The Bible Battles, Chapter 15
CHAPTER. XV. Of the evils to be avoided in a campe, and to bee ſharpely puniſhed.
THere is nothing diſple ſing to God, but ſinne, and ſinne itDeu. 23▪ 9, is which prevents Gods bleſſings, and cauſeth ill ſucceſſe. Therefore ſpeciall care is to be had, to auoid ſinne and evill: as Moſes exhorted Iſrael, & as Aurelianus the Emperour ſaid to his Generall in a military epiſtle of his, if thou be a Tribune▪ yea, if thou wilt live; keepe backe the ſouldiers hands from doing evill▪
I. Evill to be taken beed of is Atheiſme, Lev. 24. 16 10.deriding of God and Religion, curſing God and blaſpheming his n…me; this God puniſhed with death; for where God and Religion is contemned, what can proſper? Q. Fabius a Heathen imputed, the calamity which befell the Romans in the ouerthrow of Flanimius, to be the neglect of Religion, and the onelyonly meanes ſaid he, to recouer Gods fauour was to reuerence Religion▪ Liv. 22. & 5.and to hauehave a care to pleaſe God▪ ſhould then a Chriſtian deride God and Religion? what came of Rabſakah and other blaſphemers, God did ſlay in his hoſt, 85000. Iulian the Emperour▪ after he apoſtated and became Chriſts enemy, he ſoon came to deſtruction, and Iulian his Vncle, who in contempt of Chriſt and the Sacrament, p…ſſed againſt the Table before he dyed, hee fell into ſuch a diſeaſe, as made his entrall… ro…, and hee to voyd filth at his mouth.
II. Euill is Idolatry; this greatlyExo. 32. provoketh God to wrath, maketh people naked of his protection, and to leaue them. This ouerthrew Ieroboam, with his 80000. Valiants in fighting againſt Iudah. This overthrew the Armies of Ioaſh, fighting2 Chro. 25. 7. againſt the Syrians, & by this was Amaziahs hoſt beaten, by the Iſraelits, the ten Tribes. God will not bee with his people that ſhall have Idolaters with them. So the Prophet told Amaziah going againſt Edom.
III. Euill is the Abuſe of Gods Zach. 5. 3.name by horrible ſwearing, and damned oathes, the Lord telleth vsus that a curſe remaineth vponupon them, & he threatneth to cut them off, yet ſome hold themſelves no ſouldiers til they can graceleſly, as a grace to them, thunder out bloudy oathes: common ſwearing maketh one apt to forſware himſelfe, which is a fearfull ſinne not left vnreuenged of God in great perſons, as in Zedekiah, king of Iudah,2 Ch. 3. 6. giuen captive into the hands of Nabuchandnezzar, with whom hee had broken his oath, for this was the power of Vladiſlaus vtterly ouerthrown, and hee ſlaine by the Turkes vnderunder Amurath the Grand-Signeour: with ſwearing and forſwearing, muſt be abandoned, execrable curſing of others, and of themſelves. For which many fearfull examples may be produced, which might cauſe men to tremble; ſome have beene poſſeſſed with the diuell, by wiſhing the diuel to take them, ſome hanged, by vſing this forme of execration, I wiſh I …ight be hanged if I doe this orSee exam: in the Theatre of Gods iudgments. that; ſome drowned in a Privie, as by a corrupt cuſtome they vſed to wiſh, ſome rotting before they dyed, according to their curſing.
IV. The ill vſe of much gaming, a thing that was not in vſe in Gods hoſt; and good it were that it were leſſe in vſe in our Campe; for God is diſhonoured, monyes waſted, and many evills h…ppen thereupon; our enemy the Spaniard in time of ſeruice doth baniſh al vnlawfull games. In the ſiege of Poytiers the Admirall cauſed a certaine Enſigne to bee hanged for that he was found playing atHiſtoria de troubl. de Fra. li. 8. cards, while his company did watch in ſome perill: Manly exerciſes ſhould be appointed them, and ſuch as can reade, to get hiſtories of warre and other good bookes to reade and diſcourſe thereof; thus the mind and body will be well employed. It may be ſome ſouldiours would be ſo well exerciſed, if there were Commanders like Caeſar, who read much, and did write his owne warres, or like Pyrrhus the famous Martialiſt in his time, who wrote many books; and as Hannibal in whoſe tents were found many books which he ſtudied: braue and generous ſpirits ſhould be delighted either to reade, or heare read the acts of valiant warriers, and ſcorn baſe play, and childiſh gaming.
