meſſengers,Cap: 10. 2. 6. maliciouſly perverting his honeſt meaning: They alſo firſt prepared warre againſt him, gathering mighty powers, of the neighbouring countries againſt him cauſeleſly; they cauſed hereby warre betweeneVerſ. 15. 18 David and Hadarezer; they were abhominable Idolaters in offering their children to the Idol Molech; and therefore they wilfully ſtanding out, till perforce the City of RabbahDeut: 20. 12, 13. was taken by the law of Moſes, their males were to be put to death, if their offence had beene no greater.
But commonly Generals after victory ſhould not be without humanitie; but ſhew clemencie and mercy. To be cruell is a ſigne of a ſavage nature. Eliſha onelyonly foreſeeing the brutiſh cruelty which Hazael would vſe againſt the Iſraelites, made him2 King: 8. to weepe, yea Hazael himſelfe ſeemed ſo to deteſt ſuch inhumane carriage, as he asked Eliſha, whether he held him to be a dogge or no. Oded the Prophet condemneth2 Cro. 28. 9. the mercileſſe ſlaughter that▪ Iſrael made of Iudah in one day, Pity and compaſſion is therefore to be ſhewed, and reſpect had to all ſortsEzek. 39. 11 both of the dead and the living. Firſt for the dead, they were allowed buriall;Ioſ. 10. 27. & 8. 29 Warres of the Iewes. ſo ſhall Iſrael doe to Gog and his multitude. The very Heathen performed this to their ſlaine enemies: for at the requeſt of Scipio, Aſdrubal did bury the Romane Tribunes.Appion. To caſt out to dogges, and fowles the bodies of the ſlaine, andPſa. 79. 2, 3 not bury them is inhuman: cruelty. As it was in Tyberius forbidding to bury the dead, or to vſe crueltie to their bodies, as the King of Moab did to the dead body of theAmos 2. 1 King of Edom, which hee burned with fire in lyme, for which God threatned his deſtruction. Againe, concerning the dead, when they are looked vponupon, it muſt be with humaneTatit in Ann el. … …. compaſſion; The Iſraelites did weepe for Beniamin, becauſe they were deſtroyed. It's recorded of Epaminondas the Theban; that when he came forth the next day after his victorie, at Leuctra among his ſouldiers, with a ſad countenance, the cauſe being demanded, hee anſwered, that he did chaſtiſe himſelfe for the bloud that was ſhed. Agiſelave the Lacedemonian, after his victory at Corinth, when hee ſaw a great number of the Corinthians and Athenians lying ſlaine, in ſorrow cryed out, woe is me for Greece, who in civill combuſtion hath loſt ſo many brave ſouldiers. Theſe men were not like to Charles the ninth, in the bloudy maſſacre in Paris, who ſaid, oh how good is the ſmell of the dead enemies. An vnſit ſpeech of a Chriſtian, but as hee delighted in bloud, ſo came hee to a bloudie end.
Now concerning the living.
I. There muſt be a reverend reſpect had of men of the Church, ever ſacred by the law of Nations. Nebuchadnezzar gave a charge toIer. 39. 11, 12 looke well to Ieremy, and to doe him no hurt.
II. To keepe good quarter withIoſ. 1: 20 all ſuch as doe yeeld themſelves, and to whom faith hath beene promiſed to give them life, and to vſe them well: when Ioſephus was taken, having yeelded to Nican…, who in theIn the warres of the Iewes name of the Generall Viſpaſian promiſed him life, and ſome Romans perſwaded Veſpaſian to kill him, but Titus reprooved them for it, and held it treaſon to moove Veſpaſian to breake Caeſarael fidelitie as he called it. Cato accuſed G…ba for ſlaying the Luſitonians after compoſition made. Faithleſnes & breach of word in this kind maketh men deſperate, & to ſight it out as one man to the death rather then to yeeld; as it did the Iews in Iorpata, when the Romans were come into the Citie, not one yeelded, though Ioſephus was fled, & the reaſon is given, becauſe they had heard how a Iew had yeelded to a Roman ſouldier, who had ſworne to give him life, and yet afterwards ſlew him perfidiouſly. This vnfaith. fulnes cauſed alſo others ſo to deale with them; as did the Rebel Eliezar the prime Author of the laſt warres of the Iewes, & their vtter deſtruction with a valiant Roman, who had vponupon Eliezers oath yeelded himſelfe
III. To ſhew mercy to priſoners and Captives, and note to be bloud-thirſty: The Iſraelites did not2 Kings 6. 22 2 Chron▪ 28. 15. ſlay ſuch as they tooke captives: but ſhewed mercy and great compaſſion vntounto the lame, poore, and wounded, ſo mercy ſhould b…e ſhewed to women, children, and old folkes. To ſley all that are taken, as once the Lacedemonians did of the Athenians, and the Athenians of them, is great crueltie, and inhumane, of which at length they will be made to repent, as thoſe two ſorts did, as Thu…idides writeth. To ſlay pooreThucid. priſoners in cold blood is a note of a ſavage and implacable nature. But here is to be excepted, ſuch priſoners taken as doe deſerve iuſtice to be executed vponupon them, as did Agag 1 Sam: 15 32, 33.the King of the Amale kites, as alſo ſuch great ones, as have cauſed rebellion, as the Princes of Iudah did, who counſelled Zedekiah to hold outIer: 39. 5, 6 againſt Nabuchadnezer, contrary to his oath, and the word of God deliver by Ier…my: Theſe Nabuchadnezzar tooke and gave ſentence vponupon them. Alſo when there is treacherie found in the Captives, or iuſt cauſe of feare, if the Enemie ſhould make head againſt them, that then they would helpe to worke the Conquerour… deſtruction, in ſuch a caſe Caeſar… Hiſt de …h H…ſpan.ſouldiers at Munda in Spaine flew their priſoners, and ſo did the Engliſh theirs at Poytiers.
