The Bible Battles, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the excellencie of the Hiſtorie of warres in Holy writt.
MOſt that delight to reade, or almoſt all, ſo delighted, do ſpend their time in peruſeſing over humane ſtories, and do highly extoll the hiſtories of the warres of Heathen Commanders, as of great Alexander, of Iulius Caeſar, of Pirrhus the Epirote, of Hanniball the Carthaginean, of Scipio Africanus, and many other praiſe worthy Cheiftaines in warre: but doe lightly price the Scriptures Hiſtorie of warres, the right art militarie indeed, which was commanded to bee penned by that great man of warre, (as Moſes ſtileth him) theExod: 15. only cheife and higheſt commander whoſe name is the Lord of Hoſts.
And yet this Sacreed ſtory ſurpaſſeth al other, and is aboue them to be commended for many things; as firſt for the vndoubted truth in all and every thing therein delivered. 2. For the antiquitie thereof before all other extant in the whole world. 3. For the great authority thereof, divine and heavenly. 4. For the ſhort and pithy relations. 5. For ſuch admirable things as be therein recorded, not elſe where to be foūd. If withall the certainetie of ſuch things be conſidered; as
I. The Lords moſt valiant and religious General, never to be matched for fame and glorie. Who can compare with Ioſua, judged to bee one of the Nyne Worthies? Who can match with ſome of the Iudges, as Shamgar, who ſlew 600 men with an Oxe goad, or Sampſon, that ſlew a 1000 with the jaw bone of an Aſſe? Iudg. 3. 31. Or who can compare with David the King, another of the Nyne Worthies, for wiſedome, valour and piety? Or who hath excelled a third of the nyne worthies, Iudas Machabeus for courage, for magnanimitie of ſpirit, and vndauntedneſſe of heart?
II The Captaines and worthies as David had, who among the Heathen like Adino, that in one battell ſlew 800 men with his owne hand? Who could breake thorow an whole hoſt of armed men, as did only three of Dauids worthies to fetch ſome water for David to drinke? Then worthy Acts are recorded in the 2. Sam. cap: 23. and 1. 11. whereto I refer the Reader, as not to be paralleld among the true hiſtories of any Heathen or Chriſtian.
III The ſet Battels therein mentioned, in number found 37; what one Hiſtorie hath the like number in ſo compendious a relation▪
IV The huge Armies ſet downe: The Armie which Gedeon fought which was very great, for then aboue 120000 were ſlaine: The Army of Iſrael againſt Beniamin, was 4…0000: The Army of the Philiſtins at one time was 30000 Charets, 6000 horſmen, and footmen as the ſand for multitude; Sauls firſt hoaſt, which1 Sa 11. 8. he levied againſt the Ammonites, was 330000: Amaziah againſt Edom had 300000: Shiſhake the King of Aegipt came againſt Iudah in Rehoboams dayes with 1200 Charetts, 60000, horſemen, and footmen without number, Ieroboam & Abijah brought2 Ch. into the feild at one time 1200000, the one 800000, the other 400000: Zerah the Ethiopian came againſt Aſa with 1000000, and Aſa mett him with 580000, ſo there was that day in the feild fifteene hundred & fourſcore thouſand men to fight, ſtriving who ſhould overcome, and be victorious: Greater armies I never read nor heard of in any Hiſtorie, ſaue only that of Xerxzes the Perſian, and that of Tamberlain, and Baiezett the Turke and Tartar, if the relation of the numbers be true, as we are ſure theſe all be.
V. The ſtorie is rare, In reſpect of the incredible ſlaughters in thoſeIud. 8. 10. dayes in one foughten feild: Gedeon in his warrs did ſley of the enemyes 120000; David ſlew 40000 horſemen2 Sa 10. 18 in the Syrian hoaſt, with their2 Ch 3 17. Generall, and the men alſo of 700: Charetts in one battell; Ieroboam loſt 500000 choſen men in his fightings againſt Abijah: Ahab ſlew of Benhadads 1 K 20 29 30.Army 100000, beſides 27000 that periſhed by the fall of a wall, and2 Ch. 28. 6. 8. Pekah King of Iſraell deſtroyed in one day of the men of Iudah, 120000 and tooke captiue 200000 priſoners.