V. The prophanation of the Sabboth Rev. 1. 10.the Lords day, as now Saint Iohn calleth it. God puniſheth this inNum. 15. 32. 36. the campe of Iſrael; the valiant Iudas Machabeus tooke ſpeciall care to keepe the Sabboth with his hoſt;2 Mach. 8. 27. when Nicanor King Demetrius Generall would in contempt of God fight with Iudas on the Sabboth day there were ſlaine of his men 35000. and he killed, his head ſtrucke off,Ca, 1…. 1. 27. 28. his tongue cut out for his blaſphemie, and his right hand which hee had ſtretched out againſt the Temple, with his head ſent to IeruſalemEccl. hiſt. Cent. 12. to be hanged vp vponupon a Tower. One of the Kings of Denmarke contrary to the diſſu…ſions of Divines, would needs ioyne battle with an enemy vponupon the day of Pentecoſt, but hee loſt the field, and his life withall. All vaine ſports on the Lords day, are to be abandoned in a Chriſtian hoſt.
VI. Is Rebellion againſt lawfull authority: this the Lord puniſhed, yea he extraordinarily plagued Rebells,Num. 16. 31, 11, 32, 33, 41, …2, 49. making the earth to open and ſwallow vp ſome, and fire to deuoure ſome others; Rebells can looke for no good end, ſee it in Abſalom, though he had moſt of Iſrael to take his part. Let the end of him, Bichri and Zimri, make men take heed of r…be…lion.
VII. Treaſonable practiſes and conſpiracies, and ſecret working with the enemy are to be carefully looked vntounto, and to be prevented, and the parties found ou… ſeverely to bee puniſhed,Ier. 40. for good Gedaliah beeing warned, and not making timely inquiry was by trayterous Iſmael cruelly murthered. So one Quintilius Ʋarus for being too ſlacke to ſearch out the Treachery of one Narminins, of which he had intelligence, was ſlaine with all his company. Of ſuch was Nehemiah in danger, but his wiſedome prevented them; and Iudas Machabeus Neh. 6. 17. 10. 2 Mach. 13. 21.had a Rod…cus among them, a diſcloſer of ſecrets to the enemy: but he was found out: Cyrus the yonger executed one Or…ntes which went about to betray him to the … my. Marcellus executed many in the City N…la, for treaſon, having had ſecret talk and intelligence withLiv. 24. Hannibal. For ſuch worthily deſerue death.
VIII. Is Mutinie. God puniſhed the murmurings of his people, and their malecontentedneſſe, ſuch as cauſe ſedition; and ſtirre vp othersNum. 11. 1, 9, 21. 5, 6 to grow rebellious are to be puniſhed, Scipio vponupon a mutiny of his ſouldiours in Spaine, put to death the chiefe moovers, and ſo pacifiedLiv. 28. Tacit. 1. the reſt; ſo did Tiberius when his did mutinie in Pannouia, but it is hard meaſure to poore ſtarving ſouldiers, for comming and demanding their pay in extreame need, to be held mutinous, and that onelyonly for this, Captaines ſhould hang ſome to make others willing to dye rather for hunger, then any more to complaine. Oh vnchriſtian cruelty▪ and mercileſſe inhumanity.
IX. Diſobedience to command, and to make attempts vponupon the Enemie without warrant, or when a charge is giuen to the contrary, this God ſuffered not to goe unpuniſhed in the preſumptuous Iſraelites. Manlius Num. 14. 41. 45.his dealing with his ſonne is before noted, and Papirius his purpoſe and intent towards the Generall of his horſe. Men vponupon their owne heads without command of authority to fight with the enemy, ſeldomeLiv. 5. prooue ſucceſſefull: which the Romans found at the ſiege of Vey with loſſe of their ſouldiers: yet Ionathan and his Armour-bearer ſecretly …et vponupon the enemy and proſpered, and was honoured for it. But ſuch an example is extraordinary; as ſouldiers are not to preſume upon their owne heads without command, ſo being commanded, they might readily obey; els all Military order would decay and die. We may reade in Livie that a Generall of the RomansLiv. 4. ſlew an Enſigne-bearer, for refuſing to advance himſelfe forward towards the enemy, as he was commanded; yea the Iſ…aelites held him worthy death that would refuſe to obeyIoſ. 1. 18. the iuſt commands of their Generall Ioſua.