IV. Among Captives and priſoners to conſider perſons according to their qualities; and to reſpect them according to their place, as Prince Edward did King Iohn of Frace his priſoner, attending him at his Table. And as Tamberlaine did Baiazel whom firſt he went out to meet, then brought him into his owne Tent, and ſet him downe to meat with himſelfe, and did him all the honour he poſſibly could, till the proud Tyrant provoked him to deale with him, as he would have done with Tamberlaine, had he been the Conquerour. Great Princes and Commanders ſhould conſider what may befall themſelves. It was Tyrant-like in Adonibezek to vſe kingsIud. 1, 7 as dogges, and cruelly to handle them, in cutting off their thumbes and great toes: but he was rewarded thereafter. It was too great height of heart for King Edgar to be rowed over the river of Doe by ſeven Kings; Tyranes the King of Armenia, was too much puffed vp to make ſo …re Kings to wait at his Table: but moſt vnmindfull of mutabil…ty and regall maieſtie was Seſoſtris who made Kings to draw his Chariot: and moſt inhumane was Albonius a King of the Lombards, who vanquiſhed Cu…emed… a King of Iepidi, ſlew him, and of his skull made a quaffing Cup. We reade how Ioſua commanded his Captaines to tread vponupon the necks of Kings; but that was extraordinary, and it was vponupon ſuch as they were commanded to kill, whoſe poſterity they were to roote out. Nabuchadnezzar did put out the eyes of Zedekiah, but he was a periured wretch having contrary to his oath rebelled, when Nabuchadnezzar had made him King.
After victory gotten in the Field over their perſons, the Army being ſufficient, and a Conquering hoſt; the Generals in olde time were wont to make vſe of their victories in the Country.
I. They tooke the Citties of the Enemies from them, as Abijah did from Ieroboam after the battel fought Bethel, Ieſhanah, and Ephraim, with the Townes belonging to them. Hannibal ſhould hauehave gone to Rome vponupon his victory at Cannas. When Scipio overthrew Hannibal, he forthwith went to Carthage, which made preſently compoſition with him.
II. They ſet ſtrong garriſons among1 Sa: 13. 3 & 10. 5. & 14. 2. 4. 2 Sa. 8. 6. them, as the Philiſtims did in Iſrael, and David did in Syria of Damaſcus, to keepe the people vnderunder; and while the army is abroad to hauehave places of ſafe retreat,
III. They diſarmed them to keepe them from rebellion, when they intended to holde them in ſubiection. Thus did the Philiſtims with2 Sam: 13 19. 22. Iſrael, and Cyrus thus vſed the Lidians: for vponupon ſuch a courſe taken aHerod. leſſe force may ſerue to holde the Country in obedience.
IV. They removed their King ſometime, and placed another over them; thus dealt Pharao Nec…o with Iehoahaz King of Iudah, he carryed2 King. 23 33, 34. him away Priſoner, and made Eliakim King in his ſtead. In like ſort Nabuchadnezzar with Iehoiachim, in2 Kings 24, 17. whoſe roome hee placed Zedekiah; yea they hauehave tranſlated moſt the inhabitants, and ſometimes placed other of other Nations in their ſtead. So did Salmaneſer with the Iſraelites, and ſet a collonie in Samaria and in2 Kings 17. 24. Citties thereof. The Athenians taking the Iland Cyth…ra from the Lacedemonians, removed the olde Inhabitants,Thucid. 4. and peopled it vvith other their friends. By peopling of Caleis with our owne Nation that Towne continued long in obedience to the Engliſh; if ſo Rochell, Poytiers, Burdeanx, and other places had beene, we had not ſo loſt France perhaps as wee hauehave.