VI. In regard of the moſt ſtrange and vnheard of victories; ſome miraculous, as when God ſett the ſword of the enemyes of his people againſt their owne ſelues to ſlaughter and kill one another; as hee did the Midianits and Amalakits, ſo the Philiſtians Iudg. 7. 2…and likewiſe the Moabites, and Edomites and Ammonites, when they came againſt Iudah. Some other1 Sa. 14 20 though not ſuch, yet ſo proſperous by Gods protection and ayding power2 Ch 20. to overcome, as the like is no where recorded, to omit the victories of Ioſua againſt Og, againſt Sihon, againſt all the Kings of Canaan, the victories of Iudah, of Ehud, Baruk, Iudg. 1.Iephte, of Saul, of David, Aſa, Ahab, Amaziah and others. I will mention but that one levied hoſt of Iſraell in number 12000 only, which went out againſt Midian; and ſlew fiue Kings, burnt all their Citties, andNum. 21. 5 8. 10. 32. 35. 50 Verſe 49. goodly Caſtells with fire, and tooke priſoners 32000 perſons; brought away for bootie and ſpoyle, beſides Iewels of gold, chaines, braceletes, rings, earings, and tabletts, 675000 ſheepe, 72000 beeues, and 61000 Aſſes: and yet loſt not one man in obteyning this victorie.
VII. To theſe former may be added, the great number of the valiant and matchleſſe men, not in any Nation vnderunder heaven to bee found, at one time ſo many as was there. There came to David to make him King at once 1222, Captaines, and with them in number altogether1 Ch. 12. 28. 32. 34. 339300, all men of warre very many thouſands of them commended to be famous, mightie men of valour, expert in warr, able to keepe ranke, and to ſett the Battell in aray. Beſides theſe, there were in valour peereleſſe, all the 37 worthies of David, with many other mighty men, ſuch2 Sa. 2. 22. 1 Ch. 11, & 12. as could vſe both the right, and left hand, for hurling ſtones and ſhoting arrowes out of a bowe, yea men of might, fit for warre, that could handle ſheild and buckler, whoſe faces were like the faces of Lyons, and as ſwift as the Roes vponupon the mountaines. Afterwards when David was ſettled, and Ioab commaunded to number the people throughout the 12 Tribes, beſides Levy and Beniamin, there were found 1570000 men that drewe ſword: and yet that Nation was not aboue 200 miles long, and 50 miles broad, not neere the halfe of England by much. Yea when the Tribes were divided, and onelyonly Iudah & Beniamin made a kingdome, as much perhapps, as two or three of the leſſer ſhires of England, yet could Abiiah raiſe vp of choſen men 400000; Aſa had an army of 580000 all mighty men of valour; to ſay nothing of Amaziah his hoſt of 300000 nor of the 2600 chiefe of the Fathers2 Ch. 26. very valiant men, vnderunder whō was an army of 307500 which made warr with mightie power to helpe2 Ch, 17 King Vzziah againſt the enemy. In the raigne of Iehoſaphat was an hoſt of 1160000 men, mightie men of valour. Of what Nation ſo little hath been, or can be the like truely ſpoken?
Laſtly, the Nation was ever in military exerciſe by reaſon of continuall warres at home or abroad; In the dayes of Ioſua, of the Iudges, of Saule and David, after the peaceable dayes of Salomon, Iſrael & Iudah being divided, then began warres, and almoſt perpetuall betweene the two kingdomes, beſides the warrs of forraigne Enemyes, the Aegyptians, Moabits, Ammonites, Edomites, Philiſtims, Ethiopians, Sirians, Aſſirians, and Babylonians, vntill both kingdomes periſhed, and were led away captiue: So as this people could not be but good ſouldiers, for number many, in skill by dayly vſe exquiſite, in valour incomparable, in braue leaders, cheife Captaines and commanders, not to bee matched. And therefore why may not much art of Souldiary and military knowledge be collected hence at leaſt in many maine points, as well, yea why not better, then ſom other humaine writers? Seeing the relations are moſt true, matter to worke vponupon plentifully adminiſtred, the warrant from God, the examples from the people of God, which being ſet for examples before them, will put ſouldiers in minde of the wayes of God, to moue them to ſeeke helpe and ayd of God, as thoſe did againſt their enemyes, when we goe out to battell.