X. Is enuy and pride, and words of reproach the fruits thereof, tending to provoke to the breach of peace, this God puniſhed in the Propheteſſe Miriam, this envie, pride, andNum. 12. …, 9, 10. words of contempt are peſtilent evils, and cauſe much miſchiefe. Hence aroſe the bloudy civill diſcord and warre betweene Ieptah and the Ephramites, of whom were ſlaine 42000. Hence the ſlaughtering andIud. 12. Iud. 9. killing one another betweene Abimelech and the Sichemites, cauſed by the reproachfull and diſdainefull words of Gaal, theſe things ſhould be prohibited, and ſharpely puniſhed.
XI. Is murther and the killing of1: Kin. 2. 30. 31. one another; God gaue a very ſtrait charge againſt bloud-ſhed. Ioab the Generall being guiltie muſt die for it, even at the Altar: God never allowed Aſyles for murtherers, and men of bloud, Captaines may not like raſh brained and bloudy men, diſorderly kill ſouldiers; hee thatIn l. 18▪ & 19. 3. … rem… ▪ ſhall ſo doe among the Spaniards dyeth for it: the Romans put to death ſuch as ſtroke their fellowes with a ſword, if they offered other violence as to throw ſtones at them, ſuch were diſplaced with ſhame; Quarrels and Chalenges thereupon with acceptances thereof have beene the loſſe of many liues vnworthily; hereby Princes looſe their ſubiects, the armie is wea…ned, the enemy hereby advantaged. Souldiers lives ſhould be precious one to another, their bloud ſhould be ſpilt in the publike cauſe againſt the enemy, and not in private quarrels, no not if a man put the lye vponupon an other; Iehu a right2 K. 9. 12. valiant Captaine, marching furiouſly, did not quarrell with the Captaines in his companie, when they ſaid it was falſe which he ſpake, ſo putting the lye vponupon him, neither held he it ſuch a diſgrace, as now men doe iudge. Ieremie ſaid to aIer. 37. 14. Captaine of the Ward, vniuſtly accuſing him, that it was falſhood or a lye, as it is in the Hebrew Text, which he ſpake. Gedaliah put the lye vponupon Iohanan a Captain, a highIer. 40. 16. Note this. and proud ſpirited man, and valiant too, yet none of theſe offered to any of them the ſtabbe, nor did make a quarrell thereof, nor did beaſtlike more then manlike, ruſh vponupon one another, and kill one another: for theſe quarrelſome fellowes, and Spadaſſiues (as one calleth them) are not ever the beſt men. Drunkenneſſe, whoring, ſwearing, and no doubt but hereupon forſwearing, are no matters of diſgrace to them, but forſooth the tearme lye, by which the father of all lies deludeth them, to make them ſtraine at a gnat, and ſwallow Camels; to ſeeme to deteſt a lye, and yet in their vicious courſes to be faithleſſe to God, and their owne ſoules; Away, away with this deluſion of Sathan, you that are truely valiant, and right Chriſtian Souldiers, and ſuffer not your ſelues to be tranſported with this conceited diſgrace to ſeeke revenge, and ſo be guilty of bloud; a crying ſin before God.
XII. Is careleſſe negligence, and ſlothfulneſſe; this is to be puniſhed,Ier: 48. 10. 1 K. 20. 39, 40. the Lord pronounceth a curſe vponupon him, that doth his worke negligently, and keepeth backe his ſword from bloud, when he may ſlay the Lords enemies. It was death by negligence to let an enemy put into a mans cuſtody to eſcape: ſo for a watchman not to give Eze. 33. 6. Liv. 5.warning▪ the watchman which ſuffered the Gaules to enter into the Capitol, while he ſlept, was thrown from the rocke of the Caſtle, and ſo puniſhed with death for it, the valiant Commander Epamino…das the Theban going the round ſlew the watchmanPlutarch. whom he found aſleepe; by the Roman Law it was death: But this is to be meant in time of moſt neceſſary watching, becauſe of the enemy, but no… els, God forbid, that the bloud of poore ſouldiers ſhould be needleſly ſhed.
XIII. Is cowardlineſſe, when a ſouldi…r dare not for feare performe his charge, this is to be puniſhed. Cowards God put out of his campe, when he ſent his to warre; and ſo did Machabeus. Appius Clandius did behead thoſe ſouldiers that throwing downe their armes fled from their enemies; Lic…rgus made a law among the Spartans, that no man ſhould returne Liv▪ 2.home that turned his backe vponupon his enemy. Caeſar put certaine Enſignes from their places, becauſe they loſt their ground in an encounter with Pompey at Dirrhac…ium; The Coward doth not only helpe the enemy, but diſheartneth his friends; The Lacedemonian women would deliver ſhields to their ſonnes, exhorting them going to warre, eyther to bring them againe, or to dye valiantly; There was among them one Damatria who hearing that her ſon had not fought like a Lacedemonian, when he came …lew him; ſo much did women there deteſt a cowardly ſpirit.
XIV. Is flying away out of the hoſt to the enemy; this is worthy ſevere puniſhment: ſuch baſe and traiterous ſpirits among all the ſouldiers in Iſrael I never read of to my remembrance; not in all the warres of Ioſua, nor of the Iudges, nor of Saul, nor of Dauid; The Romans puniſhed ſuch with death, Caius Matienus comming…l…ru…. but home from the army in Spaine, without leaue, was beaten vnderunder a gibbet, & ſold for one piece of mony, to ſignifie the baſe eſteeme of ſuch a fugitiue; to flye to the enemy is to further them very much, by diſcouering to them the preſent ſtate of thoſe from whom they run, and therefore is to be very ſharpely puniſhed.
XV. Is Fornication, Whoredome, and fleſhly filthineſſe in any kind, not to be ſuffered. God for this ſinne ſlew in the campe of Iſrael in one day 24000.Num 25. Phineas in his zeale for this ſlew Zimry and Cozbie a Prince and Princeſſe. Scipio the younger baniſhed women out of his campe. Before is ſhewed how Alex…nder puniſhed this beaſtly filthineſſe in ſouldiers. This ſinne is yet nothing now in the thoughts of unbridled luſtfull ſouldiers; which yet ſome hauehave well payed for. The Sicilians enraged againſt the Ga…riſons of ſouldiers, for their adulteries, Ni…. Gil. V…l. 1.whoredomes, and rapes, in the reigne of Rodolphus the Emperour, tooke armes, and vponupon Eaſter day ſet vponupon them and ſlew them all. The Emperour Aurelianus cauſed a ſouldier for committing adultery to be tyed by his feet to two trees bent to the earth, which being let goe rent him in peeces, halfe of him hanging on the one, and the other halfe on the other tree.
XVI. Diſcontentedneſſe with the allotted prouiſion convenient, and luſting after belly-cheere. This euill the great man of warre, and diſcipliner of Armies, the Lord God of hoſtes, puniſhedNum. 11. 4. 20. 33. in his Campe. Nothing leſſe befits a ſouldier then the louelove of his belly and eaſe; ſome are like ſummer locuſts, which are all belly, and live of ſpoyle; ſtrong in warme months, but in pinching cold they are gone, pind away, and dy; you hauehave heard before how baſely Lucius Pius was eſteemed of by the Romans, for his gaining of the Sarmates to obedience with belly-cheere.
XVI. Is theft, filching, rapine, robbery, Ioſ. 7. 21.and ſacriledge: God puniſhed Achans theft; yet theſe are too common with ſouldiers now. For many baſe fellowes fitter for the Gaole, yea the Gallowes then the warres, are no ſooner preſt, and in the Kings ſervice, but are bold to lay hands vponupon other mens goods, which they carry away with many a bitter curſe, year curſe is vponupon the theefe and theZach. 5. 3. ſwearer, who alſo bringeth a curſe vponupon others as Achan did; That one theefe cauſed the overthrow of the Armie; oh, what euill will then a multitude of theeves doe in an hoſt? Great care muſt be had of committing ſacriledge, and robbing of Churches, Craſſus the Roman forSabellic. li. 4 ca. 3. robbing the Temple of Ieruſalem, was ſoone after ouercome by the Parthians. Cambyſes the King of Perſia his armie, was deſtroyed by a tempeſt, going to rob a Temple. Theſe by Draco the Athenian Lawgiuer was death; So among the Hetrurians, andHerod. l. 1. Vapiſc in vita Aurel. Vacceians; The Locrians put out the theeves eyes; Aurelianus the Emperor would not ſuffer his ſouldiers to take a pullet or chicken from country people, his friends. Tyberius made one ofSuetonius in Tiber. his Guard to be put to death, for taking a Peacocke out of a mans yard▪ Tamberlaine cauſed a ſouldier to be ſlaine for taking a poore womans milke and ſome cheeſe, and not paying for it; The Romans vnderunder Marcus Theat. hiſt.Scaurus were ſo diſciplined, that they would not pluck the fruit of one tree, as they paſſed by it, and left it vntouched. Peſcenius Niger would hauehave put to death diuerſe ſouldiers met together feaſting themſelues with that which they had ſtollen, though thorow intreaty their lives were ſpared, yet they were puniſhed, and their puniſhment was to lye in Tents during the warre without fire, to live onelyonly with bread and water, and to make reſtitution to the husbandmen; and the reaſon given of this ſeveritie was, becauſe, ſuch acts did tend to rebellion. Aurelian writes an epiſtle to Tribunes and ſouldiers, to keepe their hands from other mens goods.
But theft is not onelyonly to be reſtrained in ſouldiers, but alſo in Captaines and officers which they may many wayes commit.
1. In falſe musters robbing ſo the ſtate, by having pay for moe in the roll, then be in ſervice. This abuſeGuice. l. 15▪ was the ruine of Francis the firſt before Pavy, they that give in falſe numbers by the Lawes in France, ſufferLiv. 28. death. The Romans payd every ſouldier by the poll; ſo at muſters do now the Spaniards.
Secondly, in robbing poore ſouldiers of their pay, Caeſar was ſevere againſtCaeſar de b…llo Civ. this villany; ſo as two of his Captaines of horſe, Roſcillus and Ae…us having defrauded ſouldiers of their pay, fled to the enemy, as ſoone as they knew that Caeſar had notice thereof. Its an indelible Character of infamie, ſaith one, to defraud a poore ſouldier of his due.
Thirdly, in taking from a ſouldier that which is his owne, as his weapon,Of Capt abuſing poore ſouldiers, reade Sir Toh: Smiths epiſtle to the Nobility of England▪ l 3. 6. qui aliena F. de remilita. or horſe, &c. Theophilu… the Emperour of the Eaſt, baniſhed a Commander out of his Dominion for taking a ſouldiers good horſe perforce from him, for want whereof he was afterwards ſlaine in battle, and withall beſtowed the Commanders poſſeſſion vponupon the ſouldiours widdow, albeit that Captaine had beſtowed the horſe vponupon the Emperour himſelfe, vnwitting to him, till the widow claimed him, as the Emperour rode on him. As Captaines and Officers may not wrong ſouldiers, ſo ſouldiers may not rob one another. Modeſtinus iudged him worthy of death that ſtole his fellowes armes. To conclude, great care muſt bee had that ſouldiers doe no ſpoyle, nor rob ſuch, by whom they are permitted to paſſe by peaceably, nor ſuch as bee Merchants and Victuallers of the Campe, but ſuch muſt be ſuffered to goe and come very ſecurely: The Army of the Prince of Orange beſieging Florence, had like to hauehave beene famiſhed, through the diſorder onelyonly of three or foure ſouldiers which robbed the Merchants and Victuallers, which came and went from the Campe: but thoſe were therefore hanged, and then plenty was brought in. The puniſhing of this ſinne in Tamberlaines Campe made his huge Army of many hundred thouſands to bee plentifully ſerved.
XVII. And laſt is, the ſpreading of rumours, raiſing of falſe reports, to diſhearten an Army is worthy death. This the Lord of hoſts puniſhed with death, and ſent theNum. 14. 37. plague vponupon them, that brought vponupon the land an ill report, which daunted the peoples hearts for going forward: it ſet them in a rebellion. A falſe imagination conceiued and rumoured in the hoſt of the Syrians▪ (to wit, that Ieh…ram had hyred the Charriots and horſes of Pharaoh to come vponupon them, when they beſi…dged Samaria, and in a manner had won it) made them flye ſuddenly, 2 K. 7, 6, 7.none purſuing, and to looſe the victory, …ea and what els they had running away as for their lives. Rumours of falſho…d are often vttered of the enemy …o worke feare, and ſo to da…nt m…ns ſpirits which rumours therefore are not to be beleeued.
Theſe are thoſe ſinn…full evills, which principally in an army are to be ſuppreſſed and puniſhed, yet in proceeding againſt offenders, as need muſt be taken of to much levitie, ſo alſo beware of too great ſeveritie. Lucul…us vndid himſelfe by this and …as forſaken of his ſouldiers, who went to Pompey, to whom they prooued moſt faithfull and conſtant. Rigour may rule, but gaining affection by …lemency cauſeth true obedience, yet offenders muſt not goe vnpuniſhed. For by ſuppreſſing diſorders, God is honoured, the Army ſtrengthned, the enemies diſheartned, neighbours and friends ſecured, and ſo encouraged to abide conſtant; but vvhere ſin doth reigne & diſorders ſuffered, there all things fall out cleane contrary, miſery and want will follow, to their ruine and overthrow: God will bee againſt them, and friends will abandon them as vnvvorthy of aide.